Cameron will be speaking in Session 8. Solving problems with technology. Click here to see more.
Abstract
We are currently in what many believe is the most challenging time for the Australian wine industry in the last 25 years.
In the current operational environmental staffing, weather, machinery availability, inflationary and supply side pressures and political factors have all lead to reduced profitability of the sector and they will continue to hurt businesses that do not look to improve operational efficiencies and work smarter.
Incorporating technologies into a business that allow it to accurately and efficiently track, record and disseminate critical business metrics provides stakeholders with key insights as to how improvements can be made within their business.
Through the adoption and implementation of modern technologies, GPS tracking packages, mobile and PC based apps in field efficiencies can be realised, and savings made through accurate and up to date provision of information, improvements made to staff training and staff satisfaction, fatigue to machine operators reduced, safety of staff increased, and the speed and quality at which information flows through and is available to a business and its key stake holders is dramatically improved upon.
Onboard GPS and Auto-steer technologies have been a key driver of major efficiency improvements within the broadacre industry allowing increased profitability to be realised within this sector. Dairy is currently undergoing a similar technological revolution allowing for major efficiencies to be realised.
The Viticulture industry seems to have dragged its feet on a number of these fronts and is only now just starting to adopt similar technologies.
This presentation looks to explore a few of these that will improve operations without major imposts to a business.
Biography
Cameron is the General Manager for Total Viticulture Solutions and has a long history and extensive experience with cool climate viticulture. His formal qualifications include a Bachelor of Commerce and Science (Deakin University) with majors in microbiology and finance and having grown up on a 40-hectare vineyard in the Yarra Valley at just 33 years old he’s worked his way through most activities one can imagine within the viticultural space.
With a passion and enthusiasm for quality improvements and efficiency gains through adoption of technology and best practice, and the freedom in which to implement these changes through TVS, Cameron is still having a tremendous amount of fun pushing new technology and challenging the status quo within the industry.
An always questioning mindset and a can-do attitude lends him well to an industry as challenging and ever changing as the wine sector particularly when running a contracting business within the industry.