No future without modern software: Beam 2.0

“No future without modern software”, was one of the statements at the Mechanization Exhibition in 2018 (Greenity). We now know that software is an integral part of the future. That's why modern we think this is the key word. But what actually makes software modern?

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A software package or app can be seen as a house, with a foundation, structure, rooms, doors and a roof. The foundation and construction of the house determine how sturdy the house is, only then can you start building, dressing and finishing the house. If the foundation is not good, you won't see this on the outside, but the house will slowly sag.

It's the same for software: a good software foundation suits the user's needs and ensures fast, flexible software that can be built on for a long time to come. At the time of writing, there are over 100 different databases you can choose from for building software. Add to that a dozen different programming languages and you have a huge number of different software fundamentals. So how do you choose the best foundation?

Customer evaluations

Software is a tool. The goal is to be able to work easier and better by, for example, taking care of error-prone administration. Contact with our customers plays a key role here. How do we make this tool as close as possible to the goal? And for what other purposes can we use this tool smartly?

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In mid-2020, as part of the KAVB Pilot Tracking & Tracing, we sat down with all our customers for that reason. What is going well? And what could be better?

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Beam appeared to give our customers more overview, save time and caused less inventory to “go missing”. But of course, there also appeared to be plenty of room for improvement.

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“A good software foundation fits the user's needs and ensures fast, flexible software that can be built on for a long time”

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Improvements

• quickness: a super-fast app, regardless of whether you're working online or offline, with a fast or slow internet connection
• Flexibility: more space for quick, small adjustments that can be made by users themselves, such as changes to the floor plan, sizes and cultivars
• Offline functionality: an app that always works, and that allows you to continue working, even if you are without a connection (in a cell) for a long time
• Future promof: A platform that can be rapidly developed, so that the planting schedule, breeding schedule or sensor data can also be unlocked and linked to the parties in Beam
• Easy import/export: easy import and export of filtered or selected batch data

With this feedback, we set to work. The goal? The same user-friendly app, built on a completely new, future-proof foundation. We are therefore - a bit proud - to announce that Beam 2.0 is being tested in Beta and has managed to meet all these needs.

The official release of Beam 2.0 is scheduled for late 2020.