Huw Williams farms with his brother in Ceredigion, West Wales. The family farm supports a 150 cow dairy enterprise, which is run with one additional member of staff.
The Orchid FarmWizard software is the only system that was Cloud (Web) based and Huw initially had concerns about what would happen if he lost his Internet connection, would he be able to access and add to his data? Although an experienced computer user, Huw also wondered whether he would be able to get to grips with the latest Cloud technologies – a good technical support back up was going to be very important to him.
Dairy Farm Software Case Study – Selecting the right software for your farm.
Before selecting the Orchid FarmWizard dairy management system, Huw had looked around the farm software market. He prefers to use a Mac computer for business and personal use, which presented an additional problem as virtually all farm software is written for the Microsoft Windows PC. However, since the Orchid FarmWizard system is cloud-based, there are no constraints on hardware choice.
After considering his options, Huw decided on the Orchid FarmWizard system because he was attracted to the flexibility of the Cloud to store and display his herd data.
Dairy Farm Software Case Study – Getting started.
Huw purchased the FarmWizard Dairy Software at Christmas time. We really didn’t want him to stall with the unfamiliar software, and so we sent a personalised video to help him get started.
The herd does not milk record, so there was no breeding data to get started with the software. The Orchid Support Team took a step-by-step approach, first downloading all the cattle on holding details to eliminate the need for manual entry. Huw also made use of the Orchid FarmWizard video tutorials, which allowed him to quickly learn the basics of the system without having to wade through user manuals.
He was particularly impressed with the pro-active nature of the support he received. He comments: “There is real value for farmers in receiving regular follow up calls that provide encouragement to new users in the early stages of using the system.”
Dairy Farm Software Case Study – Making it work for you!
After building up the breeding history for each cow, Huw has started to make use of the extensive range of custom reports. For example, cows that might need attention can be selected based on various criteria and compiled into a report for the regular vet visit. He particularly likes being able to download, archive and print reports in PDF format. Huw comments that having herd breeding data readily available is now enabling him to “keep his finger on the pulse”. He is beginning to gain insights into his herd fertility that are much harder to see from sifting through paper records.
For BCMS passport and movements, Huw finds that the convenience of having a single entry point has made life easier. By entering calvings, purchases and sales into Orchid FarmWizard, he is maintaining the farm records and notifying BCMS in one hit – there’s no need to enter information a second time on the CTS Online Website.
As for his concerns about Internet connection failure, Huw knows that improvements to rural broadband and mobile Internet are rapidly being rolled out across the country. But for localised areas where there is no access, the FarmWizard mobile software also works has an off-line mode so that information can still be viewed and recorded.
Dairy Farm Software Case Study – Ensuring the software suits your technology
Huw has also started to use the system with an Android tablet and Apple iPad, and hopes to use these devices to share information with the other members of the farm team.
Overall, Huw says he would recommend Orchid FarmWizard service because it has enabled him to tighten up on his herd management using software that is easy to use with excellent support back up.
If you would like to discuss implementing dairy farm software on your holdings contact our dedicated support team on 01536 443300 or email info@orchidfarmtech.co.uk