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PresentationsMorton Blacketer, in conjunction with ESRI Australia, hosted a presentation evening with the Australian Spatial Information Business Association (SA) on Wednesday 11 June 2003. The presentation topic was 'From periphery to mainstream - GIS integration into everyday business applications'. It is now available to view online. Morton Blacketer's presentation included an introduction to Morton Blacketer and ESRI Australia, complementary skills and partnership approach, relevance of GIS to business today, The Enterprise Spatial Partnership and the benefits of a strategic approach to systems integration and design. To view Morton Blacketer's presentation, click here. ESRI Australia's presentation included problems of organisations operating with 'information islands', benefits of spatially integrated systems, introduction to EView and GIS Hosting, GIS developments and trends. To view ESRI Australia's presentation, click here. Media releasesInformation management an industry wide responsibility - March 2006 Inefficient information management is costing many wineries thousands of dollars each year. Marketing key in grape supply-demand gap - January 2006 Grape growers looking to the Internet for a solution and a market outside their traditional borders. IT innovator revolutionising the wine industry - November 2005 South Australian IY consultancy and software developer, Morton Blacketer, is revolutionising the wine industry with its viticulture supply chain management portal, VineAccess. Morton Blacketer leads wine industry consortium to win ITOL (Information Technology Online) Program funding to develop a solution that will reduce the cost of compliance to HACCP and export market reporting requirements. Morton Blacketer gains Registered Research Agency status - 14 October 2004 As a Registered Research Agency, Morton Blacketer can now provide clients with research and development services in the areas of Computer Software, Information Systems and Technologies - and provide the potential to claim tax benefits. Geographic Information Systems move into the mainstream - 15 May 2003 Find out about the services and technologies supporting this trend at a free seminar, in conjunction with the Australian Spatial Information Business Association. New EView service launched at Local Government Association
Conference - December 2002 Morton Blacketer launch web based solution - 19 December 2001 Web based solution for South Australian pathology laboratory - 19
September 2001 Results delivery online.smart, simple and
secure - 19 June 2001 Information Management an industry wide responsibility Despite an international reputation as innovators in wine making and production, Much inefficiencey remains in the Australian wine industry,a ccording to Stephen Blacketer, managing Director of wine industry technology leader Morton Blacketer. Mr Blacketer said inefficient information management systems were costing many wineries thousands of dollars each year. "Our calculations show the cost to large wineries of managing the grape procurement process ranges from $300,000 to $2 million a year," he said. "Currently, the greater majority of the industry collates spray diary information manually, and spreadsheets are used to track grower activities. This means forecasting can take weeks and coordinating harvest is just as laborious. "Spreadsheets are also commonly used by grower associations, which manually update vineyard data and grape availability through surveys and phone calls to their grower memberships. "Through our liaison with the wine industry, we have found the industry has been crying out for a system of data exchange and information management in the viticulture supply chain. "On average, it costs larger wineries up to $1000 each year to manage communication and information between each grower. "Efficient data management can save thousands of dollars a year. Clearly, that's a significant impact on the bottom line." Morton Blacketer created and operates VineAccess, a vineyard management system that manages data across the viticulture supply chain, as well as using the Internet to market and sell grapes via the VineAccess Spot Market. Mr Blacketer said implementation of an information management system would effectively streamline the industry. "When we started our research for VineAccess, we were surprised by the number of critical tasks being administered manually.We could see significant opportunities to improve this process across the industry simply through managing viticulture supply chain data more efficiently," he said. "If the industry could control its basic data, the process of applying new tools and time and money-saving innovations, such as mapping technology and precision viticulture, was achievable. "The wine industry has much to gain through collaborative effort. The efficiencies and savings that can be made for growers, contractors and wineries as individual organisations have a direct impact on the industry at the macro level. "The opportunity to share in savings worth millions of dollars each year is certainly a reality - but it requires a whole-of-industry approach." Mr Blacketer said central to VineAccess was its location, on the Internet, because it was accessible by all and established a "hub" to deposit and share data. "By having viticulture management tools and information in a central location, growers can access vineyard data and report on activities easily so they can identify, measure, analyse and manage their vineyard's performance," he said. "Growers can respond to winery harvest scheduling bookings on-line and, if they wish, share vintage statistics with industry organisations, reducing paperwork associated with annual reporting requirements. "Also, VineAccess enables growers to fulfil contract and HACCP reporting obligations by reusing existing data." Mr Blacketer said wineries and industry organisations could access consolidated and timely information, which reduced the cost of data collection. "Through VineAccess, both wineries and growers can 'tag' selected information to be automatically released to registered industry organisations, eliminating the necessity to complete annual surveys - an important but time-consuming exercise. "Once industry organisations have this information, they're able to release aggregate figures and provide the industry with up-to-date insights into regional vintage statistics that might include rolling demand and supply forecasts, harvest peak demand periods and actual harvest statistics. "This type of information will be invaluable as the industry plans and manages each vintage." Marketing key in grape supply-demand gap With many of Mr Morton Blacketer created and operates VineAccess, which uses the Internet to market and sell grapes via the VineAccess Spot Market. Mr Blacketer said VineAccess' Spot Market was proving to be an increasingly popular way for buyers and sellers to exchange information, and was free to some users. "The VineAccess vineyard management system records grape and vineyard data, which can be shared with buyers in real time," he said. "As growers face the 2006 vintage with an oversupply of fruit and flat market demand, prices are likely to be low. "Because VineAccess' Spot Market uses the Internet, it provides an efficient and inexpensive communication channel between buyers and sellers to share key information about the produce, such as on-line spray diaries and harvest dates and forecasts." Mr Blacketer said growers who registered with VineAccess as an "Independent Grower - Contract Returns" would gain free access to the on-line spray diary. "The VineAccess spray diary follows the familiar industry standard, paper-based format, but includes help tools to make data entry easier - meaning there is less chance of errors occurring," he said. "This registration enables growers to record company and vineyard details; create and share forecasts, spray diaries and vineyard details with winery customers; and list fruit on the VineAccess Spot Market - they have complete control of the information they elect to share." Mr Rob Glastonbury, Operations Manager, De Bortoli Wines, said wineries were under increasing pressure from customers, who were demanding comprehensive information about the product and its history. "To satisfy customers' request for in-depth information about our wine, we need to have access to good vineyard data," Mr Glastonbury said. Mr Blacketer said feedback from growers and Spot Market buyers in the 2005 vintage had seen a number of improvements to the VineAccess Spot Market for this year's vintage. "This vintage, 'bid pricing' won't be listed on the Spot Market because buyers indicated they often didn't pursue fruit if the listed price was too high," he said. "We also found growers were reluctant to list a price because of the competitive nature of the vintage and inequity between regions of fruit pricing for grapes of the same variety." Other changes included in this year's Spot Market include:
IT innovator revolutionising the wine industry South Australian IT consultancy and software developer, Morton Blacketer, is revolutionising the wine industry with its viticulture supply chain management portal, VineAccess. Established in 1996, Morton Blacketer is an IT consultancy and software developer that assists clients to maximise IT investments. VineAccess is a web-based portal that facilitates the exchange of information throughout the whole viticulture supply chain - from the farm to winery. The breadth of information that can be shared includes chemical use traceability, maturity test data, crop forecasting and harvest schedules.The VineAccess Spot Market can also be accessed through the VineAccess portal for the sale and purchase of uncontracted fruit. Morton
Blacketer's Managing Director, Mr "The success of VineAccess and the growth of Morton Blacketer have been built on our ability to quickly recognise clients' needs, provide innovative solutions and build on our intellectual property," Mr Blacketer said. "However, it has been a carefully constructed growth path. "We started our research for VineAccess by approaching wine industry players about the use of mapping technology in precision viticulture. It turned out that there were bigger issues to be solved. "The industry required a system of exchanging data between the various parties in the supply chain before it could adopt mapping technology. "If the industry couldn't control its basic data, the process of applying mapping technology and precision viticulture was a dream. "We saw a
significant gap in the marketplace and an opportunity for "We met with a
number of wineries throughout "We quickly recognised these concerns were shared across the industry and cost considerable time and money." Armed with a battery of ideas to overcome these industry challenges, the firm has been awarded numerous grants to support the development of VineAccess. Morton Blacketer was awarded first prize in the 2004 Secrets of Australian IT Innovation competition, which opened doors to other opportunities at a critical time in VineAccess' development. Mr Blacketer said the competition win boosted Morton Blacketer's reputation and credibility in the marketplace. "The award ratified our position as a leading IT consultancy, giving Morton Blacketer credibility in the wine industry and positioning VineAccess as a must-have wine industry tool for the future," he said. In 2005, Morton Blacketer instigated a partnership with four of Australia's top wine companies, representing half of Australia's grape crush, and the top two grower associations to bid for a grant to develop an industry standard Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point (HACCP) compliance system for VineAccess. The consortium subsequently won the grant, bringing the firm closer to its goal of ensuring VineAccess is accepted as the industry standard. "We operate in the professional services industry, where it is difficult to make distinctions between competitors, however we've been able to do that with VineAccess," Mr Blacketer said. "We built our brand and demonstrated to clients the potential of our ideas.This demonstrated a point of difference and gave us a sustainable competitive advantage. "The IT services industry is very relationship-driven and we enjoy excellent rapport with all our clients because we're innovative, responsive and proactive. "Within four years of setting up we had established a reputation as a valuable solutions-focussed business partner." Today, Morton Blacketer operates VineAccess from Adelaide and boasts a national client base.Food safety and export compliance made easy with $200,000
Federal Government grant As quality assurance, food safety and environmental standards are becoming increasingly stringent all over the world, growers and wineries are spending more time and money to meet reporting requirements.Recognising this trend, the Federal Government has granted a consortium of industry players a $200,000 grant to enhance and develop tools on the VineAccess web portal to make compliance easy. The grant was awarded under the ITOL Program (Information Technology Online), provided through the Minister for Communications, Information Technology and the Arts.The program recognizes groups of businesses working together to develop innovative, e-commerce solutions to benefit both small and large players within an industry.Funding is provided on a 50/50 basis. Working with Morton Blacketer, the company behind VineAccess, are Hardy Wine Company, McGuigan Simeon Wines, Orlando Wyndham, Fosters Wine Estates, Riverland Winegrape Growers and Murray Valley Winegrape Growers Inc. The resulting tools seek to reduce
the cost of compliance for each user group within the viticulture supply chain by developing
an online database for the entry of chemical and spray usage data by grape
growers in the viticulture industry.It
aims to support Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point (HACCP) compliance
including:
Growers will be able to record and manage their HACCP reporting online, fulfilling the requirements of each winery they grow for.Wineries will be able to monitor HACCP exceptions in their supply chain in a timely and cost effective manner.HACCP auditors will be able to undertake online auditing and certification for both wineries and growers.A comprehensive database of agrochemicals will enable automated monitoring and exception reporting of agrochemical use. Further information about VineAccess is available at www.vineaccess.com. Morton Blacketer gains Registered Research Agency
status As an expert provider of IT research and development services,
Morton Blacketer is now recognised as a Registered Research Agency. This
newly acquired status enables Morton Blacketer to provide clients with
research and development services in the areas
of Computer Software, Information Systems and Technologies. "In addition to the financial tax benefits, clients can also
capitalise on the experience and resources of Morton Blacketer, without
investing in expensive IT infrastructure and expertise within their own
organisation", says Stephen Blacketer, Managing Director. "As
a
technology partner, Morton Blacketer can
compliment our client's research and development efforts, saving
them time and, often, facilitating R&D efforts." Registered Research Agencies are an important component of the Commonwealth Government's commitment to supporting small to medium business access expert research and development services. Now clients can contract Morton Blacketer to perform R&D on their behalf, providing the potential to claim a portion of the associated costs through the R&D Tax Concession scheme. Geographic Information Systems move into the mainstream More and more organisations are using Geographic Information Systems to enhance the value of their corporate information. Supporting this trend, are a range of services and technologies to assist organisations to integrate GIS into everyday business applications and the extract maximum value from IT investments. To provide a deeper insight, Morton Blacketer, together with ESRI Australia and Australian Spatial Information Business Association, present "From periphery to mainstream", a strategic approach to identify and incorporate information islands into mainstream business applications. The presentation will also look into using GIS technologies to empower staff across your organisation and GIS technologies on the horizon. This is a free seminar. Click here to download your free invitation (Adobe Acrobat) or contact Morton Blacketer on 8357 9500. New EView service launched at Local Government Association
Conference The Local Government Association Conference (Adelaide, 10-11
October 2002) saw the launch of a new service enabling smaller Councils to
capitalise on operational and service efficiencies provided by Enterprise View
(EView). EView, developed by ESRI Australia, provides Councils with a
data integration, analysis and visualisation system - that's easy to use. A
web browser provides staff with client-server functionality over the Internet.
This means that data can be shared across applications and throughout Council departments. EView interprets queries by identifying the
appropriate data sources, retrieving and merging information to present it as a
layered map, document or text. The result provides invaluable, timely support
for internal operations, analysis, management decision making and customer
service functions. It also enables
the production of high quality, printable maps and reports. For example, if a Council owned site is intended for
redevelopment, an EView query can pinpoint it's geographic location
from the Asset Management database. Further
information can be drawn from the Property database to identify neighbours to
be notified. Each neighbour's
contact information can then be merged with a letter, with a map and plans
inserted, and sent out - quickly and easily. Morton Blacketer, ESRI Australia Business Partner and custom
software developer, has modified the EView business model to enable Councils to
access the technology within an Application Service Provider framework. Their
hosting solution is based on, and supported by, ESRI Australia's EView
technologies and Microsoft's SQL Server. It
specifically targets small to medium Councils, enabling them to achieve
operational and service delivery benefits provided by EView.
A hosted service means a reduced total cost of ownership through a fee for service system,
rather than an outright purchase. 'Our hosting
solution is quickly gaining momentum as Councils realise that they can still
retain control over information resources,' says Stephen Blacketer, Managing
Director of Morton Blacketer.
'Council databases are securely stored and administered by Morton Blacketer, and a range of
printable reports, map options and functions can set up to ensure business and
operational objectives can be achieved.' Only
authorised users can access online information. Both EView and Morton Blacketer's hosting service provide an open and scalable business intelligence solution; designed to unlock the organisation's data assets so all staff can access them. The result ensures both speed of service delivery and return on investment in information resources. EView has already proved invaluable to Councils throughout Australia, including the City of Greater Geelong and the City of Manningham. The hosting solution promises to do the same, with confirmed interest already resulting from the launch in October. Morton Blacketer launch web based solution (19 December 2001) This week, Morton Blacketer - an Adelaide based IT specialist - launch their Business Payment Gateway, a secure, web based credit card payment system. The new system will enable businesses to collect credit card payments directly into their bank account - 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Morton Blacketer's Business Payment Gateway comprises a number of web pages that can be customised to suit a company's branding and image, allowing their logo to be added, as well as the custom selection of text, background and highlight colours. This ensures that businesses can retain client ownership throughout the online payment process. A Secure Socket Layer (SSL) provides a safe environment through which customers can submit credit card payments. In addition, all information is encrypted, before travel over the Internet, and the cardholder's financial institution validates payment details over the dedicated links of Camtech's E-Commerce Payment Gateway. The new Gateway deals with all major credit cards and financial institutions, providing customers with the flexibility of payment options. With almost instantaneous online authorisation, it also saves business both time and money, directing customers to payment channels that will reduce bad debts and shorten collection cycles. Morton Blacketer's Business Payment Gateway will become an invaluable tool for web developers, who can now provide clients with the value added benefits of e-commerce - without complex web development. It will also enable small business to quickly and easily capitalise on the 24 hour trading ability of the World Wide Web. Morton Blacketer's website has been upgraded to include a demonstration of their Business Payment Gateway. You can test it online at www.mortonblacketer.com.au. The site also includes an overview of their e-Business, Software Solutions, IT Consulting and Systems Administration solutions, coupled with client case studies that demonstrate how other businesses have gained from deployment of IT solutions. To find out more, visit Morton Blacketer's new website at www.mortonblacketer.com.au. Web based solution for South Australian pathology laboratory (19 September 2001) Gramp Skin Pathology, a South Australian medically owned laboratory, has launched a web-based report exchange. The new system provides doctors with the ability to log on to a central website to access the pathology results of patient specimens. "The Exchange will bring about quicker turn-around-times, which will be a distinct advantage to our regional clients," says Thrity Anthon, Business Manager with Gramp Skin Pathology. "The Exchange dispenses with the need for doctors to wait for results to be delivered by courier and easily integrates with computerised practice management systems. It also confirms Gramp Skin Pathology's reputation as a pathology provider at the forefront of technology." Plastic surgeons, dermatologists and general practitioners, throughout Adelaide and South Australian and Victorian regional areas, use Gramp Skin Pathology's high quality, specialist, diagnostic services to analyse patient specimens. Back in 1997, Gramp's recognised the need to implement electronic delivery of pathology reports. They found an 'off the shelf' communications package that enabled clients to retrieve reports via modem, with a serial connection to a Gramp Skin Pathology computer. Clients provided their own computer infrastructure. This system required significant resources to manage and maintain - as well as sophisticated computer skills at both the sending and the receiving sites. Gramp Skin Pathology wanted to reduce the turnaround time, complexity and costs involved with this method of delivering medical reports. A tender process was undertaken to find a software developer with the appropriate skills to achieve Gramp Skin Pathology's objectives. Morton Blacketer, an Adelaide based specialist in e-Business Solutions, was awarded the job. Their extensive experience in developing secure, interactive website capabilities, as well as custom software applications, put them ahead of the competition. Morton Blacketer developed an Exchange, which enables the electronic delivery of pathology results over the Internet. The Exchange works by having a central web site to which Gramp Skin Pathology can upload their results. Doctors and hospitals can log onto the web site and collect their pathology results, which are downloaded into their medical practice management system. The site is user name and password protected, and provides Gramp Skin Pathology with reporting tools to monitor results collection. "We looked to Morton Blacketer for guidance on what our options were and the best solutions to our specific needs," says Ms Anthon. "We have been able to simplify the report delivery process and provide ownership of the facility to our clients." Gramp Skin Pathology tested the Exchange with a client in Mildura, before going live in August. Feedback has been very positive with four clients registered and many more are interested in coming on line. To find out more about the system, view Gramp Skin Pathology's website at www.gramp.com.au Results delivery online.smart, simple and secure (19 June 2001) Morton Blacketer Online Pty Ltd, e-business developer, announces the launch of Lab Results - a secure, online pathology results delivery system.
"Extensive research and development has enabled us to provide a solution that
supports the pathology provider/client relationship," says Stephen Blacketer,
Managing Director. "Although the technology is leading edge, it provides a simple solution," adds Mr Blacketer. "Medical practitioners need no special equipment, just Internet connection." Lab Results' data management system was developed to conform to the National Pathology Accreditation Advisory Council's Guidelines for Data Communication. The system's security is ensured through maintaining a complete record of results delivery, encrypting communications to prevent 'eaves dropping' and providing confidential results delivery by restricting access to authorised users only. For more information, refer to www.labresults.com.au or call 1 300 656 955. |
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