Infocado information extension project (AV07010)

This is a final research report from Hort Innovation’s historical archives. Please note that as these reports may date back as far as the 1990s, the content and recommendations within them may be superseded by more recent research.

What was it all about?

In September 2005, Avocados Australia began the process of rolling out its crop flow system, Infocado, to the Australian avocado industry. This internet based product which allowed the collection and reporting of historical and anticipated volumes of avocados entering the Australian and export markets was developed to collect more meaningful and timely industry data to assist businesses with better information on which to base their management and marketing decisions.

The information generated from Infocado was also important for the industry as it allowed industry to determine the impact of an event, for example, adverse weather, on the industry’s production level and better plan industry promotions.

In July 2006, the inaugural Infocado Summit was held in Brisbane, Queensland. This was one of the key initiatives in the initial Infocado rollout process and consisted of a one day workshop. In all 50 Australian packhouses, grower packers and consolidators attended, as well as representatives from the New Zealand industry. International speakers from the USA and New Zealand discussed how information was collected and used to benefit their industries.

The 2006 Summit was hailed as a resounding success. It provided the opportunity for the participants to discuss a range of issues including the need for better information to underpin decisions to address business challenges and opportunities and how Infocado may support this process and provided a list of recommendations for further improvement and development of the Infocado system.

Of those recommendations, one was that a similar event should be held on a biennial basis. This report documented the content of the second Infocado Summit, held in Sydney, New South Wales in April 2008 and the outcomes and key messages developed as a result of the 2008 event.

The second Infocado Summit was held at Coogee Beach in Sydney. In all 80 Australian packhouses, grower packers, consolidators and wholesalers attended. As well as providing the opportunity and forum to discuss the Infocado system specifically, it also provided the opportunity to present and discuss issues and new ideas relevant to packhouses, marketers and wholesalers as a specific segment of the Australian avocado industry. Guest presenters included Professor David Hughes (expert and businessman from the UK discussing consumer segmentation), Michael Batycki from Woolworths and Richard De Vos (consultant conducting a strategic analysis of the opportunities for avocados in the food service sector). A number of key messages were relayed by these presenters. Opportunities were presented in terms of increasing consumer demand by delivering specialized products to different segments of the market, further developing the food service sector through a strategic and coordinated approach and ensuring continued growth of Australian avocado demand by delivering a premium quality local product.

In relation to the Infocado system specifically, a range of recommendations were made to ensure the on-going success of the system. This included the inclusion of a comprehensive weekly retail price report in future Infocado reports, implementation of a wholesale module to report on retail sales and stock on hand, monitor of the accuracy of forecasting data entered into Infocado with the aim of improving individuals abilities to accurately forecast production, inclusion of further analysis in industry reports and a continual focus on updating reports and formats where necessary to keep up with the needs of contributors to the system.