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Writer's pictureZander Ernst

Data analytics, Business intelligence, and Benchmarking in Agri-space

Updated: Jul 12

Allesbeste Symposium session 1


Register here for the Symposium


By assistance of AI through Google's Gemini it seems that some farms can have as many as 200 different data collection points. What are we doing with data once we have it.


For the last few years at Allesbeste, we've been saying quite frequently that the old motto of "om te meet is om te weet" (by measuring one knows) can't be true. Measuring is just one part of the equation. Somehow, you would need ways of collecting this data and have the data in reports that can be interpreted by individuals. This is knowing. However, what is the help of knowing, if you don't yet know what the data tells you and what the best course of action is? This is where data analytics, business intelligence, and benchmarking come in handy. This data is correlated, dissected, and presented in understandable ways that help the individual make improved decisions.

The above graph shows harvesting productivity in 20 min increments for the total of the 2024 season to date. This is to enable Allesbeste to analyse its harvesting productivity. The only measuring done, is when the person harvesting arrives at the bins, he tags his RFID tag, weighs his bag and walks away. This data is then collected realtime and analysed on Qlik. No additional user interference needed. We can further dissect this information per day or per week, or any given period. The goal was to measure weight per person daily to pay harvesting bonuses. The secondary unexpected benefit was that through Business Intelligence it was realised that we have more information available, and by dissecting and understanding the information, we can now make structural changes to understand ways to improve harvesting in the mornings. Historically, We would have assumed that our worst time of the day would be afternoons when people get tired. Yet, data proved us wrong. W Edwards Deming is quoted for saying "Without data, you're just another person with an opinion" We believe at Allesbeste that it is important to make informed decisions. Sometimes it's tough to gather the information to do this and for the sake of decision making people tend to work with hunches. Data Analytics and BI makes this much easier. Assisting us to make informed decisions faster with real time information.

"Without data, you're just another person with an opinion" - W Edwards Deming

This session will explore Allesbeste's Business Intelligence platform in more depth. Edrean Ernst will provide overview of our progress to his suggested "airplane cockpit" view of whats happening on the farm but even more the business as a whole. It becomes quite confusing and tedious when we have to log into different operating- and reporting platforms of each management and data collection tool we have on the farms and in our businesses. Allesbeste uses Qlik to collect, correlate and report data from the among others, the following sources:

  • Financial (ERP)

  • Payroll

  • iRoot - Marketing and product sales

  • Palpack

  • Root - Allesbeste farm management software. harvesting data, orchard statistics, labour performance, irrigation monitoring and more

  • ARCH and Loyverse (Retail POS and ERP)

  • Ahuactl - nursery production

  • Google sheets (some production information and other data not collected on systems)

  • Solar systems and electricity generation

  • Diesel usage software


Below 2 examples of where data is correlated between different sources in terms of production, packing and marketing. Improved insights into product allocations and Back on Farm income as well as other strategic information. The second image shows a new benchmark number Allesbeste closely follow to provide an internal benchmark for orchards. This correlates carton pack-outs to orchard statistics and provides a production benchmark of marketable product per hectare in cartons packed per ha. An efficient quality benchmark.


With the increasing rise of Artificial Intelligence, we need to know what how we get closer to using AI in the agri-space. Jandre Killian from RIC (one of our platinum sponsors) will take you on a tour of what is already possible on Qlik. Qlik already has artificial intelligence integrated into its data analytics. It's 'natural language insights' models can already interpret data and provide reporting and data interpretations with correlations to those who are not experienced in data analytics, or well most of us that just don't have enough time in a day. Already one method to make life much easier and save you time from interpreting data and working towards conclusions of possible action plans.


Jandre will also be exploring some of Qlik's Machine Learning capabilities (AutoML) which leads to predictive models. It will be illustrated how predictive models are used in other industries to aid decision making towards improved performance. We will look at a few options for agriculture and a few suggestions for Allesbeste on where shortfalls still might be in data that needs to be collected to complete the loop towards AI assisted decision making.


Looking forward to seeing you there!

Register here for the Symposium - 15% discount activated on this link

Registrations close 28 July 2024. Register before 14 July to receive your free shirt!


Below the Provisional Program:






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