Emerging disruptive technologies (EDTs) are technologies whose emergence in their respective industries alters the performance and execution of duties. Such technologies include artificial intelligence, quantum technology, autonomous systems, blockchain, and big data. The business industry is highly affected by the emergence of big data (Huang & Zhang, 2017). Businesses that harness the power of big data could soon outshine other players in the industry. For instance, companies in the agricultural business can easily outshine competitors through the application of big data.
The application of big data technologies can help agricultural companies gain competitive advantages over other players in the industry. Through the application of big data analysis, companies can understand annual weather patterns like rain. In this case, they can invest in the right animal or crop breeds, thus gaining profitability over other industry players. Big data analysis also enables agricultural companies to understand water cycles and fertilizer requirements, thus making the right decisions (Schönfeld et al., 2018). In essence, companies applying this technology have fewer operational costs and high efficiencies due to a better understanding of the industry. Their productivity is also high compared to other players in the industry. With the right predictions, such companies can have top-quality products, thus gaining competitiveness over other industry players.
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Agricultural companies could also gain competitive advantages through the right management of their supply chain issues. Big data analysis enables companies to understand customer demands and patterns. With such information, agricultural companies can easily position their supply chain systems to fit in areas with higher demands. Big data analysis also ensures competitive advantage by helping companies track their farm produce during its movement from farm centers to the customers (Huang & Zhang, 2017). In the end, there are higher efficiency and prospects for customer satisfaction. Moreover, companies relying on big data analysis are more likely to have a positive customer reputation due to the high efficiency of deliveries and quality of products, thus increasing their competitiveness.
Competitive advantage in the agricultural industry can also be derived from investment in sustainable food production. In essence, companies can rely on big data to ensure that they uphold sustainable production, thus developing a good public image and limiting violation of government regulations on food production. With big data analysis, it is easier for farmers to understand the existing requirements, thus avoiding penalizations (Himesh et al., 2018). For instance, big data analysis predicts the right amounts of fertilizers and pesticides to be used, thus ensuring that companies comply with the existing laws. Additionally, the costs of excessive pesticides and fertilizers are cut through the application of big data analysis. Through big data analysis, farmers can also find solutions to their existing problems, including emerging crop and animal diseases and weeds in their farms. In the end, the productivity of their farms is increased, thus gaining competitiveness over less-productive companies.
Big data analysis also improves competitiveness in the agricultural industry through minimization of operating costs and improvements in productivity. For instance, the precision farming technique helps companies track their soil texture, pH, and moisture, helping them understand the right period to apply farm inputs like water and pesticides (Himesh et al., 2018). In the end, companies relying on precision farming produce quality crops without wastage of the available resources. For instance, companies that use regular farming techniques could apply excessive pesticides and water, thus leading to increased costs. In the end, precision farmers are more likely to be more profitable.
Therefore, the agricultural industry must invest in big data technologies, as it is the only way to ensuring sustainability in the industry. Companies that fail to harness the technology’s provisions could make huge losses. Contrarily, those investing in big data continue to have competitive advantages as they understand weather, soil, and market trends. Big data also helps such companies produce quality products, thus increasing the chances of increased customers over those relying on other farming techniques.
References
Himesh, S. et al. (2018). Digital revolution and Big Data: a new revolution in agriculture. CAB Rev , 13 (21), 1-7.
Huang, J., & Zhang, L. (2017, August). The big data processing platform for intelligent agriculture. In AIP Conference Proceedings (Vol. 1864, No. 1, p. 020033). AIP Publishing LLC.
Schönfeld, M. V. et al. (2018). Big data on a farm—Smart farming. Big Data in Context , 109-120.
