Agri insurance made easy with enterprise resource planning  

By Stuart Scanlon, MD of epic ERP

The agricultural sector is rife with risk. Determining what cover is required takes accurate forecasting and a firm grasp of the potential hazards involved. 

A good enterprise resource planning (ERP) system can help farmers, brokers and insurers to plan more accurately to ensure agricultural businesses are adequately covered. 

ERP platforms are designed to integrate various business processes into a single unified system that helps you to manage staffing, costing, space planning, inventory and warehouse management more effectively. This integration provides a holistic view of operations, allowing for better forecasting and a deeper understanding of potential risks no matter what produce is being grown. And now that AI is being incorporated into ERP, it is adding tremendous opportunity for process and productivity improvement. 

One of the standout features of an ERP system is the ability to provide traceability and real-time insights. Graphical dashboards make business operations visible at a glance, improving decision-making and enabling proactive responses to emerging issues.  

This level of visibility is crucial for maintaining compliance and ensuring that all aspects of your business are running smoothly.  

Replacing manual data collection with automated processes not only speeds up operations but also enhances accuracy, reducing the likelihood of errors and freeing up valuable time for staff. This increased efficiency translates into significant cost savings and a more streamlined workflow. 

Investing in reliable, leading-edge technology is essential for futureproofing agri businesses. ERP helps avoid the costs associated with obsolete equipment and provides maximum control over supply chain and inventory management. By optimising these critical areas, an enterprise resource planning system will help to increase profitability and achieve greater peace of mind. 

A nursery as a good example of how ERP can benefit an agri business.  

ERP software offers nurseries sophisticated seedbed management and real-time greenhouse data that syncs seamlessly with the back office. 

Using ERP allows nursery owners to: 

• Optimise seed control from planting to harvesting 

• Ensure greenhouse data is always in sync with the back office for seamless operations 

• Manage direct and indirect production costs effectively 

• Improve plant-picking processes and optimise container and pallet layouts 

• Utilise all available capacity efficiently for better space planning 

• Track seed and plant treatments digitally for better traceability and compliance 

• Reduce repetitive tasks with automated data capturing and sharing 

• Calculate the number of seeds needed for each growing season accurately 

• Maintain compliance with monitoring and traceability of all processes. 

By implementing a robust ERP system, agricultural businesses can enhance their operational efficiency, improve profitability and ensure that their insurance coverage is accurate and comprehensive. The use of an ERP system that has been tried and tested in an agricultural environment.  

Look for a solution that has been crafted by experts who have firsthand experience in agriculture. These professionals understand the intricacies of plant production and the specific needs of supervisors, farmers and nursery owners.