Sometimes, organizational initiatives that don’t make flashy press release headlines can actually become the most impactful long-term solutions.

Shoring up your data foundations fits squarely into that bucket. It’s not the most exciting project an organization along the Ag input value chain can take on. But in this age, it could be one of the most vital.

To talk more about that significance — and how organizations can optimize digital technology solutions to improve efficiency, smooth out the supply chain, and ultimately become more profitable — we got together some of the leaders at the forefront of this quiet digital revolution in Ag.

At the 2024 Agri-Tech Summit, Smartwyre CEO John Brubaker sat down with:

• Brant Gilbert, Winfield United

• Amie Thesingh, Wilbur-Ellis

• Joe Weis, Bayer Crop Science

This conversation is useful whether you’re a retailer hoping to provide more value to your farmer customers, or a manufacturer hoping to better forecast supply and demand (especially in the age where supply gluts are still wreaking havoc).

Together, we try to answer some of the value chain’s biggest questions, like:

• What has the Ag industry gotten right — and wrong — about digital technology adoption?

• How do retailers, distributors, and manufacturers work together to create a more seamlessly connected supply chain? What’s missing from that becoming a reality?

• What are some of the pitfalls of investing in new data and software initiatives? How can organizations avoid those challenges?

• Should Ag be integrating generative AI?

• How do Ag organizations decide which macro-level digital trends are worth adopting within the agriculture industry

• What kind of next-generation initiatives could be possible if organizations had stronger data foundations from which to build?

These are all giant questions, and the answers might be complex. But exploring these themes — and opportunities — is vital for the Ag input value chain to succeed in the next decade.

To learn more about the strategies these specific organizations are employing to adopt digital technology, what challenges they’re facing, and how your organization can be ready for the next chapter of this quiet digital revolution, you can watch the entire panel conversation above.