The importance of user experience in Ag solutions

Introduction

In my nine-year journey in AgTech I learned that the agriculture landscape is forever evolving. The integration of technologies and digital solutions is one of the many important factors for that evolution. Every new tool, every new step on the process, every new tech update has the same goal, which is improving sustainability, efficiency, and productivity.

One crucial aspect that is usually hard to measure but has a huge impact, specially in AgTech solutions, is user experience. I think even the most advanced software sometimes can not be as user friendly as one might expect. For farmers and field workers, who often already have challenging days with tight schedules, an intuitive interface can greatly increase the adoption and effectiveness of digital tools.

Adoption & Accessibility

Farmers are more likely to embrace new technologies if they are easy to understand and use. That seems obvious, but as I read once in a book, the obvious also needs to be said. So a complex and unintuitive interface can increase amount of trainings, onboarding time, and even block new users, in some cases. A user-friendly design, simple workflows, and an easy to use interface, are definitely some keys to facilitate quicker adoption and ensure farmers can start enjoying the benefits of the tool much sooner.

Agriculture has probably one of the most diverse workers, in terms of technology proficiency. A user-centric design needs to ensure that the software is accessible to all users, regardless of their tech-savviness. This is essential to maximize the benefits of digital transformation and increase adoption.

Efficiency & Less Mistakes

The keys to facilitate quicker adoption also help other areas, like the risk of errors. That can happen to anyone using any system. However, the easier the data entry process is, the smaller are the chances of users making mistakes. Color coded buttons, big labels, clear language, simple workflows, and of course, an easy to use interface can prevent mistakes that can cause a lot of trouble, money loss, or even lawsuits, depending on the case. It’s important to know that misundertandings on the system or the complexity of the flow is not only on the user’s shoulder to learn everything. The software provider needs to care about that and do something about it.

At the end of the day, all farmers want to do is focus on their core activities. The less time they spend learning, training, and struggling with technology, the more time they can do what really matters. Most importantly, the faster they are able to do what is needed on the software, the faster they can finish their work and go back home to their families. Efficiency in AgTech is not only important to save money or produce more, but also to improve the lives of the people who feed the world.

Product is not Everything

Having a nice app, following all the best practices, making the system and the designs as simple and intuitive as possible. That might make one think this is everything you need to have a platform with great and fast adoption. Unfortunately, at least in my experience, that is just not true.

The adoption process still needs a comprehensive training and ongoing support. Nice guides, clear instructions, screenshots and video tutorials, and personalized training sessions are essential to help users become champions with the software. Additionally, it’s always good to have a support team available to unblock users during their workdays.

Conclusion

Today, seeing what I’ve seen, I dare to say that making sure digital tools are user-friendly is not optional. I believe that solutions should be as easy to use as they are effective. The farmer and field worker should always be in mind, ensuring the software is intuitive, accessible, and truly helpful in their day-to-day operations. It’s important to listen, to learn, and to keep trying to improve the days of those who take care of our food. By doing that, we can truly help them and make a real difference not only in agriculture, but in each one of their lives.

By Tárek Holanda , Head of Product at HeavyConnect.