Customer Stories / Gavin Owens

Gavin Owens

Telesense simplifies quality management and reduces costs for Guiness brewery supplier

The Guinness brand name and Harp logo are the sole property of Diageo plc

Overview

Ireland's most famous brewery, Guinness, has strict quality controls to ensure that its unique flavor remains the same whether you're in a pub in Dublin or a corner store in Indiana. These quality controls are especially important to the farmers who supply the grain for the Dublinbased beerhouse. In their contracts, each supplier must agree to specifications that define the temperature and moisture levels of their grain during storage. It's important to monitor grain closely to meet Guinness’ quality standards. That’s why Gavin Owens trusts TeleSense.

It's important to monitor grain closely to meet Guinness’ quality standards. That’s why Gavin Owens trusts TeleSense.

Gavin Owens is one of Guinness’ trusted suppliers

Owens houses over 100 million pounds of grain, which he stores in eight large storage units. For him, it’s important to monitor his grain closely, lest he lose the right to be a Guinness supplier. To help maintain grain quality, Owens trusts TeleSense. For him, the decision to use TeleSense came down to economics and quality. Given his location in humid and rainy southern Ireland, Owens’ operation requires exceptionally large quantities of fuel and energy to dry grain after harvest. This means that he is frequently confronted with large fuel bills to meet Guinness’ specifications. As Owens says, “The closer we can keep to the contracted specifications for moisture and temperature, the lower our bill for consumed energy… It’s as much a matter of economics as quality.”

TeleSense Warehouse/Barn Monitoring Solution

Hardware, Software, Data Science

TeleSense Spears

TeleSense offers battery-powered standalone spears for warehouse/barn monitoring. Available with either a cellular or WiFi data connection, the spears constantly collect temperature and relative humidity data, and regularly send it to the TeleSense App.

Hardware, Software, Data Science

This data is for illustrative purposes only and does not reflect the actual customer information

The TeleSense App

The TeleSense App provides a simple way to view and compare all your storage units. It is available on any PC/smartphone/tablet with an internet connection, so you can monitor your storage from afar. In case of a storage issue, you receive email and in-app alerts, which enables you to take quick corrective action.

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TeleSense gives Owen’s confidence in his storage

Although Owens appreciates improving his bottom line, it’s the daily confidence in his grain quality. As he explains, “[With TeleSense] the grain can be monitored with very little supervision, and we can take many more measurements. Because the data is recorded continuously, both my clients and I can always see information about the grain condition during storage. If you are involved in quality assurance, this system is something that impresses the customer.” He continues, “If a customer sees that you take every precaution possible, then you are rewarded with greater confidence and a closer bond between the customer and yourself.”

Hardware, Software, Data Science

This data is for illustrative purposes only and does not reflect the actual customer information

TeleSense helps save on drying energy costs

More accurate drying means less money spent on drying costs. More accurate drying requires consistent monitoring. In July 2019, a 1% dry-down of 1 million bushels of grain would cost a farmer between $50,000 and $150,000, depending on the crop (according to prices at Heartland Co-op in central Iowa). According to estimates by Iowa State University, under the most extreme circumstances, this number could balloon to an incredible $450,000! Even the savings from just a 1% change in moisture can be large!