Page 1 Page 2 Page 3 Page 4 Page 5 Page 6 Page 7 Page 8 Page 9 Page 10 Page 11 Page 12 Page 13 Page 14 Page 15 Page 16 Page 17 Page 18 Page 19 Page 20 Page 21 Page 22 Page 23 Page 24 Page 25 Page 26 Page 27 Page 28 Page 29 Page 30 Page 31 Page 32 Page 33 Page 34 Page 35 Page 36 Page 37 Page 38 Page 39 Page 40 Page 41 Page 42 Page 43 Page 44 Page 45 Page 46 Page 47 Page 48 Page 49 Page 50 Page 51 Page 52 Page 53 Page 54 Page 55 Page 56 Page 57 Page 58 Page 59 Page 60 Page 61 Page 62 Page 63 Page 64 Page 65 Page 66 Page 67 Page 68 Page 69 Page 70 Page 71 Page 72 Page 73 Page 74 Page 75 Page 76 Page 77 Page 78 Page 79 Page 80 Page 81 Page 82 Page 83 Page 84 Page 85 Page 86 Page 87 Page 88 Page 89 Page 90 Page 91 Page 92 Page 93 Page 94 Page 95 Page 96 Page 97 Page 98 Page 99 Page 100 Page 101 Page 102 Page 103 Page 104 Page 105 Page 106 Page 107 Page 108 Page 109 Page 110 Page 111 Page 112 Page 113 Page 114 Page 115 Page 116 Page 117 Page 118 Page 119 Page 120 Page 121 Page 122 Page 123 Page 124 Page 125 Page 126 Page 127 Page 128 Page 129 Page 130 Page 131 Page 132 Page 133 Page 134 Page 135 Page 136 Page 137 Page 138 Page 139 Page 140 Page 141 Page 142 Page 143 Page 144 Page 145 Page 146 Page 147 Page 14854 / SEEDWORLD.COM DECEMBER 2016 Innovations for a better world. The Bühler seed sorting portfolio. For the ultimate seed product, choose the ultimate seed optical sorters. Bühler sorters are packed with innovative technologies across our range including PROfileTM , InGaAs, SmartEjectTM and SORTEX ProSortXTM operating software. Bühler has the right sorting solution for you, no matter the capacity, sorting requirement or budget. Interested? Contact us today. T+ 1 209 983 8400 sortexsales@buhlergroup.com www.buhlergroup.com/seed-sorting BSOC 164480 Seed World_Advt_Sept 2016.indd 1 11-10-2016 18:39:11 focused areas of your business that may be the key to differentiation: • Better customer service. •  Better delivery and more knowledge- able distribution partners. •  Leveraging the overall customer rela- tionship by bundling with other prod- ucts and services for added value. •  True customer segmentation. And, corresponding communications and sales approaches to more closely tailor to each segments’ unique needs. •  Make the application and ease-of-use of the product better than anyone else. He recommends answering a series of questions before trying to establish a differentiator. Is the differentiator in your offering something your customers care about? What can you do better than your competitors? Can you consistently deliver on your differentiator? Is your differentia- tor sustainable over the long haul? Tip #4: Use Analytics Leveraging big data can help by providing a solid structure for collecting and analyz- ing information to form a crystal clear view of an organization, according to The Ohio State University. Businesses that can transform complex data sets into action- able information can make effective busi- ness decisions. Jim Thrift, an agricultural consultant, adds that data management will drive the future ag segment. “A smart person with the most information wins,” he says. A recent Gartner survey reveals that 73 percent of companies have invested, or plan to invest in big data during the next two years — a number that has risen from 64 percent in 2013. Big data investment is increasing at an average annual rate of almost 30 percent. A strategy should be consistently ana- lyzed to see if it is working, shares Africa Ariño, professor of strategic management at IESE Business School and director of its Research Center on Globalization and Strategy. “Collect relevant data from both within the industry and the macro- environment and analyze it frequently to see if the company´s strategy holds up or tweaks need to be made,” Ariño says. Hidden Opportunities Hard times present opportunities. Myron Stine, president of Stine Seed Co., says that consolidation opens up the market. Richard Brock, president of Brock Associates, believes 2017 will be a turna- round year for agriculture. “Consolidation occurs both on the agribusiness side and on the farming side at the bottom of every cycle,” he says. “This one is no different. Some interpret consolidation as negative. Maybe. But there is a bright side.” Brock says that farm operators will be consolidating and expanding in size just like agribusiness firms. “Producers will be more professional in management decision-making and require higher levels of services from suppliers,” he says. To power ahead and get their business, you’ll need to move fast and demonstrate that your products and services will help your current and potential farm customers succeed. SW DID YOU KNOW? Released in 1980, Pac-Man was the best-selling arcade game in North America. It grossed more than $1 billion in quarters within a year.