Implementation: Exciting Plans for Upcoming Quick Connect Session

Implementation

Exciting Plans for Upcoming Quick Connect Session

By Susan Ruland AgGateway Communications Director

Seeking to implement further connections between trading partners, and following the success of the “Seed Quick Connect” session at Annual Conference last fall, an AgGateway task force has been meeting to organize a similar session at the upcoming Mid-Year Meeting in Altoona, Iowa, June 11-14. The goal: Provide face-to-face sessions in which trading partners can plot out next steps in making key electronic connections within the next 12-24 months – between distributors, manufacturers and/or ag retailers – and with the active participation of companies’ software vendors. These connections will streamline transactions in such areas as booking, delivery, invoicing and inventory management, to cut costs, and to boost efficiency, accuracy and productivity.

“We found the Seed Quick Connect Session last fall to be extremely valuable, so we want to build on that success with a similar session at the Mid-Year Meeting,” said Natasha Lilly, Information Services Director at The Equity. “Coming out of that Quick Connect session we had a plan of action with two separate manufacturers. We’ve been in further meetings with them and things are moving forward.”

Randy Fry, Data Process and Information Systems Manager at Ceres Solutions, echoed Lilly’s statement. “We brought along our allied provider and got more done in a two-hour period than we had achieved over the past year for those connections.”

The task force is working on details for the Mid-Year Meeting Quick Connect Session, but already agree that it will provide a positive venue for partners to discuss next steps for actual implementation.

Companies involved in the planning include The Equity, Growmark, Ceres Solutions, Syngenta, Elemica, WinField/United, Co-Alliance, Key Cooperative, Ag Retailers Association and Land O'Lakes. Lilly is chairing the team. All are welcome! If you’d like to get involved, contact Member Services at Member.Services@AgGateway.org to get information on the group’s next call.

Watch for details on the June Quick Connect session, and consider who you’d like to meet with to start planning for implementation!