Optimization of a Custom Farm Management System

Producing 750 million pounds of frozen vegetables annually, Nortera contributes, in its own way, to feeding North America with healthy, quality products. Formerly known as Bonduelle Amérique, the company was partially acquired by the Caisse de dépôt et de solidarité in 2022 and relocated in Québec.  
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One of their first challenges was to migrate their technological systems to new infrastructures. To support this migration, Nortera first called on Spiria for its DevOps expertise, and then pursued collaboration to improve and evolve its flagship application: AgroOne.
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The work was carried out using technology to ensure sustainable agriculture, enhance the value of producers' work and contribute to a more robust and responsible food chain.

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A true backbone for agricultural operations, AgroOne is an essential application for Nortera. It tracks the entire crop cycle, from planting to processing, and centralizes critical data used by growers and internal teams.
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When the application was migrated, Spiria was called in to help build a solid technical foundation and implement development best practices to optimize the code on Gitlab. This partnership quickly expanded into a two-part transformation project:

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1. Solidify the technical foundation

The first phase of the project focused on infrastructure and DevOps processes. The objective was clear: to ensure stability, performance and scalability. Here's an overview of what we achieved together:  

• Simplification of resources, including the removal of an AWS database in favour of a more suitable in-house solution.
  

• Automated data synchronization via a new scheduled task system, replacing an old application.
  

• Implementation of GitLab pipelines to automate deployments and reduce human error.
  

• Cost optimization by deactivating temporary databases during evenings and weekends.
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2. Integrate new functionalities

Once the application was stabilized, the team was keen to improve AgroOne by adding new functionalities. A member of Spiria's development team was quickly integrated into Nortera's IT department, enabling them to gain speed, expertise and explore new perspectives.

The integration of functionalities enabled Nortera to meet specific strategic needs, thereby strengthening the company's ability to achieve its objectives.

• New module enabling legal data to be synchronized with crop and harvest data in real time.  
  

• New functionality for managing and complying with legislation regarding products used.  
  

• New module for recording the use of organic matter, such as manure, in fields.  
  

• Improvements to the automated e-mail system to optimize messages and better serve recipients.  

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The solutions implemented have had a tangible impact on several fronts at Nortera. The AgroOne application is now more stable, more responsive and more reliable, enabling it to better support the company's activities and meet its objectives.
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• Financially, the streamlining of resources has resulted in a 20% reduction in AWS-related costs, contributing to budget optimization efforts.
  

• On the operational front, new automation processes have transformed the way updates are delivered at Nortera, accelerating the speed of deployments and enhancing their quality.  
  

• In the field, the new features provide real support for the teams. With tools that are more intuitive and adapted to their reality, growers and supervisors can focus on what matters the most: crops that are well monitored, well handled and, above all, high-quality vegetables.