Five essential agriculture ERP features

When used correctly, agricultural ERP is a great tool for helping a business satisfy its requirements.  There are some facets in these systems that set agricultural ERP apart from other ERP systems.

1. Compliance

Most of us like to eat and we enjoy knowing our food is clean and safe from anything that might cause us harm.  Farmers today must track the seeds they use and any fertilizers and pesticides they use to produce our food.  After the harvest, they need to track who bought their crops and where it was delivered.  Farmers need to track which field a crop grew in.  They are part of the worldwide chain that should monitor much of our food from our table all the way to the source.  Agriculture ERP will provide that traceability.

2. HRMS integration

There is a lot of seasonal work done on the farm.  An ERP with integrated HRMS functionality will help track who worked so they are paid properly and provide the means for payment of withheld taxes and other costs associated with those workers.  Farm workers do their jobs outdoors and move from field to field along with the work.  They need food and water where they are working.  Sanitation facilities need to move with the crews.  ERP will help farm managers ensure proper care for their workers.

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3. Livestock tracking

Meat does not simply show up at dinnertime.  Agriculture ERP helps the rancher track each animal through its life.  When was it born?  What is its parental lineage?  How much food did it eat?  Does its weight increase within norms?  Was it ill and what veterinary services and medicines did it get?  If the animal is destined for a customer with a no-hormone requirement, can the rancher prove it qualifies?

4. Breeding calendar

Agriculture ERP will help with breeding calendars.  To get the best calf production, every cow and heifer are monitored to know when they are in season.  As the time approaches, they are held for the right bull.  ERP tracks the cow’s health during gestation and records the health of the yield.

5. Field mapping

Today’s fields are rarely left to nature.  They are graded absolutely flat so that no water runs off and all seeps down to the roots.  Within any field are areas that are more fertile than others are.  Knowing these areas, the farmer can apply a little more fertilizer to those areas for a balanced crop yield.  Crops might be planted closer together in the more fertile zones too.  All this data is contained in ERP.  Today’s farm equipment uses that data to automatically signal the tractor and its equipment to adjust as the farmer drives through those zones whether plowing, fertilizing, planting, or harvesting.

These are just a few features mostly unique to agriculture ERP systems.  There are more and each one will help make your farm or ranch more productive.

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Tom Miller

About the author…

Tom completed implementations of Epicor, SAP, QAD, and Micro MRP. He works as a logistics and supply chain manager and he always looks for processes to improve. He lives near San Francisco Bay in California and can be found on the water in his kayak or on the road riding his motorcycle. Contact Tom at customerteam@erpfocus.com.

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Tom Miller

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