In-Cab Systems: Suppliers Seek Better Access to Data, Stronger Customer Relationships
One of the overriding messages for those in the business of agriculture in 2020, comes down to roughly this: Control what you can, and make the best of the previously unthinkable, writes Jackie Pucci at CropLife.
“In times like this, it allows us to really focus on the customer. There are so many distractions in your daily work, that we’re able to now really sit down and review what the customer needs,” Kent Carroll, Senior Director, Business and Channel Development, Topcon Agriculture said in an interview with CropLife®.
“You can’t conduct business as usual, but business has to continue,” Carroll said. “Farmers are continuing to farm, and we’re continuing to engage with dealers and distributors and OEMs and current customers. But it’s certainly an oddity in this world, when you see a group of field people unable to travel and having to do everything via phone.”
Michael Stone, Vice President of Product and Solutions Management with Topcon Agriculture, added: “The hardest thing at the moment is that you can’t get on a plane, and there are restrictions on driving to customers’ units. A lot of our dealers are having to put extra measures in place for cleaning vehicles before and after, but we’re fortunate with a lot of our products that we have remote access, which is enabling our support team to help our dealers and customers. Use of that technology helps in a situation like this.”
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In 2017, the company launched Topcon Agriculture Platform (TAP), a cloud-based agricultural ecosystem designed to provide real-time monitoring and data analysis, which has since been its biggest focus, according to Stone. TAP makes it easier for customers to visualize and manipulate their data, and in turn share it with agronomists so they can get recommendations. “They can get more use out of that data, using their trusted adviser so they can support them in their farming operations,” he explained.
“The ag retailer obviously plays an important role to everybody in this cycle,” Carroll added. “By having the ability to move the data, we can give much more real-time access to ag retailers, so they can make decisions quicker if they need to.”
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