Have you ever wondered what our future might look like in five years? In ten years? Or even further? As a sci-fi enthusiast, I do think of it often. What do you prefer our future to look like? Do you favor Dan Brown’s Origin and the symbiosis of humans and technology? Or parts of Love Death and Robots, where the robots are ruling the world? This animated series is made by robots, about robots. I know, there is a team of humans or maybe a single person behind the scenes, who makes the picture come to life, but you see my point…
These sci-fi scenarios might seem far-fetched, but in reality, we are already living in a world ruled by technology, or in other words, by robots. Take a look at the progress made in the field of Robotic Process Automation (RPA) within the last few years. It is here to improve our everyday life. Isn’t it amazing that nowadays, instead of wasting time and knowledge on repetitive tasks, like compiling data or audit sheets, you can have a robot do it for you? And if you already have such a robot, you are in good hands.
Even though it is adopted slower in some industries, automation is literally everywhere. In this article, I would like to compare the following two fields’ approach/attitude towards automation: Weed & Wine.
Automated Wine
Let’s take a closer look at the wine industry first. It was born centuries ago, and therefore winemaking has a grand tradition. Wine consumption has shown tremendous yearly growth and is forecasted to do so for the foreseeable future. The global wine market has generated more than 250 billion in 2012, exceeded 300 billion in 2015, and is expected to go beyond a mammoth 500 billion by 2025.
Wine tasting is a sought-after experience. But what happens when it stops, and you cannot enjoy the delight of sitting at a winery, surrounded by grapevines, while tasting the fruit of the local farmers’ produce anymore?
Last year showed that it can happen. And, unfortunately, it also highlighted that the wine industry was not ready. The winemakers and wine lovers had to think of ways to get back in touch. Although there were some tools to help get wine to the customers, not many vineyards were using them. They never needed to, but last year changed that. Furthermore, a study from the global wine marketplace revealed that almost 70% of sellers expect the number of DTC (Direct-to-consumer) sales to increase in the next 5 years. This is due to the rise of first-time online wine buyers caused by COVID.
Online sales require either a very robust software solution or a smaller but very efficient custom software solution to be a part of it. According to a survey by Liv-Ex, 79% of wine businesses surveyed expected technology to make buying fine wine easier in the next five years, with 88% agreeing that it has already made the process more efficient. And it doesn’t end just with DTC. Making wine is no longer only about human labor. Automated bottle filling has been in use forever, machines are processing wine, and drones are patrolling vineyards. It does already sound like science fiction.
Weed-Bots
Now for weed. Unlike wine, the legal cannabis industry was born into the era of RPA. This makes the cultivation, processing, and dispensing of marijuana so much easier. Therefore the past year might have seemed less difficult for them, as they are new and more open to adapt. Right? Right?
That depends on how well the state responds to changes in an industry growing as fast as cannabis. It gets tricky when you have to report on all day-to-day activities, but you do not have the tools. What options are available to you?
Small businesses can manage most of their work in Excel™ and then copy-paste the data to Metrc, or the regulatory system currently used in their state. Unfortunately, there are too many opportunities for mistakes. The program allows these errors as it doesn’t know it is unintentional, and for example, in Metrc you cannot even delete them.
When it comes to preventing these mistakes, a software solution is ideal. It should not let anyone upload any nonsense. Unfortunately, there are only a few out-of-the-box solutions designed for this industry. Of course, weed companies can use solutions not specifically built for them but it may lack key workflow features and have unnecessary tools they will never use.
As a result, the Cannabis business often needs to look for custom-made solutions. These might seem expensive, but if done right, it offers a high return on investment in a relatively short period, which may already include e-commerce, or allows it to be added when needed. We all know the importance of e-commerce, especially during 2020.
What did we learn….?
One industry is held back by traditions and maybe a distrust towards technologies. The other is held back by the regulations of the state. Is there anything they can learn from each other?
Perhaps, the wine industry can learn to be more open to RPA and the use of new technologies and software. Not to be so afraid it will cause more damage than good. The weed industry, on the other hand, could be a bit more patient. Not to fall for every shout of new tech and ask themselves more often questions like: Do I really need this? Will it help me with the problem I want to solve? Is it cost-efficient? Is the juice worth the squeeze?
They already have a lot in common. In the end, they both use soil and sun to produce something that makes our lives better, delightful, and more fun. Also, they do their best in sustainability, and they both have to overcome the pushback caused by state regulations.
So, what’s next?
Will these two industries be run only by robots? Where they even supervise the cultivation process, without any human involvement? Will it come to the point where vineyards and weed fields are looked after by a machine, ensuring the plants are in good condition? I know automation has reached a similar stage, but honestly, I do not believe it will go that far.
We all know that technology has evolved and will continue to do so in the future. But you cannot replace the loving touch and cherishing of a human. AI cannot (and possibly never will) substitute an emotional relationship that every grower has with their plants.
But, there is indeed a place for automation in our daily lives. Mainly for tasks that restrain us from more important work. If you would like to learn more about automation and options available to your business, please, take a look at this article, helping you identify the tasks ready to be handled by robots.
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