Month: February 2014
Data analysis tool prepares for next year
Reblogged from Tom Doran
DECATUR, Ill. — It’s been said that the past is the foundation for the future, and a new software program is available to create a strong foundation for crop production success.
DuPont Pioneer Field360 services helps growers increase farm productivity and profitability through the use of new software tools to aid in turning field data already collected at harvest into insightful, actionable information.
The new management apps and tools available with the new program include Field360 Notes and Field360 Select.
Field360 Notes app streamlines and organizes field-by-field agronomic information for communication between Pioneer agronomists, sales professionals and growers. The tool is compatible with iPad, iPhone and Android devices.
Field360 Select service is a mobile subscription service, leveraging web-based software that allows growers to monitor their fields in real-time for precipitation, growing degree unit information and corn growth stage development.
“The uniqueness with Field360 services is when people think of Pioneer they think of it as a genetics company. We are the provider of world-class genetics and hybrids and varieties,” said Justin Welch, Pioneer strategic accounts. “What Field360 services bring is a whole other level of yield expectations.”
“Now we can start working with our growers to get them to know their fields better, more intimately, field by field, to do better with placement, prescriptions of seeding rates, nitrogen management practices, many different things to help them build better yields on their farms for the next growing season,” he said.
“Because our software is compatible with most manufacturers’ equipment, growers can have their harvest data analyzed by our sales professionals,” said Justin Heath, DuPont Pioneer new services manager. “The analyses will help growers turn data into information they can use for next season’s management decisions.”
After taking the data card to a Pioneer sales professional, growers will receive yield summaries and harvest maps in a quick and timely manner via Pioneer Field360 Select software.
Because this program provides field-level information anytime, anywhere, through a web browser, growers are able to refer back to the summaries throughout the next season when making vital decisions.
By using as-planted maps and harvest data, sales professionals are able to provide growers with hybrid comparisons and performance data field by field and soil type by soil type to help growers understand what products succeeded and what didn’t.
“We can work with their soil types, their yield data, their fertility data, imagery data, basically any source of information to help them make prescriptions. The nice thing is once we’ve done that we can help track those fields all through the summer,” Welch said.
“We work with all of our growers, we collect the information. We deliver all of the information in person.
“We feel like that relationship between the grower and Pioneer is important. It’s very important to make sure we’re making those right decisions.”
A single season’s field summary is good, but multiple seasons of data are better.
Subscribing to Pioneer Field360 Select software in subsequent years allows sales professionals to combine historical data and perform multiyear analysis, Heath said.
These analyses provide even more information to help growers and sales professionals make the best management decisions, such as hybrid and variety selections and positioning, as well as seeding rate decisions on a field-by-field basis.
“The information is not shared with anyone else. Privacy is something that’s held pretty high,” Welch said.
He said the information provided by the grower “goes into a vault and the only people who would be able to see that would be the grower and he has the option to opt-in or opt-out for everyone else.”
“He can say, ‘Here’s my yield information and I want nobody else to see it,’ because it is his and his alone,” he said.
“If he wants us to help him with agronomics, with treatment analysis and those things, then he has the ability to share it with his sales, with his account manager and with his field agronomist if he desires.”
“Understanding information at the field level and soil type level is becoming critical in ag today,” Heath said.
“By utilizing agricultural analysis tools like Pioneer Field360 services, growers are able to have their sales professional review and summarize their information for them. They are also able to view their information anytime, anywhere.”
“The key thing is really about us getting to know our grower better, getting him to know his field better, with the end goal of making better decisions down the road,” Welch said.
Related Topic: Farm Software Packages
4 Ways Database Software Tools Can Help You Create Attention-Getting Reports
Reblogged from Richard Voss
Your IBM Power System database is a goldmine of information. But sometimes getting at that precious information is like trying to mine gold with a spoon. Database query tools can cut through the rock with laser like precision to extract every bit of data you need to create reports that are chock full of the insights and statistics your organization needs to stay competitive.
1. Access multiple database files
Reports are only as good as the data in them. Query tools provide the means to access multiple databases to pull together the information you need for key marketing, sales, and finance reports. You have the ability to specify records and field selection, add calculations, and pull the data into one file.
2. Choose a format
What is the best way to present information? It depends on the type of data and the end user. With database query tools, you can choose to format the information into a PDF report, an excel file, or a CSV output. CSV stands for Comma Separated File; meaning there is a comma between each field. CSV files can be imported into other applications such as excel. They also may be required when sending data to a vendor for processing. IBM has a tool for creating a CSV file but it does not have the flexibility and features of our software, nor is it as user friendly. For example, IBM’s tool may strip off leading zeros when these leading zeros are needed.
3. Automation
Some database query tools allow users to set sentries that automatically access multiple databases where data is stored, and format into a report on specified days/times. Automation increases efficiency and ensures reports are generated on a timely basis.
Also Read: 100 Percent Software Satisfaction Guarantee
4. Distribution
Companies can eliminate costly print jobs with the email distribution capabilities of database query software. It is a simple process to access email addresses from email address books, as well as customer database files, to put together a distribution list. For internal reports, our software emails a PDF or excel spreadsheet to the list allowing the end receiver to choose whether to view on their computer or print. This paper-saving step saves thousands of dollars in unnecessary print jobs.
One of our customers who is a bank vice president saw the value in our software but thought his users would demand to continue getting their data as printed reports. However, once the software was implemented he was surprised that everyone loved receiving their data as PDF files. He has unplugged his main printers and now only uses small desktop printers when printing is required. The paper and printer cost savings amounted to thousands of dollars per year.
One other important note – no programming is required to administer well designed database query software. This is of key importance to many companies that do not have a deep IT staff.
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