Dealerships tend to be adept at selling — whether it’s machinery, parts or service. But talking with precision farming managers, one area that is often an afterthought in their department is the need to sell themselves.

With the rapid evolution of technology, it's not always easy for precision dealers to catch their breath. However, a time may be coming when the precision industry takes stock of where it is and where it needs to go.

One of the more interesting elements of John Deere’s planned acquisition of Precision Planting from parent company Monsanto, involved the data collection capabilities provided by the hardware. The cancellation of the deal included a digital collaboration agreement between Deere and the Climate Corp., which would have allowed for sharing of agronomic data between Deere’s Operations Center and Climate’s FieldView platform.

It’s no secret that in recent years more dealerships — either by choice or by directive — are incorporating agronomic services into their businesses. Those who have been receptive to adding prescriptive farming options to complement machinery and component sales, have gradually been able to gain traction with customers.

Online ordering is an increasingly popular and convenient purchasing method for consumers. Just this past week, Amazon launched its Prime Now, which offers 1- and 2-hour home delivery of among other things, household items or groceries.

Last week I had the opportunity to attend the 2017 SIMA Agribusiness Show in Paris and observe some of the global trends shaping the future of the agricultural market. With more than 1,700 companies from more than 40 different countries in attendance, there was no shortage of innovation on display. Here are a few of the highlights from this year’s show.

Fully autonomous vehicles in agriculture are likely still several years away, but there also may be a simpler, more efficient pathway to extending the life of farm machinery, while also improving performance.

Having returned from the second Precision Farming Dealer Summit last week in St. Louis, I’ve had an opportunity to reflect on a few of the highlights.

It’s no secret that consumer shopping tendencies are trending toward online purchases, but one of the more staggering numbers reported by USA Today is that Amazon shipped more than 1 billion items worldwide this holiday season.

Finding the next generation of precision farming specialist is a challenge that more than 85% of dealers reported being a priority to grow their precision business in the Precision Farming Dealer 2016 Benchmark Study.