News
Digital focus core strategy
Date: June 2021
Well done to our IT team who made mention in this recent article highlighting Danone’s move into the digital age and QCONZ’s involvement in developing and creating their milk quality app. This came as a nice surprise to us as we weren’t aware of the article or interview. Our teams hard work is being recognised by the companies we work with which is fantastic to see.
Source: Karen Phelps, Business North, Volume 20, Issue 2, May 2021
Embracing new digital trends for efficiency and customer experience is at the core of Danone’s digital strategy. Last year the Danone team launched a Milk Data mobile application to support its farm suppliers in the South Island.
“In a changing world where digital brings so many opportunities, Danone is conducting its own digital revolution,” says Danone New Zealand operations director Leon Fung.
He says that the Danone Spray Drying plant near Balclutha receives fresh milk daily, directly from local dairy farmers. When each batch of milk arrives it’s thoroughly tested to ensure it meets quality standards.
Prior to 2019 the only communication channel to relay this information back to farmers was via SMS message, which Leon says didn’t provide enough data for the farmer to be able to effectively manage their milk quality. The solution was to co-develop the world-first mobile app with local kiwi company QCONZ to ensure Danone could quickly report back on milk quality to its suppliers and facilitate communication between its milk manager and the farms. Now when each batch of milk arrives and is thoroughly tested to ensure it meets quality standards the Danone milk team feeds this information back to the farmer through the mobile app.
The app gives farmers visibility of their milk quality and allows them to make changes based on real time results to ensure they are providing the highest quality milk.
Other news
Believed to be a world first, a new training programme focusing on the benefits of animal wellbeing has been developed by QCONZ in collaboration with UCOL, Fonterra and DairyNZ.
The Fonterra ‘All things milking’ workshop was held in Pongakawa last week and prior to that in Waihi for local dairy farmers.
QCONZ has been successful in our bid to be an approved audit agency for the NAIT accreditation programme assessment which launched this week.
Ko Tatou – This is us – Biosecurity 2025 Biosecurity is important to our business, our sector, farmers, and farming communities and to the overall economy of New Zealand. A proactive approach to biosecurity is good business risk management. It is also part of caring for the communities we live and work in.
On 31st January Josh Wheeler (QCONZ) and Nick Dowson (BOP Dairy Farmer) began their journey to cycle New Zealand from Cape Reinga to Bluff! This is no mean feat!
Josh Wheeler was invited to speak at a SMASH Fielday in Taranaki this month where he shared helpful pointers to assist farmers with mastitis management and milking efficiency, including demonstrating the benefits of milking by time and MaxT.
Another QCONZ IT development is near completion!
QCONZ is leading the way with animal wellbeing training set to launch in Autumn 2022.
QCONZ is excited to announce the appointment of Mark Neal as an independent Director to our Board.
We are pleased to announce that QCONZ will be helping deliver a ‘Reducing Strains and Sprains’ project co-funded by ACC and DairyNZ.