For Netherlands-based producer Van Woudenberg Tuinplanten, Log & Solve has been an integral part of day-to-day work since the autumn of 2019. Commercial grower Hans van Beek now uses this software on a daily basis.
How did you start using Log & Solve?
Hans van Beek: It was initially a pilot project. We carried out a number of trials using Log & Solve with various crops and, after a successful test phase, this software was adopted throughout our business. Previously, each site had its own way of recording data and it was difficult to properly access and compare these data. Experience and key information were not passed on to other locations, although this is important if we want to continue to improve in future. Thanks to Log & Solve, this is no longer a problem. Our cultivation strategy and growing cycles are improving continuously, which represents a great success for us.
How do you use Log & Solve?
Hans van Beek: When new plants are potted, we create a new crop for them in Log & Solve under which key information such as location and potting week are recorded. Over time, we add photos and notes concerning crop development, problems and other measures such as cultivation activities and crop protection. Ultimately, all of this helps us keep well on track of things. The best aspects of this software are that we can do everything on our mobile phones and that it’s very user friendly. The management also has direct access to the data and can obtain an overview of the current situation.
We’re now also using sensors to keep track of water management more effectively. They determine the ideal time for irrigation and make for greater reliability in terms of our irrigation strategy.
Can you describe what it’s like to use Log & Solve?
Hans van Beek: The app is very quick and easy to use, and registration is also very straightforward. Each crop is given its own QR code. When we scan this code, new photos and notes are directly added to the right crop. A lot of the information that’s repeatedly entered into the app is automatically offered for selection, so that we only need to click on it. Everyone in the company can access this information and add to it.
What are the most immediate benefits you’ve experienced with Log & Solve?
Hans van Beek: With Log & Solve, crop administration is no longer a laborious process. Quite the opposite, in fact – it’s easy, and the end result is neat and tidy data. Our data are conveniently stored on a by-batch basis, and all the information is easy to find. Data on cultivation are clear and easy to read for everyone in the business. Mistakes can be identified more quickly and easily, and the results help us to enhance our strategy for a given crop.
Which long-term objective do you want to achieve with Log & Solve?
Hans van Beek: Each crop must be just as good as, if not better than, the previous one. This requires continuous improvement. We have a goal we want to achieve, and with Log & Solve we can make the entire process more transparent, and we can automatically create both a crop protocol and a crop plan. Increasingly, Log & Solve will become like an autopilot that tells you what to do and when. This will save us time and help us avoid mistakes. And the cultivation protocol can be further refined each year on the basis of new findings and experience.
Can you tell us something about the development of the software used in Log & Solve?
Hans van Beek: This program has been tailored to the needs of commercial growers, and this is evident when you use it. The ideas and improvements we contributed have been implemented straight away. What I would like to see in the near future is that a cultivation protocol can be generated automatically. This means we will receive the input we need to start a new crop. The intention is to add other functions like the creation of new tasks in future. The aim is to make Log & Solve smarter and smarter so that it can suggest the next steps we should take. This would increase its value for us even further. At any rate, we’re eager to see what the team comes up with next and we’re delighted to be part of the process.
Our company, Van Woudenberg Tuinplanten, has another production location in Portugal that it currently still manages by means of site visits and by sharing photos and separate messages. In the near future, the plan is to adopt Log & Solve there too, so that crops can be tracked and monitored remotely. This exchange of information between sites abroad and in the Netherlands will become more efficient and easier to follow, thanks to Log & Solve.
