by
Christophe Pelletier
Another year just started, it is always a good time to reflect a bit
As I have focused my activities for quite a few years on how the future of food and agriculture can be shaped, I regularly come across a number of the same little flaws that, in my opinion, delay the progress we can make towards a prosperous future.
Although the expression “keep it simple” is well known, it seems that we have a hard time doing exactly that. I am amazed by the number of situations in my work in which I meet incredibly complicated set-ups.
It is almost as if we have an almost masochistic tendency to make our lives more difficult than they need to be.
Let me be clear, food production is a very complex system, but why make it even more complicated than it is?
Too often, the problem is that food producers carry too much old baggage within their systems. Problems happen and innovations bring solutions.
Unfortunately, it often results in adding layer after layer of old baggage. Keep it simple! Once in a while, just imagine how you would set up your production if you were starting with no past history and were setting processes and systems anew with all the latest technology, knowledge and experience.
Then de-clutter! It makes life a lot easier. Common sense is one of the things I would like to see more often.
I remember a customer of mine who always enjoyed to say “With Christophe, if it makes sense he will deliver it; if does not make sense, he will say no”.
I know I have sometime frustrated some of my customers but I always took the time to explain how persisting in error would only result in bigger problems later and they actually always praised my no non-sense style.
Remember that food production is not an intellectual exercise but a practical one. A customer will not reward you for your being intellectually stimulated, but for your reliability, consistency and honesty. For the New Year, I also wish for more critical thinking.
In these times of information oversupply and even fake news, it is quite easy to be misled. Sometimes, it is accidental and sometimes it is intentional.
Nonetheless, it always pays off to never assume and to double check.
Read the full article HERE.
Another year just started, it is always a good time to reflect a bit
 |
| Christophe Pelletier |
As I have focused my activities for quite a few years on how the future of food and agriculture can be shaped, I regularly come across a number of the same little flaws that, in my opinion, delay the progress we can make towards a prosperous future.
Although the expression “keep it simple” is well known, it seems that we have a hard time doing exactly that. I am amazed by the number of situations in my work in which I meet incredibly complicated set-ups.
It is almost as if we have an almost masochistic tendency to make our lives more difficult than they need to be.
Let me be clear, food production is a very complex system, but why make it even more complicated than it is?
Too often, the problem is that food producers carry too much old baggage within their systems. Problems happen and innovations bring solutions.
Unfortunately, it often results in adding layer after layer of old baggage. Keep it simple! Once in a while, just imagine how you would set up your production if you were starting with no past history and were setting processes and systems anew with all the latest technology, knowledge and experience.
Then de-clutter! It makes life a lot easier. Common sense is one of the things I would like to see more often.
I remember a customer of mine who always enjoyed to say “With Christophe, if it makes sense he will deliver it; if does not make sense, he will say no”.
I know I have sometime frustrated some of my customers but I always took the time to explain how persisting in error would only result in bigger problems later and they actually always praised my no non-sense style.
Remember that food production is not an intellectual exercise but a practical one. A customer will not reward you for your being intellectually stimulated, but for your reliability, consistency and honesty. For the New Year, I also wish for more critical thinking.
In these times of information oversupply and even fake news, it is quite easy to be misled. Sometimes, it is accidental and sometimes it is intentional.
Nonetheless, it always pays off to never assume and to double check.
Read the full article HERE.
The Global Miller
This blog is maintained by The Global Miller staff and is supported by the magazine Milling and Grain
which is published by Perendale Publishers Limited.
For additional daily news from milling around the world: global-milling.com
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