Map the decision
Sit with your planners, sourcing, agronomy and risk teams to pin down the decision that matters most, and how success will be measured.
Forward Deployed Engineering
Our engineers work where your decisions are made.
Cropin’s Forward Deployed Engineers take you from kickoff to the first decision in use in 6 to 8 weeks. They embed with your teams and take physical-world intelligence from first dataset to daily decision, built around how your operation works.
- 35Forward Deployed Engineers
- 6 to 8weeks from kickoff to the first decision in use
- 103countries with Cropin deployments
- 15+years of field data behind every model
Most AI programs stall between the pilot and the field.
The data sits in ERP, sourcing tools, field apps and spreadsheets. Models are built for average conditions, not your varieties, regions or suppliers. Work passes between a software vendor, an integrator and internal IT, and nobody owns the outcome. The result is a strong demo and no change in how decisions get made.
Engineers who sit on your side of the table.
A Forward Deployed Engineer is a Cropin engineer assigned to your program, working inside your environment and alongside your people. They do not hand over a platform and leave. They learn how your operation runs, build on the Cropin platform for your specific problem, and own the result with you.
What they learn in the field goes back into the Cropin product, so your solution keeps improving with every release.
What we learn in the field makes the product better.
Engineers bring field lessons back to the product team. Every release carries them. Your data stays yours.
- 01
In your operation
- Engineers see what works and what breaks.
- Edge cases surface early.
- 02
Back to product
- Lessons turn into product fixes.
- Common needs become standard features.
- 03
Into the platform
- Better models and connectors.
- Faster set-up for the next phase.
- 04
Back to you
- Your solution improves with each release.
- No custom code to maintain.
Lessons travel. Your data never does.
What our engineers do.
Connect your data
Bring ERP, procurement, field and IoT data into Cropin’s Data Foundry through standard APIs and connectors, alongside satellite, weather and climate data.
Tune the models
Calibrate yield, water stress and risk models to your crops, varieties, regions and field data.
Build the workflow
Configure apps, OrbitAI agents and alerts inside the tools your teams already use.
Prove it in the field
Check results against what your field teams see on the ground before anything scales.
Scale and hand over
Extend to new regions, crops or business units, and train your teams to run it day to day.
35 engineers. Every skill the job needs.
Programs are staffed with the mix of skills the problem needs, so you work with one team instead of coordinating several.
Integration engineers
Connect Cropin to your systems, data and security setup.
Data scientists and ML engineers
Tune and check models on your own data and field records.
Agronomists and domain experts
Bring crop and field knowledge so outputs make sense on the ground.
Remote sensing and GIS specialists
Turn satellite and map data into reliable field-by-field insight.
From kickoff to the first decision in use in 6 to 8 weeks.
One embedded team owns every step, so nothing waits on a hand-off between vendor, integrator and IT.
- Weeks 1 to 2
Discover
- Sit with the teams who own the decision.
- Map the data and systems in place.
- Agree what a good result looks like.
Output: one decision, one success measure.
- Weeks 2 to 5
Connect and tune
- Connect ERP, field and supplier data.
- Add satellite, weather and climate data.
- Tune models to your crops and regions.
Output: models running on your data.
- Weeks 4 to 6
Build the workflow
- Set up apps, agents and alerts.
- Deliver results into tools teams already use.
- Train the first users.
Output: a working tool in your teams’ hands.
- Weeks 6 to 8
Prove and go live
- Check results with your field teams.
- Use it in a real decision.
- Measure against the agreed result.
Output: first decision in daily use.
- Then
Scale
- Add regions, crops or business units.
- Hand day-to-day running to your teams.
- Keep improving with each release.
Output: a program your teams run.
KickoffFirst decision in use: week 6 to 8Then scale to more regions
Timing depends on data readiness. Steps overlap by design.
One team between your people and the platform.
Your teams bring the business. Our engineers bring the skills to make Cropin work inside it.
Your teams
- Sourcing and planning
Own the decision and the result.
- Agronomy and field
Know the farms, suppliers and seasons.
- IT and data
Own systems, access and security.
- Risk and compliance
Set the evidence and audit needs.
Cropin Forward Deployed Engineers
- Integration engineers
Connect your systems and data.
- Data scientists and ML engineers
Tune and check the models.
- Agronomists and domain experts
Make outputs make sense on the ground.
- Remote sensing and GIS specialists
Turn satellite data into field insight.
Cropin platform
What our engineers build, by industry.
Three examples of how a Forward Deployed Engineering team typically runs a program. Each one starts with a single question and ends with a decision your team acts on.
Illustrative workflow based on how our engineers typically run this kind of program.
Supply assurance for a CPG sourcing team
Will our contracted farms deliver the volume and quality we planned for?
- 01
Data we connect
- Grower and plot registry.
- Contracts and planned volumes from ERP.
- Field visits and crop records.
- Satellite, weather and climate data.
- 02
What engineers build
- Map every contracted plot to its contract.
- Tune yield and crop stage models to the varieties grown.
- Set water stress and disease alerts by region.
- Feed forecasts into the supply planning tool.
- 03
What your team sees
- Volume and harvest timing forecast by origin.
- At-risk growers and regions flagged early.
- Production Agent answers: which regions will miss plan?
- 04
The decision
- Rebalance volumes across regions.
- Line up backup supply early.
- Send field support where it pays.
KickoffFirst decision in use: week 6 to 8Then scale to more regions
Measured: Forecast against actual intake, shortfalls avoided.
Explore this industryIllustrative workflow based on how our engineers typically run this kind of program.
Fresh produce availability for a retail category team
Will we have the fresh produce we promised on shelf, at the quality customers expect?
- 01
Data we connect
- Supplier list and growing regions.
- Category and promotion plans.
- Order and intake history.
- Satellite, weather and disease risk signals.
- 02
What engineers build
- Link each supplier to its growing areas.
- Build harvest readiness and weather risk alerts per category.
- Create a supply outlook view per supplier.
- Send alerts into buyers’ existing tools.
- 03
What your team sees
- Early warning of supply gaps by supplier and region.
- Quality risk alerts before produce ships.
- Sourcing Agent answers: which suppliers are exposed to this heat wave?
- 04
The decision
- Shift orders to alternative suppliers.
- Adjust promotions ahead of shortages.
- Protect availability on shelf.
KickoffFirst decision in use: week 6 to 8Then scale to more regions
Measured: Availability and waste against prior seasons.
Explore this industryIllustrative workflow based on how our engineers typically run this kind of program.
Origination and EUDR compliance for a commodity trader
Where should we buy, how much will come in, and can we prove it is deforestation-free?
- 01
Data we connect
- Farmer and supplier registry with plot boundaries.
- Purchase and position data.
- Land-use history from satellite.
- Weather and yield signals.
- 02
What engineers build
- Verify plot boundaries and check land-use change since the EUDR cut-off date.
- Tune yield models to estimate volumes by origin.
- Build an evidence pack per shipment.
- Connect outputs to trading and compliance systems.
- 03
What your team sees
- Expected volumes by origin.
- Plots flagged for deforestation risk, with evidence.
- Sustainability Agent answers: which suppliers need a field check?
- 04
The decision
- Set buying plans by origin.
- Exclude or fix high-risk plots.
- File due diligence with evidence attached.
KickoffFirst decision in use: week 6 to 8Then scale to more regions
Measured: Volume forecast accuracy, share of supply with verified evidence.
Explore this industryEngineers, not hand-offs.
| Typical software rollout | Cropin with Forward Deployed Engineering |
|---|---|
| Licences sold, then handed to an integrator | Cropin engineers stay embedded through rollout |
| Generic models, set up once | Models tuned to your crops, regions and field data |
| Success means go-live | Success means the decision is in use and the result is measured |
| Field issues go into a support queue | Field learnings go straight into the product |
| Several parties to coordinate | One team accountable for the outcome |
Engineers on a platform, not custom code.
Our engineers build on Cropin Cloud: the Data Foundry, 22+ domain AI models, OrbitAI agents and Cropin apps. That keeps the work repeatable, supported and upgradeable, rather than custom code that ages the day it ships.
Wherever the decision depends on the land.
Confidential by default.
Forward Deployed Engineering engagements are confidential. Our engineers work within your security and data policies, and your data stays governed by Cropin’s security architecture and policies.
Your questions, answered.
How quickly can we go live?
Typically 6 to 8 weeks from kickoff to the first decision in daily use. The exact timing depends on how ready your data is, which we assess in the first two weeks.
What is a Forward Deployed Engineer?
A Cropin engineer assigned to your program who works inside your environment with your teams, builds on the Cropin platform for your problem, and shares ownership of the result.
How is this different from consulting or professional services?
Consulting delivers recommendations. Our engineers deliver working software on the Cropin platform and stay until it is in daily use.
Do we need our own data science team?
No. The team brings data science, engineering, agronomy and geospatial skills. Your teams bring knowledge of the business, and we train them to run the solution.
Will your engineers work with our systems integrator?
Yes. They work alongside your IT team and any partners you already use.
Where do your engineers work?
Both on site and remotely, alongside your teams in the regions where you operate.
What happens when the engagement ends?
Your teams run the solution day to day, and it stays on the supported Cropin platform, so it keeps improving with each release.
Is our data safe?
Yes. Engineers follow your security and data policies, and Cropin’s architecture and governance are set out on our Trust page.
Bring us the decision. We’ll bring the engineers.
Tell us what you need to decide, and we will show you how our team would make it work in your operation.