SEPTEMBER 2018 SEEDWORLD.COM / 23 INSIDERS ADVICE FROM INDUSTRY EXPERTS Lessons from My First Visit to China AFTER TRAVELING NEARLY 7,000 miles, my plane had finally touched down in Beijing, China. While I was there to speak at two international confer- ences on biologicals, I also made time to soak up the culture and get outside the conference hotels. For other first-time visitors, here are a few tips. Take public transportation. Unlike in the U.S., public transportation is efficient and well orchestrated. For example, I took the train, which traveled at speeds of 180 miles per hour, to Nanjing to intro- duce ABM to potential public collabora- tors at Nanjing Agricultural University. That wasn’t even the express! China has the world’s largest high-speed rail (HSR) system, with more than 11,000 miles of railway connecting 28 of China’s 33 prov- inces. Eat with chopsticks. Chinese dining can be a novel experience for Westerners. I did not use a fork the entire time I was there. Much to my surprise, I was complimented on my chopstick skills by Chinese colleagues. Use a translation app. Outside of the conferences I participated in, there was little-to-no English spoken, on signs or anywhere I looked. It’s important to plan for this. I used the Google Translate app and found it to be very helpful. Be adventurous. With fascinating sights all around, it’s easy to do. I visit the Summer Palace in Beijing, which is said to be the best-preserved imperial garden in the world. It’s worth knowing when the public holidays are because that’s when everyone will be there, and the crowds could be burdensome. Also, wear good walking shoes. Laugh at your mistakes. When you’re in a new place and everything is unfamiliar, you’re going to make mistakes. I mistak- enly ate a piece of paper, thinking it was a very thin pancake. Once I got to the actual pancake, it was delicious. I’m so glad I took the opportunity to go, and I was so glad to get back home. When you travel, embrace the adventure and make yourself uncomfortable. MOLLY CADLE-DAVIDSON, ABM CHIEF SCIENCE OFFICER @ABM1st • Mollycadle-davidson@abm1st.com • abm1st.com NOT EVERYONE LIKES TECHNOL- OGY. Some are fearful of what it might mean for their job. However, change is the only thing that’s certain, and technol- ogy not only increases efficiency but can also help us better serve our customers. As one who is encouraging people to embrace technology, I’ve found five common fears that must be overcome. Fear of not being in control. With automation sometimes comes uncer- tainty. Because the operator is not physi- cally controlling the process, he or she may not know exactly what is happening. When you go fully automated, you are limited in the input you can give. Fear of not being able to trouble- shoot or fix it on my own. As the equip- ment manufacturer, we recognize that we are the only one who can fix it. The systems are advanced beyond general maintenance. We stand behind our equipment and work to service our customers in a way that is timely and effective. Fear of additional transparency into my job. New technology not only brings better automated control, but it also provides increased track- ing and recordkeeping. There’s more data available to your management. Accountability helps organizations to be more sustainable and helps to mini- mize mistakes. Fear of losing my job, or dumbing it down. There’s an art to the seed treat- ment process that the operator lives and breathes. New technology makes it 5 Tips to Help Others Embrace Technology JASON KAEB KSI CONVEYORS DIRECTOR OF BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT @jasonkaeb_ksi • JasonKaeb@ksiconveyors.com • KSiConveyors.com less of an art and more of a science. If we are giving a new system to operators, it comes with training and support. Fear of having to learn something new. It can be a steep learning curve to take on a new system. However, the more readily someone adapts to technology, the more it advances their skillset. It’s important for us to remember that the end user needs to see value in the system. If the operator doesn’t want to use it, it impacts everything from treatment to support. Embracing technology better positions us for future opportunities. Remember: Part of our world is being able and willing to adapt to change and technologies. We work to deliver the best end product and to do that, we must adopt new technologies.