Brazilian company improves management of one of the largest sugarcane producers in the USA

In recent years, Brazil has stopped being just a consumer and has become a technology provider for the world. The country is currently one of the most important stores of solutions and a major developer of tools in this regard, especially in the agricultural sector. One of the protagonists of this movement is GAtec, specialized in the development of tools for agro-industrial management, from Piracicaba/SP, which has intensified its positioning in the national and international market. The company, which is present in 14 countries, expanded its focus to Latin America and also to the United States, mainly with the consolidation of a new project in Florida, with Florida Crystals Corporation (FCC).

The group, with over 170 years of experience, is one of the largest American sugarcane producers, and selected GAtec as a software provider for managing its sugarcane fields. According to Angelo Spatti Canassa, agronomist and solutions architect, there was a first contact in 2013, but only in 2019, Florida Crystals itself sought out the Brazilian company to better understand the solution. "O go-live took place in August 2020, with implementation continuing to this day, as the project is always receiving news, improvements, corrections and continues to evolve in line with the customer’s needs”, he highlights.

As it is a large American company, with approximately 20 thousand employees and more than 70 thousand hectares of land, the project required a large investment from both parties. In addition to joint operations with teams from SAP (ERP from Florida Crystals), Google, Apple and Microsoft. Due to the size and needs of the FCC, new Features had to be developed by the GAtec team, always having to keep the integration routines working with SAP, with thousands of daily data being processed.  

The solutions implemented were SimpleFarm, SimpleViewer and Mapfy, management systems integration tools. According to Canassa, the main objective was the systematization of agricultural processes, structuring of operations and integration with the ERP, thus forming a single service, not generating rework and gaining efficiency. “Fortunately, we were able to deliver everything to the client, through a lot of dedication and professionalism. Among the benefits provided to customers, I highlight the saving of time, reliability of information and mobility”, he highlights.

Furthermore, all processes were systematized, with their structures organized, thus bringing enormous gains in time, efficiency and data reliability. As a result, operations automatically became faster and safer, which also brought savings in the use of products for application in the field, as well as maneuvering and moving equipment, due to the georeferenced management provided by the GAtec solutions together.

Ongoing support

GAtec's support with the FCC occurs from the beginning of implementation, with a specific team from the Brazilian company that works exclusively on the project, and can be expanded, according to current demand. In addition to regular visits, the original contract provided for a GAtec team to remain in Florida throughout the first months of the project, which was not possible due to the pandemic.

As with other GAtec clients, the entire implementation took place remotely, as well as the support and monitoring they routinely provide. “Through a committed team prepared for the challenge, it was and continues to be possible to work remotely, meeting all the client's needs. Both GAtec and FCC had to adjust to the situation and today the teams work efficiently, even remotely, providing excellent results”, concludes the Agricultural Engineer.