Backup support with instant streaming for this busy contracting business keeps the operation running day and night
It’s hard to keep up with the demand from an agriculture sector in its third boom year, and especially harder if the operation has customers from the Riverina in New South Wales to the Darling Downs in Queensland.
The lifeline on offer, and it works has come from John Deere’s Connected Support™, for Broidal Contracting owners Gavin and Clare Dal Broi.
“Basically, Connected Support has allowed backup support to be extremely cost effective,” Gavin Dal Broi explains.
“Regardless of where my machine is working, if it’s on my own farm here at Griffith NSW or near Bourke in north-west New South Wales, a technician can dial into the cab and fix any issues within minutes.”
Gavin and Clare Dal Broi established Broidal Contracting in 2012 when they purchased their first John Deere cotton picker, a CP7760, for use on their family farms ‘Terrawarra’ and ‘Warrawidge West’ Station.
Over the past decade they’ve expanded their fleet to 17 machines to provide earthworks, planting, spraying and harvesting services to farmers in New South Wales and Queensland and today pick about 3500ha of cotton a year and harvest a total of 2000ha of winter cereal crops.
Gavin Dal Broi said John Deere’s Connected Support – a suite of digital tools linking farmers with their dealership and allowing skilled technicians to connect virtually into cabs via JDLink™ connectivity to provide instant remote diagnostics and backup support – had been a key asset to the growing venture.
“First and foremost, as a contracting business, we have a duty to farmers to get their crop off in a timely manner to avoid any weather impacts influencing their trade,” Gavin Dal Broi added.
“In this regard, backup support provided through Connected Support is crucial, as we require equipment to be working at peak capacity.”
Fleet sows success
Gavin Dal Broi credits his success to the reliable machines and equipment he runs, including 8530, 8245R, 8370RT, 8RT 370, 9520RT and 9560R Tractors, and 9620 Scraper. These models have proven to be a key to attracting and retaining clients.
The stable of workhorses Broidal Contracting has ready and waiting also encompasses a John Deere 4940 sprayer, two 1720 MaxEmerge™ planters, an 18.3m (60-ft) 1830 seeder and a 1910 tow-behind Air Commodity Cart as well as the initial CP7760, CP690, CP770 cotton and S770 and S790 combine harvesters.
In the peak season, the business’s six full-time staff member base doubles to include an additional five or six seasonal workers.
Gavin Dal Broi said having a complete John Deere fleet provided interoperability and streamlined training, with Connected Support also a great backup to help new operators when he couldn’t physically assist them.
Through Service ADVISOR™ Remote, technicians can also dial into machines to complete diagnostics and maximise equipment performance, or to ensure they have the correct parts and tools needed for when they are at the job site.
“Often, you see farmers have to get a technician out to their farm when it turns out it was only a minor issue. With Connected Support, they can dial into the machine, troubleshoot the problem and often fix it straight away,” Gavin added.
Connected Support also provides Expert Alerts, a monitoring system which has the power to predict and prevent certain mechanical issues, avoiding costly repair bills or damage to the equipment, as the dealership is instantaneously notified and can take proactive action.
“This has been of great value to me multiple times,” Gavin Dal Broi explained.
“We have found the pressure of wanting to complete a job, on occasion, can encourage operators to disregard codes from the cab as they assume it is only minor.
“However, with Expert Alerts, our dealer can notify them to stop, and often we are thankful we have done so – it has saved us a fair bit of money as further damage or costly repairs can be avoided.”
Promising future
The success of Broidal Contracting has occurred despite two unprecedented droughts within the past decade, that prompted Mr Dal Broi to adopt a more cautious and sustainable approach to future expansion.
His goal is to create a thriving yet stable agriculture venture, prosperous enough to support his three sons Jasper (13), Wyatt (10) and Quinn (6) if they choose to pursue a career in farming.
“Two droughts within ten years hasn’t helped the business, but within the last four months I have had more calls from farmers looking for a contractor than I have in previous years combined,” Gavin added.
“Primarily, our issue is personnel, if I could split myself or some of my best operators up into two, we would be all set. It’s vital we have a staff base who treats the machinery like it is their own and has the strong work ethic our clients require.
“Overall, Connected Support has given me peace of mind backup support can be swift, and regardless of where I am, or where my machinery is working, equipment is being monitored.”
Across his own farms, and within the contracting business, Gavin Dal Broi is envisioning the role of virtual support to only further develop.
“In the mid-term, I am hoping more machine automation will become available, and the simpler jobs can be completed through autonomous machines, while our top-tier, experienced employees can focus on managing more complex operations,” Gavin Dal Broi concluded.
John Deere Connected Support
The decision to remove ongoing costs for farmers to the secure and continuous data collection technology, through JDLink, sets a precedent in the agriculture industry, as John Deere is the first manufacturer in the farm machinery sector to take this step.
John Deere Precision Agriculture Manager, Benji Blevin, said ensuring JDLink connectivity was readily and easily available to all farmers was a key milestone for the company in achieving its overarching vision of contributing to a thriving farm sector through precision agriculture innovation.
Benji Blevin said JDLink connectivity also granted full access to much-valued remote backup support service, John Deere Connected Support.
This includes tools such as Remote Display Access which allows a dealer to view the in-cab display and offer advice or resolve problems, which can deliver vast time and cost savings to farm businesses.
JDLink was introduced to the Australian market in 2011 and has since become a cornerstone technology for farm data collection and equipment management.
In the past, John Deere dealers had managed their customers’ connection to the subscription service, however farmers will now have full control to connect individual machines or their entire fleet through John Deere Operations Center.
“When machinery is connected to JDLink it automates the flow of on-farm and machinery data. This means farmers can focus on what is most important, and that’s managing their farm,” Benji said.
“By automatically transferring machine and in-field data to the Operation Center, farmers can have almost immediate access to the key data they need on their machines and their people in the palm of their hand.
“Making connectivity accessible, seamless and continuously available, without an ongoing cost, is a great leap forward in ensuring further utilisation of technology, which we know will underpin the future success of Australian farmers.” Benji concluded.
Farmers with older machines, that don’t have a 3G or 4G JDLink MTG (modem) needed for JDLink connectivity, can still take advantage of this system upgrade by purchasing and installing a 3G or 4G MTG. Once activated, there is no additional cost or monthly service charges.
Contact your loacl John Deere dealer for more information on John Deere’s Connected Support™ on this link:
