For the horticulture industry, the app is a game-changer. Fokko explains: “We have a whole bunch of tasks that are only performed once a year. We used to do them, and then the following year we would scratch our heads and wonder, 'how did we do that last time?' Now we grab the app and look it up. This saves an enormous amount of time." It’s not only Fokko who’s pleased with the progress. His employees are also enthusiastic about the result. "I was surprised how quickly everyone started using it. The growers started uploading and sharing information right away, which was great to see!". The app takes them away from searching for information, and instead forms a knowledge base they can always fall back on. "This way they can fully focus on what they do best: growing!" Fokko concludes happily. 

It could be done better, he thought, and so he designed a clear and secure solution for his issues. "Thus was born KALEO, an online knowledge base specifically for growers. In it, the grower can enter everything related to their company. For example, you can enter which fertilizers you use, and also how much and how often you use them. You can log the date of the last pruning, when certain machines were repaired, what plant diseases broke out, and so on." Different employees carry an enormous amount of information and expertise, and this detailed knowledge can now be found in one handy app.

One of the frontrunners of the industry is 34-year-old Fokko zur Mühlen. He is the owner of the Renke zur Mühlen Nursery in Germany, and stands out as a young innovator bravely taking on a few long-standing traditions. When he first stepped onto the scene, he experienced firsthand the struggle to obtain information and a clear overview of processes in a traditional industry like horticulture. He developed a unique app and got his fellow growers on board, to document, share, supervise and work as one cohesive unit.

During his studies, Fokko spent several years in the Netherlands, but upon his return to Germany he encountered some unexpected hurdles. As a newcomer in horticulture, it was difficult for him to integrate and become a part of a process that had been set in place for decades. "A lot of knowledge and experience had been accumulated in the nursery over the years, but not everyone was aware of what other team members were doing," he said. "Everyone knew exactly what was expected of them and knew their role and tasks, but there was no overview of what still needed to be done.” But this was more than just an operational issue: “The employees' hard-earned knowledge and information was not stored anywhere. Even photos that were taken on a daily basis for the purpose of tracking and comparison weren’t posted anywhere.” As a result, it was difficult to find certain pieces of information in the mostly-written archives.