Making every minute
and step count
Dutch-developed smartwatch technology OPUSWatch helps greenhouse growers track working time, understand labour productivity and calculate more accurate production costs.
By Marta Pizano & Ron van der Ploeg
OPUSWatch is the brainchild of Stefan Persoon and Sebastiaan Zwinkels, both of whom have extensive experience in planning, organising and overseeing the development and implementation of new technologies in greenhouse horticulture.
While discussing the potential of digital solutions to optimise greenhouse processes and track working hours with a gerbera grower in 2018, the pair came up with the idea of using a smartwatch to count the number of flowers harvested per path and the number of working hours needed for it. Eight years later, the original OPUSWatch prototype has evolved into a multifunctional wearable device with cloud-based software.
OPUSWatch worn while handling shipping paperwork for a trolley of kalanchoe plants.
On the wrist
Recording working time in real time
At the start of a shift, greenhouse workers clock in using the smartwatch and select the relevant task, such as harvesting, plant protection, crop scouting, sorting, loading Danish trolleys or sleeving. They clock out when the task is completed. Each entry is recorded in real time, eliminating the need to reconstruct working hours from memory or rely on handwritten notes that can be prone to errors.
The device is designed for comfort and ease of use. Its touchscreen features straightforward menus and clearly visible input fields.
Persoon explains that automatic flower counting during harvesting is only used in gerberas. Many companies, however, use OPUSWatch to track working time by task, without counting individual products.
For many crops, this is sufficient because production quantities are already known. In the case of potted plants, for example, recording working hours and steps may provide all the information needed.
The watch also lets users switch easily between operating modes, enabling them to move between harvesting, task-based time tracking, and order picking.
Easy implementation, minimal infrastructure
OPUSWatch is designed to be straightforward to implement. Because the device is worn on the wrist, greenhouse businesses do not need to install cabling or physical terminals.
The main technical requirement is an eSIM or a reliable Wi-Fi connection, ideally through a mesh network using a single network name across all OPUSWatch devices.
A worker in a kalanchoe greenhouse wearing the OPUSWatch.
Understanding the costs Rising costs make efficiency increasingly important
Persoon points to the growing economic pressures facing the floriculture industry. Greenhouse production is a complex business, and the current political and economic climate presents additional harvested challenges. Rising wages, labour shortages, increasing costs for services and supplies, and tariffs and other trade barriers can make the production and marketing of delicate, perishable ornamental products particularly challenging.
In this testing business environment, OPUSWatch can help growers gain a clearer understanding of labour costs and productivity.
Persoon illustrates the pressure on businesses by pointing to rising labour costs in the Netherlands and the impact of US tariffs on Canadian growers. He notes: “In the Netherlands, the minimum wage for temp workers has increased over the past ten years from €19 to €29 per hour.
In Canada, where profit margins have traditionally been somewhat higher, tariffs imposed by the Trump administration have severely affected profitability.”
Although the technology may appear particularly relevant to highly industrialised countries, it could also prove valuable in countries with comparatively lower labour costs, such as Colombia. There, significant increases in the minimum wage, combined with economic factors such as a strong local currency and fluctuations against the US dollar and the euro, can push up operating costs and put pressure on revenues. Just one thought: when considering large farms with numerous employees, such as in Colombia, the watch may become expensive if all employees wear one.
Perhaps a scheme could be developed for selected employees to record key steps and time on key tasks, with employees rotating participation?
TURNING LABOUR COSTS INTO ACTIONABLE INSIGHTS
OPUSWatch enables employees to collect workplace information in real time. Beyond recording working hours, the system converts the data into ‘payroll-ready’ reports and reliable time records. Where required, these can be integrated with a dashboard system.
Labour is a major production factor for horticultural businesses, Persoon explains, typically accounting for 30–40 per cent of total operating costs and sometimes considerably more. In Colombia and Ecuador, for example, labour can account for around 50 per cent.
From both a business and an organisational perspective, labour therefore requires continuous monitoring. The developers have designed OPUSWatch’s hardware and software to make it easy for employees to record information about their daily activities.
From labour costs to better business decisions
The system helps growers analyse labour requirements in detail. For example, it can calculate the labour cost per flower type, an important capability in an industry characterised by a wide assortment of products. Armed with this information, growers can make better-informed decisions about product selection, selling prices and other business considerations. OPUSWatch literally makes every step count, as it also includes step counting. Gaining greater insight into the number of steps required for a specific task can be the starting point for optimising internal logistics and handling processes. Initially, the smartwatch was conceived as a dedicated, accessible data-collection device: essentially, a mini-computer worn on the wrist. The software was subsequently expanded to support more widely available hardware. Some growers indicated that they preferred using a tablet to clock in and out, prompting the developers to broaden the range of available options. Nevertheless, the smartwatch remains at the heart of the system.
Perhaps the single greatest risk is failing to act on the data, because then no benefits will be realised
Stefan Persoon OPUSWatch
Making the investment work Small investments, potentially significant returns
Asked about the financial and operational benefits growers can expect, Persoon notes that customers have reported efficiency improvements of 3–5 per cent, simply because better insight into their operations has helped them focus more closely on labour efficiency.
“The cost of the watch itself amounts to approximately 0.5–1 per cent of labour costs. If the resulting efficiency gains are realised, the investment can therefore contribute directly to improved profitability.”
Persoon adds that OPUSWatch enables horticultural businesses to make more informed strategic decisions. “If a particular product or item turns out to be too expensive to produce, the company may need to make changes to its product portfolio.”
The biggest risk is failing to use the data
Persoon identifies one overriding concern: failing to act on the information collected.
“Perhaps the single greatest risk is failing to act on the data, because then no benefits will be realised. Software is billed at €25 per month per device seat, allowing unassigned, shared use across any user. This includes service and installation costs. Technically speaking, there are no real pain points, but it is advisable to make each employee responsible for data collection, thereby creating a sense of ownership.”
An employee at J&P Ten Have wears OPUSWatch while handling begonias.
At the nursery
OPUSWatch in daily practice
Large-scale begonia grower J&P Ten Have is among the businesses using OPUSWatch. Manager Robbin van der Ende explains how the system has changed the way the company records working hours.
“Previously, working hours were reconstructed from handwritten notes completed during lunch breaks or at the end of the working day. This could lead to errors and missed hours. OPUSWatch gives workers greater peace of mind because they no longer have to worry about filling in paperwork correctly.”
The wearable device also saves time because employees no longer need to walk to a terminal to register their hours. Van der Ende emphasises that OPUSWatch should not be mistaken for a “Big Brother is watching you” device.
“Of course, profitability matters, but we are not the type of company that overwhelms our workers with targets. The biggest benefit for us is gaining greater insight into which products and handling processes are the most costly, ultimately enabling us to calculate a more accurate cost price.”
The main drawback, he says, is that employees sometimes forget to clock in or out, particularly when they are called away to another task or finish work late.
“That’s why you will find plenty of signs hanging all over the place reminding workers: ‘Don’t forget your watch and to connect it to the charging dock!’”
OPUSWatch storage and charging dock.
People and monitoring
Productivity, privacy and employee engagement
As more employees worldwide are tracked, recorded, and ranked, questions arise about employee privacy rights and individual autonomy. While entrepreneurs may emphasise the gains in efficiency and accountability, employees may perceive workplace monitoring as intrusive, making them feel ‘imprisoned at work’. How does Persoon respond to these concerns?
“Currently, there are more than 100 OPUSWatches in use. So far, we have not received any negative feedback from employees refusing to wear them. By contrast, particularly among younger employees, there is what we call a ‘gamification effect’.
“At the same time, the older the employee, the more challenging adapting to new technology can become. Naturally, this applies not only to smartwatches but also to laptops and mobile phones. What do employees lose? The ability to record their working hours manually at the end of the day.”
Persoon acknowledges that workplace competition is inevitable but does not believe OPUSWatch should create pressure on employees to outperform their colleagues.
“We are absolutely not advocating for sharing individual productivity scores. Our customers in the ornamental horticulture sector do not do this, as their focus is on improving quality.”
