Automated Harvesting And Storage System: Stakeholders, Objectives, And Scope

Stakeholders Affected by the Project

This report is a demonstration of the specifications and requirements of an automated system that will be applicable for the wheat farming farmers. This system is capable of automating the harvesting process and make sure that whenever the production exceeds the limit, it will inform the farmers through push notification or short service message (SMS), or e-mail system on the mobile device or computers. Technology has been continuously evolving and being spread all the sectors of the current world. This report is an approach to implement the wireless technology within farming sector in manner to boost the agriculture field and help them in achieving proper and enhanced output of this sector. This system is capable of delivering an advanced automated system for the real time data collection and execution related to the harvesting and storage of the wheat farmed. This report presents the stakeholder identification including their roles and responsibilities, brainstorming actions and responses, hardware requirements needed for the establishment of this system, and required software. This report also put emphasis on the project management tools that is helpful in time and activity management of the activities involved in this project. A WBS, and Gantt chart are also proposed in this report in manner to enlist the activity and schedule of the project constraints. This system will be helpful for the wheat farmer at Tasmania, Australia, to plant the crop with much efficiency and precision through using GPS (Global Positioning System). Storage failure is the vital problem in this system and this system is an approach to eliminate the storage failure.

It is assumed in this report that the farmers will have Wi-MAX available in the year 2020 and there will be possible availability of the wireless network to make this happen in the real world.

Following stakeholders will be mostly affected by the project and will have positive and negative impact as that of the project:

Farmer: Farmer will have the maximum interest in this project will have same impact (maximum) through the execution of this project. He would be able to harvest the crops with higher efficiency and there will be not any storage shortage for them. It is his responsibility to execute the project without hesitating and make sure that the project meets with his and his consumer’s needs and requirements.

Storage facility sellers: They will also have very high interest in the project and high impact will be on them through the execution of the project. Their role will be to ensure that there is always option for providing storage to them whenever it is asked by the farmer. Their responsibility is to provide storage space for the farmers whenever request is made to them.

Session Objectives and Participants

Drivers, driving grain: Diver will must have medium interest and less impact through this project and his role will be to always check the location and deliver the grains to the location provided by the system. It is his responsibility to make sure that he travels the grain at the location pointed by the GPS.

Local People of Tasmania: Local people will have medium interest and medium impact and their role will be to consume the grains harvested by the farmers. Their responsibility is to consume the grains cultivated by the farmer. The stock will never end for them.

Government of Australia: This system will impact the economy of the Australia in positive thus, government will have high interest in the project ad it will have low impact on the government. This role is to provide allowance for the network connectivity and will be responsible for the sponsorship and network availability in Tasmania. There will be always stock and thus, the country will not be needing exports from other country and thus, it will enhance the economic condition of the Australian Society.

Telecommunication companies: They will be profitable and highly interested in the project and will have medium impact on them. This will increase the traffic network for the companies and thus will increase the output too. It is their role to provide the network and will be responsible for the balanced network availability for the farmer.

Network service providers: They will be providing satellite communication to the farmer and will have medium interest and medium impact. It is their role to allow the farmer to connect the network through mobile devices or computers to exactly locate the storage space for the drivers.

Information Technicians: IT will be responsible for the configuration and establishment of the whole network system within the project. They will have very low impact and high interest in the project. It is their responsibility to make sure that all the components of the system are working in effective and efficient manner. 

Sponsors: Sponsors will have high interest and very high impact through this project and it will be their responsibility to make sure that the farmer is getting enough fund to execute the project. Their responsibility is to provide enough funding for the project execution.

Business Partners: Business partners will have very high interest and very high impact through this project and it is their role to provide allowance for the execution of the project. Their responsibility is to make hard decisions regarding the project constraints.

Hardware and Software Components Needed for the System

Customers: Consumers will have very low interest and low impact through this project and their role will be to consume the cultivated grains.

Project Manager: He or She will have very high interest and low impact through this project.  His or Her role will be execute the project within the scheduled time and under the planned budget without affecting the quality of the project. It is their responsibility that the stakeholders include in the project execution will have roles and responsibilities according to their qualifications.

Session Objectives	To identify the specification and requirements for the automated harvesting and storage system for the farmer
Participants	[Please Fill] [Please Fill] [Please Fill] [Please Fill] [Please Fill]
Agenda	Rules and objectives were discussed in 15 minutes Everyone was free to speak and every opinion was noted down Agreement was made by voting No one was interrupted No judgment was made anyone’s opinion All questions were welcomed Topics were discussed on the allocated time Agreements were acquired on the suggestions Specifications and Requirements were listed Ideas were shared to everyone in 60 minutes Prioritizing were made and enlisted

The hardware required for this wireless (Wi-MAX) operated system are:

Sensing hardware in manner to detect the changes or the events of the quantities and based on the real-time data, the notification will be pushed to the computer for the extra space allotment.

Transreceiver will be receiving or transmitting the signals through radio frequency on the wireless medium, with a sleep mode that will make sure that power consumption is low whenever there is no need.

Memory will be another important hardware component for the storage of data and information.

Microcontroller will be needed in the form of the CPU with a storage capacity in manner to control the communication and processes involved within the project.

Battery (Power supply) will be needed for providing enough power for the system to work. 

Data Processing Approach will be the crucial factor for the efficient output of the system as it will be handling the three most vital process of this automated system including processing, sensing, and communication.

Nodes will be needed in manner to travel the data or information in the form of the packets or other ways. This will allow the system to effectively and precisely receive and send the information to the CPU and the farmer devices and make sure that the information is passed over to the driver, storage service provider, and the farmer.

Operating System will needed for the handling of devices such as hardware initialization, memory management/processing, booting, and scheduling. This will process all the real-time data collected and decode the message sent through the microcontroller in manner to execute the expected actions.

Sensor Driver Task and Middleware Management Task are the other crucial software those will be needed to be implemented within the systems. One will be handling the initialization of the hardware and performance measurement and the other will be handling modules including the security, router, encryption, and others.

Project background / introduction

This project will be helpful for the farmer in automating the harvesting and storing grains cultivated from the fields of irrigation automatically and allow them to provide an efficient output through eliminating the extra human effort and storage problem. This will also provide connectivity to the network through smartphones always be connected with the system and process the needed activities of the system automatically and wirelessly.

Project Background/Introduction

Business case / Benefits of doing this project

This will allow the farmers to automatically harvest the grains and detect the storage left in the store houses and if the storage is not enough for the grains then the notification will be pushed. The farmer will contact the storage service provider and rent another storage location for the cultivated grains. That location will send to the drivers and thus the driver will drive those grains to the pointed location.

Objectives and scope

• To deliver an efficient and effective network system for the extra storage facility to the farmers
• To eliminate the extra human effort
• To allow the farmers to automatically replace the location without any extra efforts

Deliverables / outcomes

Farmer would be able to harvest the grains automatically and would be able to provide new location to the drivers in no time whenever there is shortage of space at the store house. A system is developed to execute the activities listed above automatically in no time. It will allow to keep the cultivated crops at the store house through automating the system. This system also provides connectivity and application for the mobile devices and hence the farmer would be able to accomplish the objectives through smartphone. The Wi-Max technology will enable the connection between the sensor, farmer, driver, and storage service provider in manner to share the information.

Constraints

Gantt chart presented above expressed the list of activities and the project is estimated to be completed in 406 days. The estimated budget is to be $ 450000. This will include all the hardware and software elements for the presented system.

Time: the project will be completed in 406 days and this will include the various activities as listed in the activity list and according to the time specified there.

Costs: the expected budget is to be $ 45000 and additional $ 5000 as the contingency plan.

Resources: Labours, project manager, ITs, technicians, and electricians will be needed for the execution of the project

Assumptions

• Assumptions has been made that the farmers will have available Wi-MAX in 2020
• The project will be executed according to the planning
• Risk management will be effectively applied

Key dates / milestones

Task Name	Duration	Start	Finish
Automated harvesting and Storage system	406 days	Thu 2/1/18	Thu 8/22/19
Project Initiation	60 days	Thu 2/1/18	Wed 4/25/18
Project Execution	52 days	Thu 4/26/18	Fri 7/6/18
Stakeholders Identification	9 days	Thu 4/26/18	Tue 5/8/18
Business Plan	50 days	Tue 7/10/18	Mon 9/17/18
Management Plan	12 days	Tue 9/18/18	Wed 10/3/18
Sales and Marketing	58 days	Thu 10/4/18	Mon 12/24/18
Designing system	78 days	Tue 12/25/18	Thu 4/11/19
Quality Checking	35 days	Fri 4/12/19	Thu 5/30/19
Delivery	31 days	Fri 5/31/19	Fri 7/12/19
Project Closure	29 days	Mon 7/15/19	Thu 8/22/19

Key success criteria

This system is expected to increase the revenue of 15% annum and this will also help in always providing availability of the storage for the harvested grains.

Risks – analysis, prevention, management and monitoring

Risk prioritization will be done and based on the priority the risks will be eliminated or minimized to the extent level. This will include the hardware and software risks that might affect the efficiency of the system. This will also include the internal and external threats that could affect the productivity and output of the farmer. Network unavailability is the major risk of the project and as per the assumption it should be available for the effective execution of this project.

Business Case/Benefits of the Project

Reporting

Project Manager will be delivering the weekly report on the execution of the project and will be providing the evaluation report on the basis of individual progress made during the project. This will help in monitoring the progress and development of the stakeholders and the project and set important values and other objectives if the project is expected to fail the schedule or the budget.

Project sponsor

Government and other private donors will be sponsoring the project and their role will be provide financial support for the successful execution of the project. Some contingency plan will also be requested from the sponsors in manner to make sure that every objective is achieved without affecting the progress of the project.

Sign off / approval / agreement to proceed

This is the crucial fact for the development of the project and it is amend to be signed by the important and key stakeholders. It is important to make sure that the project manager and sponsors sign off the agreement paper and agree with the terms and agreement of the project.

Task Name	Duration	Start	Finish
Automated harvesting and Storage system	406 days	Thu 2/1/18	Thu 8/22/19
Project Initiation	60 days	Thu 2/1/18	Wed 4/25/18
Data Collection	10 days	Thu 2/1/18	Wed 2/14/18
Data Analysis	12 days	Thu 2/15/18	Fri 3/2/18
Data execution	15 days	Mon 3/5/18	Fri 3/23/18
Applying Analyzed Data	23 days	Mon 3/26/18	Wed 4/25/18
Project Execution	52 days	Thu 4/26/18	Fri 7/6/18
Stakeholders Identification	9 days	Thu 4/26/18	Tue 5/8/18
Identify Internal Stakeholders	2 days	Thu 4/26/18	Fri 4/27/18
Identify External Stakeholders	3 days	Mon 4/30/18	Wed 5/2/18
Calculate their interest	2 days	Thu 5/3/18	Fri 5/4/18
Calculate their priority	2 days	Mon 5/7/18	Tue 5/8/18
Identify Resources	7 days	Wed 5/9/18	Thu 5/17/18
Identify Hardware	10 days	Fri 5/18/18	Thu 5/31/18
Identify Software	12 days	Fri 6/1/18	Mon 6/18/18
Identify Network	15 days	Tue 6/19/18	Mon 7/9/18
Business Plan	50 days	Tue 7/10/18	Mon 9/17/18
Market Research	15 days	Tue 7/10/18	Mon 7/30/18
Marketing Plan	12 days	Tue 7/31/18	Wed 8/15/18
Operation Plan	23 days	Thu 8/16/18	Mon 9/17/18
Management Plan	12 days	Tue 9/18/18	Wed 10/3/18
Identify stakeholders’ roles	5 days	Tue 9/18/18	Mon 9/24/18
Identify stakeholders responsibility	7 days	Tue 9/25/18	Wed 10/3/18
Sales and Marketing	58 days	Thu 10/4/18	Mon 12/24/18
Advertisement	15 days	Thu 10/4/18	Wed 10/24/18
Consultant	10 days	Thu 10/25/18	Wed 11/7/18
Negotiation	8 days	Thu 11/8/18	Mon 11/19/18
Agreement	25 days	Tue 11/20/18	Mon 12/24/18
Designing system	78 days	Tue 12/25/18	Thu 4/11/19
Framework system	15 days	Tue 12/25/18	Mon 1/14/19
Wireless network connectivity	20 days	Tue 1/15/19	Mon 2/11/19
Mobile connectivity	22 days	Tue 2/12/19	Wed 3/13/19
GPS implementation	21 days	Thu 3/14/19	Thu 4/11/19
Quality Checking	35 days	Fri 4/12/19	Thu 5/30/19
Risk Management	15 days	Fri 4/12/19	Thu 5/2/19
Monitoring and Evaluation	20 days	Fri 5/3/19	Thu 5/30/19
Delivery	31 days	Fri 5/31/19	Fri 7/12/19
Training	30 days	Fri 5/31/19	Thu 7/11/19
Service Maintenance	1 day	Fri 7/12/19	Fri 7/12/19
Projecct Closure	29 days	Mon 7/15/19	Thu 8/22/19
Sign off	7 days	Mon 7/15/19	Tue 7/23/19
Documentation	15 days	Wed 7/24/19	Tue 8/13/19
Document Learnings	7 days	Wed 8/14/19	Thu 8/22/19

Design and Topology

This system will be executable in the Wi-Max network connectivity and will allow the farmer to collect the real time data and based on this decisions could be made in much easier and effective way. All the systems, and sensors will be connected to the network that will allow the CPU to collect the real time data or the harvesting and storing in no time. This system will keep detecting the storage capacity of the store house and based on that real-time data will be send to the laptop from where the farmer would be able to read the data related to the harvesting and storage of the grains. Thereafter, whenever notification is received relate to the storage problem, the farmer would be able to contact the storage service providers and thus, arrange the space of storage for them. The storage service provider will send location of the new storehouse and this location will be sent to the driver and driver will be moving to the same location and dumping grains over that store house.

Conclusion

The system has been proposed successfully and this will allow automation for the harvesting and storage system of the grains for the farmer and thus, ensuring that extra human effort will be eliminated. This system is based on the Wi-Max wireless technology that will allow the farmer to collect and process the real-time data and take decisions based on those data. This will make sure that the storage never runs out for the grains and thus production will neither be wasted nor be stopped if there is always space for the cultivated crops. It is also accessible through mobile devices and thus, the farmer would be able to get data related to the store house and harvesting of the crops and thus he could even operate the functionalities through the smartphone. This project presents a successful system that is capable automating the activities and eliminating problems related to the crop storage and thus, alternatively affecting the production or output in positive manner. This report presents all the activities and the components those will be needed for the successful execution of this project through proper and effective project management. This report discussed the stakeholders, their roles, and responsibilities along with the impact and interest in the project. A brainstorming was executed at the first stage of the project that allows to gather important decisions and requirements of the project and presents various innovative ideas and based on that the whole project has been planned.

Objectives and Scope

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