Nanolike inks IoT sensor deal with Canadian feed supplier
It recently inked a deal with Molesworth Farm Supply Ltd (MFS), a family owned business located in Molesworth, Ontario. The company, which specializes in swine, dairy, beef, and poultry feed, is located the largest area for pork production in Ontario, as well as a significant portion of Ontario’s beef and dairy operations.
Toulouse, France based Nanolike said the deal represents a “significant milestone” in the international deployment of its IoT solution to connect feed bins. “This new partnership aims to streamline and innovate the feed supply chain management for one of Ontario's leading feed manufacturers.”
The French company said it now has installations in more than 13 different countries.
Last year, it signed multiple contracts with food suppliers and agricultural cooperatives in Germany, Spain, Italy, and the Nordics, with the business widening its discussions in October to include customers in the UK.
The goal of the digitized silo fill level monitoring technology is to simplify the inventory and order management processes of pig, poultry and cattle farmers, and to optimize the supply chain processes of animal feed producers and suppliers who replenish the silos.
The sensor can be installed on all types of bins with legs without any special wiring or equipment required. Quickly and easily mounted on the exterior base of the silo, the Nanolike sensors give users 24/7 access to information on fill levels and demand forecasts in real-time, explained the developer.
Zero maintenance
“This not only saves costs but also reduces the environmental impact as it enables route optimization. What makes the new digitized silo fill level monitoring solution stand out is the highly efficient sensor and cloud connectivity technology, using the Sigfox 0G wireless network. Requiring zero maintenance for years, the solution needs neither an external power supply nor a data line, which saves costs and ensures that the digitization investment is amortized very quickly. This makes Nanolike technology highly disruptive, as it can replace any alternative sensor technology used exclusively to manage replenishment management.”
Silo manufacturers can include this technology in their portfolios and animal feed producers and suppliers aiming to offer their customers automatic replenishment, vendor-managed inventory (VMI) or similar solutions as part of their digitization strategies, can also leverage the tool, according to the firm.
“We had been searching the market for a cost-effective technology to connect our office with customer feed bin inventories,” said Andrew Coghlin, MFS president.
The technology comes with two different interfaces: a web platform generally used by the feed supplier and a mobile application targeted it at farmers.
North American focus
“This first rollout in Canada, as well as the ongoing pilots, confirm the strong traction of this new market for the type of solution we have developed. Indeed, initially designed with and for key players of the French farming industry, our connected solution responds to a common issue within the feed supply chain regardless of the geographical area. Furthermore, to provide the most effective support to our customers and to intensify our local presence, a new entity dedicated to the North American market will soon be opened in Montreal, Canada,” said Jean-Jacques BOIS, COO and co-founder, Nanolike.
