Agile and Agriculture: An Unlikely PairingPresented By: Malcom B. Mathis IIMonsanto Co2015 National BDPA ConferenceWashington D.C.

United States

Canada

Latin America South (LAS): Peru, Chile, Argentina, Paraguay, Bolivia

Brazil: HUGE GROWTH OPPORTUNITY

EME: Europe and the Middle East-largest footprint in terms of technology

India: cotton, corn and vegetables

Asia Pacific:Australia’s key crops are corn, cotton and wheat

China: Corn & Vegetables

Africa: WEMA Project

Latin America North (LAN)

Quick FactsHeadquarters: St. Louis, MO, USA

Global Employees: 22,000

Global Locations: >400 (67 countries)

Net Sales (FY14): $15.8 billion

Monsanto: A Global Company

Integrated IT Platform & Enabling

Technologies

Biotechnology

Breeding AgronomicSolutions

Our R&D Engine Is Evolving To Deliver Tomorrow’s Products As Systems Applied On-Farm

PRODUCT CONCEPTS BASED ON FARMERS’

NEEDS

R&D ENGINE PRODUCTS

GENES, GERMPLASM, CHEMISTRIES

SEED + CROP MANAGEMENT

Image source: http://www.encyclopediaofalabama.org/images/m-6698.jpg

Agriculture is at the Center of Global Changes

1990 20121980 2050TODAY

4.4B

7.1B

9.6B+

1 ACREper person in

1961

less than

1/3 ACREper person in

2050 DIETARY PERCENTAGE OF MEAT

9%in

1965

14%in 2030

CHANGINGeconomies & diets

CHANGINGclimate

RISINGpopulation

DECLININGarable land

Source: The World Bank, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO-STAT), Monsanto Internal Calculations

Picture from the Haynie farm in Virginia courtesy of PJ Haynie and Dewayne Goldmonhttp://www.americasfarmers.com/meet-the-families/haynie-family/

The average farmer makes more than 40 key decisions for each field they farm!

Planting Data Genomic Data Soil Data Field Devices Commercial Data

Geospatial Data Streaming HarvestObservation Data

Weather Data

Scientific Method for Agile experimentation…

Ask a Question

Background Research

Construct Hypothesis

ExperimentAnalyze

DataReport Results

Waterfall Methodology

MaintenanceCheck errors Optimize

Verification

Test and debug

Implementation

Code software Data storage & retrievalDesign

Software architecture

Requirements

Requirements documentation Use Cases

Individuals and

interactions over

processes and tools

Working software over comprehensive documentation

Customer collaboration over contract negotiation

Responding

to change over following a planAgile

Agile Manifesto

Split your time into a series of iterative sprints.

ScrumA light-weight agile process tool

How Scrum Works

Practical example of scrum

Remodel main bathroom

As a bathroom user, I would like

gold-plated vanity to make me look better

As a bathroom user, I would like ceramic tiles for

finished look

As a bathroom user, I would like door to reduce

noise for outside rooms

Determine shape of vanity

Decide carat of gold

Which type of cabinets?

Tile Color

Placement of tiles

Individual tile size

Type of door

Door size

What type of lock?

= Epic

= User Story

= task

IT Value is proportional to competitive advantage

Val

ue

Difficulty

OPERATE THE BUSINESS

DEVELOP COMPETITIVE ADVANTAGE

FUTURE COMPETITIVE ADVANTAGE

Descriptive

What Happened?

Diagnostic Why did it happen?

Predictive What will happen?

Prescriptive Making it Happen

PEOPLE

PROCESS

TECHNOLOGY

Agile

DevO

ps

Open S

ourc

e

Mic

rose

rvic

es

Continuous

D

eliv

ery

3GA

Improving Lives

10 Years with BDPA

2 Top Ten Finishes at National

Competition

Over 1000Volunteer Hours

Over 65 High School Students

“…This competition

means almost everything to me.

I love participating in it every year. I have

learned so much…”

“…This competition has given me many

opportunities like working on our schools intranet

site, and a site for The Morse Group, and Chesterfield

Arts… "

Benefits of Agile in Agricrulture

• IT now a partner•Increased customer satisfaction•More comprehensive software solutions•Meet Global Challenges

Thank YouTo Learn MoreEngineering.monsanto.com

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