Smart Farming at Fancom with intelligent innovations from CQM
How do you make a smart barn system even smarter? For Fancom, the answer lies in the combination of data, algorithms, and innovation. Together with CQM, the company worked on two projects: an intelligent ventilation solution for energy-efficient barns and an improved algorithm for highly reliable animal weighing. This results in solutions that enable livestock farmers to work more efficiently, reduce waste, and be better prepared for the future.
Fancom develops technology for the pig and poultry sectors. Guided by the motto 'Forward Thinking,' the company continuously works on innovations that contribute to optimal barn conditions. To take new ideas further, Fancom sought a partner who not only brings technical expertise but also actively thinks along about the next step.
20%
lower energy consumption
Higher
accuracy weighing system
Less
Waste
Smart barn processes as the basis for the future
Within Fancom’s Smart Farming platform, all key barn processes come together. From a single central controller, livestock farmers can monitor and manage ventilation, heating, feed and water distribution, lighting, animal weighing, and egg counting, among other things. However, Fancom’s ambition goes beyond simply smartly managing processes.
"Connectivity is the keyword in Smart Farming: how can everything communicate with each other, and how can we even ensure that predictions can be made in the future?" says Carel Weijand, Management Team member and Director of Operations at Fancom.
That ambition was the impetus for two joint innovation projects with CQM.
Intelligent ventilation for energy-efficient barns
One of the projects focused on the collaboration between fans in the barn. Fancom wanted to develop a solution that automatically recognizes which fans are installed and allows them to work together as efficiently as possible.
"We didn't want a party that simply executes what is requested," says Carel Weijand. "We wanted to collaborate with people who think ahead. Our concept and the first steps for this idea were in place. Now we wanted to see what further steps we could take."
Together, Fancom and CQM developed ideas for a plug-and-play solution in which the system independently determines how fans are optimally deployed. The focus here is not only on good air distribution but also on the lowest possible energy consumption. In the long term, Fancom intends to further expand this solution with features such as predictive maintenance, so that the system can also indicate when maintenance is required.
"With this innovative ventilation solution, we expect energy consumption in the barns to drop by about twenty percent," says Carel Weijand.
We didn't want a party that only executes what is asked. We wanted to work with people who think ahead.
Carel WeijandMT-member & Director Operations, Fancom
More reliable weighing with smart algorithms
In addition to ventilation, CQM contributed to the further development of Fancom's weighing system for poultry. This system already utilized an algorithm, but Fancom saw opportunities to further improve accuracy.
The challenge was greater than it appears at first glance. The measurement data from the scale is available, but not how many animals are on the scale at the same time at any given moment. Moreover, animals grow continuously, and the situation in a barn changes constantly.
"It is interesting because we were really challenged mathematically," says Lieneke van Boxel of CQM. "We had to come up with solutions for uncertainty in the data. We had the measurement results from the scale, but we had no idea how many animals were on the scale at any given moment."
Using new mathematical models, CQM developed a more robust algorithm that provides reliable results and aligns better with real-world practice.
According to Carel Weijand, this offers his customers direct benefits. Thanks to the higher accuracy, they can better fine-tune their feeding strategy and find a better balance between growth rate and feed costs. At the same time, fewer surprises arise in business operations, waste decreases, and barn processes are made more sustainable.
A partner who thinks ahead
For Fancom, not only the solution was important, but also the way in which it was developed.
"CQM convinced us immediately," says Carel Weijand. "We were looking for a partner with whom we could innovate and with whom we could live up to our motto 'Forward Thinking'. We found that partner in CQM."
The project was special for CQM as well.
These projects perfectly demonstrate that data offers added value across such a wide variety of industries. It is great when you succeed in developing an algorithm that provides reliable results and closely mirrors reality.
Lieneke BoxelPrincipal Consultant
Data science as an accelerator of innovation
The collaboration between Fancom and CQM demonstrates that data science goes far beyond analyzing data. By combining algorithms, mathematical models, and domain knowledge, solutions are created that help organizations work more efficiently, operate more sustainably, and be better prepared for future developments.
Whether it concerns intelligent ventilation, reliable animal weighing, or future applications such as predictive maintenance: smart algorithms form a key building block for the next generation of Smart Farming solutions.
Want to use data science for innovative products as well?
CQM helps organizations develop and optimize algorithms, predictive models, and smart decision support.
Contact Lieneke and discover what data science can mean for your organization.
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Lieneke Boxel Principal Consultant
