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The Seed Testing Cycle
The Amazing Seed!
by
Bob Treumann, Pure Harvest Software
 Agriculture production starts and ends in the seed.
Through all the changes in weather, before and after the
harvest, the Quality of the Seed is paramount. Growers,
sellers and buyers rely on independent, reliable
analysis of the seed for pricing and planting. With so
much riding on the Seed that is used, it is smart to use
every tool available to get accurate results quickly in
a final form that can be delivered to the buyer.
This is
where trusted data management can be a boon to your
business. No computer program can replace the expertise
of your people, or their commitment to serve the
customer. What a computer program CAN do is to let them
deliver their best customer service with the minimum of
time and effort. When everything works together as it
should, your lab will be testing for the same customers
year after year!.
A well
designed computer program will start with reference
lists of all the valid information that your lab needs
to manage. This includes customer names, addresses,
emails, crop & weed names, crop testing rules, seed test
names and prices. Reference data should be entered
once-only, and uses of this data should be limited to
information already in the lists. This prevents
misspellings that can look unprofessional and can create
erroneous reports and customer billing records. I know
of one lab that had an internal system that would not
create the same customer invoices twice in a row!
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Two of
Pure
Harvest Software's
newest customers sent in these
examples of how Pure Harvest has
helped them deliver high quality
services to their customers: |
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MD Seed Analysis story
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“A customer called
at 8:00 AM inquiring
about a sample that
was due to be
completed that day.
He was told that it
will be finished
right away and the
report will be
available after 9:00
AM on the website as
well as an emailed
report sent to his
company. He calls
again after 9:00 AM
after looking at the
report and wants
something corrected.
It is corrected in
the system and the
corrected report is
sent out again. The
customer receives
the corrected report
after 10:00 AM and
is able to conduct
his business. All of
this was made
possible by using
Pure Harvest. This
was definitely
quicker than the
mail and better
quality print than a
FAX.”
Myrna Smith and
Donna Grubisic
MD Seed Analysis
Santa Barbara.
California |
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J&T Green Seed Testing story |
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“Our lab was opened
in January of 2008.
I wanted a database
that would simplify
data entry, be
secure and
accessible at the
same time, and
produce a report of
analysis quickly and
with integrated
cross-checks. I had
met Bob Treumann at
a seed convention
and was very
impressed with Pure
Harvest’s
capabilities. What
was most impressive
was that this
software was in
common use among
many state and
private laboratories
already.
This last attribute
proved to be very
influential in
securing a new
client for our
laboratory. A large
native seed company
that was using Pure
Harvest affiliated
laboratories was
willing to test with
us because we were
able to give them
online access, and
send them a report
that was familiar
and standardized
between other
laboratories. “
Terry Dunfield
J & T Green Seed
Laboratory
Filer Idaho |
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A
computer system can produce consistently accurate
results by doing calculations based on raw data entered
by the analyst. An analyst who has to enter numbers in a
calculator and type the results into a report is bound
to make some mistakes. Using manual calculation, if your
lab is busy, the mistakes will proliferate. Even
spreadsheet calculations are vulnerable to mistakes if
data is entered into the wrong cell, or a calculation is
accidentally modified by overtyping.
A reliable system will not only do the calculations for
you, but will retain the raw data that was entered, and
issue warnings if data is missing, out of range, or out
of tolerance.. It can be entered by lower level staff,
and reviewed before release by a certified analyst. It
creates a history that will be important if your test
results are ever challenged.
Almost as important as getting the results of testing
correct is getting them to the customer as quickly as
possible. An automated system can email or fax results
to your customer AS SOON as they are ready. No one can
afford to lose a potential buyer because there are no
test results ready. This can make the difference in a
seed dealer selling all the seed, or having it left over
at the end of the year. The profit is always at the
bottom of the bin!
A well designed system should have robust search
capabilities. If your customer calls in for test
results, and the person calling doesn’t know the lot
number or lab number, you should be able to zero in on
it by searching the crop, the test requested , the
approximate date the sample was sent in and who sent it.
Better yet, the customer should be able to do that
independently from a 24hr web site!
Billing should be integrated into your testing process.
A good computer system will support billing based on the
tests actually performed. You should not be re-entering
your testing into another system like Quickbooks just to
generate invoices. Integrated billing also makes sure
that your invoices include all the testing that you do,
and leaves nothing out.
Mission critical software should be available anywhere,
and not be tied to a particular workstation. It should
be capable of holding an unlimited amount of data
without slowing down or choking. Your software should
meet your needs as you grow, so you can attend to
business.
Some
companies decide to build their own computer programs
with contractors or internal staff. The thinking is that
a custom system will fit your needs better.
Unfortunately, that is not the most common result.
Internally developed systems generally fail to meet the
initial expectations, and nearly always cost far more
than predicted. About 30% of computer projects are
thrown away before ever being used.
If you choose to review existing software for your lab,
you can be confident that
Pure Harvest from Elmwood
Solutions Inc meets all of the above needs, and much
more! We have been meeting the needs of this business
for thirteen years, and our software has become the Gold
Standard for this application.
You can find more
information about Pure Harvest at
http://www.pureharvest.com or by calling Bob Treumann at
651-487-3295
Written by
Bob Treumann
Pure Harvest Software
http://www.pureharvest.com
With contributions by
Terry Dunfield, J &
T Green Seed Laboratory, Filer Idaho, and
Myrna Smith and Donna Grubisic,
MD Seed
Analysis, Santa Barbara. California
REFERENCES
Build vs Buy Decision
http://articles.techrepublic.com.com/5100-10878_11-1045594.html
Software Failure Rate
http://www.it-cortex.com/Stat_Failure_Rate.htm
“The Standish Group research shows a staggering 31.1% of
projects will be canceled before they ever get
completed…. 52.7% of projects will cost over 189% of
their original estimates. … The lost opportunity costs
are not measurable, but could easily be in the trillions
of dollars in the United States alone.”
“On the success side, the average is only 16.2% for
software projects that are completed on-time and
on-budget. “
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