eNVD Midfield Producer and Processor Software Development

Summary

​This project aimed to dovetail new eNVD technology into the existing IT infrastructure in use throughout the bobby calf supply chain. This involved upgrades to hosted databases and associated web services and upgrades to several pieces of field software whilst also maintaining backward compatibility with all of the existing field software.

The trial was designed around the high frequency transfer of animals for a concentrated period of supply within a 12 month period. It became evident that for this form of eNVD use that was underpinned by uniquely identified animals, that scope existed to generate an eNVD at each consignment based upon the establishment of an “Enduring Statement of Compliance.”

The trial identified a circumstance that is peculiar to high frequency/turnoff of bobby calves during the calving season. Typically a calf buyer was likely to present at a farmers property two to three times per week to purchase calves not required for rearing that are aged beyond their 5th day of life for the purpose of meat processing. Almost invariably the vendor would not be present when the sale transaction took place, meaning that the capacity for the electronic NVD to be generated by the actual vendor was limited.

The proposed solution to this conundrum was for the vendor to complete an "enduring statement of compliance" (ESOC) at the commencement of the intensive supply period with the "enduring" period to anticipate the actual period of supply or more particularly the calving period within which these animals became available for transaction.

Technically the "ESOC" would be an undertaking by the vendor that the supply of calves from the consigning PIC would be compliant to the standard answers that comprise the NVD BC0412. It would be intended that this ESOC would be retained as the reference document for the identified enduring period that would encumber the vendor to only supply those animals for which the standard answers upon the NVD relate. Any circumstance where an animal could not meet the standard answer requirements, it /they would not be eligible to be transferred via this concept. It would follow that a non-compliant animal would be treated as an exception and would require a standard paper NVD or standard consignment-based eNVD.

The key element of security binding this suggested arrangement would be the assignation of the electronic RFID device of each animal represented by the eNVD to the NVD file, meaning that for the first time rather than the document being an assurance of a consignment of a "mob" of animals it would represent a binding assurance of particular animals uniquely identified by an RFID device pertaining to the holdings from which the animal/s would be consigned. This is known as "exit" scanning. This is significantly unique and represents profoundly secure trace recognition of the PIC consigning the animals. This form of reconciliation of the secure loop of the animal movement can then be electronically managed. The concept should only ever be available for exit scanned animals.

The plan was:

• Engage with the producer/vendor to complete an enduring Statement of Compliance for a specified period of supply.
• The industry data contained within the ESOC will be centrally maintained within the NLIS database for access as the reference for the creation of the eNVD at time of purchase.
• The buyer (who will have a registered saleyard NLIS account) enters the property, identifies the animals to be transacted based on the details of the SOC, and then proceeds to "exit scan" those animals within the consignment suitable for purchase. The scanned RFIDs are matched to the corresponding SOC for that producer/vendor's PIC. A unique eNVD record and corresponding serial number is created and stored within the NLIS database for that specific transaction. The eNVD record is then received by the receiving PIC facility via the NLIS platform, enabling the receiving processor to recover a post-sale summary for the transactions undertaken by the particular buyer, which also includes an ERP interrogation for each device scanned.
• At the conclusion of the transaction, the producer/vendor will have access to the specific eNVD record via NLIS website (as well as via eNVD-enabled software if they have any). Additionally, an email may be generated by commercial software and sent to the vendor, identifying to them that an eNVD was created in accordance with the vendor instructions contained within ESOC, in relation to a particular number of animals identified in the email by way of the individual RFID device identity.

The identified benefits were:

• Historically in these high frequency transactions of bobby calf sales, the paper based NVD book is usually left at the point of collection for the calves on the consigning property.
• The book will be signed and have the answers "ticked" as per the understanding of the vendor in relation to the calves to be sold but almost without exception the number to be consigned is not completed. This is as a consequence of the decision for suitability for transport substantially resting with the buyer/transporter and if a decision is made to exclude a particular calf/calves this enables the buyer to then complete the NVD with the correct number of animals represented.
• The legislative requirement within Victoria for the exit scanning of bobby calves has enhanced the security and reconciliation of this element of the NLIS system beyond that of its contemporaries (beef, sheep and lamb).
• The exit scan process enables an immediate upload to NLIS and to the PIC of receival, ensuring the integrity of the holdings of both the vendor/producer and the Abattoir are correctly maintained from a traceability perspective.

The key target outcomes of the trial were:

• Develop and demonstrate an APP interface to the eNVD system for each consumer smartphone/tablet platform (iPhone, iPad/Android/windows phone) that allows both bobby calf and non- bobby calf NVD's to be sent and received.
• Support the above by demonstrating use of eNVD's and RFID within the bobby calf supply chain.
• Update existing accounting systems to facilitate EFT payments and to conform to tax office requirements pertaining to recipient created tax invoice creation for consigned purchases.

Due to some commercial elements of the project, the development of the ESOC concept was unable to be completed within the timeframes and scope of funding provided for P.PIP.0492. However Midfield Meat International Pty Ltd remains committed to the implementation of the eNVD for bobby calves using the ESOC principle. The learnings of this project to-date have verified that following registration by the grower of the "enduring statement of compliance" and the electronic notifications generated as an outcome is both a practical and effective method of eNVD delivery to what is recognised as a unique high volume supply chain process.