Livestock management apps are an excellent solution in comparison to the older paper oriented processes of data capture. It allows for greater speed and far more accurate processes. Read our full report to learn more.
Livestock Management Apps Increase Efficiency
Every day, New Zealand farmers buy and sell livestock. Every day, they rely on the services of NZ Farmers Livestock to make this happen. With over 100 years of experience in servicing the rural sector, NZ Farmers Livestock arranges sales, manages auctions and dispatches stock to abattoirs and farms all over the North and South Islands. It’s an essential service – and one that requires accurate records.
Livestock Management Apps for productivity gains
However, the company’s 50 agents were recording entries for sale and buying orders in a scrappy, inefficient way. Bits of paper were being faxed, scanned and emailed to the office, requiring managers to piece together details of stock numbers and breeds, and then match them to the correct customer account. This information is essential for running an auction and creating accurate records.
Relying on this kind of paperwork was slow, and it left the process open to errors. It was time to put the old-fashioned ways out to pasture.
Solution: Seamless data from paddock to PC.
IT Manager Mike Shaw discussed the issue with Spark, who recommended NZ Farmers Livestock investigate the AMS mobile app platform.
“Our agents in the field already have iPhones,” he said. “AMS showed how we could start building apps to capture bookings and create accurate records, rather than relying on agents to ring the office or send text messages.”
With help from the AMS team, Mike created his first mobile app – an auction booking solution called Booking In. Using drop-down menus, agents are prompted to enter precise details of stock numbers and breeds, as well as the customer’s account number. The completed form is then sent to the regional office where it appears in the inbox of staff who need that information in order to manage the auction.
The Booking In app interfaces with the company’s database, so each form is tagged with the correct customer details. No more double handling and laborious checking of data!
More Livestock Management Apps = More Productivity
Having built his first app with AMS, Mike decided to take things further. He and the NZ Farmers Livestock team identified a whole range of processes that could be improved with apps and mobile data.
“Once we saw how easy it was to use the Booking In app, we created another one for agents to use when creating sale notes. It lets them record livestock details in the field at the moment of sale. This ensures everything is accurately captured in the system.
“We have also built mobile apps to capture expenses for Fringe Benefit Tax and process Annual Leave Applications. And when our guys book stock into the meatworks, they can record all the livestock details in a mobile form so the meat processing company records match our dispatch records.
“The attitude now is that, if it’s a paper process, it can be pushed to an app.”
Livestock Management Apps Mean Fatter Margins
Mike says the business is running more efficiently now that AMS has given it the means to create its own custom apps.
“Our apps are running really smoothly in the field. There was no push back from the users, which is a good sign. They really like the simplicity of an app on their iPhone that eliminates the need to file paperwork or make a call. They can focus on providing good service to the farmer, while our team back at the office have everything they need.
Having the correct data entered at the earliest possible date allows the business to speed up its invoicing process. There’s no lag between the initial transaction and getting it allocated to the correct customer account.
Mike is also pleased with the level of support he received when first venturing into the world of mobile apps.
“The support from AMS was really good. I was able to use their tools to create the livestock booking app our business needed, and we’ve gone on to create many more.”
Executive Summary
- NZ Farmers Livestock manages sales for farmers, predominantly around rural areas of the North Island.
- 50 agents in the field needed a simple, standardised way of booking accurate livestock details for upcoming auctions. The old system relied on scraps of paper being sent to the office and transcribed into the company’s systems.
- AMS provided the platform for NZ Farmers Livestock to build its own Booking In app, running on agents’ iPhones.
- Agents now complete transactions with all the required information on the spot. The can send the information via the mobile phone network to the relevant managers’ offices.
- The company has since gone on to create further apps for everything from applying for annual leave to sending stock to the meatworks.
- Mobile apps have been enthusiastically adopted by agents in the field. NZ Farmers Livestock has benefited from quick, reliable capture of essential business data.
