Creating an efficient business is a crucial part of success, regardless of the industry or sector. Being efficient with your time, resources, staff and operational practices can have a huge impact on the profitability of your business. Increasing the efficiency of your organisation can lead to increased revenue and decreased overheads. Here, we take a look at methods for improving the operational and energy efficiency of your farm, including the benefits of scheduled fuel deliveries.

Operational Efficiency

Set a Scheduled Fuel Delivery For Your Vehicles and Machinery

If you operate a farm, you’ll understand how vitally important having a reliable source of fuel is for the smooth running of the business. Agricultural machinery, vehicles and heating equipment all require fuel of some kind to remain efficient and effective. With that in mind, organising a scheduled fuel delivery from your fuel supplier can ensure that you never run out of the fuel you need.

When setting up a scheduled fuel delivery from your supplier, you can analyse the different types of fuel that you need, from heating oil to red diesel, and what your current consumption looks like. That way, you can set out exactly how much fuel you will need and when it should be delivered. You’ll never have to worry about your machinery running out of diesel or your farm going cold through a lack of heating oil. With that out of the way, you can focus your attention and energy on improving the areas of your business that will drive forward improvement and development.

Understand Your Current Processes and Procedures

Understanding how your farm works is the first step in any process of improving its operational efficiency. Without accurate and informative knowledge on how your farm currently operates, you will have little to go on when it comes to improving efficiency. Using software like enterprise resource management can provide you with visibility on what procedures you already practice, your supply chain and other data that is relevant for improving processes. By analysing the amount of fuel you use every week, the processes which your employees use daily how instructions are passed down the chain of command, how long it takes to farm a crop and other operational considerations, you can then seek opportunities to improve.

When you understand the time and material requirements for the main operations on your farm, you can introduce measures to sharpen up efficiencies, become most cost-effective and, ultimately, more profitable.

Plan Well Ahead and Understand Possible Risks

Planning to spot threats or difficulties before they happen is crucial to maintain the efficiency of your agricultural business. By forecasting political, environmental and regulatory risks before they happen, you can ensure that you’re always on the front foot and that your business can prepare for any troubling events on the horizon. If the area you work in is due for a flood or there is a big regulatory change on the horizon, recognising these risks early and putting the groundwork in to ensure you’re prepared can save you a huge amount of time and money in the long run. Even if the changes don’t happen as first thought, planning ensures you’re always prepared for any eventuality.

Embrace The Digitalisation of Agriculture

Digitalisation is something that continues to impact almost every industry and sector across the business landscape. Although digitalisation is nothing new, it continues to creep into more areas of business every year. In agriculture, the uptake of the digital revolution has been slower than in other areas of industry and business. However, embracing the digitalisation of agriculture can lead to several efficiency improvements for farms and farmers.

Digital technology can help agricultural businesses in many ways. By integrating a cloud-based digital system into the business, farmers will not have to invest in large IT systems on-site. Instead, with just an internet connection, they can access any files, documents and software they need via the cloud. Cloud computing allows farmers to take advantage of the digital revolution without huge investments or additional IT infrastructure – previously both big barriers for agricultural businesses.

In tandem with cloud computing, the digitalisation of agriculture provides farmers with more tools to analyse and adapt their work in response to environmental and crop changes. Digital systems provide much clearer oversight for farmers to understand the elements that impact their businesses. Using smart technology, farmers can quickly react to situations and make amendments. For example, irrigation controls, heating and water delivery can all be changed by using smart tech and improve efficiency across a farm.

Energy and Resource Efficiency

Perform an On-site Energy Audit

Energy efficiency is just as important as operational efficiency when it comes to saving money and time. Much like improving operational efficiency, the first step of improving the energy efficiency at your farm should always be to perform an audit of your current procedures. Using the data from your energy supplier or smart meter, you can analyse the period which aligns with large energy consumption and when there is a lull. From there, you can analyse the current practices and procedures that are in place at your agricultural business and compare one with the other. The results of this audit should help illuminate any areas that you can make adjustments and improvements to reduce your energy consumption.

For example, if you find that more than half of your energy expenditure comes from electric lights and heating, you may be able to invest in more energy-efficient appliances to reduce your consumption. Spotting these clues and making the necessary changes is an excellent first step to becoming more energy-efficient as well as eco-friendly and cost-effective.

Recycle Rain and Consider Sustainable Irrigation Practises

As well as reducing your energy consumption, also reducing the number of resources you use is another excellent method of shaving off costs, protecting the ground and reducing your farm’s impact on the environment. One resource which is in constant use at a farm is water. Over time, the extensive use of water required to keep a farm going has an environmental impact. By practising efficient irrigation techniques, you can reduce the amount of water you use. However, collecting rainwater and recycling it for irrigation and watering cattle is one of the best ways to conserve water. With large rain-collecting tanks and an efficient system of collecting rainwater, you can ensure that you have plenty at your disposal.

Of course, it’s likely that, even with gallons and gallons of rainwater collected, you will still need to source water externally, but this will be dramatically reduced and the sustainability of your farm will be significantly improved.

Permaculture Farming For Long-Term Efficiency and Sustainability

Permaculture farming is one of the best ways to ensure that your agricultural business bakes in energy efficiency and sustainability to every part of the operation. In simple terms, permaculture farming is a style of agricultural design that takes into account the lay of the land, the type of soil, irrigation, climate and other considerations as intrinsic elements of the farm. Permaculture farming uses the natural resources immediately available as an advantage, working with the land organically and naturally. As such, permaculture farming often uses organic fertilizers, practices water management techniques and produces seasonal food to improve food security, reduce carbon emissions and ensure that the farming practices are completely sustainable.

For Commercial Fuel Delivery In Devon, Look No Further Than Moorland Fuels

If you’ve been looking for a professional, reliable and efficient commercial fuel delivery service in Devon, look no further than Moorland Fuels. Our fuel tanks are a common sight across Devon, supplying commercial fuel to countless clients across the county. As a completely independent fuel distributor, we always aim to provide the best service at a price you can afford. We also always endeavour to provide the very best customer service available.

From our depot in Okehampton, we run all of our vehicles and always keep plenty of stock to meet the needs of your business. Whether you require commercial fuel for an agricultural business, a school, airport, quarry or factory, we can help you with our delivery services. From tank top-up services to scheduled deliveries, we can help you ensure your business runs as smoothly as possible. With more than 15 years of experience in the industry, we have a strong track record of helping businesses and homeowners alike across Devon.

To find out more about our services, please feel free to contact us today. You can find us at our depot at Moorlands House, North Road Industrial Estate, Okehampton, Devon EX20 1BQ. Alternatively, call us on 01837 55700 or email us at info@moorlandfuels.co.uk.