P.PSH.1289 - Strategic Positioning for Assistive Technologies

Summary

This project is a critical review of recent advancements in assisted technologies applicable for the red meat industry. This project represents the first phase of an Assisted Technologies Roadmap for the red meat industry. The proposed project emphasis is on de-risking the adoption process by progressively demonstrating customer value propositions and commercial provider business model fit for the red meat industry. Findings from this report will consider the future workforce needs of a modern red meat sector.

Objectives

The project objectives which were addressed include to:

• identify, assess, and prioritise for commercial application
• relevant technologies from outside the industry
• potential service providers
• determine solution desirability within industry
• readiness for value propositions from visioning-driven solutions
• build a progressive adoption strategy for red meat companies throughout the project
• define a business model, relevant to solution providers
• determine the business case and approximate financial value to the industry
• design pilot projects for implementation outside this project

Key findings

Suppliers of technology often focus on their widgets. Before deployment of widgets questions need to be asked:

• What decision or process is this supporting?
• Does it fit into culture, strategy and value proposition for the target markets?
• If data is created from the widget, how and who is analysing the data in a timely manner to support the decision process?

From an R,D & E perspective questions include:

• Does the widget work in the existing system?
• If system changes are required, is this a completely new system or can it be adapted?
•  Does the widget offer opportunity, however exact deployment of where and how it will work needs further investigation (this is taken as needing ‘development’)?
• Does the widget work but companies are unsure if they will invest? What is the reason behind the hesitancy?
  
  

Benefits to industry

The project has reviewed an extensive number of existing and application technologies from co-biotics to automation to robotics and identified key areas and technologies which have the ability to improve profitability and productivity for the entire red meat value chain in Australia.

availability and cost of labour is and will continue to be a major resource constraint. This report identifies pathways and areas to focus future R,D&E funds to maximise benefits.

MLA action

This project has helped inform the MLA Productivity Off-Farm priorities and business plan.

Future research

Bigger, bolder innovation projects are required to seize the value opportunities industry is identifying. This requires implementation of RD&E in a way that enables bigger and bolder inputs to create significantly greater return for the Australian red-meat industry. Avoiding a shotgun approach to R&D innovation is required and needs a very structured guidance to ensure transformational change. A more integrated approach to integrating visioning and assistive technologies in the following areas is recommended:

• integration of OM technologies along the entire supply chain
• integration of decisioning support for supply chain alignment
• development and adoption of technologies to enable supply chain alignment
• development and adoption of technologies that create productivity gains.