Best Practices for Loss Prevention and Asset Management in Canada’s Grape and Wine Sector

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The grape and wine sector, part of the broader Agri-Tech industry, is a highly competitive marketplace in which operators are always looking for ways to streamline operations and grow their bottom line.

Like many other asset-intensive resource industries in Canada, the grape and wine sector conducts operations in areas where cellular networks may be unavailable or unreliable. This is especially challenging when it comes to asset monitoring and management which are vital to security and operations.

One Canadian vintner has turned to SPOT for Business solutions recently to improve its security posture and tighten operations in response to a string of equipment thefts at its winery. Following a series of escalating thefts that culminated with the stealing of an expensive ATV, the company recognized that there was an immediate requirement for a better way to monitor and, if needed, recover its valuable assets. It deployed SPOT Trace units on several ATVs to monitor their location and receive movement alerts.
 
Among the key benefits of SPOT Trace is that the devices are able to relay their GPS coordinates and be tracked in near-real-time via the SPOT Mapping interface. The devices also provide geofencing capabilities, live alerts and reporting which can be easily monitored online from SPOT’s centralized cloud-based platform using a smartphone, tablet or computer. With service plans that include flex options, seasonal based businesses like those in the grape and wine sector can benefit from lower service fees during their down time or off seasons. 
 
When the next break-in occurred, the company was prepared. With the SPOT Trace solution, it was alerted of the theft, able to track the stolen vehicles and rapidly contact the police to have the thieves apprehended and the equipment recovered. Adding affordability and ease-of-use to the mix, the success has prompted the vineyard to deploy SPOT Trace units on more of its assets. Today, it is monitoring every vehicle in its fleet with SPOT satellite technology.
 
Anti-theft and more
 
SPOT Trace is a rugged, easy to use theft-alert and tracking device that can be deployed on both fixed and mobile assets to better manage fleet and business resources in remote areas lacking reliable cell tower, radio or Wi-Fi services. Through live and historical reporting, and new SPOT Mapping services, managers can efficiently oversee inventory from a distance, while improving the company’s security and loss prevention capabilities.
 
Infrastructure and security in rural areas remain top concerns for many resource companies like the vineyard, especially when seeking to expand operations into new locations. Satellite-based solutions are helping pave the path forward for these companies by helping them overcome many of the operational challenges they face when it comes to redundant communications, worker safety and asset management. SPOT X with Bluetooth, another SPOT for Business solution, is a ruggedized two-way satellite messaging device that ensures business continuity and lone worker safety when cell service is limited, unreliable or non-existent. In the case of a business disruption or disaster in which local infrastructure fails or becomes unreliable, SPOT X provides a redundant communications solution. In addition, SPOT helps businesses meet HR policies for remote worker check-in and comply with lone worker regulations that exist in some provinces and territories in Canada. Should an accident occur, an SOS link with GPS coordinates can be sent to emergency and rescue services.
 
For one Canadian vineyard, streamlined management of assets via satellite technology, has provided the confidence and operational strength to look at the glass as more than half full.

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