Carcase data collection in the ACC Cannon Hill meatworks

ONE of the world’s largest vertically integrated beef supply chains has completed a project to develop a fully-integrated data and decision system for its business.

Australian Country Choice’s data capture, integration and reporting systems now connect every segment of the value chain, transforming how the business makes decisions across 1.75 million hectares of land, three feedlots and a Brisbane beef processing facility.

Maintaining oversight of the entire value chain has given ACC management a clearer picture of the impact, profitability and efficiency of their business decisions supporting the company’s investment in technology.

Creating a ‘Data Lab’

Australian Country Choice partnered with MLA’s Co-Innovation program to employ specialist staff to enhance digital capability and employee engagement in a project to improve data integration across its grazing properties, processing plant and markets. Collectively they called these roles the ‘data lab’.

Crushside computer data collection on an ACC grazing property

At an MLA Co-Innovation workshop held this week in Brisbane, Co-Innovation managers from across industry came together to review how data and capital budgeting can assist build a better business case for innovation investments in their supply chains.

The cohort were presented with a five-stage process providing structure around how their individual businesses can prioritise investment decisions with limited resources.

Australian Country Choice’s group manager for sustainability & agribusiness analytics, Joel Bentley, provided an update on the company’s completed co-innovation program, where ACC set about collecting and analysing data along its supply chain.

“A key outcome for us was that access to quality data from our business allows us to make better capital budgeting decisions,” Mr Bentley said.

Click this link to view a video summarising ACC’s learnings from the Co-Innovation project.

Meat & Livestock Australia’s Co-Innovation program is designed to build capability and transform the Australian red meat industry.

The program supports Co-Innovation managers to scope, develop and implement approved projects designed to solve the strategic problems facing their company and the broader industry.

Source: MLA