Harnessing the Power of Data as a Service Enabler

By Ryan Johnson

If you haven’t noticed, data is a pretty hot topic in the agricultural industry right now. With the rapid growth and adoption of precision farming products such as guidance, telematics, rate and section control, etc. – there has been, in parallel, a massive amount of data generated from global farming operations resulting from the outputs of these products. All of this data has created a wealth of opportunity for growers, agronomists, manufacturing companies, and other invested parties. However, many players in the Ag industry are still working to understand the best ways to utilize this data, so that these emerging opportunities can be fully realized.

Depending on where you sit in the realm of agriculture, there are different types of farm data that can be used in different ways to generate useful information. In the case of AGCO (being a machinery producer), we have identified an area where we believe there is an opportunity for our customers, dealers and AGCO to all become better. Our main interest as a company is utilizing machine data as a service enabler for our customers. Last month, AGCO announced a new service program that it will be rolling out to all AGCO dealers over the next few years. This program is called Fuse^® Connected Services, and utilizes data coming from AGCO machines (with the customer’s permission) to provide enhanced services to AGCO customers.

The new service offering is enabled through AGCO’s telematics product, AgCommand^®, and is delivered in the form of three service package offerings. Examples of some services that are provided include:

• Proactive condition monitoring (remotely)
• Machine Alerts (based on AGCO recommended thresholds)
• Machine performance and efficiency reviews (Off-season consultation)
• Full management of machine maintenance
• Technology review and seasonal training

Through use of machine data and AGCO’s network of resources, AGCO dealers are able to turn data into useful information that can be used to help customers run machines more efficiently, identify training needs, maximize uptime and more. The idea behind this is simple; managing a farm operation is a lot of work. The logistics and planning aspect of farming alone is enough to keep growers occupied. Having to worry about potential machine breakdowns, maintenance and operator training on top of that can hinder efficiency by taking time away from other value added activities a farmer is responsible for. AGCO dealers can help manage and monitor customer machines so that the customer does not have to worry about his/her machines and operators being ready to execute during crunch time, freeing the farmer to focus on agronomic decisions. Rather than selling customers a radio modem that gives them data points about their machines, AGCO dealers will provide them with services and information that result in actionable insights and recommendations based on the dealer’s expert analysis of the customer’s machine data. This will result in greater uptime, efficiency and profitability for our customers. It will also enhance the service capability of our dealers and even provide AGCO with another means to improve the quality and design of our machines.

The idea of using machine data as a service enabler has already been seen in other industries. Construction companies such as Caterpillar have been doing it for a while now. Telecommunications provider Verizon has a robust program in place for optimizing fleet operations, and has even started something similar in the automotive industry. Verizon’s Hum monitors your vehicle and lets you know if anything goes wrong. Furthermore, it will even recommend repairs and provide you with estimates as to how much the repair may cost.

Consider this—if companies such as Verizon have identified a market opportunity on consumer and commercial vehicles, imagine the opportunity in agriculture. For the most part, a vehicle gets you from point A to point B. Agricultural equipment does much more than that. Growers buy specific machinery to generate a return for their operation. Agricultural equipment is more so a tool than a vehicle. Thus, the value of maximizing the performance of that tool is quite important to owners as it more directly impacts their income and livelihood.
AGCO is taking a big step forward with Fuse Connected Services. We are already piloting this program today in NA, EAME and SA, with dealer availability beginning Q1 of 2016.

For more information on AGCO’s precision farming products, data management policy and Fuse Connected Services, please visit www.agcotechnologies.com.

Ryan Johnson is a Sr. Global Marketing Specialist for AGCO’s Advanced Technology Solutions group, focusing on bringing AGCO’s Fuse precision farming technologies and services to market .