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How a Small CEA Operation Ditched Paper and Mastered Audit Preparation

As Sunterra Greenhouse planned to quadruple its acreage, it needed a smart solution to de-risk its CanadaGAP and Costco compliance.

The Client

Headquartered in Acme, Alberta, Sunterra Greenhouse is a grower of strawberries and tomatoes that uses advanced technology to bring their produce to market.

Since its inception in 2020, Sunterra Greenhouse has proved to be a powerful player in the Canadian produce market. Despite occupying a relatively small acreage, the greenhouses yield an astonishing 1,000,000+ pounds of tomatoes and 130,000+ pounds of strawberries every month.

Sector Fresh Produce	Food Safety Certification CanadaGAP
Headquarters Acme, Alberta	Acreage 200
Shelby Dwyer Director of Business Development	Adam Sweetman HSE & Compliance Manager

New Tech, Meet Old: Sunterra’s Problem With Paper

Despite using cutting-edge technology to grow their crops, Sunterra was stuck with a familiar old foe: paper records.

• Slow Data Entry
  Daily tasks involved extensive, tedious paperwork before double-handing data into spreadsheets
  
• Team Management
  Tracking workers down and ensuring compliance was a major chore that made management the bad guys
  
• The Pre-Audit Scramble
  Audit prep was time-consuming, and limited visibility led to disorganization and a lack of confidence
  

Getting Up to Speed: Choosing the Right Tool

Why Sunterra’s hunt for a cloud-based solution led them to Provision.

• Customization & Convenience 
  Sunterra was able to customize Provision’s approved CanadaGAP templates to also satisfy Costco’s requirements
  
  
• Unbeatable Support
  The agile, concierge-style help from Provision’s client success team empowered Sunterra to expedite their transition and ensure successful team adoption 

“Due to the support that we received from the Provision team, it was a really seamless transition, and we were using the entire software capabilities within the week.”

Shelby Dwyer • Director of Business Development, Sunterra Greenhouse

Powerful Features for Stress-Free Management

How Shelby and Adam streamlined Sunterra’s daily operations and renewed their audit confidence.

1.

Real-Time Data Visibility

• Centralize all compliance documentation in one cloud hub, accessible from any device, anywhere
• Eliminate the delay between form submissions and data reporting to identify trends quickly
  
• Use smart rules to instantly ensure that form submissions are complete and compliant
  

“One of the great things about Provision is that I can access it anywhere.” 

Shelby Dwyer • Director of Business Development, Sunterra Greenhouse

2.

Team Management Made Easy

• Show SOP guidance inside related forms to reduce guesswork
• Help ESL staff with live, in-app translation for all records
  
• Schedule task in advance to automate reminders and cut down on daily follow-ups
  

“Provision has allowed me to interact with our staff on a more personal level instead of chasing them down and hounding them. Everyone used to dread seeing me come down the aisle, but now they smile.” 

Adam Sweetman • HSE & Compliance Manager, Sunterra Greenhouse

3.

Entering Audits With Full Confidence

• Eliminate binder-flipping and instantly find a record by searching any data it contains
• Streamline version updates to keep up with changes in certification standards
  
• Build data-driven insight with custom reports that export to Excel and link to dashboards
  

“With Provision, I’m certain I have everything I need on the table. I feel incredibly comfortable going into our next audit.”

Adam Sweetman • HSE & Compliance Manager, Sunterra Greenhouse

Facing the Future with Confidence

Shelby and Adam have uncovered new efficiencies that prepare Sunterra for continued growth and expansion.

Bringing their program into Provision has saved Sunterra a great deal of time and stress. Newfound efficiency has allowed Shelby and Adam to high-grade risk management, future-proofing the business as it aims to operate 90 acres by 2030. No matter what requirements change from certifications, customers, or regulators, Sunterra will be ready and able. 

“The agriculture industry is constantly growing, constantly evolving with technology, and we have to grow with it. We have to be able to identify trends and look at raw data analysis - and Provision really helps with that.” 

Adam Sweetman • HSE & Compliance Manager, Sunterra Greenhouse

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