Business Rural Summer 2021

| 77 RCNZ CEO Andrew Olsen. “We know some of our members are really hurting. We know they will act as anyone would to save their business, but in doing so what is the cost?” RURAL SERVICES » Rural Contractors New Zealand Kiwifruit picked at optimum time thanks to power of data I don’t think accreditation is at the level we would like it to be yet though. It doesn’t mean they aren’t doing the job professionally; it’s about the value they place on that accreditation. Each year the annual conference shows there’s a lot of innova- tion, shared knowledge and experience within the membership. But what we need to face is what is our relevance and what are the milestones going to be in the future?” Providing a voice at the top tables at central and local government, RCNZ has the respect and ears of the decision makers. “That said we don’t always get what we ask for, not yet anyway,” adds Andrew. “There’s a connec- tivity to central and local government which is really important — whether we’re talking immigration at the central government level or a proposed change to a town plan at a local level where rural contract- ing might fit into that. Without question, invaluable knowledge has been handed down through the generations of contractors and RCNZ input on change and developments is essential.” Following two very difficult seasons and labour shortages, RCNZ has benefited from the Covid-19 Response and Recovery Fund to assist members suffering from mental health. “We know some of our members are really hurt- ing. We know they will act as anyone would to save their business, but in doing so what is the cost? We know that mental health is a real issue and we are acutely aware that we have to try and get everyone through intact, mentally as well as physically. It is more typical than not that very proud hard working people say they are fine, and that is the nut we are trying to crack. You might be, but we just want to help to understand that you are really fine. We have some information that we will be sharing with the members over the next couple of weeks in that regard.” • from page 74 Z espri export kiwifruit to more than 50 coun- tries around the world. And with some long shipping times to get the fruit to consumers, it is essential that kiwifruit is harvested at the op- timum point to ensure they arrive on a consumer’s table looking and tasting great. When kiwifruit grow, they mature at different rates, depending on the soil they are growing in, ground aspect and wind and frost exposure. For the last 20 years, Zespri has had a rigorous process to help assess the quality of fruit in a particular area of an orchard and deliver an independent assess- ment of its readiness for harvesting. However, in 2020, Zespri had outgrown its existing system and urgently needed to develop a replacement for the upcoming season. Zespri called upon Spark’s data, analytics and AI business, Qrious, for help. Zespri needed a partner who could manage complex back-end data require- ments and a statistical analytics layer, while also developing a front-end, web-based application that growers and packing houses could easily use. With the next kiwifruit season fast approaching – the engagement started in June and fruit testing starts in January – the team developed the new system from scratch. Within six months, Zespri and Qrious had the Maturity Clearance System set up and ready to roll for the new season. The new system automates the process for test- ing the quality of sample kiwifruit, which includes requesting sample kiwifruit from growers; sending sample kiwifruit to a laboratory; having the sample tested for six qualities, including sweetness, density, size, and weight; sharing results back to Zespri; and then communicating a final decision back to the grower. This automation makes it simpler and faster to execute a complex process with handoffs between multiple organisations. A key step within the process is the calculation of a Taste Zespri Grade (TZG) for each kiwifruit sam- ple – a metric that provides an objective assess- ment of the fruit quality and determines its value, together with a recommendation on whether the fruit should be picked immediately, or if harvesting should be delayed. Automating this process means the calculation can be performed within 1-2 hours, getting this crucial information rapidly back into the hands of the grower. They can then work quickly with their packhouse to contract labour for kiwifruit harvesting when the fruit is ready – essential when you only have a limited window to harvest at peak maturity. The calculation of the Taste Zespri Grade is based on a layer of statistical analysis that brought Qrious’ strengths in data and analytics to the fore. This analysis is available in a range of charts and business insight reports that makes it easy for the business to track progress and examine trends. Cloud creates flexibility for Zespri The difference is apparent when you talk to people around Zespri. “Traditionally this process has been quite slow and unstable so now we’re turning to cloud technology to help us automate. The new system has given us scale, throughput and valuable insights to make decisions”, says Dave Scullin, Zespri’s Chief Digital Officer. “We can see trends appearing and address any issues or concerns around quality much sooner.” The new system is entirely cloud based and server free. Zespri chose to build the system in Mi- crosoft Azure and uses Azure SQL for its data store. It uses a range of external and internal APIs to share data with growers, packhouses and labs. Scullin explains why shifting the tool into the cloud was the right choice for Zespri, “We feel that we have really future proofed ourselves. As we grow or shrink our operations, we can scale up or down, without the previous worries we had around performance or stability. “In addition, as a growing international business, we’re excited by the potential we now have to use this tool with our offshore growers. As it is entirely cloud based, that’s now an easy lift and shift. We’ve even built multi-lingual capability into the tool so that countries with other languages can easily adopt this new system.” The new web-based system is far easier to use for growers, packhouses and Zespri head office, while the integration with Zespri’s CRM means that users can only see information that is relevant to their role. Plus, as the system integrates with other systems outside of the Zespri environment, Qrious worked with the Zespri team to define security standards that carefully preserve the integrity of the system. Stephen Ponsford, Acting CEO of Qrious, explains why the team loved working with Zespri on the new system: “This project really heroes the potential that data has when you put it at the heart of your busi- ness. You can clearly see how Zespri benefit from their data insights: they are consistently harvest- ing kiwifruit at exactly the right time. This leads to higher prices for growers, and higher export prices. It’s a real win for the New Zealand kiwifruit industry.” The new system was fully up and running for Zespri’s 2021 harvesting season, which runs from around March to May. Zespri can go into its 2022 season confident in the knowledge that it is export- ing the best kiwifruit in the world to its customers. The new system automates the process for testing the quality of sample kiwifruit, sharing results back to Zespri and then communicating a final decision back to the grower. 03 615 9533 hr@turleyfarms.co.nz 380GuildRd, RD26Temuka Proudly supporting Rural Contractors NZ Farming is our business Big/Medium Square Balers Individual/Tube Wrapping Wheeled and Track Diggers Roller/Direct/Disc Drilling Strip Tillage ...and lots more!