SoftwareOne case study

Felleskjøpet AGRI’s optimal feeding solution for pigs: a blend of technology and agricultural expertise

Challenges

Integrating advanced technology with traditional agricultural practices.
Balancing cost-effectiveness with high animal welfare standards.
Ensuring user-friendly solutions for Felleskjøpet’s farm advisors
Adapting to diverse and variable farm operational conditions.
Managing data accuracy and consistency in decentralized environments.
Scaling a solution while maintaining personalized advice for each farm.

Project Summary

Felleskjøpet AGRI, in collaboration with SoftwareOne (formerly Crayon), integrated AI and data analytics into a pig-feeding system, enhancing efficiency, making it user-friendly, and aligning with Norway’s animal welfare standards.

Business Outcomes

Optimized pig nutrition leading to healthier, more efficient farming practices.
Reduced operational costs and increased efficiency for farmers.
Ensured continued compliance with Norway’s strict animal welfare standards.
Streamlined data management and decision-making processes.
Improved scalability and adaptability of feeding solutions.
Fostered stronger collaboration between technology experts and the farming community.

In agriculture, innovation is key to sustainability and productivity. Felleskjøpet AGRI, a leading Norwegian agricultural cooperative, that specializes in high-quality animal feeds and farming supplies, embarked on an ambitious project to modernize and optimize pig-feeding through a blend of cutting-edge technology and deep-rooted agricultural knowledge. The project is aimed at optimizing pig nutrition while adhering to Norway’s stringent animal welfare standards.

The initiative undertaken by Felleskjøpet AGRI was twofold: first, to uncover the optimal feeding techniques for pigs, and second, to modernize the feeding process itself. This endeavor was not merely a technological pursuit; it involved extensive consultations with field experts and feed advisors, ensuring the solutions were grounded in practicality and real-world applicability.

Felleskjøpet AGRI turned to SoftwareOne for its industry-recognized expertise in Data and AI, Inmeta a consulting company within SoftwareOne with long experience in working with advanced analysis in Machine Learning (ML), was engaged to assist on the project. “Having extensive expertise in Data and AI it felt like a good match,” said Odd Martin Moen, Head of Data and Analytics at Felleskjøpet AGRI.

Central to the project was the challenge of optimally mixing various feed ingredients to meet the nutritional needs of pigs without the pitfalls of over- or underfeeding, which can lead to health complications and financial losses.

Built on a Microsoft Azure architecture, the solution hinged on the use of mathematical optimization, incorporating tools like SciPy Optimize in Python for algorithmic calculations, Pydantic for data validation, and Azure functions to facilitate optimization as an API service.

This sophisticated approach enabled a comprehensive analysis of available feed ingredients, their nutritional content, and the constraints of individual farm feeding systems, such as capacity and the necessary water content in the feed mix.

Client: Felleskjøpet AGRI
Industry: Agriculture
Platform: Azure Cloud
Services: Data and AI
Country: Norway

From concept to application

Felleksjøpet AGRI’s solution marked a significant shift from traditional, manual, Excel-based methodologies to a more efficient, cloud-based system, utilizing Power Apps, Power BI, and an SQL database. The old approach was prone to human error where there wasn’t just one source of truth. The modernized approach not only streamlined the feeding process but also established a centralized data repository, minimizing the risk of data manipulation or errors.

The tool, primarily designed for feed advisors, calculates the ideal mix of feed ingredients. It considers various factors, including the pigs’ desired growth rate, breed, and the farm’s specific feeding system. This customization ensures that each pig’s dietary needs are precisely met, optimizing both health and growth.

A critical factor in the project’s success was the active engagement of end-users – Felleskjøpet AGRI’s feed advisors - in the development phase. “They are the ones who would be working with this new tool and know exactly what information is needed and how it should be used in the field,” says Moen.

“It has been a big advantage to work that closely with the end users which definitely contributed to the project’s success. Their insights and feedback were instrumental in refining the tool and enhancing its user-friendliness and practicality in agricultural settings.”

Now it is easy for Felleksjøpet AGRI’s feed advisors to travel with a laptop to the pig farmers, sit with them to set up the basis for optimization together, and come up with a recommended feed plan that the farmer needs to feed pigs to operate optimally.

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Measurable outcomes and broader impacts

The innovative solution offered by Felleksjøpet AGRI has streamlined pig feeding practices, enabling farmers to blend their feed ingredients in the most cost-effective manner while ensuring optimal pig health and growth. This approach is not only economically beneficial for farmers but also supports Norway’s commitment to high standards of animal welfare.

By closely working with the farming community and understanding their needs, Felleksjøpet AGRI could develop a modern tool that was not only technologically advanced but also intuitive and easy to use for its advisors.

The project’s implications extend beyond immediate economic benefits, by optimizing feed usage, it contributes to sustainable farming practices, reducing waste and enhancing the efficiency of resource utilization. The success of this project paves the way for similar technological interventions in other areas of agriculture, potentially transforming the sector’s approach to sustainability and productivity.

“I am happy that the optimization project was on time and to budget,” concludes Moen. “We are here for the farmers to ensure that their animals get the right mix of foodstuffs, and this project not only enhances the efficiency of pig farming but also aligns with broader goals of sustainable agriculture and animal welfare across the agricultural sector.”

Felleksjøpet AGRI’s venture into optimizing pig-feeding practices exemplifies the power of technology in revolutionizing traditional sectors like agriculture. By successfully integrating technical innovation with practical agricultural knowledge, it has set a new standard in the industry.

Why SoftwareOne

SoftwareOne is a sought-after partner in projects like optimizing pig-feeding strategies due to its robust expertise in Data and AI, which is crucial for handling sophisticated data analytics and predictive modeling. Its extensive experience in digital transformation enables organizations to modernize and streamline operations effectively.

Further, SoftwareOne’s commitment to sustainability aligns with the growing need for environmentally responsible solutions in today’s business landscape. Additionally, its comprehensive experience in cloud services ensures that technological solutions are not only advanced but also scalable and efficient, making it a top choice for projects requiring a blend of innovation and practicality.