Fonterra » Solnet

Delivering real time data enables Fonterra farmers to make better business decisions

FONTERRA FARM SOURCE | MOBILE APP

The challenge

Fonterra, the world's largest dairy exporter, is focused on a farmer-centric model of operations as they move toward the goal of a 30 billion litre milk pool by 2025. As part of this effort, the business needed to develop the Farm Source proposition across retail, business services and digital, as an integrated offering for the Co-op's more than 10,500 farms.

Fonterra also wanted to deliver tangible business benefits to their farmer-suppliers, by automating manual paper-based forms, as well as giving them access to data and information about their production and shipped product in a timely fashion. All of this results in the farmer being able to make more informed decisions, faster and with less hassle.

Our solution

Working with Fonterra's internal teams, Solnet developed a responsive website, backed up by three targeted mobile apps which provide productivity tools, news and automation of paper-based processes. Combined, these platforms form a key pillar within Fonterra's Farm Source portfolio, integrating with Fonterra's backend systems to exchange production data, login details, as well as delivering updates, event information and personalised notifications to farmers.

Our farmers are rapid adopters of digital technology on farm and have led the design of our apps with their feedback, which has been very positive. Farmers who previously swore they'd never need a smartphone now tell us they can't imagine life without it.

Evelyn Seewald • Fonterra GM Operations and Farmer Services

Delivered across platforms whenever and wherever farmers need it

Nearly 90% of Fonterra's farmers are online daily, across both Fonterra websites and the three apps (On Farm, My Co-Op and Monthly Plant Checks). Farmers can now consume content, check up on the performance of their herd, as well as make decisions about how much feed and which nutrients their cows need to optimise their milk production. These apps mean no more trips back to a fixed computer, saving farmers time, and the app pulls down data and runs offline for when farmers are not in range of a reliable mobile data connection.

Robust Architecture for future expansion

The quality and robustness of the apps, integration to Fonterra's systems and content management system (CMS) has allowed for additional features and functionality to be added as part of a continuous delivery road map. The Fonterra content team are able to manage all their content centrally as well as delivering targeted campaigns, event notifications and retail offers to their farmers.

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