W.RDE.0002 - Data stocktake, analysis and implementation roadmap

Summary

Significant amounts of animal welfare and productivity data are collected through the livestock export supply chain, from Australian farms to importing facilities overseas. However, this data is often managed through separate systems that do not allow easy access, comparison, or exchange of information.

This project carried out a stocktake to understand how data is currently being collected through the supply chain and how it can be more connected so that participants can use it to make informed business management decisions.

It found that more than 400 data points are currently collected, with duplication across 80 of those, particularly for regulatory compliance. This creates costly inefficiencies, reduced capacity for collaboration, and loss of opportunities to make improvements across the whole the supply chain.

A data stocktake map has been created to visualise the complexity of data collection and linkages in a simple way.

Objectives

The objectives of this project were:

Undertake a stocktake of the current data landscape for stakeholders within the livestock export supply chain (from farm to in-market).

Undertake analysis to determine what data or information supply chain participants need, want or value to improve animal welfare, supply chain efficiency and business profitability.

Create a plan to identify what data should be collected and for what purposes.

Determine what data should be the focus for standardisation to bring together industry and supply chain user benefit.

Determine the issues or potential roadblocks that need to be overcome to enable data to be standardised, collected, aggregated, analysed, shared and used across the supply chain.

Create a change management plan and roadmap for implementation of the data plan.

Key findings

There are more than 400 data points along the livestock export supply chain with duplication occurring at 80 points.

The highly complex data collected during livestock export has resulted in the duplication of systems, processes and forms by different exporters, which impacts the accuracy and efficiency of the information collected.

Exporters currently collaborate and share tasks around data collection, particularly at shared facilities in-market.

Supply chain stakeholders would benefit from access to information from across the whole supply chain to make informed business and animal welfare decisions.

Benefits to industry

The development of a more organised and comprehensive data system will help create opportunities to exchange data throughout the supply chain efficiently, which in turn would support increased animal welfare, supply chain efficiency, and business profitability.

MLA action

The project recommended the development of a working group to drive the implementation of an industry-wide data roadmap to begin to bring alignment to data collection throughout the supply chain.

It also suggested exploring opportunities for sensor integration, standardisation and automation of data collection, particularly in common facilities such as ships, quarantine yards and feedlots.

Future research

The project recommended the development of a working group to drive the implementation of an industry-wide data roadmap to begin to bring alignment to data collection throughout the supply chain.

It also suggested exploring opportunities for sensor integration, standardisation and automation of data collection, particularly in common facilities such as ships, quarantine yards and feedlots.