Data standards for the Australian sheep industry

Abstract

The Australian sheep industry is evolving into a high technology industry requiring large amounts of data collection. Sheep producers increasingly rely on electronic recording of information to improve productivity. Currently, there are many disparate data management applications involving different terminologies and data architecture, and no standard data transmission protocols. There are a bewildering variety of software and data formats from which to choose, but there are no standard data formats to establish a common ground across the sheep industry. This has led to confusion, but more importantly, is a key barrier to the uptake of decision support software within the sheep industry. The Sheep Industry Data Standards Project provides a standard set of data terms and protocols so that data management and transfer can occur without confusion across the sheep industry.