Plantanova implemented Agriware 365, a Microsoft based platform for large-scale growers. How are they doing now?

Situated in Querétaro and Tuxpan, Mexico, Plantanova specializes in propagating young plants. How is Plantanova doing since the implementation of Agriware 365? During his last visit to the Netherlands, we had the chance to ask CEO Pharis Rico about his experiences so far.

Mixing life, family and business

Running from meeting to meeting, Pharis Rico energetically enters the room and sits down with a big smile. When I ask him how he ended up in horticulture, he responds: “I ended up in horticulture by a series of provoked coincidences. I did not have any background in horticulture, I am an industrial engineer and worked for the IT department of a pharmaceutical company. My Polish uncle however, a retired RAF fighter pilot during World War II, was growing orchids in Mexico. One day he received a call from his sister in London telling him that there was an advertisement in the London Times from a lady who was looking for him. That is how, 45 years later, he reencountered his girlfriend from the war. Her father didn’t allow her to marry a Polish soldier, at the time. He flew immediately to London (although he was married for the third time) and afterwards they started to write each other every week. At some point she explained to him it was easier to write through a new technology called 'email'. That is where I came in; my uncle asked me to help him to get a computer and equip him with everything necessary to send emails and print them, to send them by regular mail just in case. My uncle was 80 years old at that time and insisted that I visited the farm once a week to help him sending, printing and erasing the emails, to avoid his wife finding out. That is how I spent more and more time in the orchid greenhouse and in the end he invited me to stay at the farm. I ended up working there and eventually managing the farm, which was a new world for me."

“This is by far the most unusual answer I have had to this question”, I tell him. “I bet!” laughs Pharis. “Well, this is how I became passionate not only about greenhouses, but also about mixing life, family and business."

Mexican-Dutch collaborations Plantanova and HortiConnect

"Then, in another series of coincidences, I met Jan Mulder from the Dutch GrowGroup while he was changing planes. Jan became my friend and mentor and GrowGroup invited me to run a project. That is how I ended up in propagation and that was the start of my collaboration with Dutch industry, 18 years ago. So I started coming to The Netherlands regularly, enjoying the combination of business, cycling and lots of coffee. Eventually two of my daughters started studying at Dutch universities, so family became a part of the mix. Another series of provoked coincidences, together with the support and friendship of an angel that prefers not to be named, brought the opportunity to control the shares of Plantanova and HortiConnect, That is how I am currently running a consortium of Dutch companies, since 2019."

Horticulture; a business of people

“In the last five years Plantanova has become the most advanced propagator in Mexico in terms of technology and machinery”, continues Rico. “We are the early adopters of some new technologies, some successful and some not. I discovered that it is all about people. We are a business of people and creativity. Attention to detail is important. I compare horticulture often to the wine or coffee business. If you want an outstanding product, it is all about the details and all about taking responsibility of your promise to your customers, your suppliers and your people.”

Collaborating with Mprise Agriware

“I first met the Agriware team when I walked past their booth at Greentech Amsterdam, some years ago. That was when I was still not in control of the steering wheel of the company and the former owners of Plantanova did not think it was the right time to purchase the software. But I kept Agriware in the back of my mind, so as soon as I was free to move I reached out to them again.”

Measurable insights with the Agriware 365 platform

“I expected Agriware to be a good fit, because of my eagerness to connect the dots and my necessity to be inside while being outside”, explains Pharis. “I spend a lot of time abroad, so if I want to know what happens in the company I need an objective overview and I don’t want to rely on the emotions of the person who is supervising. With Agriware, you get processed data turned into information. So you know if things are going well or not, and where to improve. I wanted measurable insights.”

Pharis continues, proudly: "Funny thing about being outside while being outside? My youngest daughter is the leader and key user of Agriware, and she leads the development and configuration of the platform from where she lives, in The Netherlands."

I spend a lot of time abroad, so if I want to know what happens in the company I need an objective overview and I don’t want to rely on the emotions of the person who is supervising.

Connecting the dots between Agriware 365 and other technologies

But that is not where Rico’s ambition stops. “What we also want - but we are not there yet - is to connect the data related to climate and the operations of the greenhouses to Agriware. In that way I can have a dashboard not only to control the business, but to redesign it as well. Because the business is changing rapidly. What I want is to anticipate the trends of the future. I told Sander Paternotte (manager at Mprise Agriware, red.) that I want to become the Booking.com of horticulture. If you search on Booking, you feel a kind of urgency to book the hotel you are looking at. You can also book your car, your breakfast, a late checkout and your insurance. All prices are based on the current season and availability. Booking is connecting the dots for you and that is convenient. I am convinced that we can do something similar in our business, since our business is more like a hotel than an agricultural business."

Get key performance indicators with Agriware

"Our performance is not about the quantity of plants sold, but about US dollars per square meter per day. Therefore we can improve our business by increasing the price of the plant (that has a limit), lowering the cost without compromising the quality (that also has a limit) , increasing density or plants per square meter or space efficiency and finally: diminishing the days of cultivation.

Well, I want all of the above and that is only possible measuring what counts in real time and translating that ocean of data into brief reports. Actually, my uncle used to say: 'If you are not able to explain an idea in fifteen words, then you still do not get the idea yourself', so I aim to get key performance indicators in a way that only a powerful tool like Agriware is able to give."

I want to become the Booking.com of horticulture. Booking is connecting the dots for you and that is convenient.

Challenges or opportunities?

Sometimes it is a rocky road, though, explains Pharis. “For example: we have bought a really great and expensive grading machine. But after installing the machine, we found out that the rock wool seed plugs that we receive in Mexico are not the quality that this state-of-the-art machine requires. Nobody ever had a problem with that before, but then again; nobody in Mexico has this type of machine yet. So now I have to find new plugs and connect these two dots. Furthermore, we aim for this machine to be connected with Agriware and with the rest of the equipment in the nursery, supplied by different companies."

“So you are facing a lot of challenges?” I ask. “Yes, they are challenges”, Pharis says. But then adds with a twinkle in his eyes: “But the potential is huge.”

Implementing and using Agriware 365 at Plantanova

When I ask how Plantanova experienced implementing Agriware 365, Rico answers: “The process has shaken our company, because Agriware is a platform that forces you to work with discipline and consistency. We had our way of working, and changing that has shocked some people. We have a 150 employees and we need everyone on board. When Agriware reaches its potential, it is like an orchestra. If everybody plays their part on time, at their very best, you will get a symphony.”

Future plans connecting Agriware 365 to other systems

“Something that will happen soon, is a connection with our systems of Flier, Martin Stolze and Let’s Grow. If we can link Agriware to our customer experience and marketing as well, this will be wonderful. Agriware makes your work easier and it has the potential to be a game changer in the market. It has the potential to supply our customers with benefits they will not have when they purchase from somebody else. Coming back to the Booking.com analogy; if you don’t use Agriware, it is like you are giving the late checkout and the breakfast for free. You might reject an order because you think you don’t have enough space or material. If you don’t have all the information it is hard to make good decisions. With a good overview of inventory, space and labor you can make a big difference.”

Using Agriware up to its full potential

“Agriware is not yet giving us all the insights that we need. The platform is there, but we still have to get to the level of using the technology properly. We have the ingredients, but we need to cook them in a certain way to get the maximum results. In February I sent a team of five employees to the Netherlands to get proper training in how to use Agriware. The success of the system lies in the people who work with it.” Pharis adds: “Mexico is already the kitchen of Latin America. If you connect the vibrancy of Mexico to the Dutch possibilities, there is a great opportunity.”

If we can link Agriware to our customer experience and marketing as well, this will be wonderful.

More freedom with Agriware

“I am very committed to the success of Agriware in our company. Because to be honest, Agriware is also a boost for my lifestyle. It gives me freedom, because it allows me to travel and not always be there. It gives me the possibility of talking to the right people at anytime, without having to wait for my team to explain the situation to me. My strategy is very simple: Aim for performance. Deliver a high-performance plant to our customers in a way that is only achievable through the combination of technology and human talent."

A final note about my uncle

Pharis concludes our conversation: "My uncle continued writing weekly letters to his love from the war until his death and also made sure that until the date of her passing, she would receive a gigantic bouquet of red roses delivered at her place every birthday. They never saw each other again, because he wanted both of them to remember their 'original version'.

I think he will be proud of me today, but a bit frustrated that I am a storyteller and I am never able to explain my ideas in less than fifteen words."

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