Blog | Silver Fern

Every Vendor Says AI Now. Ask These Five Questions.

Every software vendor added "AI" at about the same time. Five questions show what's underneath: live data, real completed work, deliberate human gates, an audit trail, and a record of what the vendor shipped.

Aug 11, 2026

Technology

The Four Ways Grower Software Gets Built

Four different kinds of product get sold as grower software, and each one has different weaknesses. Know which one you're looking at before you compare features.

Aug 11, 2026

Technology

How Grower ERP Pricing Actually Works

Every grower ERP quote comes down to core pricing plus add-on pricing. Five questions get real answers from any vendor.

Aug 11, 2026

Technology

Switching Grower ERP Is a Project, Not a Leap of Faith

Switching grower ERP is a project you can plan: what data moves, who does the migration work, and when to cut over. Fear of migration keeps more growers on failing systems than any license fee does.

Aug 11, 2026

Technology

Consumer Grade Software for Growers

A steep learning curve is treated as a normal price of powerful software. We think that has gone unchallenged for too long.

Jul 27, 2026

Horticulture

How Catoctin Mountain Growers Linked Space Planning to Production with PRODUCE™

How one of the mid-Atlantic's largest greenhouse operations plans every house, every turn, and every week on one record.

Jul 6, 2026

Technology

Q3 Product Update: Making the Complex Simple

Q3 delivered game-changing features for order management and improvements to our mobile capabilities.

Nov 4, 2025

Company News

Celebrating Rick Goff: A Legacy of Innovation and Service in Agricultural Technology

After over four decades of dedicated service to the agricultural technology industry, we are announcing the retirement of Rick Goff, co-founder and cornerstone of Advanced Grower

Sep 10, 2025

Technology

From Chaos to Strategic Order: How Silver Fern Is Scaling With Systems and Vision

At Silver Fern, founder Adam van Wingerden shares a powerful journey from chaotic growth to disciplined scale in his LinkedIn article “Lessons in Chaos & Order”

Aug 1, 2025

Technology

What Are The Top 5 Software Trends From Cultivate 2025

Based on the many conversations I had with our customers and prospects here are my top 5 software takeaways from Cultivate ’25.

Jul 22, 2025

Horticulture

Cultivate 2025 Takeaways: Trust, Tech, and the Future of Growing

Cultivate 2025 Takeaways from Silver Fern's CEO Adam van Wingerden

Jul 17, 2025

Technology

Q2 Product Update: 341 Improvements Delivered While You Focused on Growing

As we wrap up Q2, we wanted to share the improvements that are already saving our customers significant time and reducing operational headaches. While you were focused on your busiest season, we were improving performance and building integrations that eliminate manual work and prevent the small errors that create big problems.

Jul 11, 2025

Technology

Beyond Guesswork: Transforming Greenhouse Planning with FORECAST™

When you can plan for demand with confidence earlier in the planning cycle, everything downstream improves.

Jul 7, 2025

Technology

Celebrating the Retirement of Debra Martin – A Legacy of Dedication and Joy

After 40 years of unwavering service, we are honored to celebrate the retirement of Debra Martin, a cornerstone of the Advanced Grower Solutions family and a true

Jun 30, 2025

Horticulture

How Bell Nursery Streamlined Replenishment with RESTOCK™

Jun 24, 2025

Horticulture

How Green Legacy Built a Foundation for Scalable Operations with PRODUCE™

Find out how Green Legacy managed increasingly complex operations.

Jun 23, 2025

Technology

Beyond Spreadsheets: Transforming Greenhouse Planning with PRODUCE™

We believe growers deserve tools built specifically for their needs, not just spreadsheets repurposed for planning. That’s why we’re excited to offer PRODUCE™ to help greenhouses improve their operations. Find out how PRODUCE™ is helping growers replace complexity with clarity

Jun 12, 2025

Technology

Where We're Headed

🚜 The next decade will transform how growers work, unlocking tools and capabilities that once felt out of reach. Whether you're leading a legacy farm or managing a complex operation, big changes are coming. Wondering what’s on the horizon? 👀 Read more on the blog. #AgTech #FutureOfFarming #InnovationInAg

Jun 3, 2025

Company News

See what is New: Powerful New Improvements in 2025

As we kick off a new chapter in our product journey, I’m excited to share our very first quarterly product update with you. It’s an important

Apr 25, 2025

Technology

See what is New: Silver Fern's Powerful New Improvements in 2025

We’re not slowing down. Q2 is bringing even more improvements: enhanced forecasting tools, smarter data warehousing, and refined order management.

Apr 24, 2025

Horticulture

How Agile Scrum Drives Innovation: What It Means for You as Our Customer

Agile Scrum is part of the Agile methodology, a client-centric philosophy that promotes a collaborative and adaptable work environment. Scrum is fueled by feedback-driven development. It helps teams prioritize efficacy and value to the client through an iterative and incremental development process. It is widely embraced in software development but also used in other industries.

Mar 20, 2025

Company News

Updates and Enhancements to GrowPoint in the Past Year

Our team introduced over 100 enhancements to make your experience even more seamless and efficient and 30 brand-new features to add value and functionality to your workflows. Here is a breakdown of our key achievements:

Feb 6, 2025

Company News

Improvements and New Features for DTS Direct To Store in 2024

In 2024, the DTS product had 10 new features and over 50 enhancements. These updates were aimed at improving DTS, by addressing user pain points, and adding functionalities requested by our customers.

Jan 24, 2025

Technology

Key Takeaways from MANTS 2025

The AGS team attended MANTS ‘25 this week in Baltimore, MD. As always it is an impressive show with a wide array of nurseries, greenhouses, and suppliers to our industry.

Jan 13, 2025

Technology

How Delays In Supply Chain Can Affect Replenishment Decisions

As a vendor, replenishing product is significantly impacted by supply chain issues. Disruptions in raw material availability, transportation logistics, or manufacturing processes can lead to delays in production time, causing difficulties in meeting customer demand and potentially resulting in stock shortages or overstocking depending on the nature of the disruption. Learn more.

Nov 6, 2024

Horticulture

Preparing For Your Eventual Exit

According to the Small Business Administration, 10 million Baby Boomer-owned businesses will change hands or shut down in the next decade due to a lack of buyers. Even when there is a willing buyer, the Exit Planning Institute estimates that 80% of businesses are unprepared for sale, leaving buyers uncomfortable closing the deal.

Oct 15, 2024

Operations

How Greenhouse and Nursery Growers Can Adapt Replenishment Strategies with Inflation and Supply Chain Challenges

Inflation and supply chain issues have caused challenges to greenhouse and nursery growers in recent years. Growers need to be prepared and ready to adapt in a changing world.

Oct 14, 2024

Operations

How The 4 Layers Of Data Can Drive Business Improvement

There are several aspects to an effective analytics program, that can be viewed as layers or categories of functionality. Each higher layer depends on the lower layers.

Aug 21, 2024

Operations

Key Takeaways from Cultivate 2024

Cultivate 2024 was a brisk show with lots of buzz and traffic. Here are a few themes that coalesced during Cultivate ’24.

Jul 26, 2024

Operations

Is The ROI of Analytics in the Grower World Worth It?

Integrating analytical tools can be expensive and time-consuming, read more to find out if it is worth the investment.

Jun 26, 2024

Operations

What is Analytics? And How Can It Improve Your Business?

Analytics means different things to different people . Find out what you need to know to deploy a good analytics program.

Jun 6, 2024

Operations

How the Top 100 Growers Are Staying Competitive

Greenhouse Grower surveyed the top 100 growers, asking how they adapt to market pressure. What are some successful companies doing?

May 23, 2024

Technology

Microsoft Windows 10 End of Support for Greenhouse and Nursery Businesses

This is a critical topic for greenhouse businesses that rely heavily on Windows 10 based PC’s or laptop computers for their employees, any local Windows 10 servers, or any other automation, printing or monitoring systems that rely on Windows 10This article covers what you need to know about the upcoming end of support for Windows 10.

May 14, 2024

Operations

9 Key Insights from the American Hort State of the Industry Whitepaper 2023

The American Hort State of the Industry Whitepaper provides insights into the challenges and opportunities facing the industry. The report can help growers identify areas they can improve. Nurseries that can adapt to these trends and challenges will be better positioned for success in the years ahead.

May 9, 2024

Operations

How Greenhouse / Nursery Growers Can Improve Their Website SEO

If your website has lost traffic, or if your website is not generating much organic traffic, you can take steps to correct it and improve your ranking. In this article, we will explore strategies that greenhouse growers can employ to write high-quality blogs and improve their SEO.

May 2, 2024

Operations

The USDA Hardiness Zone Map is Updated Has Your Zone Changed?

The new USDA Hardiness Zone Map was released in late 2023, see if your zone has changed.

Apr 17, 2024

Operations

How’s Your Forecast Working Out?

At this time of year you can start to see if you are behind, ahead or what your situation will be with the proper analytical view,

Apr 16, 2024

Company News

How Does A Grower Know When to Acquire or Change Their Software or Data System?

Use these questions to self-assess where your business is concerning system needs. A good software system can help automate many tasks and improve communication.

Apr 12, 2024

Technology

What is an EDI 855 Purchase Order Acknowledgement?

This document has many names. It has been known as a Reverse PO and a Purchase Order Change. Depending on what agreements are in place between the supplier and retailer you are working with, it can be set up in two common ways.

Apr 4, 2024

Technology

Did You Pay Too Much for a Nursery/Greenhouse Software?

The right software can impact your efficiency, productivity, and success. But what happens when the cost of onboarding new software causes you to feel stuck when it doesn’t work the way you want it to?

Mar 26, 2024

Horticulture

Effective Inventory Management: A Key to Success in the Horticultural Industry

Effective inventory management is not just about keeping track of plants and products; it’s about staying organized and responsive to market trends. Learn the keys to inventory success in this blog.

Mar 19, 2024

Company News

Cultivate ’24 – Forecasting Workshop Announcement

We are pleased to announce that AGS and Ken Lane of Hathaway & Lane are presenting a Forecasting Workshop at Cultivate ’24.

Mar 4, 2024

Technology

Item Identification for Plant Inventory: The 12 Fields

Item identification starts with 12 fields: SKU, item code, botanical name, size, UOM, color. Picks and availability are only as accurate as those fields.

Feb 26, 2024

Horticulture

How to Orchestrate an Effective S&OP Process for Growers: A Comprehensive Guide

S&OP is a collaborative management process designed to align sales, marketing, production, procurement, logistics, and finance functions within an organization. Read more to learn how to make your S&OP effective.

Feb 9, 2024

Technology

Understanding The Financial Impact Of Credit Card Fees For Growers and What To Do About It

This blog will walk through a credit card fee example to help illustrate the financial impact and options a grower has to potentially improve sales and cash flow.

Jan 31, 2024

Technology

Managing Technical Debt in Customized Software Solutions

Learn about technical debt and the impact its silent accumulation has on growers. Read about the four types of technical debt and effective management strategies for them. For growers, addressing technical debt is crucial whether in-house or opting for third-party solutions. Discover how SaaS models emerge as a practical solution. Technical debt is more than a nuisance; it's a necessary consideration for sustained success in horticulture.

Jan 29, 2024

Technology

Which Technology Trends Will Drive Future Grower Success?

One trend that we at AGS believe will be integral for a grower’s success is using data for holistic decision making.

Jan 26, 2024

Technology

Which Technology ChatGPT Says Will Help Growers Succeed in 2024

John Beauford talked with Brian Sparks from Greenhouse Grower about future innovations that would help growers. For fun, John asked ChatGPT “What is one technology-related trend in your market that will help growers maintain and build success moving into 2024 and beyond, and why?” Below is the response.

Jan 23, 2024

Operations

5 Practices Of Successful Growers

Growers that thrive in today’s competitive landscape must keep their eye on the prize and focus on what works for their business.

Jan 18, 2024

Horticulture

Payments 101: Understanding the Basics

In this blog post, we’ll demystify payment processing with digestible components, so you can spend less time on research and more time fostering the growth of your business.

Dec 28, 2023

Technology

A Guide to 820 EDI for Greenhouse Growers

820 Remittance Advice is a payment document between the buyer and seller. In the context of greenhouse growers, the 820 transaction is specifically designed for the retailer to provide to their vendor for the items paid for.

Dec 19, 2023

Horticulture

Cultivating Success: Harnessing The Power of Integrated Payments

To stay competitive in our industry you must embrace innovation that enhances not just your operational efficiency but also your customer’s satisfaction.

Dec 14, 2023

Horticulture

5 Steps to Mastering Precision with Nursery / Grower Software for Seamless Production Planning

To cultivate a thriving nursery operation, it’s imperative to focus on the prize at the top of the mountain.

Dec 5, 2023

Technology

4 Keys To Avoid The Dark Clouds Of Grower Software Implementation

There are ways to minimize and avoid those storm clouds altogether when you update your grower software systems. With the right process, software supplier and mindset you can enjoy the rain and avoid the storm.

Nov 16, 2023

Technology

Is It Time for Data Analysis In Your Greenhouse or Nursery?

It can be intimidating to choose a software system to improve your business. Especially if you feel too busy to spend the time to learn about what options are available. However, that might be exactly why this is the time you need to find out how it can benefit your operation.

Nov 1, 2023

Technology

Improve Pull Labor Efficiency With Sale Order Allocations

Without appropriate records and processes order pulls can become a giant game of ‘find the plants’ where employees wander around, wasting precious time and dollars, trying to find items to fulfill an order.

Oct 25, 2023

Operations

5 Key Elements Of Grower Production Planning

Planning is even more important in the growing industry due to the large number of items that can be grown, the complexity of the supply chain and the seasonality of the product.

Oct 23, 2023

Technology

Agile Scrum - What is it and Why Should You Care?

Agile Scrum, a project management methodology championing adaptability and collaboration; placing customer satisfaction at the forefront. It fosters customer-centric software development with iterative and efficient methods.

Oct 20, 2023

Operations

7 Reasons To Start Your Software Search With An Assessment

A good consultant can help you formulate your real needs and requirements. This process alone will speed up and improve the effectiveness of any future selection process.

Oct 12, 2023

Operations

Maximizing Efficiency in Horticulture Operations with Modularized ERP Software

Modular ERP systems tailored for horticulture streamline operations, enhance user experiences, and offer tailored solutions, optimizing greenhouse efficiency. Scalable and flexible, they adapt to industry growth while improving data management and analytics for better decision-making. Embracing modularized ERP software is crucial for success in the evolving horticulture industry.

Sep 13, 2023

Technology

What Is A Master Order? Pre-Books And Release Orders

A master order is an up-front order for a future season. It tells a grower what to plant months ahead, and release orders draw it down on delivery.

Sep 12, 2023

Technology

How to Maximize Efficiency with Grower Sales Orders and GrowPoint

Imagine a sales order process that is as flexible as your business needs. With the sales order screen, you can effortlessly select customers, creating a tailored pricing structure that includes discounts, shipping costs, and sales taxes.

Sep 5, 2023

Horticulture

8 Corporate Culture Factors That Can Make or Break New Software Implementation ROI

This post is part of our Guest Expert Post Series and is written by Brandi Marek from Ferguson Alliance who answers key questions about company culture and

Aug 31, 2023

Operations

Google Analytics 4 Grower Guide

This guide will discuss Google Analytics 4 (GA4), exploring its key differences from the previous version, Universal Analytics. We’ll also discuss how to incorporate Google Search Console into GA4 and highlight some exciting new features to help you make the most of this advanced analytics tool.

Aug 29, 2023

Operations

What Is A Forecast Worth?

A good forecast is not a guess at these future quantities, but a data and scenario driven calculated, statistical outcome where the best experience, knowledge, data and customer/market information drive cogent assumptions and plans for future states.

Aug 16, 2023

Technology

How To Calculate the Load Capacity on a Truck

The most basic definition of load factor is “the load that is actually carried compared to the maximum load that could have been carried in a load unit” or, to be a little geekier, “the ratio of the average load to total vehicle freight capacity.”

Aug 9, 2023

Technology

5 Reasons Every Grower Needs A Software System

Much like an automated seeder, soil handler, or tree harvester, good grower software becomes a force multiplier in your business.

Jul 31, 2023

Technology

What is an 852 EDI Product Activity Data Document?

Many retailers benefit from their EDI 852 data. It provides the retailer with the detailed product activity of the items they are selling in their locations.

Jul 25, 2023

Horticulture

Strategies & Tactics You Need To Know To Improve Your Forecasting Success

You need to know where you are going and then build a realistic forecast, based on data, acceptable from your management team, attainable and achieving the company’s P/L objectives.

Jul 11, 2023

Technology

Five Grower Margin Erosion Causes and What To Do About It

It is important that growers understand sources of margin erosion and adjust their operational and data habits to provide visibility and metrics which can help identify problems before the situation becomes serious.

Jun 22, 2023

Technology

What is a 753 EDI Document? Lowes Required Ready To Ship

A 753 Ready To Ship document or also referred to with other retailers as the Request for Routing Instructions.

Jun 6, 2023

Company News

What You Need to Know About the Washington Cares Fund

Be prepared with GrowPoint to implement the Washing Cares Fund on July 1, 2023. The reporting will coincide with the Washing Paid Family Leave on your quarterly Unemployment report with the ESD. For additional information, check out the website at WA Cares Fund – Long-Term Care Benefits.

Jun 2, 2023

Operations

How And Why Growers Should Calculate Price Increases When Costs Change?

We will look at using industry cost increase data and see how that impacts our profits and pricing.

May 25, 2023

Operations

Top Four Most Important Insights from the Nursery Management State of the Industry Report

The report can help growers to identify areas they can improve so that they will be poised for growth. Nurseries that can adapt to these trends and challenges will be better positioned for success in the years ahead.

May 22, 2023

Operations

Do What We Did Last Year Is Not The Strategy You Are Looking For

In this very simple model there are three key components to thinking about strategy: destination, actions, and time frame.

Apr 25, 2023

Operations

Is Your Grower Inventory Availability Impossible To Manage?

A grower’s availability is a key driver of new revenue. It’s very important because a good availability is a key interface to your customers and will enable more sales. However, the process of creating and managing a grower’s availability can be a challenging process. Learn more.

Apr 14, 2023

Technology

Key Questions Of Grower Inventory Management

One of the most important components of a grower’s operational management is managing the inventory they create and sell. Learn what questions you need to know.

Apr 7, 2023

Technology

What Does ‘Cloud’ Really Mean And Why Growers Should Care?

Lack of understanding what cloud server means can impact your decision making when it comes to purchasing software and systems that bill themselves as ‘cloud’ systems. In this post I will try to clear up some of the basic meaning, and concepts around cloud servers.

Mar 20, 2023

Technology

How Your Grower Data Is Like A British Murder Mystery And What To Do About It

I don’t watch much TV but when I do I like a good British murder mystery. I enjoy the geniality of historic British culture juxtaposed against

Mar 15, 2023

Technology

Are You Curious About How ChatGPT Could Improve Your Grower Business?

ChatGPT is a hot topic, and it appears to have long term potential. The challenge for technology like AI or data decision making tools is finding

Feb 7, 2023

Technology

What Is An 846 EDI Document And How Do Growers Use Them?

The 846 document can be especially useful for trading partners that have items listed in their online portals that can be directly drop shipped by the supplier. Find out why.

Jan 31, 2023

Technology

4 Steps To Improve Delivery Coordination With Your Customers

Coordination of resources is still one of the most challenging aspects of managing a grower operation. Getting the right people in the right place for the right job at the right time is a difficult task even with all the modern productivity improvements we have available.

Jan 25, 2023

Technology

What Is A 810 Document And How Do Growers Use Them?

The 810 EDI invoice is an important document that contains a wealth of information about your business and its transactions. This document is used by many businesses to conduct their daily operations, so knowing how to use it correctly and what information it contains is essential.

Jan 18, 2023

Company News

What To Expect With AGS Consultative Sales Process

There are four key phases to our sales process that help ensure you have all the knowledge about our functionality you need when deciding what system to use.

Jan 10, 2023

Technology

Delivering Data Your Way The Direct To Store Notifier Service

The DTS Notification Service which, based on your needs, will build and send to an email list you designate all of the key information metrics for your sales so you can ‘see’ what’s going on without spending hours running reports and building a story.

Jan 9, 2023

Technology

What Are The Key Grower Software System Capabilities for Pay By Scan?

Here are seven key areas of software capabilities that can help you execute your pay by scan or purchase order business more effectively.

Jan 4, 2023

Technology

Keys To Success In Pricing Pay By Scan Programs For Growers

According to international consulting firm McKinsey and Co., “Pricing is by far the biggest tool for earnings improvement.” (McKinsey & Co.) For growers participating in or

Dec 27, 2022

Technology

Grower Data Transfer Methods You Need to Know When Talking to Your Trading Partners

Growers have many ways they need to transmit data back and forth to customers and suppliers. Even growers of small sizes must support a variety of

Dec 6, 2022

Technology

Important Pay By Scan Statistics to Understand

The Pay by scan model puts a lot of responsibility on the grower. The pay by scan grower is completely responsible for the inventory in stores.

Nov 30, 2022

Technology

8 Things You Need to Know When Choosing an EDI Partner

EDI provides many benefits to businesses but there are some challenges that need to be overcome to get maximum value from it.

Nov 9, 2022

Technology

How Can Growers Use Scanning In Their Operations?

Implementing scanning in your nursery or greenhouse can yield improvements to your operation but only with carefully planned implementation and a software and data eco-system that supports the data and scanning context and has the necessary data integrations you need.

Nov 4, 2022

Operations

National Garden Bureau Has Released 2023 Year of the Plants Free Marketing Material

The National Garden Bureau has announced the six plant classes that will be featured in the 2023 “Year of the” program.

Nov 1, 2022

Technology

Seven Things You Need To Know To Ensure a Successful Grower Software Implementation

The following areas can help a grower and vendor work toward a successful outcome if the proper assessment, functional planning, and processes are understood and planned for in the implementation process.

Oct 25, 2022

Technology

4 Types of Business Analytics Growers Need to Know

Growers are awash in data. Making sense and use of it can be tricky and require the right systems support and software partner.

Oct 18, 2022

Technology

Key Features Your Grower Software Inventory System Needs

One of the most important components of a grower’s operational management is managing the inventory they create and sell. Inventory, so its management and visibility are crucial for the best operational decisions.

Oct 13, 2022

Technology

Which Type of Automated Replenishment Should You be Using?

Most retailers are using replenishment to optimize operations, bring down costs and improve customer service. Many growers handle replenishment tasks on behalf of their retail customers, adding another responsibility for them to manage.

Sep 20, 2022

Technology

What Is An 850 EDI Document And How Do Growers Use Them?

Larger retailers like Walmart, Lowes, Home Depot, and Tractor Supply, as well as many other retailers large and small, utilize Electronic Document Interchange (EDI) to send and receive data from suppliers.

Sep 7, 2022

Technology

Are You Being Held Hostage by Your Software Company?

Deciding on a software solution for your team is not an easy decision. Not only do you have to consider costs, usage, and functionality, but it also requires a commitment.

Sep 1, 2022

Technology

The Three Most Important Things To Document Before You Purchase A New Grower ERP Software System

As a grower, there are some things you can do to de-risk the decision and prepare for better outcomes. These are things within your control that are best done by your team along with adequate external consulting.

Aug 23, 2022

Company News

Grower Online Enhances Mobile Availability Experience

With the GrowerOnline release this week we have added a number of enhancements and improvements that make the mobile plant browsing experience easier and more convenient than ever.

Aug 16, 2022

Technology

Automation On Grower Staff Labor

Data automation projects can help you reduce that so your staff can spend more times on the important things that drive your business. Learn more about data automation.

Aug 2, 2022

Technology

What to Expect from Advanced Grower Solutions Training

Software, like any other tool, is only as useful as the ability of the user to use it properly. At AGS, our goal is to make

Aug 2, 2022

Technology

10 Reasons ERP Consulting Drives Grower Software System Transition Success

You can increase the odds of success greatly in your system search and implementation by bringing independent consultants to provide additional resources for these key functions. Your employees will be happier, and the system selection and implementation will be aligned to your needs.

Jul 26, 2022

Company News

The Risks Of Using Excel To Run Your Grower Operation

Excel has powerful features, it’s easy to use and nearly ubiquitous. However, with those great features come some additional potential risks that growers may want to consider before staking their business operational data on only Excel**.

Jun 30, 2022

Technology

How Perpetual Inventory Software Can Help Growers

There are multiple ways a grower can manage their inventory to achieve better business results. One of the very effective, albeit rigorous, ways is using a perpetual inventory system.

Jun 7, 2022

Technology

Why Growers Should Compare Time Historical Periods

Year over year comparison of data also highlights if there are certain patterns that can help you in making better-educated decisions.

May 31, 2022

Technology

How To Make Sense Of Your Data Faster

Growers have complicated data situations. Making sense of what your grower software data is telling you quickly and accurately helps improve a grower’s operational decisions and

May 11, 2022

Technology

What Can I Expect From Advanced Grower Solutions Customer Service?

When a new grower considers joining Advanced Grower Solutions (AGS), you want to know what to expect. It is essential you have a dedicated experienced team to guide and support you. Advanced Grower Solutions (AGS) provides our customers with first-class customer service. Our goal is to support you so that you can grow your business!

Apr 27, 2022

Technology

Have You Backed Up Your Data? … Are You Sure?

Most backup programs by default only backup some core user folders in the operating system. While setting up backup software you review what it truly backing up on your devices, financial, core user files, and any files/folders critical in doing your day-to-day operations.

Apr 8, 2022

Technology

Impact of Sell through on Pay by Scan for Grower Revenue

Sell through units show how effective the store was at moving the units delivered and sell through dollars shows how effective the store was at moving the full retail value of the units.

Mar 29, 2022

Technology

What to Expect When Onboarding Your New AGS Grower Software

When a new grower considers joining AGS, we know the onboarding process can seem overwhelming, especially when there is so much data involved. Advanced Grower Solutions (AGS) is happy to provide our customers with a first-class onboarding experience. Our goal is to make the process as efficient and smooth as possible so that you can grow your business!

Mar 10, 2022

Technology

Pay By Scan Vs Purchase Order Business Models For Growers

A grower and a customer can transact business in many ways. When a grower is selling to larger regional or national retail chains there are two dominant models: purchase order (or PO business) and Pay By Scan, which is also referred to as vendor managed inventory.

Feb 9, 2022

Operations

NGB 2022 Year of the Plants Free Marketing Material

The National Garden Bureau has announced the six plant classes that will be featured in the 2022 “Year of the” program.

Feb 8, 2022

Technology

11 Ways We Eliminated Growers Excel Pain Points

Advanced Grower Solutions has helped many of our clients improve their use/automation or output of Excel and save their employees time and get crucial data reports, analysis, and metrics much sooner.

Jan 26, 2022

Company News

Achievements for 2021

2021 has been a busy year, we have made enhancements to all our products. Thank you, our customers for partnering with us to make 2021 a great year.

Jan 12, 2022

Company News

Advances and Improvements in GrowPoint in 2021

We have been busy adding features to all aspects of GrowPoint. Here is a summary of those major enhancements in the last six months.

Dec 30, 2021

Technology

7 Ways to Increase ROI for Grower Software Purchases

When you decide to purchase a new software system it is worth the time and effort to explicitly determine what the results are you want out of the system for your business. Here are a few ways to help improve the return on investment of your software purchases.

Dec 21, 2021

Technology

What We Have Learned After Building Almost a Million SageX3 Routing Records

Good grower software should help you accomplish your tasks as a grower. One of those tasks is recording and maintaining the right steps (or operations) and resources that you use to create or manufacture a given item you sell.

Dec 13, 2021

Technology

How To Overcome Common Inventory Replenishment Challenges

Advanced Grower Solutions has a lot of experience with replenishment in the live goods industry and has several products and services to help growers and seasonal product producers overcome their replenishment challenges.

Dec 8, 2021

Technology

Improve Sage X3 Productivity and Return With AGS Data Import Tools

As with any other ERP system, Sage X3 houses millions of data records of all the complexity in an integrated business. A majority of these data records do not get into the system automatically; they get in there through MANUAL DATA ENTRY.

Dec 2, 2021

Technology

What Happens When Your Software Provider is Unable to Provide Support?

You’ve accumulated years of data that you use on a daily basis. If your old software is no longer available, read these tips to be sure your critical data can be converted to the new software.

Sep 27, 2021

Technology

8 Reasons Growers Need ERP Software

If your operation is still using some combination of tools like Excel and QuickBooks or similar for running your grower or live goods operation you need to read this article.

Aug 25, 2021

Technology

Introducing GrowerEDI

GrowerEDI provides a knowledgeable, experienced data partner that can ease the EDI onboarding and integration process, improve data flows, automate interactions, and provide the data transformations to give you actionable, usable data.

Aug 20, 2021

Company News

Advancements and Improvements To GrowPoint in First Quarter 2021

The first quarter of the year has produced over a dozen releases of GrowPoint. Here is a summary of the major changes and features that we have added.

May 7, 2021

Technology

How to Save Time and Money When Doing a Mass Update

It will save you time and money by doing a mass update instead of adding one at a time using the online tools. We are happy to assist you in inputting all of this information.

Apr 30, 2021

Technology

Improve your Grower Business Google Search Results With a Google My Business Listing

Google My Business complements your brand’s website with a free listing on Google that can appear in Google Maps and Google Search. Read more to learn how to improve your listing.

Apr 1, 2021

Technology

7 Tips to Know Before Choosing Direct To Store Inventory Management Software

DTS (Direct to Store) is in store inventory management for the grower servicing stores under the pay-by-scan OR vendor managed inventory model from the retailers.

Feb 24, 2021

Technology

How to Report FFCRA Families First Coronavirus Response Act Leave on the W2

If you have had employees to whom you had paid Sick or Family Leave under the FFCRA rules, the government released information last summer on how that information should be given to employees. We give instructions to report this on the W2

Jan 6, 2021

Technology

End of Year To Do List to Improve Your Growing Operation

Your growing operation will be improved by cleaning up your data so that you have a clear picture of your inventory. Read tips to improve your data.

Dec 30, 2020

Technology

Your Business Might Be Sick And How To Use Your Data To Find Out

A business should have a set of “vital signs”, that is a set of key metrics arranged in convenient online dashboards with values that represent their vital signs. And, just like regular reviews of your vital signs with your doctor, your business should regularly review the vital signs so diagnostic and corrective actions can be taken before a situation becomes serious. do you do that easily? Read on to learn.

Nov 6, 2020

Technology

Be Careful with Week Numbers – Week is not Weak!

As corporations rely more and more on data driven business decisions and, try to identify time based patterns in their business data sets to predict the future, it is very important to understand how week numbers can easily trip you up when you compare data between weeks year over year or in any time shift period.

Oct 23, 2020

Technology

What Is New in DTS / Merch for Fall 2020

We want share what’s NEW in Advanced Grower Solutions DTS/Merch product for Fall 2020 releases.

Oct 21, 2020

Technology

5 Ways Good Grower Software Adds Value To Your Operation

Value creation from a potential new software purchase is a more effective way to evaluate prices of software packages. And make sure you consider all the areas impacting your business.

Sep 11, 2020

Technology

How to Revert Excel To Its Old Formula Style After an Update

Microsoft has changed the default referencing style for Excel in their latest updates. The main area this impacts by changing the default referencing style is when dealing with Excel Formulas.

Jul 29, 2020

Technology

How GrowPoint Helps Growers Collect and Report FFCRA Data

Of all years of payroll reporting changes, 2020 proves to have a complexity that is challenging at best. We do strongly suggest that you consult your business tax professional for questions and assistance to specifics of your business.

Jul 23, 2020

Operations

Four Tips to Create the Best Passwords

A secure password is the first line of defense in keeping your valuable data safe from online predators.

Jul 13, 2020

Operations

Improve Your Customers Online Ordering Process by Using GrowerOnline

Setting up your customers on GrowerOnline is quick and easy. With an account on GrowerOnline your customers can view availability, make purchases, get quotes, and view previous orders all online.

Jun 26, 2020

Company News

GrowPoint 20.26 Released

Advanced Grower Solutions announces the release of version 20.26 which has new features in Accounts Receivable posting and a few corrections.

Jun 25, 2020

Technology

GrowPoint 20.25 Released

Advanced Grower Solutions announces the release of version 20.25 which includes some new features for the General Ledger module. Contact your customer support representative to receive

Jun 19, 2020

Company News

GrowPoint 20.23 and 20.24

We have released 20.24 which includes all changes in 20.23 on 6/03/20. This week has a return to enhancements to the General Accounting modules of GrowPoint from customer requests.

Jun 11, 2020

Company News

DTS2 Version 2.32-36

We deployed the following changes for the month of May in dts2.advgrower.com. These updates may or may not be applicable to your application setup for your view.

Jun 10, 2020

Company News

GrowPoint 20.22 Released

We have released a new version per week since May 1st to get changes, customs, and corrections out quickly to our customers during the springtime shipping season.

Jun 8, 2020

Technology

GrowPoint 20.21 Release

GrowPoint 20.21 was released on 05/20/20. This update corrects several small issues and modifies an existing utility. We have been doing weekly updates so you will see fewer changes.

Jun 4, 2020

Company News

GrowPoint 20.20 Release

For Payroll customers, here are some helpful links to the often-changing regulations on the Covid-19 Relief program’s impact on your employment taxes.

May 19, 2020

Technology

GrowPoint and Covid-19 Relief for Small Businesses

With new information coming out almost daily, it can be difficult to keep up with the changes. We outline several changes to assist your busines

May 15, 2020

Company News

GrowPoint 20.19 Release

This release includes new features, fixes as well as a preview of what we are improving next.

May 7, 2020

Company News

DTS2 Updates for April Version 2.29, 2.30 & 2.31

We deployed the following changes for the month of April in dts2.advgrower.com. These updates may or may not be applicable to your application setup for your view.

Apr 29, 2020

Technology

GrowPoint 20.17 Update

We spend a lot of time during the spring responding to our customer’s immediate needs for custom shipping and invoicing requirements, so you will see limited general enhancements this month.

Apr 23, 2020

Operations

How to Sell Your Plants Online Part 1 Marketplaces

In this ariticle and the ones that follow we will detail out the various ways you can sell you plants online. We will discuss the relative advantages and disadvantages and try to give you as much information as we can to make the best decisions for your growing operation.

Apr 17, 2020

Operations

How Difficult Is It For Growers To Switch Their Customers to Online Ordering?

GrowerOnline makes it quick and easy to setup a new account for a customer, for them to make purchases, get quotes, or save quotes

Apr 10, 2020

Technology

DTS2 March Updates- Version 2.26, 2.27, & 2.28

we deployed the following changes for the month of March in dts2.advgrower.com. These updates may or may not be applicable to your application setup for your view.

Apr 7, 2020

Technology

GrowPoint 20.14 April 2020

This GrowPoint release includes new features, fixes, enhancements as well as a preview of what we are improving next.

Apr 2, 2020

Technology

How To Make Your Data More Valuable

There are several practices that you can perform in your organization to help improve the value that you get from the data you have available.

Apr 1, 2020

Technology

Families First Coronavirus Response Act (FFCRA) Leave in GrowPoint

Here is a quick review on how to set up a new leave earnings type for Families First Coronavirus Response Act (FFCRA)

Mar 30, 2020

Technology

GrowPoint 20.12 March 2020

This release includes new features, fixes as well as a preview of what we are improving next.

Mar 23, 2020

Company News

COVID-19 Update: We are here for you

While our customers continue to work, some may need some assistance or answers to questions during this time. Fortunately, our software and customer service continue to be available so that we can help you when needed.

Mar 20, 2020

Company News

GrowPoint Update 20.09

This release includes new features, fixes, enhancements as well as a preview of what we are improving next.

Feb 28, 2020

Company News

GrowPoint Cumulative Updates February 2020

Versions 20.07 and 20.05 What’s New North Carolina 2020 tax tables 20.05 Reformat of 1099-INT form in Accounts Payable 20.05 Status added to the “Copy From”

Feb 13, 2020

Company News

DTS Cumulative Update DTS2 Version 2.18, 2.19, 2.20, & 2.21

Direct To Store has new features and enhancements including immediate export to Excel function for large reports – speed up your reports!

Feb 12, 2020

Technology

2020 Employment Compensation Law Changes for Businesses

We have compiled some of the federal employment law changes for 2020 that became effective January 1st that may affect your business. Below are a few of the changes you should know for 2020.

Jan 31, 2020

Technology

Changes coming for Home Depot Suppliers

From what we understand, this program will provide a centralized platform for Home Depot suppliers to use for their Home Depot specific retail data needs. It will provide sales data, new metrics, dashboards and trend reporting to help suppliers improve in-store performance among other features.

Jan 23, 2020

Operations

Takeaways From MANTS2020

We met with many of our customers and new prospects at the MANTS 2020 Conference. Through the discussions, there were several themes of challenges and opportunities for the growers and vendors that we talked to. We will share this with you.

Jan 14, 2020

Technology

Introducing GrowerOnline Restricted Item Groups

With restricted item groups a group can configure what items are show or disallowed for a customer, helping speed the ordering and compliance process for interstate or inter-country order fulfillment.

Jan 9, 2020

Technology

4 Keys To Success With Pay By Scan For Growers

Pay-by-scan is a consignment sales model that many growers work with based on the retailers they sell to. Some of the ‘big box’ retailers use pay-by-scan as the model for garden center items.

Jan 7, 2020

Company News

What You Need to Know Before Filing Taxes for 2019

Each year our GrowPoint system includes updates for the yearly changes to state and federal tax law. The GrowPoint yearend payroll update for Version 19.52 has

Jan 1, 2020

Company News

Thank You To Our Customers

Thank you to our customers. Our customers provide ideas and feedback which is critical to the success of any software development effort. You work together with us to collaboratively solve problems that improve operations and results. 2019 has been a year of enhancement on all our product lines.

Dec 31, 2019

Technology

DTS Cumulative Updates December 2019

What’s New This cumulative release includes a big installment of updates, fixes, enhancements as well as exciting new features. New Features! Updated sales dashboard to display

Dec 16, 2019

Operations

Introducing Visual Availability in GrowerOnline

Advanced Grower Solutions adds incredible new features to the latest release of GrowerOnline to improve the customer experience of purchasing plants from our growers.

Nov 20, 2019

Technology

Takeaways From Growing Innovations 2019

The real impact of automation on big ag labor reduction is increasing quickly. Data is the new oil (or hydraulic fluid). System Integration / Collaboration is key – across systems, technologies, vendors/suppliers.

Nov 18, 2019

Technology

DTS Cumulative Update October

Direct To Store has new features and enhancements including multi sort and column resizing options on grids in all reports and forms

Nov 1, 2019

Technology

What You Need to Know Before Moving Your Business to the Cloud

Let’s first answer the question: What is Cloud Computing? Dictionary.com defines Cloud Computing as: Internet-based computing in which large groups of remote servers are networked to

Oct 15, 2019

Operations

National Garden Bureau Announces 2020 “Year of the Crops”

The National Garden Bureau has announced the four plant classes that will be featured in the 2020 “Year of the” program.

Sep 30, 2019

Company News

GrowerOnline 1.0.7 Release

GrowerOnline 1.0.7 improves ease of use for viewing a grower’s availability. It also adds improved filtering choices and results

Sep 25, 2019

Company News

DTS Cumulative Update September 2019

What’s new This cumulative release includes a big installment of updates, fixes, enhancements as well as exciting new features. New features Additional Enhancements and Updates In

Sep 13, 2019

Technology

Top 6 Components to Manage Your Profits With Pay By Scan

Below are 6 key data areas that are important for a successful pay by scan program.

Sep 6, 2019

Operations

GrowerOnline Updates August 2019

The latest release of GrowerOnline improves flexibility in pricing availability as customers browse the plant listings and place orders.

Aug 23, 2019

Technology

What You Need to Know About Selling Plants Online

Selling online can bring improvements to your business customer reach, customer experience and ordering efficiency. It can raise the profile of your business and create new opportunities for growth. With the right tools it can also reduce your labor overhead in processing orders.

Jul 7, 2019

Company News

Direct To Store Update July 2019

We recognize that the needs of our clients differ and require us to regularly improve and upgrade our products to give you a competitive advantage.

Jul 4, 2019

Technology

Introducing Grower Online

Grower Online Launch – March 7, 2019 We are pleased to announce the launch of GrowerOnline! Sell your availability Online GrowerOnline is a brand new site

Mar 7, 2019