Implementation of a farm management software system isn't a good fit for every farming operation. What are the challenges in your operation, or things you want to improve? Are they specific, like wanting a better solution for communicating to field workers or needing a reliable system for grain tracking? Or are they general, like wanting to improve overall efficiency, save time, streamline recordkeeping, or analyze ROI on your decisions?

There are many solutions out there for specific issues. Here are some problems we hear from growers where farm management software might be the next step:

• My operational data is disjointed and disorganized, so it’s difficult to figure out actionable next steps that will move the farm in the right direction.
• I’m wasting time manually issuing, routing, and changing work orders.
• During harvest, it’s impossible to track everything—I don’t want to spend days or weeks on reports for compliance or my banker.
• It’s hard for me to confidently plan for next year when this year is a blur.
• My farm management data isn’t integrated with my financial data so I can’t accurately assess ROI on every acre.
• I don’t know my cost of production.

Start with the problem you need to solve to make sure you’re finding a solution that makes sense.

Deciding how an FMS would bring value to your operation is a vital first step, but what might it actually look like on the ground, where the work happens? Moving from paper records and Excel spreadsheets to a more formal, digitized system is no small step. It’s wise to think about what it will take for your operation to make this change.

What would it look like to move to FMS on your farm? Here are some important things to consider.

• Ease of use. Farmers don’t need complication. Good farm management software should feel surprisingly easy and natural to use, which is good news for both for the tech-savvy folks who work for you and the ones who might be more technically challenged. Consider a company that can provide a demo for you to see and feel what it’s like. You’ll be able to tell if the developers have an understanding of farming, and if they’ve used farmer feedback to continually improve their solutions.
  
  
• Set-up. It’s a common misconception that the set-up process is long and complicated. You want to get up and running and comfortable as soon as possible, and the best FMS companies have well-developed processes with high support. Do you want your set-up to take place with on-farm, in-person guidance? Then be sure to ask questions around what the set-up process will look like.

• Support along the way. There are always questions and troubleshooting with the implementation of any new tool or process, and it’s good to look into how you’ll get support after initial set up. Some solutions have strong customer support through all stages, while others may have, for example, only online communication. Think about what your operation will need and look for a company that lines up with the way you want to be supported.
  
  
• Change management. You work hard to put systems in place to ensure a smooth workflow on your operation. Changing those systems—even if it's for the better—can be challenging and will affect everyone who works for you. Gain buy-in and commitment by showing your team the “why” behind this decision, like the problems it will solve and how it will make their jobs easier. Ensure you have one or several people on your team who understand the benefits of the software to improve overall buy-in. Challenge them to support others and model a positive attitude to help ease the transition. Once the new software system is being used consistently, the team will see the value firsthand.

We hope this three-question process is helpful as you decide whether farm management software is right for you. No matter who you work with, we hope you move to farm management software if it will empower you to take actionable steps toward improving your farm’s profitability.