HARVEST AND TRANSPORT INTEGRATION--A MACKAY SUGAR PERSPECTIVE

DURING recent years, there have been several changes both technologically and operationally in the way Mackay Sugar has undertaken harvest and transport management. The establishment of a communications centre, centralising traffic offices along with the use of GPS tracking of harvesters and locomotives, electronic mimic boards, traffic officer tools, a siding booking system and webbased information options have been introduced by Mackay Sugar to better manage harvest and transport operations. This paper discusses why these technologies have been introduced and will outline what further changes are intended to allow the development of an integrated harvest and transport management system. Changes yet to be introduced will include electronic cane consignment, on-line harvester best management reporting, automated harvester to mill communication and locomotive remote shunting units. While each part of this changing technology is important in itself, Mackay Sugar believes that the integration of all these initiatives will deliver significant improvements to both harvest and transport operations.