With SMARTSITES, Frontier Cooperative has full visibility over grain, fertilizer, and assets across all locations

case-study-frontier-bw

Frontier Cooperative makes farming possible for thousands of members throughout Nebraska offering services and product when it matters most. The company recognized visibility to their inventories across their entire operation was critical to serving their members efficiently, safely, and with confidence. With RealmFive SMARTSITES, more than half of Frontier’s locations now report fertilizer inventory levels and maintain grain conditions through bin automation. Some locations also report weather, chemical tank inventory levels, and status and location of mobile NH3 nurse tanks. This has led to improved business process, increased safety, energy savings, and serving their members with excellence.

At a glance

35+

Locations

300M+

Bushels Storage

250k+

Tons Fertilizer

It’s a no brainer decision. If you are looking for a new system or a replacement system, this is the way to go. It’s streamlined. It’s simple. It’s the information you need when you need it—not having to worry about human error—and the wide circle of knowledge that’s available to you as a whole without having to piece different pockets of information together.

Kaden A.
Superintendent, Waverly, NE

Make decisions backed by data, not hunches.
RealmFive offers innovations across the entire enterprise, not just a single solution.

Grain

Smart grain storage.
Profitable harvests.

By aligning Frontier Cooperative’s existing bin fans and grain temperature cables with on-site weather and a cloud-based platform, RealmFive brings automation to life. Frontier can now fully automate their fans based on real-time environmental conditions both inside the bin and on the exterior. For the instances where more manual control is desired, the user can also control their fan systems remotely from their mobile device or phone.

Multi-Site

See it all.
Serve customers better.

Growth necessitates solutions that are infinitely scalable across the enterprise. Market leaders like Frontier Cooperative have experienced rapid growth in recent years and found themselves in need of technology that scales at their pace. RealmFive solutions have empowered key stakeholders across their enterprise to align decisions based on real insights that are reliable. Connecting more sites and more assets to RealmFive’s cloud-based system is the easy way for Frontier to increase operational efficiencies and gain better insights at the local, regional, and enterprise level.

Tracking

Track activity and process.
Digitize your supply chain.

The speed and volume of anhydrous ammonia season creates gaps in communication and management of dispatched nurse tanks. Understanding the real use status and location of these vital assets has increased efficiency rates of limited-labor locations tasked to keep pace with grower demand.

Inventory

Stock smart.
Sell confidently.

Preventing gaps in fertilizer inventory requires seamless flow of communication and data. By adding near real-time bulk inventory reporting systems to their management strategy, Frontier Cooperative enabled their operations team to effectively forecast inventory needs and increase speed of communication.

I love the visibility on NH3 inventory levels. I can order with confidence knowing it will fit by looking at the level. I don’t have to call the dispatcher anymore. They can pull it up and know.

Jesus M.
Location Manager, Ceresco, NE

Only with RealmFive

Simply Powerful

Our easy-to-use devices and award-winning software empower you to achieve complex goals without unnecessary technical barriers. SMARTSITES simplify maintenance, repairs, and upgrades, freeing up internal IT resources.

Reliable Network

You rely on service uptime and high availability. Our data platform is built on industry-standards and our devices are built ag-tough—reliably collecting data 24/7 in harsh, remote environments. With our True Sync™ Technology, your data is processed and securely stored in the cloud.

Scalable Growth

Our solutions seamlessly adapt to your evolving needs, providing the flexibility to scale effortlessly as your business expands. Our engineers constantly innovate, ensuring your systems remain at the forefront of technology, empowering you to seize new opportunities.

Solutions Deployed

 

Solution Grain Inventory Mobile Assets Weather
Data Collected
  • Grain Cable Temperature
  • Grain Bin Fan Activity
  • Ambient Temperature
  • Ambient Humidity
  • Headspace Temperature
  • NH3 (Gas) Bullet Tank Levels
  • UAN (Liquid) Tank Levels
  • Herbicide (Liquid) Tank Levels
Location, Route, and Activity of
  • NH3 Mobile Tanks
  • Dry Spreaders
  • Semi-Trailers
  • Straight Tender Truck
  • Liquid Mobile Tank
  • Mobile Dry Conveyer
  • Temperature - Air
  • Rainfall
  • Humidity
  • Wind Speed / Direction
  • Wind Gust
  • UV
  • Solar
Outcome
  • Fan Automation
  • Maintain Grain Condition
  • Grain Level
  • Energy Savings
  • Team Safety
  • SOP Enforcement
  • Sales Availability
  • Procurement Planning
  • Logistics Planning
  • Team Safety
  • SOP Enforcement
  • Asset Activity
  • Delivery Confirmation
  • Pickup Location
  • SOP Enforcement
  • Hyper local weather
  • Service Go/No Go
  • Resource Planning
  • Logistics Planning
The grain side has been a new world of technology for me. It's the first year that I let a computer program take care of the grain through the year since harvest. It took all the guesswork out of everything. That has been a big change for me in my personal world of the elevator.

Wayne H.
Location Manager, Waverly, NE

Results

Work made safer.
Resources better utilized.
Problems prevented.

By digitizing inventory levels, Frontier gained instant access to inventory trends for products across all locations to make decisions for purchasing, logistics, sales, and labor management. SMARTSITES increased safety by reducing manual inspection and confined space entry and working at heights. This mitigated risk of falls, slips, entrapment, and exposure to hazardous materials. 

Implementing SMARTSITES to manage grain bin fans, track mobile assets, and monitor inventory across sites has led to data accuracy and consistency, improved communication, reduced out-of-stock surprises, automated routine tasks, and resource savings. Grain bin fan automation alone can achieve a up to a remarkable 75% reduction in energy consumption*. Frontier has been able to eliminate unnecessary travel to gather inventory data or hunt down mobile assets, saving both fuel costs and valuable labor time spent on non-value-add activities.

Mergers and acquisitions left Frontier with a complex mix of equipment and technologies, riddled with inconsistencies and unknown issues. By implementing RealmFive solutions, Frontier leveraged existing infrastructure and gained insights for improvement, enabling them to make informed decisions and prioritize investments.

Once implementing this system, your logistics will get a lot more efficient. A lot less dead miles, calling, and asking around. You will see everything on one screen. It will make things a lot easier.

Dan B.
Transportation Director, Waverly, NE

SMARTSITES-ag-retail-no-bgnd

Interested?

Our experts are here to help you find the best, most cost‑effective solution for all your Ag Retail locations.

* "Iowa Energy Efficiency Statewide Technical Reference Manual – Volume 3: Nonresidential Measures" , January, 2022