As a Farm CEO, how do you decide what data to record and analyze, towards achieving cost-effective and proactive planning/decision making for profits? And how many would be too many? This article offers ideas that can help you.

This evening I sent an email response to a consultant representing a Farm Business Owner in Kenya, who wants me to develop a hatchery module addition to the monthly version of my Excel-VB driven Poultry Manager spreadsheet software application.

[NB: Click here to view the PDF preview. Watch the video demonstration of the full fledged app here.]

In his email, he asked how long it would take me to develop the hatchery module and integrate it into the main app.

I replied as follows:

To answer your question, standard delivery is 20 working days. That includes making the new app available for test run etc. In other words, I will work in such a way that by the 20th working day, I would be able to hand over a fully functional app that you’ll be able to put to use with minimal, if at all any problems.

Typically, from the 11th working day, I would send across a demo for you to quickly interact with for 24 to 48 hours and return to me, with feedback.

In the rest of the email he listed a set of parameters he wanted captured and analyzed by the app, via reports and charts.

This was a follow up on a previous, longer set of parameters that he’d sent last week. I’d supplied an estimate of the required investment based on the previous set of parameters.

So I reviewed the additional list he sent in, along with a PDF guide document on hatchery management he attached.

What follows below is advice I offer any farm business owner, towards making optimal use of data recording, analysis and report generation apps to run his/her business profitably, for the long term.

It’s Best to Adopt Best Practice Record Keeping From the Start

That’s something I found this gentleman consultant is keen to do. And it makes me quite excited for him and his client, because I’m convinced the farm will stand a better chance of long term success if they keep going that way.

It will not really matter whether or not they hire me. As long as they focus on using KPIs to cost-effectively monitor and manage the enterprise, things will turn out right.

The PDF hatchery management guide he sent was produced by (what he rightly described as) “a global hatchery manufacturer”. He added that it “outlines how farmers should operate hatcheries with global standards.”

By the time I went through the PDF, I could not agree more with what he’d said. The guide includes lots of ready-to-use practical information, including REAL photos of different stages of embryo development, taken on a daily basis, sample data record forms etc.

Simply put, it offers useful background against which to assess potential usefulness of data one chooses to record and analyze.

The Range of Potentially Useful Data in the PDF Guide, However ALSO Alerted Me to the Potential Danger…of Data Monitoring “Over-kill”

This insight came from my past experiences in implementing use of KPIs for Process Control/Management.

You see, I played that role on a daily basis in Guinness’ brewing batch production process for years. And I’ve done that with owners of poultry farm businesses, a cookies factory owner, and a sachet water manufacturing plant owner.

All were batch production operations – just like this consultant’s client’s hatchery enterprise.

What I’ve learnt from watching these solutions get put to use, taught me to identify a few core parameters to measure – and to stick with them

Usually they would be those which if “OK”, would indicate that all the others are fine as well. One would then simply keep an eye out for exceptions that may occur. And since those are likely to be few, they would NOT be hard to spot and act upon.

Here’s another reason I offer this perspective:

Back in Guinness, we learnt – over time – to narrow down to key parameters that most members of the team could easily relate to, and which – used together – told us at least 80% of what we needed to know.

It wasn’t a conscious process for the most part. We just let some go, over time, as we noticed skipping them did not impair our ability to accurately assess the state of affairs in the process. Those that were critical in relevance could NOT be treated that way.

In other words, we learnt to basically avoid over-kill, based on realities of the workplace.

Interestingly, the PDF guide’s authors most likely had that in mind when they added the phrase below as a FINAL entry in a list under “RECORDS”…

“8. The most important aspect of record keeping and data analysis: KEEP IT SIMPLE!”

And that’s really what I’m getting at here.

In other words, I’m saying I believe it’s okay to explore all potentially useful parameters. But I feel it would be wise to do so without taking on more than the intended users (you, and/or your employees) can handle FOR THE LONG TERM.

Instead, I would suggest RANKING the potentially measurable KPIs, to decide those which if generated routinely, can facilitate proactive planning/decision making for profits.

Those would be the ones you would start off with.

That does not mean you won’t work on any others. It’s just that you may want to start with those core KPIs first, and as time goes on, explore adding any others you think can help you do better.

The decision is ultimately yours to make…

I however recommend carefully reviewing all possible data items/performance measures, and choosing those most likely to give optimal benefits.

Questions to ask yourself…

1. Do you need ALL of the data items/performance measures or KPIs?

2. Is it possible there are some we can do without? If no, then go ahead and have them added to the software.

It’s definitely important for you, as a farm owner, to know how to monitor and measure important parameters for successfully running it.

However, I’m saying make sure you do not bite off more than you can chew!

I once had to tell a professional Excel VB developer friend of mine (KC Cheung) who’s based in Singapore, that the primary target audience I serve out here (in many – but NOT all cases) display what seems to be an “aversion” for elaborate use of data recording, analysis and report generation.

Many times – and this is what informed my comments above – I’ve had to curb my “excitement/ enthusiasm” in implementing solutions for them, based on myriad possibilities I was seeing!

And this is not just farm owners now.

Many of my Small Business clients in Nigeria have shown a similar disposition.

They want it, but they don’t want something that’ll make them do too much work to make use of it.

This taught me to limit the “volume” of features and functions I added to apps I built for them.

Otherwise, I’d return few months later to find only aspects they felt most “excited” about still in use.

And those would usually be: What was produced, how much was sold etc (not surprisingly)!

Getting a few to pay attention to “predictive KPIs” as a means of proactively managing their operations, to minimize avoidable setbacks, and ensure more consistent output, took time, and a lot of effort.

Now don’t get me wrong here.

Sometimes it’s not even the farm or business owners that are the problem.

Indeed the owner may be keen to use the data if available.

But the farm hands or employees/operatives who have to capture the data routinely (usually on paper) may not be!

I have experienced being PART of a workplace in which data recording for KPIs reports had to be done daily.

For instance, I developed and maintained most of the apps used in Guinness Benin Brewery’s Production department for that purpose.

What I’ve learnt is that people begin to struggle, if the load of data to capture and record/analyze becomes too much for them. Even when the PC is being used!

What’s more, not everyone in the workplace will be equally excited about the possibilities that capturing and recording all that data imply.

Some people’s workplace responsibilities may dominate their interest more.

For best results therefore, one has to strike an intelligent balance in doing this.

Now, it goes without saying, that I may NOT know YOU!

So, it is possible a different situation prevails in YOUR farm business, and THAT will certainly make a difference

And that’s why I want you to regard all I’ve said here as an act of “due diligence”.

My actions are always based on a code of ethics I subscribe to. You can click the link below to view it:

http://spontaneousdevelopment.com/uploads/code.pdf

In line with my code of ethics, I just want to be sure you know what you’re getting yourself into.

There’s no point starting something you won’t finish. Especially if you’re going to be paying a developer to build the software to be used.

The more features you request, the more you may have to pay.

If you need help deciding what data to capture and how to use it to better manage your farm business for profits, click here to book a FREE 15 minute consultation session with me.

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