Data centric decision-making improving and enhancing farming operations

GPS Tracking and telematics are not just for the transport and logistic industries. The agriculture industry has adopted this technology and is reaping massive benefits.  

Farmdeck dashboard in a laptop and a tablet that shows how the vehicle tracking feature works in the app.;

Managing resources and time on a farm more effectively and efficiently are paramount, especially when looking to increase production and/or expanding farming operations. With the proliferation of Agtech, farms are becoming smarter and as a result, processes and operations are becoming more streamlined and easier to manage daily.   

 Through adopting technologies, like IoT sensors and data-rich information derived from these, farmers can now understand what is happening on their farm from the device in their hands, allowing them to make smarter data-driven decisions. While understanding where animals are grazing, and what the water levels of water resources are like throughout a property are extremely useful, it can be easy to overlook tracking technology, like those that can be utilised on vehicles, heavy machinery and quad bikes. 

Tractor spraying green crop in a big field.;

Optimising farm operations with GPS tracking and telematics

GPS tracking and telematics are no longer just for use in the logistics and transport industries. Over the last few years, this technology has been adapted in the agriculture industry – and not just for monitoring the location of machinery, but to understand the data coming from these vehicles in order to optimise operations and enhance productivity.

The benefits are numerous and if tapped into, can allow farms to significantly improve their processes.  

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  • Better asset management

Through the data collated, farmers can now understand the ‘health’ of their machinery, ensure it is maintained properly – view useful information, such as engine diagnostics, fuel levels, service schedules, and when downtime faults happen.  

 

  • Increased safety and security

Track the location of your vehicles, know where they are at all times and get alerts for any vehicle that may have turned over or has left the property. This can reduce incident counts on the farm and increase staff safety, as well as allow you to understand what vehicles are on restricted areas of your property. Additionally, you can get data on driver management – such as the speed, acceleration and braking patterns while being driven – with real-time alert notifications.  

Quad bike with a dog sitting on top of it, looking at a group of sheep inside a paddock.;

  • Enhanced communication

Co-ordinating multiple teams on farm in real-time can be a lot of work, but through the use of GPS and telematics giving farmers real-time visibility as to the location of their vehicles and equipment means that communication, coordination and deployment of teams throughout the property can become more streamlined and easier to manage.  

 

  • Improved vehicle routes

With farms spanning hundred to thousands of hectares, knowing which route is the quickest and safest to take can be difficult. By understanding where the most efficient and safest routes of the property are, can help vehicle and machinery operators reduce fuel consumption and the wear and tear on equipment, while increasing safety.  

Dashboard of the Farmdeck app that shows the vehicle tracking feature in a phone and the dashboard for all features in a laptop;

Data-driven decision-making

Farmers can no longer operate farms without implementing agtech and hope to keep pace with farms of today, especially when it comes to creating increased output, production and having a streamlined operation.

By leveraging agtech, like Farmdeck’s Vehicle Tracking feature, farmers can utilise artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) in our IoT sensors that provide rich data on a user-friendly, easy-to-understand dashboard. This allows farmers to monitor and understand where their machinery and vehicles are located on their property, like tractors, trailers, ploughs, quad bikes, and give invaluable insight into vehicle operations, such as engine hours, vehicle route, idle time, acceleration patterns, breaking and so on – helping improve vehicle maintenance and staff safety.  

Farmdeck team consisting of 5 people, in a farm setting in front of a Farmdeck installation;

See all features

Data centric approaches are allowing farmers to improve their farm’s output, yield, and crop quality, while understanding and tracking the location of livestock and vehicles more easily, at a more advanced level than ever before. Interesting in learning more?

Check out our Features page to see our entire range of IoT solutions.