A NEW app is promising to make data management for livestock producers simple and cost effective.
Melbourne's AgriWebb has just released its AgriWebb Notebook, which it has been developing since July last year.
Its first clients are in western Vic, but it is also attracting wider interest from SA farmers.
AgriWebb head of sales John Fargher says many livestock producers still record data with a pencil and paper and then transfer it into their home computer at the end of the day. The AgriWebb NoteBook enables real-time data input.
The farmer's paddock map is pre-loaded onto a new Google Nexus 7 tablet forming the home screen of the AgriWebb program.
The map shows the individual paddocks and enables the user to input data related to the paddock or the mob in the paddock. This includes the numbers of sheep and cattle in each paddock, size of the paddock and stocking rates.
There is also an inventory function for all the feed, grain and hay fed-out and chemicals, fertilisers and treatments applied to that particular paddock or mob.
When the mob is moved, its entire life history moves with it for full-life transparency and record keeping.
The task management system enables tasks to be located on the map. It also has multiple-user integration capabilities allowing a number of employees to have an AgriWebb Notebook and track the completion of on-farm jobs and a calendar of events.
Mr Fargher - who was raised on a sheep and cattle station in the Flinders Ranges - said it was an end-to-end farm management tool which collected data and reviewed the day-to-day efficiency of the business.
"It is all very visual so you can see what is going on. You don't need to filter through Excel spreadsheets and all the functionality is drag and drop," he said.
"It is portable. You can put it in your pocket and carry it around the farm."
A real point of difference with the AgriWebb Notebook was its ability to report information back in a meaningful way.
"It is about changing the way the farm is run, from making decisions because that is the way your father or grandfather did it, to managing the farm in a data-driven way based on real-time farm information," he said
"We can deliver the data back so you can make smarter long-term decisions to become more productive and profitable."
Data is automatically backed-up and saved to the company's secure cloud server, so if anything happens to the tablet, the data can be retrieved to the most recent back-up and put on another tablet.
The AgriWebb Notebook is available for $999 plus GST which includes the App and the tablet.
Unlike many farm management Apps which are subscription-based models, there is no ongoing monthly or yearly fee. Instead, new features are offered on a pay per module basis.
"For early adopters, as an added incentive we will push out the new modules for free all for the one-off payment, so you get a lifetime of amazing functionality for free," Mr Fargher said.
The company has also developed another time- saving device, AgriWebb Trough Sentry, an affordable remote water-monitoring system.
A network of low-cost sensors are fitted to troughs across the farm and notifications are communicated via radio directly into the AgriWebb Notebook when there is a problem with the water levels.
Details: www.agriwebb.com or john.fargher@agriwebb.com