Why do connected silos participate in compliance with delivery times?

The delivery time is an essential point in the management of a farm business. Indeed, whether you are a breeder or a cereal producer, the respect of this criterion is the guarantee of the good functioning of the farm. It must be said that noticing at the last moment that one of his silos is empty can lead to a disruption of feed for the livestock, which always proves to be very problematic for the farmer. There are many solutions to this problem today, such as silos that are connected and linked to the internet using sensors.

If you are wondering why it is interesting to monitor your connected silos, know that it is above all to analyze in real-time the quantity of products available. Linked to a cloud application, the collected data is sent there automatically, to be processed using a dedicated algorithm. In return, the silo manager receives the quantity of grain, seeds, or even phytosanitary products still available in each silo of his park. On this page, we will therefore see the advantages of connected silos, particularly in terms of meeting delivery deadlines.

How to manage its consumption and deliveries with the help of connected sensors?

Gone are the days when the farmer and elevator manager had to go to the top of the elevator to check their inventory levels. On this issue, the advent of silo sensors has literally revolutionized the way things work. Attached to the feet of the silos by a set of screws, these sensors sense any variations in the weight of the contents and transform the data collected to indicate the amount of product still in the silo.

The management of its consumption thanks to connected silo sensors

The breeder or farmer can consult the stock present in each connected silo on his cell phone, while checking the quantities of products available in his entire silo fleet. Among other things, the application has an indispensable tool, capable of forecasting consumption over the next 4 days and giving the possibility of triggering a delivery from a cell phone. It is thus possible to :

• choosing a full truckload delivery;
• ask for the delivery of a silo complement ;
• choose the day of delivery.

The forecast of consumption over the next 4 days is notably based on that of the previous days, which always leaves enough time for the farmer to avoid a possible stock shortage. Moreover, by this means, triggering a delivery of products to a carrier, before reaching the fateful threshold of the empty silo, is only a matter of seconds.

If the connected silos participate in the daily management of the quantities of each of them, the farmer also has the possibility to :

• to privilege one silo rather than another;
• empty a silo more or less quickly ;
• quickly trigger the transport of a new delivery to one of its silos.

It goes without saying that the connected silos offer an excellent guarantee of stock tracking, and avoid any last-minute or out-of-time delivery triggers.

Adherence to delivery times thanks to sensors installed on the silos

As a cooperative operator, meeting delivery deadlines is of paramount importance, as the farmer cannot afford to run out of feed products for his livestock. Having connected silos, both on the customer side and on the supplier side, facilitates exchanges between the buyer and the supplier.

Thus, thanks to its real-time information, the sensor anticipates the necessary deliveries for :

• define the day of the delivery wished by the breeder ;
• plan the quantity to be delivered ;
• select the product to order ;
• agree on the price of the merchandise.

This respect for delivery times avoids possible conflicts or delays in delivery, since there is usually a supply contract between the cooperative and the farmer. The terms of the delivery and price conditions are therefore mentioned, and in particular those relating to the delivery time after each order.

The installation of sensors on the silos, a simple operation for easier deliveries

The silo sensor is installed at human height, as the technician attaches it to one of the legs with a set of screws. The technician then calibrates the silo, allowing the sensor to calibrate the measurements and data it will later send to the cloud. Finally, the technician installs an external protection against weather and shocks. It’s as simple as that.

The installation of the silo management application is of course carried out in a few minutes on the customer’s cell phone, and it delivers the collected elements silo by silo, or on the whole park, from the very first hours. Customers also receive an SMS alert if the level of one of the silos is too low, in order to trigger a delivery by a carrier by simply replying to the message received. Later, they finally receive a confirmation of the correct registration of the delivery.

Connecting its silos is therefore a precious ally in the management of stocks and products. The automation of exchanges and alerts saves time for the breeder and the grower, but also for the agricultural cooperative, especially in organizing deliveries and meeting supply deadlines.