Opportunities for the fresh produce industry
A critical pillar for new digital trends like Machine Learning or AI is cloud computing. The concept has its origin in renting mainframes as early as the 1960s but in the following decades computers were more affordable and therefore the preferred option by companies. The term cloud computing itself became popular from the 2000s with increasing impact in recent years. Not surprisingly, the global revenue with cloud services has risen in the past decade from $14 billion in 2010 to $270 billion in 2020.
A fast return on investment for cloud services fits perfectly to tight margins in the fresh produce business. As more data storage opportunities increase with cloud solutions, complex data used for tracing and yield forecasting can be accessed more easily from anywhere with an internet connection.
Another strong cloud benefit is real-time IT integration with various systems, which enables faster decision-making and minimizes manual work. In smart farms, this could mean field data collection via a drone or sensor, direct storage of this data in the cloud and efficient usage of the same data by connected robots (IoT).
Low levels of digitization especially in agriculture, leverage enormous potential for digital technologies like cloud computing. Combined with the first mover effect, these technologies can lead to decisive business advantages over competitors in the fresh produce industry.
Keelings Knowledge has taken all the specific industry requirements into account and developed the industry-specific ERP software Keelings Business Solutions (KBS). The software solution combines all relevant functionality in one system and can be implemented on-premise or via a cloud solution using MS Azure SQL – depending on the client’s needs. For both options, Keelings Knowledge (KK) will take on the implementation, training, maintenance, and support work. Remote or on-premise implementation is possible as required by the client and circumstance permit in conjunction with KK partners.
→ More about KBS functionality
