Bayer has added to its FieldView customer support team with the appointment of Edward Lawton-Bradshaw.
A former farm manager, Edward has plenty of experience in using technology on farm. Furthermore, he has also acted as a sales engineer for various tech businesses so is well-versed in system setup, integration and training.
When it comes to digital agronomy tools, he says many farmers recognise the potential but are basically ‘locked out’ of the data they have, something he has experienced for himself. “Part of the problem is that as farmers we are used to not having usable data in time. Next season’s crop is already in the ground by the time detailed harvest data is available.
“Platforms like FieldView change that – but issues such as time pressures, system incompatibility and unfamiliarity with systems and software itself is holding farmers back from utilising their data more effectively,” he notes.
What attracted him to FieldView is the ease with which data can be accessed and evaluated. “Many farmers are in a state of limbo right now with the data they have and not putting it to meaningful use. What’s so useful with FieldView is it brings data together from multiple sources, simplifying what can be a time consuming and frustrating process.
“My role is to help them navigate their way around this functionality more easily which can only lead to better decision making, improved farm performance and ultimately help free up time.”
When it comes to field support Edward is happy to visit farms or assist farmers remotely. This has been made easier with screen sharing solution, Glance, where Edward or technical colleague Alex can share screens with growers to help with platform navigation or troubleshooting. Edward and Alex can also highlight areas on a grower’s screen to draw attention to a particular feature or indicate where to click.
Edward says farmers shouldn’t be shy in seeking technical support. “Farming is a demanding and skilful business in its own right, so it is no wonder some farmers aren’t particularly ofay with software and systems. Also, I don’t know of any farmer that can call upon an in-house IT department – something many companies have these days.
“My interest in technology started when I was at Harper Adams and I’ve retained that interest since. I’m looking forward in using my experience to help farmers make better use of their data,” he states.
