Assessing value chain improvements in processes, practices and technologies using optimised data capture and analytics (Phase 1 pilot)

Summary

Hitachi Consulting (HCC) in partnership with the Australian Country Choice/Australian Cattle and Beef Holdings (ACC/ACBH) developed a digital transformation pilot project to capture data and generate management systems to assess improvements in processes, practices and technologies for a backgrounding property. While initially scoped as a broader value chain project, lack of connectivity across the value chain resulted in the project being rescoped through a rapid assessment process to focus on addressing connectivity issues on remote properties and building up an On Farm Smart Agriculture Control Centre.

Opportunities identified in the rapid assessment were then actioned including the installation of a weather station, soil moisture probes, and water level sensors in troughs and a reservoir. An Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV or drone) was also deployed to image paddocks to measure changes in pasture biomass represented by Brigalow regrowth.  A Hitachi Process Intelligence (HPI) Smart Agriculture Control Centre was developed to analyse and display the data relayed via an installed Iridium satellite system. Extended functionality including decision support, was developed to assist with property management practices.