Policy changes welcomed by growers

Picking oranges

RSE policy changes welcomed by growers

Changes to the Recognised Seasonal Employers (RSE) Scheme have been welcomed by New Zealand growers ahead of the upcoming season. The RSE scheme allows the horticulture and viticulture industries to recruit seasonal workers from overseas when there are not enough local workers. Similarly, the Pacific Australia Labour Mobility (PALM) scheme in Australia allows eligible businesses to recruit from the Pacific islands and Timor-Leste.

Changes to the RSE scheme include averaging out the 30-hour minimum weekly work requirement over four weeks. The PALM scheme in Australia has had the same requirement since the beginning of the year. It was due to be changed to 30 hours per week from 1 July 2024. However, the averaging component has been extended for a year. This came on the back of strong opposition from the horticulture sector who require the flexibility to adapt to weather and market conditions.

RSE workers picking berries

These schemes employ upward of 20,000 people in NZ and 34,000 in Australia. New Zealand exports over NZ$2bn of wine per annum. Philip Gregan, CEO of New Zealand Winegrowers says “The scheme has been vital to the growth of the wine industry”.

Employers must keep records to prove compliance with the 30-hour requirement. This is not only of hours worked, but also hours offered that aren’t worked. ABC Software’s on-farm labour and inventory management system ABCgrower, has an “info-only” facility. Time and task are recorded digitally in ABCgrower and the info-only facility means hours not worked are also easily recorded and reported on. Info-only hours are automatically excluded from productivity and block cost reports.

Other changes to the RSE scheme announced last week include lifting the pause on accommodation cost increases and allowing a capped increase to be applied. Also, adjusting the application of the 10% above the minimum wage requirement. NZAPI Chief Executive Karen Morrish says the changes “will go a long way to easing pressures on apple and pear growers. The apple industry is New Zealand’s largest employer of RSE’s”. 

If you’re an employer of RSE or PALM scheme workers, how do you show you’re compliant with the scheme? Click here for more information on how a digital system can help you.

The best way to keep online data safe is simple with ABC

Computer screen with code

Keeping online data safe. Cybersecurity explained in plain English

If you’re considering software for your business, you might be wondering how secure your data will be. If you’re moving away from pen and paper you will have considered the increased accuracy and efficiencies software provides. And permanence too – no lost records, no physical storage and quick access to any of your records. But is it safe?

The majority of ABC Software’s products operate online and data is stored in the cloud. We often hear of the cloud, but what actually is it? The cloud is a term used to describe a remote system that can store and process data. Its storage space and processing power make it more efficient than traditional on-premise hard drive storage. It also offers greater security.

Cloud servers are located in data centres world-wide. For example, ABCgrower data is stored in the Azure Australia geography. Database backups are replicated across other regions. Off-site storage, regular backups and 24/7 suspicious activity monitoring offers greater protection against cyberattacks than other options. Cloud storage means you can access your information on any device with an internet connection and can recover your information if your physical device is lost or damaged.

As with any system, data breaches are possible and in the event of a cloud attack you are relying on how your service provider handles it. The recent fault with an update issued by cybersecurity company CrowdStrike is an example of an infrequent, though significant event. Microsoft estimate that CrowdStrike’s update affected 8.5 million Windows devices. While this is less than one percent of all Windows devices it included the devices of many organisations that run critical services.

It is vital your software  provider has an Incident Response Policy in case of a security breach, and a Business Continuity Plan in case of a disaster. ABC Software’s Business Continuity Plan was well tested in February 2023 when Cyclone Gabrielle hit Hawke’ Bay, causing flooding of the ABC Software offices and left the city without communications for three days and power for seven. The company was able to continue running throughout, without impact to its services and without any data loss or exposure.

There are many and varied steps software companies take to protect their clients data from threats and vulnerabilities. For example, ABC Software’s Inhouse Security Policy includes Role-Based Access Control to restrict users access to information, Zero Trust security which requires users to be authenticated, authorised, and continuously validated before being granted access to data, and Multi-Factor Authentication for accessing sensitive systems.

Ultimately, any system has vulnerabilities to data loss and business interruption, from a paper timesheet in a downpour, loss of internet connectivity in a storm, to a malicious cyberattack. On balance, if you chose a reputable software provider with a multi-faceted security policy, you can rest assured your information is well protected. 

Practical benefits of online QA/QC

Quality control on nectarines

Increase efficiency, reduce errors & stay in touch

You know the value of problem detection and prevention to your business. ABCquality offers a straightforward solution to standardise, record and retrieve your quality records, pen and paper not required!

Reduced errors

Pen and paper means handwriting, and handwriting is not always legible. It also means transcription errors if the information has to be entered into a spreadsheet, a report, or any type of system.

You might be thinking ‘I already use software, I have spreadsheets!’ Spreadsheets might be designed for data but they’re not a particularly good tool for the requirements of checklists and assessments. They are also prone to user error.

A good online Quality system will allow you to set data entry fields as mandatory or optional, to ensure all vital information is collected. Further, it should allow you to determine how that information is input, for example, choosing from a pre-defined list of answers, or entering a date in a consistent format for no ambiguity.

Increased efficiencies

Using a software system also means calculations can be done for you, saving time, and again, reducing the chances of error. A good system should be able to show summary statistics, or calculate whether an assessment has passed or failed based on your pre-set criteria.

An online system should support multiple users working on the same checklist or assessment, without merging or saving issues that even online spreadsheets are susceptible to. A good online system should allow multiple people to be working on the same assessment or checklist at the same time, without having to rely on the previous person to complete their task first. Improve consistency by having ready access to reference photos and allow your team to record photographic evidence of defects.

The earlier an issue is identified the earlier it can be rectified, and a rapid response is vital to avoid costly mistakes that can quickly snowball. An online system should allow you to see information as it’s recorded, which allows a proactive response, rather than a post-production approach.

Integration

Another reason to move your QA/QC requirements to an online system is the advantages of integration. In the packhouse, for example, packing batches, bins and cartons should be able to be fed into your quality system, allowing your team to choose from a list. Be more streamlined, more efficient, with less errors. ABCquality, for example, can be integrated with any system for auto-inputs, like an ERP or manufacturing system.

Access

Using a cloud-based system means your data is stored securely in the cloud. And this means you have immediate access at anytime from anywhere, all that is required is a device with an internet connection. A good system should be user-friendly no matter the device, resizing to your screen, from a desktop to a phone.

A mobile-friendly online system means your team can take the device to what is being assessed, for example a tablet to a bin of produce. The assessment can be viewed from anywhere the moment it is recorded, for example a manager on their laptop.

Storage and retrieval

A significant but often over-looked cost of pen and paper is storage and retrieval of your quality documents. Your paperwork must be kept for a certain period and even with the best filing system this means the need for storage space and organised personnel. Having your data stored in the cloud negates physical storage requirements. Furthermore, the records are always backed up and never get lost.

Lastly, is the accessibility of retrieving information. The memory of trying to find a particular piece of paper to meet an audit or address an issue sends shivers down the spine of many!

Efficient, effective problem detection and prevention is vital to your business. Pen and paper might seem the cheap option, but what is it costing your business? Moving your QA/QC online means less mistakes, consistency of information collected, and faster analysis. It allows a proactive response to issues that do arise, and proof of compliance with ease.

Contact ABC Software to learn more about how ABCquality could add value to your business.

Practical ways to improve packhouse operation

ABCpacker at Tumut Grove packhouse

Horticultural inventory software that improves packhouse operations

Many packhouses are still run via a labyrinth of spreadsheets, often with a liberal sprinkling of handwritten notes. Nothing wrong with that, you might think.

And there’s not until a person with oodles of institutional knowledge leaves. Or, until one blunder creates a catastrophe, or the demands of customers or compliance mean you lose sales. And if that’s not enough to induce a cold sweat, there’s the cost of doing nothing about it. The cost of lack of visibility. The cost of insufficient traceability. The cost of inefficiency.

ABC Software is one provider of horticultural inventory software. Headquartered in Hawkes’ Bay, the fruit bowl of New Zealand, they live and breathe both software and horticulture, not to mention they also enjoy eating the local bounty! With clients across Australasia (and further afield) across more than a dozen produce types, they see firsthand how good produce inventory management can transform operations.

The benefits of fresh produce inventory management

Fresh Produce Group’s Tumut Grove packhouse were not running on spreadsheets when they chose ABC Software as their packhouse software partner, as they had already made the move to a software system a few years prior.

Management Accountant Tom Hamblin says the existing system was “proving hard to effectively reconcile both operationally and fiscally.” Hamblin explains the business “needed a product or system that had traceability through all supply chain areas of our business and one that was simple to use for all internal stakeholders.”

Hamblin hits the nail on the head identifying two key elements for any business evaluating whether to introduce a new system. Fresh produce inventory management is important for food safety and biosecurity compliance. Good inventory management also delivers accuracy and visibility, which in turn allows increased efficiency and therefore profitability.

Fresh Produce Group’s Business Assistant Tayla Cordier says of ABC Software’ packhouse solution ABCpacker, “I can follow exactly where fruit went and the split of each grower’s fruit on a sales order. It makes it much easier to track when jobs are fully invoiced and ready to be paid back.”

How fresh produce inventory management can transform your business

Traceability is a key requirement across all aspects of Fresh Produce Group’s business, and ABCpacker provides the vital links Tumut Grove requires, from bins off the farm through packing batches to cartons sold.

With ABCpacker, Tumut Grove has more accurate stock information and better traceability throughout the packing process. “ABCpacker is beneficial for both Food Safety and Biosecurity compliance,” says Technical Compliance Manager Sally McKay. “ABC packer was particularly helpful during audits to demonstrate full traceability from the block to the final pack” McKay explains.

Reduce your workload with produce inventory management

Ease of use is vital. Manual systems are frustrating and can result in higher staff turnover. The ABBYY COVID-19 Technology Survey identified a quarter of employees wanted to quit their jobs due to bad business processes.

Furthermore, robust efficient systems allow your staff to put their energy into the areas of expertise you hired then for, rather than dealing with the inefficiencies of a manual system like double-handling data and resolving problems caused by not having a “single source of truth”.

Entering information once into a robust software system avoids double-handling (or more!), reduces mistakes from poor handwriting and lost pieces of paper, and allows consistent application of your business rules throughout your packhouse process. One system from ‘produce in’ to ‘produce out’ means increased automation and less admin.

A smarter, more efficient way forward

Engaging a new system takes a committed effort from both the business and the provider. Tumut’s Commercial Director Lloyd Foss acknowledges “the biggest challenges are always change management as generally users always refer back to what was good in the past.”

A packhouse software provider worth their salt understands software and understands horticulture. They must understand your pressures, your sector, your seasonality constraints, your costs, and your challenges. Furthermore, their system must be robust enough and flexible enough to fit your current, and future, circumstances.

ABC Software knows packaging is a significant cost to your business and offers a packaging inventory management module. Transform the way you do business and increase your efficiency with a horticulture inventory management system from ABC.

For more information on the innovative range, get in touch with the team today.

Is Piece Work Really Dead?

Piece rate payment has long been a popular form of remuneration in horticulture. A piece worker’s pay is based on the quantity they pick, prune or pack. Piece workers have the potential to earn much more than they would on an hourly wage. It’s worth every cent to the growers and packers whose livelihood depends on getting produce picked and packed as quickly as possible, over what is often a short harvest period.

How the Horticulture Minimum Wage Has Changed Things

Such was the reaction to the introduction of a horticulture minimum wage guarantee for pieceworkers in Australia in 2022, many believe it is no longer legal to pay piece rates in Australia. The calculations are complicated and the record-keeping requirements considerable, but so long as it is in compliance with the Horticulture Award, it is most definitely still legal.

A minimum wage guarantee for piece work has been required across the ditch in New Zealand for some time, and piece rate payment remains widely used in horticulture. Perhaps Kiwis are more used to it, after all New Zealand was the first country to implement a national minimum wage. ABC Software is headquartered in New Zealand, and we already had tools to accommodate the minimum wage guarantee locally. That’s not to say there weren’t a few long days ensuring we put together a watertight solution to ensure our Aussie friends could meet their obligations!

Complying with the Horticulture Award

So, piece rates are legal, but are they dead? Many growers and packers threw them out believing the cost of minimum wage top up payments and compliance considerations would make them unviable. Good horticulture-specific software such as ABCgrower is essential to make it work. It does the hard yards for you and delivers accurate pay information and audit-ready reproducible reports. Even those that made the rules (I’m looking at you FWO!) recommend using software and not trying to go it alone. 

The Benefits of ABCgrower

One of our growers stuck with piece rates after the introduction of the horticulture minimum wage guarantee, in large part because of having ABCgrower with its tools to manage piece rates already on hand. Such is the strength of belief in the death of these rates in the industry they decided to shift to hourly wages for the second harvest since the legislation changes. Both payment mechanisms fall under the Horticulture Award, and both have their pros and cons. 

With hourly wages comes overtime liability (ABCgrower takes care of these calculations too!). What this grower was left with was a wage bill considerably higher for the harvest paid on hourly rates, than the harvest paid on piece rates. This was due primarily to the overtime bill greatly outweighing the top up bill, as well as the efficiency advantages this form of payment can bring. They are now firmly in favour of the advantages of piece rate! 

Increase Your Efficiency Today

With labour contributing in the region of 70 percent of harvest cost, piece work definitely shouldn’t be thrown out because of the Horticulture Award changes. Piece rates are a tool in an industry where efficiency has become king. Piece work isn’t dead. It’s very much alive and well. 

Find out how ABCgrower can help your business effortlessly comply with the Horticulture Award pay rates in 2024. For more information on any of our software, contact us today and see the difference these programs can make for your business.

“Using ABCgrower for us has benefitted the business in the sense that we can see where our costs are.”
Johnny Milmine, General Manager
Berry Farms NZ

Information Automation to grow your knowledge and grow your business

ABC Software founder Sharon Chapman spoke on Information Automation at Hort Connections 2023; Australia and New Zealand’s largest horticulture conference and trade show.

Learn what information automation is – it might be a lot simpler than you think!  Sharon considers the attitudes towards, and use of, digital technology in horticulture.  She discusses how and what information can be captured on a farm and the opportunities to enhance productivity from the insights this data delivers.

Information affords knowledge, which affords efficiencies, which affords growth.

“Using ABCgrower for us has benefitted the business in the sense that we can see where our costs are.”
Johnny Milmine, General Manager
Berry Farms NZ

Pay pruning per piece

Pay pruning per piece

With the FWO changes to the Horticulture Award many growers have put piece rates in the too hard basket, but there are still many advantages so long as you have the right tools for the job. Purpose built software will take care of the complex calculations required under the Award, as well as providing traceability to who has pruned what, not to mention keeping on top of your budgets. You can’t control the weather, but labour costs blow outs are a nasty surprise you can avoid.

ABC Software’s labour management software, ABCgrower, comes inclusive with a module created specifically for collecting non-harvest activities by piece. The Worker Allocation module allows you to assign one or more workers to a row and record the number of trees or vines each worker has pruned. You have visibility to who is where, what has been done, and what is left to do, at all times. When you perform quality checks you know who pruned the tree/vine.

Designed for use on the ABCgrower App, which works without an internet connection, means you can capture information anywhere on the farm without concern about being in internet range. Information is uploaded to the website when a data connection is available and synchronised across all devices.

Information-rich records give visibility to workers productivity, and if you measure, you can manage. See how your workers are performing, make decisions in real-time, and keep on top of your labour costs. Then use this season’s data to better plan for next year. Smart Berries Australia Agronomist and Assistant Farm Manager Sally Jolly says “We got real time data that very quickly showed us how fast people were working. It made day-to-day forecasting much, much easier.”

With ABCgrower’s highly flexible system you can pay piece rate or pay hourly, or record by piece and convert to an hourly payment with an optional bonus incentive. You do it your way while ABC does the calculations. Managing Director of Widem Farming Wim van Niekirk choses ABCgrower to help pay piece rate saying “You can show the workers exactly what they’ve done, how much they’ve earned, what their friends have done, and they realise they got so close to making extra money. The productivity the day after goes through the roof.”

ABCgrower also offers tools for collecting harvest information, again collecting by piece means a wealth of information; and you can assess the productivity of your workers and your plants. As well as bin/container inventory management with traceability to who picked what. Up-to-date productivity and block cost reports are always on hand at the click of a button.

Another valuable tool in ABC’s shed is their digital spray diary, ABCspray, which can be used in conjunction with ABCgrower or stand-alone. It supports spraying, fertiliser applications and fertigation. Compliance ready reporting is always available and again, ABC takes care of the calculations – so you can get growing.

The FWO rule changes have made paying piece rates for pruning challenging for growers, but the challenges can be taken out of your hands. Good software not only does the hard work but affords operational efficiencies which means direct returns to your bottom line.

Aussie’s on notice: Do the right thing, or else…

Getting a fine

Aussie’s on notice: Do the right thing, or else…

18 months into their agriculture strategy, the Australian Government Fair Work Ombudsman continues to investigate businesses for non-compliance. To date inspectors have issued 64 Infringement Notices for pay slip and record-keeping breaches, with fines totalling over $176,000. 55 of the notices were issued to labour hire companies with the remaining nine to growers. The Government is now considering national labour hire regulation.

It’s positive that compliance is higher where growers employ their staff directly, however where they do engage labour hire companies, they’re not out of the firing line. Growers must protect themselves by ensuring their labour hire companies are also compliant. “It’s a red flag if workers can’t identify their employer and are paid cash-in-hand, without pay slips, by individuals seemingly unrelated to the apparent employing entity. This is prevalent in multi-level supply chains where we consistently find wrongdoing.” says Fair Work Ombudsman Sandra Parker. 110 investigations are ongoing, many of these related to the pieceworkers’ minimum wage guarantee. 

Citrus Australia CEO Nathan Hancock voices the concerns in his sector where labour costs are skyrocketing. This is due to the cost of recruiting inexperienced workers, minimum wage top up payments and administration costs. He notes “These rising costs would be bearable if there was a corresponding increase in productivity”. Increases in productivity are possible, but to achieve this growers must consider information automation. With visibility to real-time productivity growers can take action in actively managing their workers. Users of ABCgrower, ABC Software’s labour management software, report significant gains in efficiencies and cost savings.

In fact, the calculations and record-keeping requirements have become such that it’s not viable to manage without purpose-built tools. Horticulture-specific software does minimum wage calculations, provides the tools for competency compliance and allows growers to accurately set piece rates. Uptake of software is on the increase, as Ms Parker notes “During our inspections we’ve had growers show us their sophisticated software that tracks productivity and ensures Horticulture Award compliance.”

Being an ethical and responsible employer is not just the right thing to do, Ms Parker’s message is clear “With unannounced hot spot inspections continuing this year and next, growers and labour hire entities are on notice. They may get a visit from Fair Work Inspectors very soon – and we will take enforcement action where appropriate.” Contact ABC Software to see how labour management software can protect against FWO non-compliance and help increase productivity.

Changes to the Australian Horticulture Award – in practice

Changes to the Australian Horticulture Award – in practice 

The Fair Work Ombudsman continues to inspect businesses and issue infringement notices for non-compliance regarding the minimum wage guarantee introduced in Australia in April of this year. Fair Work Ombudsman Sandra Parker said employers were expected to apply the rules correctly, “Record-keeping is the bedrock of compliance. Employers who fail to meet these obligations are more likely to be underpaying, whether intentionally or not.”

In the first quarter of 2022 the team at ABC Software developed tools to accommodate the legislation changes. We have expanded and refined this functionality working with our clients through the year and into their harvest.

The reality is the record-keeping requirements are considerable and horticulture-specific software is key in meeting obligations. “We were pleased to see that some farmers have used technology to make it easier to pay their workers correctly under the award changes. We commend those who do the right thing and hope other farmers are encouraged by these practical methods to ensure compliance,” Ms Parker said.

We continue to develop our products and are currently reconfiguring the ABCgrower App to allow in-field editing of worker time records, in conjunction with settings allowing you to determine to what level time records must be collected. We remain true to our ethos of offering flexibility and providing tools, not rules, to help you meet your obligations. Talk to us to understand your options and gain insight into how growers are dealing with the legislation changes.

Taking your spray diary online

Spraying trees

Taking your spray diary online

The old adage of “it’s not broke, don’t fix it” is out-of-date in today’s landscape where every opportunity for automation and increased efficiency should be explored. Ditching the paper in favour of an electronic spray diary is one such opportunity.

By taking your spray diary online you get accurate and timely information, calculations done for you, and no missing information or transcription errors from double entry or illegible handwriting! Enter your information once only and use it everywhere.

With ABCspray you can enter or access data anywhere on any device with an internet connection. ABC Software’s founder Sharon Chapman says “Your information is stored securely in the Cloud so there is no need to worry about backups or lost records. Having records available at the click of a button means no more searching for paper records.” Reports are reproducible at any time.

ABCspray holds sprayer calibration settings, water rates and application rates. Whether you accept your default rates, or make changes on the fly, the calculations are done for you. Flexible yet accurate software means you can worker smarter, not harder.

Good software will allow you to record all information required for compliance and this is underpinned by the information security provided by user access permissions, secure data storage and greater transparency. ABCspray supports you to meet your compliance requirements while remaining flexible. As Ms Chapman says, “we provide you the tools, you choose what information to record, according to your business requirements.”

A Consumables Management module is included with ABCspray at no extra cost. Chemical usage is recorded automatically, and you can track your chemicals and any other stock item by quantity and location. Multiple storage locations are supported, and you can carry out stocktakes online.

ABCspray sits within ABC’s worker management software, ABCgrower, and when used together it can automatically create timesheet records for your spray operators, and agrichemical costs are included in block cost reporting. “It’s made things heaps easier in the office; a life saver is how it’s been described” says Smart Berries farm manager Sally Jolly. There is no need to enter data into different systems, it increases reliability, and you can stay in one system to get information to make informed decisions. It also means having a relationship with one company.

ABC have a reputation for great customer service, summed up by Fresh Produce Group support analyst Megan Rogers, “Your team is such a pleasure to work with”. While paper might seem the cheap option, with the ease of use, time saving and record-keeping efficiency that software affords, ABCspray will save you money.