9 min read
WHAT THE RIGHT SECURITY PRACTICES ACTUALLY PREVENT, AND WHY THE PROVIDER BEHIND THEM MATTERS AS MUCH AS THE TECHNOLOGY. A production line going dark at 2 AM. An agronomy system that will not connect...
6 min read
WHAT CO-OPS NEED FROM THEIR TECHNOLOGY (AND THEIR IT PARTNER) BEFORE THE SEASON BEGINS. It was a Monday morning in early May. The kind of morning that cooperative operations managers know by feel...
6 min read
THE GAP BETWEEN WHEN YOUR POLICY SAYS AND WHAT IT ACTUALLY PAYS IS ALMOST ALWAYS TECHNICAL. It was a Wednesday afternoon in early spring when the call came in. A manufacturing operation in central...
3 min read
RELIABILITY BUILT FOR HARVEST, PLANT FLOORS, AND EVERYTHING IN BETWEEN. In the world of agriculture and manufacturing, technology doesn't just live in a carpeted office... it's out in the elements...
2 min read
FROM SPREADSHEETS TO CONNECTED, AUTOMATED WORKFLOWS Walk through any plant floor, grain elevator, or busy front office in the Midwest, and you’ll see a familiar pattern: whiteboards crowded with...
3 min read
SHIELD, ARMOR, OR FORTRESS? In the world of ag co-ops and manufacturing, technology is no longer a luxury. It is the central nervous system of your production. Yet, for many IT Directors, the reality...
3 min read
vCIO VS. vCISO In 2026, the line between business strategy and technology strategy has completely disappeared. For organizations leading the way in the Midwest, IT can no longer be treated as a...
4 min read
HOW MUCH YOU SHOULD INVEST IN A PENETRATION TEST SHOULDN'T BE A MYSTERY. However, when you request quotes for a pen test, you typically receive a wide range of numbers. One proposal fits a...
2 min read
THE INVISIBLE BARRIER TO YOUR NEXT BIG CONTRACT There is a manufacturer in the Des Moines metro area that spent eighteen months perfecting a specialized component for the aerospace industry. Their...
2 min read
THE "SALARY ICEBERG" EFFECT You are looking at your P&L statement, and the "IT Salaries" line item looks reasonable. You have a solid IT Manager in Des Moines, Iowa making a competitive salary, and...
3 min read
The "new normal" of remote and hybrid work isn't so new anymore; it's simply the standard. But while your team has adapted to Webex or Teams calls and working from home, your IT infrastructure may...
5 min read
Every year, leaders sit in budget and planning meetings and ask the same questions: What did we spend? What did we get for it? Where are we exposed? One question rarely makes it onto the slide deck,...
