Planning + Preparation = Results
by Rod Conner, President/CEO
As the “spring season” draws to a rapid conclusion (or maybe not so rapid depending on how your weather has been) a variety of topics for this issue of the newsletter come to mind. So I’ve decided to depart from the usual format for this column in favor of throwing out several random thoughts that seem to me to be important and worthy of your consideration.
The CCP Meeting – What an event! This year’s Council, Committees, and Projects meeting hosted by Mosaic in Plymouth, MN was an event not to be missed. Record attendance, a record number of sessions, and the enthusiasm displayed by everyone involved bodes well for the continued success of AgGateway Councils, Committees and Projects. It’s obvious that more and more companies see the value of collaboration for industry wide electronic connectivity. I can hardly wait for the Annual Conference this November.
Why participate in in AgGateway? – If your company isn’t connected yet, take 12 minutes out of your day to watch the Growmark video (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R1FH3qWqhT4) that describes why they are connected and the beneficial impact AgGateway has had on their business. The Growmark employees in that video make a very strong case for the electronic connections they’ve made with their trading partners.
Another year without being connected? – Did you go another season without being connected? Want to be connected for next season? If you talk to any AgGateway member who has made electronic connections with trading partners, they’ll tell you that it didn’t happen overnight. It took some advanced planning and considerable effort. The other thing that they are likely to tell you is that if you wait to start the planning and preparation, then you may never achieve their level of success. Planning, setting up your system, and implementing the standards may seem overwhelming at times, but like every journey, it starts with one step. Contact Marilyn Hunter at (916) 429-0509 or by email marilyn@aggateway.org. She will be glad to point you in the right direction and help with your implementation. Don’t go another season without connectivity, now’s the time to get started!
The Allied Providers Council – Allied Providers now has 48 members in their council and is the second largest council in AgGateway. This is excellent news for all of you who use the services of software and service providers in your business, which is most of you. If you need electronic connectivity and use the services of one of these companies, let them know that you want to be connected using the AgGateway standards.
Council Planning Sessions – With the help and support of Steve Schaefer (Monsanto), AgGateway’s Seed Council Chairperson and Board of Directors Vice Chair, many of the councils are now in the process of conducting planning sessions to help identify key projects and priorities for their councils. The planning process is also critical to cross-council projects.
Finally, most of you will be taking some time off to “recharge” this summer. Whether you do that in your own neighborhood or if you have an exotic vacation to some far off location planned, I hope you have a safe, fun, and happy summer!