Atvance Intellect implements leading-edge analytics solution for SA Canegrowers Association
Agriculture is not a sector that is traditionally associated with cutting edge technology, but since time immemorial, farmers have been quick to turn to those technologies that could help them improve yields and be more efficient. Today, data analytics is offering agricultural businesses new ways to improve production.
The South African Cane Growers Association (SA Canegrowers), a statutory body which represents sugar cane growers in South Africa, has historically had to rely on piecemeal data provided by its members, many of whom did not have the capabilities to supply more than averages and estimates. John Moll, Knowledge and Information Manager at SA Canegrowers, explains that because many of their members run relatively small operations, the Association had very little insight into their businesses.
The SA Canegrowers decided to invest in an analytics solution to help get a better understanding of their members, and to help improve its offering. After having evaluated a number of analytics solutions, SA Cangrowers chose Splunk, an international leader in analytics. They turned to local Splunk Elite Partner Atvance Intellect to assist with the implementation.
He adds that the initial project focused on demographic and spatial data, and that as the SA Canegrowers has gained more insight as a result of analytics, they have expanded how they use it, and envisage this tool as being integral to supporting funding applications by being able to provide up-to-date industry metrics.
Another area where the SA Canegrowers has seen great results is in the logistical data provided by members. The Association was collecting a great deal of data from member organisations, but that this was mostly in the form of spreadsheets. Collecting thousands of files containing thousands of sugar cane deliveries from 14 independently managed sugar mills presented a significant challenge in terms of the consistency in which the data was formatted, Moll adds.
Enlin Neveling, Senior Solutions Manager for Data Analytics at Atvance Intellect, says that Splunk offered the perfect solution to enable the SA Canegrowers to collect this data in near real time and provide growers with visibility into their sugarcane deliveries. “Splunk’s Data-to-Everything Platform is built for real-time unstructured data, and its use of emerging technologies such as machine learning and artificial intelligence enables organisations to gain smart insights that deliver the potential to shift an organisation from reactive to proactive decision-making,” he explains.
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