Growers across the country are in the thick of their busiest season. Greenhouses are full, orders are piling up, and shipping docks are moving at full speed. As CNBC recently noted, Spring is when retailers like Home Depot see a dramatic sales spike, driven in large part by consumer demand for plants, flowers, and gardening supplies. This pivotal time, referred to as the “Christmas season” for garden retailers, is a major revenue window for both growers and their customers.
We’ve worked closely with growers, understanding that this time of year isn’t just busy, it’s make-or-break. Growers face significant challenges during peak season, including managing labor shortages, unpredictable weather impacts, fluctuating demand, and tight delivery schedules from demanding retail partners. Inventory management can quickly become complex as products move rapidly from propagation to shipping.
To meet this seasonal surge, greenhouse operations need more than just manpower—they need precision, efficiency, and reliability. This comes from proper Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) systems.
ERP systems provide real-time visibility across the operation, from what’s growing in each bay to what’s shipping out the door. When orders are coming in fast and labor is tight, having a centralized system means fewer mistakes, faster decisions, and more reliable deliveries. That’s why it’s crucial greenhouse and nursery operations implement ERP solutions like Sage X3 to bring their systems into sync.
Tools Built for Grower Success
Our Grower Vertical is designed in collaboration with industry leaders to meet the complex needs of greenhouse and nursery operations. These solutions include:
- Grower Vertical: Our web-native ERP solution for managing everything from any device. Whether you grow and sell ornamentals, plugs or vegetables, Grower Vertical gives you the capabilities to handle financials, inventory, shipping, logistics planning, production, and wireless warehouse management all in one system.
- Scan by Cart: Created alongside Young’s Plant Farm in response to evolving big-box retailer requirements, this shipping automation tool uses handheld barcode scanners to rebuild sales orders in real time. As items are loaded onto trucks, the system generates the correct labels and documentation, minimizing errors and ensuring compliance with complex retail standards.
- Space Management: In collaboration with Jolly Farmer Products, this module addresses one of the biggest challenges in greenhouse operations: optimizing space. It analyzes growing conditions, item quantities, and facility layouts to calculate the best placement for new crops. This visual planning tool integrates seamlessly with the ERP system to help growers maximize capacity and reduce waste.
- DemandLink: Turns big-box POS data into clear forecasting insights, ideal for retailers and growers alike. With more than 35,000 points of data, DemandLink offers the most accurate insights into current and historical trends that affect seasonal consumer goods.
We’re proud to partner with growers across the industry to transform their operations. Check out this recent ERP Today article featuring our customer Metrolina Greenhouses and their ERP transformation with Sage X3 and our Grower Vertical:
From Greenhouse to Datahouse: How Metrolina is Cultivating a Modern ERP Mindset with Sage X3 by Mark Vigoroso.
If you’re a grower ready to take control of your busiest season and unlock the full potential of your operation, we’re here to help. Contact us today!
