There's the real world, then there's the CWB.

[AdamSmith]

Today on www.world-grain.com

WINNIPEG, CANADA — The Canadian Wheat Board (CWB) announced on Dec. 4 a multi-year initiative to revamp its supply chain — a move that will translate into millions of dollars in annual savings and increased e-business opportunities for farmers.

Supply Chain Transformation is a large-scale project aimed at streamlining processes in every link of the grain-marketing chain — from farmgate to customer and back again. The result will be an end-to-end overhaul of the supply chain and its many components, from grain inventory management to marketing support services to the processes that ensure reliability and consistency of supply to grain customers.

The project will also introduce new e-business options for farmers, such as online permit applications, PPO contracting and tracking, producer car ordering and farmer account management, as early as spring 2007. A fully automated farmer payment system will also be created. Most major companies re-engineer their supply chains to ensure operations flow as efficiently as possible and can effectively respond to changing market conditions.

"Grain marketing is a highly competitive industry and farmers need every edge they can get," said Adrian Measner CWB president and chief executive officer. "The purpose of this major overhaul is therefore to make our processes operate as smoothly and efficiently as possible. At the end of the day, that means more money in farmers’ pockets."

This intensive three-year project, one of the largest ever undertaken by the CWB, is expected to cost about C$46 million. Resulting efficiencies could save farmers as much as C$10 million a year once the project is complete. It will also leave the CWB well-positioned to capitalize on opportunities to offer farmers new and improved services.

The CWB’s supply chain consists of all the tasks and support services required to market grain, source it from farmers, move it to customers and return the proceeds to farmers. Improving this chain will reinvigorate relationships with CWB partners — from grain companies and railways to terminal elevators and vessel operators.


Other Headlines from the outside world.

• VeraSun Energy begins construction on fifth ethanol refinery

• ADM to increase North American oilseed crushing operations

• Global Renewable to build ethanol plant in Wisconsin

• VeraSun Energy breaks ground on Iowa ethanol facility

• US BioEnergy acquires options on land for ethanol plant

• Broin expanding Iowa ethanol plant to include cellulose

• The Andersons, Marathon to build ethanol plant in Ohio

• Global ending stocks of wheat lowest since 1981-82

[AdamSmith]

"Grain marketing is a highly competitive industry and farmers need every edge they can get," said Adrian Measner CWB president and chief executive officer."

"The project will also introduce new e-business options for farmers, such as online permit applications, PPO contracting and tracking, producer car ordering and farmer account management, as early as spring 2007."

The Americans are building ethanol plants at a record pace, creating new demand for grain and new wealth for the grains industry.

The CWB has revamped their web site and are making it simpler and faster to apply for a permit book.

Is it even remotely possible for them to be more useless?

[lesm]

By now,I think they are about as usless as they can possible get. It reminds me of Nero playing his fiddle while Rome burnt.

[silverback]

You can smell the desperation to look relevant.

Either that, or there is money to be made by creating all these new ideas before the axe falls.

[wd9]

AS, but at least they will be able to edump raw eproduct more e-fficiently into the value added system of the US.

And you will be able to etrack that echeque for the whole eyear and a ehalf it takes to get to eyou (I mean you).

Bonus!

[Braveheart]

This is the most compelling reason that Adrian Measner has to go. He is still stuck in the command and control CWB bubble. "Bubble boy" Adrian has had such a long career with the board that he can think no other way. The whole board mentality is administration. Administered marketing, administered delivery, administered price spreads . . .

The CWB always seems to be aiming behind the target. In an age where most firms vision is to be part of a value chain, the board is working on re engineering its' supply chain.

And $46M???? Yikes!

[just_wondering]

Don't forget that voting in the director elections ends on the 8th.
And that for those who support the board and all it does will see this as another reason why a vote for the status quo is the raely best thing and that they will call up all their buddies too make sure to Get Out The Vote.
The CWB is working GREAT right just ask them.

[just_wondering]

I was also going to add how many of these releases Measner will get out before they throw his _SS out of the building.

[TOM4CWB]

Just-wondering,

The voting ended on Dec 1st at midnight, if the ballot was not post marked before then... it is garbage.

We are to wait for the e-mail to clear the e-office so our e-ballot can be counted by the e-accountants @ e-MNP!

[TOM4CWB]

Guys... don't you think you are being a little e-ruff on the e-directors?

Now if the new e-system were e-ISO compliant... there actually might be a e-point to all of this e-ntellectual e-property they are e-making.

I hope there is something e-usefull to what is going on... because the CWB obviously has been e-spending on this e-project for quite some e-time.

Seriously... this is where the CWB sees its future. WOW!

Could this system replace the CGC system for instance?

[SASKFARMER3]

Lets see I am the CWB and I give an impression to all farmers that I make them a profit in the sale of wheat and barley on the world market.
Then through different programs etc I spend like a drunken sailor the profit and finally leave a little scrap to be sent in a final check to the dumb farmers who think I am doing a real fine job.
Oh this sure sounds a lot like the liberal sponsorship scandal I have a right to my severance even though your fired. But after seeing how the big boys did it in Ottawa the CWB brass learned from the best how to live like you were bill gates.
Us Dumb farmers just kept letting them have fun at our expense, Now that the ship is starting to sink we have useless announcements how they are going to stream line the system etc. to save us money.
What a JOKE!

[craig]

The CWB needs to be more specific. Where are the possible 10 million in savings. I want to know if this was approved by the board of directors. I would suggest that under the current light of uncertainty about the boards future, a proposal to spent 46 million up front and then not start seeing a return on investment for at least 3 years is not very prudent management.

[wd9]

Craig, as SaskF said, they are entitled to their entitlements!

[TOM4CWB]

Craig,

The CWB Managers are masters of information manipulation. No question of this.

I spoke to my brother about the 42m investment... interesting response he had.

Average life cycle of this type of software is 4-5 years. Then new equipment and software to operate with it must be redeveloped.

Further few farmers actually will use this technology. 42m for 500 growers out of 50,000 is not a good investment.

On top a double check is required to insure fraud or mistakes have not been made... which prevents elimination of much of the work force that might be cut.

What is so bad about faxing in orders anyway!