
Overview
The AgrifoodTEF consortium comprises a set of testing and experimentation facilities and targeted services aimed at supporting customers in the testing and validation of systems and devices based on advanced technologies. Given the technical complexity of these facilities and services and the associated complexity of many activities making use of them, many customers can benefit from a preliminary training activity. The goal of such training is to make best use of the facilities and services and fully exploit the allotted time when actual testing/experimentation occurs. Customer training – involving both technical and procedural aspects – can either be sought by the customer autonomously leveraging the documentation provided by AgrifoodTEF or directly supported by AgrifoodTEF via this service; a combination of both approaches is also possible. This service does not limit its applicability to customers that already know what they require from AgrifoodTEF. The service also provides an opportunity for customers to discuss their specific needs and requirements with our team and be directed towards the set of services in the catalogue that best suit their needs. Especially where the customer envisages an articulate testing campaign, exploring their idea together with AgrifoodTEF via this service can be very beneficial in planning subsequent activities. This service can, if needed, be integrated with services S00109 (desk assessment activities for physical systems) or S00179 (desk assessment activities for digital systems or data) to anchor its operation and possible further testing activities more closely to the specific features of the system(s) developed by the customer.
More about the service
This service also allows the customer to optimally plan how to use AgrifoodTEF’s services. Optionally, the service can be integrated with services S00109 (desk assessment activities for physical systems) or S00179 (desk assessment activities for digital systems or data) to focus the activity on the specific features and needs of the devices or digital systems of the customer.
For customers who already know AgrifoodTEF and have a clear idea of what services they need, the service helps them to prepare for their optimal exploitation: the customer can therefore arrive at service execution with their personnel and systems poised to fully benefit from the services.
Training packages may include one to a few meetings, depending on the customers’ requirements. Possible topics for the meetings include an in-depth tour through the AgrifoodTEF “ecosystem”, delving into the specifics of testing procedures, as well as preparation for the design of a service package tailored to the customer’s specific needs.Training packages may include one to a few meetings, depending on the customers’ individual needs and the specific AgrifoodTEF services that the customers intend to use.
The following is an example of a service instance.
Example service: The customer is a company manufacturing agricultural implements. They are augmenting one of their products with onboard sensors and intelligence, with the aim of providing the farmer with valuable real-time data about cultivations generated by the augmented implement during commonplace agricultural practices. The manufacturer is interested in steering the augmentation project according to the outcomes of suitable performance evaluation activities and also in generating preliminary data and performance reports that they can share with selected customers to gauge their interest.
However, planning and performing experimental activities is outside the competencies of the company, so they ask AgrifoodTEF for support via this service.For this customer, training will be executed through three 3-hour training sessions plus one 8-hour session, so defined:- [Session 1 - 3h] discussion of system features to be tested and presentation of the type of tests and infrastructures that AgrifoodTEF can provide;- [Session 2 - 3h] collaborative definition of a preliminary experimental validation test for one of the chosen features;- [Session 3 - 8h] on-field training of company personnel in executing the test on the company’s own machine;- [Session 4 - 3h] collaborative analysis of the experience of Session 3, outlining of the activities to be performed by company personnel (including both self-administered training and technical preparation of the machine) to be ready to optimally exploit AgrifoodTEF’s testing services.At the end of the training, the features of AgrifoodTEF services for the design of experimental campaigns will be explained to the customer in case the customer is interested in involving AgrifoodTEF in the design and planning of their future, actual experimental campaigns. Alternatively, the customer can leverage the experience gained via the training to perform these activities internally.