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32 SEEDWORLD.COM JUNE 2016 DESIGN ENGINEERING Six Questions to Form a Successful Partnership The success of facility design construction and operation relies on numerous factors none of which may be as important as selecting the right project partners. Too many times Ive seen clients select a design firm that they end up disappointed with. This leads to strained relationships and unmet expectations. Based on my experience ideal partn- erships are a collaborative dialogue between owners operators and engineers. Developing the correct scope of work identifying and implementing engineering solutions and procuring the proper equipment can be adversely impacted by a number of issues including a lack of shared values or vision a lack of design-intent and definition of long-term needs. When these happen deadlines are missed costs exceed budgets and the client decides not to work with the engineering or construction firm again. EES COMPANIES OWNER AND PROFESSIONAL ENGINEER JElwerEEScompanies.com EEScompanies.com JEFF ELWER One crucial requirement of a design firm is to never assume they should always be prepared to explain designs. Assuming a client is accurately interpreting and reading drawings is often an area of conflict that arises after the project erection or installation begins causing delays and increasing expense. A design firm or contractor has an obligation to clearly explain the designs prior to commencing work. To avoid these potential pitfalls there are six questions you should address when initiating capital projects and selecting a design firm or contractor. These include 1. What values are necessary in a partner 2. What is the design-intent What is the desired outcome and what problem is being solved 3. Is there a clearly articulated scope of work 4. What are the performance requirements for equipment 5. Is there an established timeframe and budget for completion 6. What type of support is required post-completion Successful projects begin with successful partnerships. Identifying the right partners and forming collaborative partnerships is the first critical step to assure the long-term success of capital investments. PRODUCTION SERVICES Big Data Will Drive Genetic Diversity It continues to be a headline Genetic diversity of our food crops is dwindling. Historically this might have been the case but its changing and big data is driving it. Despite what many people might think big data and precision agriculture are not only creating opportunities for multinational companies but also smaller independent breeders. With the recent advancements in genomics knowledge and techniques plant breeding is becoming less expensive and more accessible. Because the initial investment for a breeding effort is now less the size of the microclimate or end-use market being targeted doesnt need to be as large. This means that its now economi- cally feasible to breed for specific soil types in specific counties whereas before one needed to paint with a much broader brush. In our custom breeding and nursery ser- vices business we are seeing this change take place. Smaller organizations are able to used advanced analytics to precisely mea- sure product performance in specific soil conditions and maximize yield for farmers GRO ALLIANCE PRESIDENT jim_schweigert GroAlliance.com JIM SCHWEIGERT in that area. Additionally companies are able to breed for specific oil content nutritional composition or grain color that meet the needs of smaller industrial or consumer markets. The excitement and technical sophistication of these efforts is high. However some organizations lack a robust product development and commercial deployment plan. This is where we recommend a start-up or smaller breeding organization seek support from a company with custom breeding and nursery service expertise. We offer a range of solutions that provide risk mitigation and cost savings to our clients. The first solution is having multiple locations. This is important for all areas of seed production and hybrid testing but is critical for a new breeding effort. If all the breeding work is being done at one location the entire program is one hail storm from being over. Second we offer drip or pivot irrigation at all our nurseries. While water isnt the only stressor it might be the most important to protect against. Finally we can provide a road map for turning the breeding vision into reality. We know the steps how to take them and how to most efficiently use resources which is especially important in the early stages. Large companies will likely continue to develop dominant genetics in the more homogenous large acreage areas but pre- cision breeding efforts from smaller more focused companies will continue to gain traction in an increasingly complex and decentralized agricultural landscape.