Nurturing tradition, seeding innovation - a story of digital growth

Empowering Ātihau through adaptive technology integration

Ātihau-Whanganui Incorporation is a collective of over 9000 shareholders – whānau of the Whanganui iwi. With approximately 70 employees, Ātihau farms 21,000 hectares of sheep and beef, as well as operating a dairy and aviaries. They share the gifts of their land - honey, meat, wool, milk, forestry and carbon credits - with their customers. These are generally made up of other Kiwi businesses who then resell these premium foods and goods around Aotearoa and in the international marketplace.

Ātihau recognised that the technology aspect of their operation needed updating. Without any internal IT support, and with disparate systems and data that wasn't being utilised, Ātihau recognised the need for a digital partner that would bring them into the modern era.

The challenge - harnessing data for insights and decision-making

Ātihau faced a series of challenges that mirrored their expansive landscape. The existing toolkit was diverse but fragmented, with disparate tools that operated in isolation.

"We had a lot of different tools, but none of them talked to each other and we weren't getting the most out of our data," says Ātihau CFO Debbie Hyland. "And to be fair, managing it all was becoming a headache."

Different systems, different data locations, and a multitude of users made their digital landscape complex and unwieldy. The challenge lay not only in identifying priorities but in structuring an approach that would simplify operations and extract maximum value from their data. The goal was clear – to transform from a disjointed, non-data-driven organisation into a cohesive, insights-oriented organisation capable of harnessing the full potential of their data.

"We needed a digital partner who would help us prioritise things," says Ātihau CEO, Andrew Beijeman. "Someone who could look at what was wrong, and know the best way of fixing them, making our life easier."

With Cucumber already on their radar due to Debbie's previous roles, Ātihau made contact and began their digital journey.

The solution - focusing on key areas to craft a unified solution

The first step involved a comprehensive workshop, an exploration into Ātihau's pain points. The key challenges emerged from a web of disconnected systems and manual processes that hindered the flow of data across their landscape.

"Other than data, we also wanted to focus on cyber security," says Andrew. "We needed to protect our customer, shareholders and stakeholders. Software consolidation was important too - just simplifying our systems."

With a detailed understanding of their needs, we proposed a set of recommendations that outlined the areas for improvement. The data space quickly emerged as a pivotal challenge for Ātihau. To address this, an ongoing consultancy arrangement was established earlier this year, aiming to understand the complexities of their existing systems, comprehend the data within, and determine the potential value.

This led to the establishment of a comprehensive data platform, including a data warehouse and a Business Intelligence (BI) reporting layer. While still in its early stages, this initiative has already yielded tangible results. We successfully delivered reports, such as the one focused on optimising the performance of their hives. By analysing the quality and volumes of honey produced at various sites and comparing it with the costs associated with maintaining remote locations accessible only by helicopter, we discovered some cost-saving opportunities.

The results - data-driven insights and decision-making, increased security

Ātihau can now make informed decisions about hive placement and resource allocation for the upcoming seasons. The ROI was evident, as they gained crucial information that was previously unavailable, enhancing operational efficiency and resource allocation.

"We found some financial savings immediately around those helicopter costs," says Debbie. "And from the placing the hives in improved locations, we'll ultimately improve production later on, which is greater value for money."

Cybersecurity, customer data, shareholder and stakeholder information, and software consolidation were integral components of our solution, streamlining disparate systems and strengthening Ātihau against potential threats. The integration of robust security measures within the data warehouse itself ensures heightened data protection, instilling confidence in Ātihau's digital infrastructure.

"We've got increased security with the development of the data warehouse itself," Andrew explains. "It's also much easier access to information and more people can talk about that information for decision making."

Ātihau is also experiencing upskilling across various levels, ensuring that the team is well-equipped to leverage the newfound capabilities and insights.

Looking ahead - future projects on the horizon

There are still many opportunities for innovation and enhancement. "Since we've been able to recognise trends through our data, we've been asking ourselves, what else could we do with it?" says Andrew. "It's created an opportunity for us to reduce costs and improve quality immediately, and to look to the future and ask what's next?"

Plans are underway to incorporate more farming data into the warehouse, exploring visualisation possibilities and potential CRM advancements. The data challenge is an on-going one, with a focus on exploring additional tools and systems that could harness the power of underutilised data.

Is your organisation also at the beginning of its digital transformation journey? We'd love to chat with you about your goals, so don't hesitate to get in touch.