INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY IN THE PECAN NUT PRODUCTION: CASE IN PARANA STATE, BRAZIL.

The aim is to assess the insertion of information technology in properties of pecan nut producers of the Western Region in Parana State, in Brazil. Some research gaps in the IT literature and most specifically on the matter of pecan nut production were identified by Fronza et al., (2018), Barrios et al., (2010), among others. These authors state that there is little research on the insertion of IT in the pecan production process. A questionnaire was applied to 21 pecan producers in the West Region of Paraná. Significant difference was tested using Kruskal Wallis in relation to the age of the farmer, working time, property size and use of information technology (IT). The 80/20 principle was used to present the main barriers for farmers in relation to the use of IT. In the PDCA analysis, suggestions for continuous improvement were presented. In the findings, differences in the use of IT in properties of pecan nut producers are statistically significant in variables of property size and working time. The size, working time, number of computers, IT service outsourcing, and quality of data access are significantly and positively correlated. The practical implication is to use the implantation of IT in companies, as a methodological lens to evaluate the scenario of pecan producers of the Western Region in Parana State. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]