Analytics for Industry (Statistical) Consultancy Agreement

Summary

​The meat processing and pastoral industries are rapidly entering the digital age and are accumulating large and complex data bases from properties, feedlot and processing systems. The challenge is to integrate this data into the business using appropriate analyses to create value for the business and flow on benefits to industry.
Given that much of the data is sensitive it is most effective that analysis be done in-house, so the data handling skills of the relevant staff need to be advanced in order to handle the large volume of data which will be delivered back to the processing and production sectors.
Currently there are a number of courses available commercially however these are not targeted to agriculture and tend to be very expensive which deters companies from investing in these courses. Hence MSA/MLA saw a need to develop and run a course targeted to the data input and problems specific to the processing and pastoral sectors. It would provide a mechanism for current staff to upskill and better service company needs, with a longer-term outcome being that such courses will be able to be run in the future which will develop a pool of users with relevant skills who are focused on agricultural problems.
This project developed and delivered statistical training to company staff on a cost recovery basis to develop the data handling/analysis skills of the meat processing and pastoral industries. The course is aimed at introducing students to the possibilities that are available in data analysis and visualisation of data by providing them with basic R skills.
The initial training course has received positive feedback with requests to extend to follow up courses and intensive 'bootcamp' style retreats focussing on specific agriculture problems. With appropriate communications and advertising it is expected that future courses could be charged at a more commercial rate.