Intelligent CIO Europe Issue 06 | Page 55

COUNTRY FOCUS: UK “ GATEKEEPER EXPRESS PROVIDES THE OPPORTUNITY FOR FARMERS TO TAKE THAT FIRST STEP ONTO THE LADDER IN A WAY THAT IS SUITED TO THEIR BUSINESS. Collaboration, however, across the industry increases the data’s insight value and helps to create robust supply chains, which is crucial as consolidation increases. There is much work to do in encouraging www.intelligentcio.com supply chains to work more closely together, but the tools are here presenting the opportunity to transform the efficiency and profitability of the sector. “We are independent from the supply chain and therefore have no interest in what products a farmer buys. We are integration specialists that can connect systems, experts in managing within- field, geospatial data and it’s my belief that all of these attributes are needed to help farmers and the supply chain work together for the common goal of advancing the agricultural industry,” added McCracken. As an example of how data could be used for the benefit of all in a supply chain, specialists and charities have published wide- ranging research on best-practice for the food and grocery industry, demonstrating the waste created by inefficient supply chain management and the resulting financial impact: INTELLIGENTCIO 55