Stories: People

Managing thousands of hectares of oil palm plantations is like running a city. There are a lot to keep track of – harvesting schedules, fertilisation plans, quality control, security, and logistics. One small delay or mistake can ripple throughout the entire supply chain.

At GAR, we’re turning plantations into precision-driven ecosystems with our ‘Smart’ Suite, a collection of digital tools that take the guesswork out of plantation management. By integrating real-time data, automation, and AI-driven decision-making, we’re making palm oil production smarter, faster, and more efficient.

Covering every route with Smart Step Harvesting

In the past, ensuring harvesters covered all areas relied on manual oversight. Smart Step Harvesting changes that by tracking harvester movements and displaying the routes on a digital map in near real-time. If any areas are missed, the system flags them, so teams can quickly step in and prevent fruit loss.

This tool turned supervision from reactive to proactive – supervisors no longer have to wait for reports. They can instantly spot inefficiencies, make real-time adjustments, and optimise daily harvesting performance. And next, AI algorithm will track how long harvesters stop at each location to ensure fruit is being actively collected in the right areas.

Smart Surveillance for plantation security

Securing vast plantations is a tough job, so GAR has taken it to the skies with Smart Surveillance.

Drones fly over the plantations daily, spotting open gates, security risks, and even environmental hazards before they become problems. This proactive monitoring system helps us act fast and keeps everything safe.

Smart Manuring: GPS-tracked precision in fertilisation

Fertiliser application used to be a guessing game, but Smart Manuring changes all that with GPS tracking. Now, Smart Tepat gives supervisors and field assistants a digital system to track fertiliser application routes, ensuring all areas are covered accurately without wasting or missing spots. The system replaces manual checks with digital tracking, giving us more precision and better results.

The GPS tracking is fully operational, and we’re also working on sensor-based monitoring to make the process even more accurate.

AI-powered fruit grading: Raising the standard for quality

Quality starts in the field, and with Smart Grading TPH, we’re using AI to assess fruit ripeness with precision.

Harvesters use mobile devices to grade palm fruit, ensuring that only the best, fully mature fruit enters production. By removing guesswork, this AI-driven technology improves extraction rates and oil quality.

With AI-based grading, we’re setting a new standard for quality control right from the start.

Smarter, integrated plantations, better results

The ‘Smart’ Suite is already changing the game in plantation management, but we’re not stopping there. We’re integrating these tools into a central digital dashboard for real-time coordination and exploring AI-powered predictive analytics to make everything even more efficient.

“Change isn’t easy, but with hands-on training and coaching, we’re making it seamless,” said Rudy P. Napitupulu, Head of Operation Transformation Division.

“Supervisors tell us these tools help simplify their work, while employees appreciate the time saved and the improved accuracy. It’s not just about upgrading technology; it’s about empowering our teams and finding better ways to work so we can perform at our best.”

From plantation to processing, storage to shipping, GAR is reinventing how palm oil is grown, harvested, and refined. Discover how our innovations are making our operations smarter, faster, and stronger.