Sunshine Saturday: Farming at Landmark

It turns out that only having five days in DMGT Green Week is just not enough so we had to create an extra day called Sunshine Saturday where we can take a look at the Farmers in our group - the Product Managers.

There are many dimensions to the life of our Farmer: the first of which is the shepherd. Like many organisations we have a flock of existing products out there in the field; some of them are young and need to be watched over to ensure they don't get into difficulties and some are older and may be in need of TLC. The shepherd's job is to keep an eye on all the livestock; protected from extreme weather and keep safe from predators. Our existing products need a looking after too to ensure they are kept healthy and ahead of the competition.

As well as looking after existing animals, farmers also need to ensure that future demand can be met. This involves sowing the seeds of next year's crops; nurturing them to ensure that they are properly watered, kept free from weeds and pests and given adequate nutrition. Product Managers have a similar job to ensure that we have new products that may start off as unpromising seedlings but can grow into healthy new and profitable products that provide new value to our customers.

Many farmers now make use of Farmers' Markets where they can sell their produce directly to the consumers. There are benefits to this on both sides as for the consumer, products are fresher and often sourced locally and for the farmer there is the opportunity to make a higher margin by having fewer intermediaries between them and the consumer. Product Managers seek out opportunities in markets adjacent to our existing ones and those where we can provide opportunities further along the workflow than our traditional products take us.

Like all successful farmers a Product Manager needs to look for ways to diversify. Farmers will look to exploit opportunities in new markets, for example, crops suitable for bio-fuels; organic crops or non-native animals such as Ostrich and Alpaca. Many farmers have turned to the tourist trade to offer farm holidays, Bed and Breakfast or campsite as new ways to maximise the resources they have available. Identifying opportunities in related areas can provide excellent new sources of revenue.

 

Jonathan Eversett
Senior Business Analyst