Come Together

WHERE DO I START?
In the not so distant past, implementing new technology usually required individual disks for each user, software installation, thick manuals, and even days or weeks of training. Now, since so many tools are web-based and rely on technologies and behaviors most people already know, Greenberg described implementation as seamless. “Our information people just put the app on everyone’s computers. Everybody knows how to text. I don’t think there’s any resistance at all, this is such a part of how people live.” ­

For RPE, implementation for its various collaborative tech tools ranged from the easy setup of GoToMeeting to the more in-depth development of the company’s customized intranet and a two-year implementation of Produce Pro that included “vendor vetting, setup, training, and tandem operations.” Shell says SharePoint is an ongoing process as RPE upgrades the software “to bring new capabilities and features online.”

Not only are most collaboration tools accessible via the web, but in many cases companies can license programs at minimal expense based on the number of users or a monthly subscription allowing for as few as five users. According to PC magazine, tools may be as inexpensive as $2 per user per month and some are even free at a lower service level. Free trials are standard, and typical package prices may range from $50 to $99 per month, though customized products may run much higher. Per-user prices can range from free to around $40 each per month. It all depends on how extensive the capabilities of the tool.

Dodson cautions that collaborative tech will not usually eliminate all travel costs. “Being based in Fresno and serving the agricultural industry, we have customers and potential customers within an hour’s drive. They know we can be there, on site; it builds trust being able to have those face-to-face meetings. I don’t think we’ll ever completely eliminate them,” he says.

COLLABORATIVE TECHNOLOGY AND PRODUCE
The question remains, how extensively are these tools being used in the produce industry? The answer seems to be ‘some’—but perhaps not as much as in other industries.

Dodson sees this changing in the future, and says Lotpath certainly plans to be a part of it. “I think in produce, there will be more tools specific to collaboration within the industry. It’s something we’ve been thinking about and working on for a while.”

Until then, Greenberg says Capespan is ready and willing to add to its existing technology “as soon as something can offer value to the people who work with us, and for us.”