b'The Power of ProcessAS THE OLD saying goes, when you assume you make an ass out of u and me.So, with that in mind, ask yourself theseROD COCKERLINEquestions and answer honestly.VICE-PRESIDENT, SALES, 1. Could you define your companys salesNEXEEDprocess?rcockerline@nexeed.ca2.Has your sales team been onboarded @NexeedIncso that they define your sales processnexeed.cathat same as you?3.If you asked three customers, would their buying experience be pretty much the same?If you found yourself pausing, and put- Why Seed Handling is Crucial to ting qualifications on your answer, it could be that you just identified a potential areaSuccess in Processingof growth and development that could take your sales team from doing OK to knocking it out of the park! Even the simplest of tasksA NUMBER OF years ago we built one of the most cutting-edge involves some sort of process. By taking theprocessing plants in Western Canada. It turned out great. Not long time to define your sales process you canafter it was built, they got a new contract and called me up to say help your team not only optimize resources,they needed to supply food grade product and were wondering but also maximize your profit potential. what other machinery they needed.A defined sales process can help you doWhen we built it, we were building a seed plant. If theres a things right and know for sure what worksfew stones in your pedigreed seed, its not the end of the world. and what doesnt. The long-term advantagesWhen making a food grade product, stones are a deal breaker. We of a well-tuned sales process are undeni- were now faced with the challenge of putting a destoner into a able. When your sales team is working like aplant that wasnt designed for one.well-oiled machine youll benefit from: We did it, but the experience really impressed on me the Higher employee retention and importance of designing plants that have room for other kinds of satisfaction equipment that might be needed down the road that are able toBetter intradepartmental relations handle different seed/grain in different ways. Long-lasting customer relationships Designing your plant with handling in mind helps you to: Reduced customer retention costs Take advantage of future opportunity. If you dont design aIncreased referrals plant with the future in mind, you limit your business opportuni- Higher sales revenue ties. Our industry is changing, and food production (like the ever-Defining your sales process doesntgrowing plant-based protein space) is now becoming something mean being inflexible or impersonalit justthat many seed processors are getting actively involved in. Material makes sure that everyone on your team hashandling is an important concern in the food space.a baseline to build on.Be versatile. A plant that that isnt set up to deal with pods on It shoud be revisitedthe front end or gentle handling or not enough aspiration for other and adjusted regularlycommodities is a plant that will have limited opportunities down and treated as a livingthe road. If theres no room left for an optical sorter or a destoner, document. or a conveyer doesnt have a proper speed control or you cant control the vibration of that conveyer well enough, you may find yourself having to say no to opportunities coming your way.Better deal with a changing climate. Handling is something AIDEN BROOK thats being discussed a lot right now after the 2021 drought. With a lot of dry seed out there, gentle handling is important, especially BUSINESS DEVELOPMENTwith peas.MANAGER, SEED WORLDMany seed plants now have to handle a range of different GROUP crops, from soybean to pea, flax to wheat and faba bean and abrook@seedworldgroup.com beyond. Working with an equipment supplier well-versed in this@SeedWorldGroup could very well be crucial to your future success.seedworldgroup.com24GERMINATION.CAJANUARY 2022'