The Client
Incitec Pivot Fertilisers (IPF) is a leading technology supplier to the Australian agricultural industry. ASX-listed, with 10,000 employees and $3.6bn in revenue, Incitec Pivot needed to modernise its core fertiliser recommendation system with rules automation. As a highly regulated company, they required a robust, auditable solution that would set a new foundation for future growth.
The Challenge
IPF's legacy rules engine was maintained through code and configuration. It played the crucial role of interpreting lab results to provide fertiliser recommendations. However, in an industry where scientific accuracy must be continuously updated, the system became increasingly complex and challenging to manage.
This complexity led to a fear of change, increased key-person risk, and stifled innovation. With tens of thousands of intricate and unique rules, the system had gradually become unmanageable and inflexible.
- The system was notoriously difficult to manage and maintain, with limited personnel understanding its behaviour.
- Changes were approached with trepidation, slowing the ability to adapt to new scientific research or market demands.
- It took longer than needed to implement changes, taking up IT and agronomist time.
What We Did
We developed a thorough understanding of how rules supported IPF's operations and product strategy, then designed a solution that introduced significant clarity to the whole concept of rules within the organisation, simplified integration patterns whilst offering flexibility to expand products and services, provided their agronomists the ability to make important adjustments to their models with little to no IT intervention, and was designed for manageability and scale.
We reframed and extracted the codified rule elements, integrating them into a structured rules engine within Decisions. This modernised their approach and improved efficiency, flexibility, and long-term maintainability.
We delivered a scalable, auditable system that integrated seamlessly with their existing enterprise application, enabling strong data governance for faster deployment and reduced risk.
The Outcome
IPF now has significantly easier rule management, reduced key-person risk, and increased agility. They can update their recommendation models much faster and with complete confidence. They have already begun expanding their products knowing the technology will continue to support their rapidly evolving needs.
Client Voice
"An excellent company to work with. They go out of their way to understand our business requirements and provide solutions that match. We trust the quality of their work. They are flexible and understanding of our processes and timelines. We have worked with them on several projects now."- Jan Edwards, Director of Agronomy & Sustainability, Incitec Pivot Fertilisers
Key Facts
What This Demonstrates
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