We don’t often think about how cutting-edge technology helped get fresh produce to our grocery store – or our doorstep. But that’s exactly what agritech firm Mindsprint is trying to do, alongside its parent company, whose mission is to reimagine the overall food supply chain.
Agritech, or agricultural technology, looks to improve yields and efficiency on farms using technology, and Mindsprint helps customers digitally transform sustainably. The Singapore-based technology and business services firm’s services include digital transformation, cybersecurity, and more – which requires a robust landscape.
“Now, we have added almost every product that SAP has into our environment,” Amit Jain, senior vice president and head of SAP at Mindsprint, said. This includes moving to SAP S/4HANA as well as running SAP SuccessFactors solutions, SAP Concur solutions, SAP Integrated Business Planning for Supply Chain, and more. “We work very, very closely with SAP – not just on the product side, but also on the services side.”
This has helped Mindsprint stay nimble and continue serving its customers – and their customers – as market demands have shifted.
Transparency for All
“People are not going to the shops anymore,” Jain said. “People want to order everything online.”
COVID-19 helped accelerate that shift, giving rise to food startups and other e-commerce sites, according to Jain. And Mindsprint uses logistics, finance, and manufacturing solutions within SAP S/4HANA to help those customers meet growing online demand and add transparency to the process.
“When you talk about the food supply chain, people want to be sure that the food that they’re eating is good – so they’re able to trace the origins of the food,” Jain said.
Toward that end, Mindsprint also relies on SAP to help refine transportation management every step of the food’s journey, from farms to ports and all the way to consumers, according to Jain. And between each of those trips, SAP Extended Warehouse Management proves to be important, as different foods require different temperatures and other conditions.
Tech-Driven Conservation
“SAP continues to be the core of everything that we do, but we also use other technology like blockchain,” Jain said. “Blockchain helps us track our supply chain of our products end-to-end.”
Mindsprint uses sensors on farms as well as in its products, according to Jain. This includes the company’s large palm plantations, where farmers can monitor frond health, which can help conserve resources and prevent rot.
“We can actually use the technology to track each and every palm tree we have in plantations to figure out which are green palms, which are the yellow palms,” Jain said. “That way we can remove the yellow palms before they become rotten.” This dangerous turn from healthy green to sickly yellow or brown can happen within just a few days.
These agricultural sensors can also help a farmer better allocate water to specific fields – or even individual plants – that need it and not irrigate those that don’t. This can help improve the crops and their yields, Jain noted. Additionally, it helps protect a resource that is all too rare and precious in some communities.
“It also helps us conserve water,” Jain said. “Every drop saved is a lot of importance.”
Track and Trace Everything
The agritech industry is focusing heavily on supply chains, according to Jain. And that’s where Olam and Mindsprint are seeing the biggest benefit from SAP technology.
“We are able to optimize our supply chains; we are able to track and trace everything that we do,” Jain said. “That has helped us save a lot of money.” The technology also helps Mindsprint make more sustainable choices, improve transportation, and even select the right logistics partners, according to Jain.
“All those decisions are made using SAP,” Jain said.