Information Systems (IS) and Information Technologies (IT) are a useful tool in the productivity and competitiveness of agricultural companies, by applying them to tasks that allow monitoring and improving the different processes that are commonly carried out in agricultural production, As an area to sow, doses to apply worker productivity, product marketing, so the agricultural company can allocate resources more efficiently to improve competitiveness and market focus.
Introduction
Competitiveness in the different sectors of the economy has increased in recent years, the agricultural sector is not an exception to this evolution, facing new competitors, their strategies and thus being able to stay in the market obtaining profits requires greater productivity, which is among other factors the result of an adequate use of all the resources that a company has, be they human or infrastructure.
Use and Value of IT and IS in Agricultural productivity
The only way to achieve excellence in productivity is to be able to quantify and analyze the current situation of the company, which includes analyzing internal processes such as:
- Results of production strategies
- Volume Quality Epochs
- Achieved profitability Cost analysis and focus on how to be more efficient Inventory rotation and its management to maximize working capital as well as reduce losses due to product expiration. Efficient packaging Timely and adequate purchases of what is required.. etc.
It is also key to quantify the productivity of each individual who works in a company, to decide, for example, the permanence and rewards that should be delivered thanks to the achievements made.
The only way to monitor and correct what needs to be improved is through the use of information systems and Information technologies appropriate to the needs and realities of the company and its business units, crops in the case of agricultural companies that diversify their production.
This report will show how information systems can improve the profitability obtained in the field through a correct approach to the resources used, thus achieving greater productivity per unit area. Ortega, (2000)
These concepts are applicable to the heading of agricultural companies that are dedicated to the production of crops such as vegetables, grains and fruit trees.
Inflammation levels and required IT
Making an analogy to what is presented by Desisto, (2004) in an agricultural production company, the different levels such as the general and production manager must have different types of information to improve decision-making and for this the correct implementation is of vital importance. and application of SI and IT, so then the necessary tools and information required will be different for the general manager than the production manager and field supervisors will require.
Below are different analyzes that must be carried out in an agricultural operation that is seeking to achieve a competitive advantage that allows it not only to survive but to lead its market.
Should the entire field be planted?
Normally an agricultural property, regardless of size, has areas of high production and areas of low production, these are the ones that take away benefits and reduce the usefulness of the global exploitation, maybe the technicians know and identify these areas but DO NOT give a differentiated treatment which could be for example: "these hectares will NOT be sown" or less fertilizer will be applied on them since fertilization depends on the potential to be reached, to make this type of decision it is necessary to have an information system developed by the company that includes geographic information (geographic information system) Figure N ° 1 shows an example of a fertility map.
Perhaps this is an extreme example of technology that not all farmers can have access to but information systems adapted or even developed by the agricultural company can be implemented. For example, the use of databases that store information on the fertility analysis and yields obtained in representative areas of each classification unit, which in Figure N ° 1 represents different levels of fertility of a ranch, going through the red of higher fertility to whites of less fertility in which you must know at least:
- How much was harvested and for this it can be supported by yield maps such as the one in figure N ° 2
- With what quality in each sector or paddock.
- What was the cost of production, which is easy to know since normally most farms apply a general system with small adaptations according to partial or total intakes of the crop by pests and / or diseases.
The fertility data, and costs associated with production, the farmer has the way to obtain the first by means of soil analysis for every 10 ha for example and the second taking representative samples of the sectors classified as similar and the third ideally from the use of a ERP or, failing that, of the simple analysis of data concentrated in an Excel spreadsheet.
The yields can be obtained through simple random samples in the different fertility zones of the ranch or more technified through flow meters that can be used to measure the grain harvest by areas.
The combination of a geographic information system with overlapping performance and quality data can provide enough information to perform sensitivity analyzes to decide whether or not it occurs in a given sector given its productivity and return on investment. Miranda (2003. A general scheme of the methodology that can be used is presented in figure N ° 3.
Evaluation of field work
Normally for very important tasks such as manual harvesting of some crops such as strawberries, corn tomatoes, etc., this requires the hiring of a large number of external people in a short time, therefore many people are recruited who are trained and sent to harvest paying for production delivered and sometimes for quality. How can we be sure to harvest as much as possible, more suitable and of better quality and therefore obtain a greater profitability of the production?
The answer is not simple but a very important tool would be to monitor and classify employees by means of cards and assigning surfaces and keep a record that classifies their work and in future hiring accept those who do a good job and reject the unproductive. Obviously having and obtaining this information in the field is not easy since it is in full sun, but a practical system must be developed that allows having easily accessible tools in the field to generate the necessary information, Hagemayer (2004)
Prevention of pests and diseases
Plant pathologists and entomologists who work as field managers know pests and diseases very well and also their control alternatives once they are in the field, but do they have information indexes that allow predicting an appearance of a fungal disease for example and anticipating the applications?. This is completely different for each ranch since it depends on the varieties, planting dates, temperature, altitude, natural barriers, etc.
Therefore, a “recipe” cannot be applied but rather a strategy based on technical knowledge and experience in the field, which can and should be stored year after year in an information system that captures meteorological conditions such as temperature (T °), humidity (H °) onset of rains etc. to know what conditions are those that developed a disease or incidence of a plague and thus be able to act in advance.
Analysis of fertility and nutritive solutions in technified crops
In greenhouse crops and / or technified outdoor irrigation systems it is very important to monitor: pH, electrical conductivity, concentration of nutrients expressed in different concentration units such as milliequivalent per liter (meq / l), millimole (mol / L) or parts per million, as well as the relationships reached between them, since these determine the quantity produced and, more importantly, quality, have an information system that stores the readings of the measuring instruments daily and the correlation with these of quality and production obtained is vital to be able to analyze information to modify or maintain the strategy carried out the previous year. Miranda (2001)
Supply chain management
In outdoor production systems and even more so in systems under cover, that is, in greenhouses, ensuring the timely supply of all inputs, which includes plastic seeds, ribbons, packaging items, fertilizers, agrochemicals, is of vital importance because not having any input at a certain point it may mean decreased performance, quality and even total loss if it is prolonged, so you must have an IS and IT that ensures the supply of materials as well as the logistics, distribution and storage of them to ensure 100% comprehensive supply because the more artificial the production systems are the more fragile they are. According to Woods; White & Drobik, (2004) the big problem that exists after having an SCM is that it is linked to the internal FCST of production and demand and that it is really used for the programming of global supply, therefore, it is not enough to have the software but use it properly.
According to Desisto 2003, the implementation of a system that allows an exchange of information in real time with a supplier will tighten the commercial relationship and provide benefits to both parties.
Monitoring of the reaction or request of the clients
Nowadays, even in the production of grains that are considered a commodity, there are customer preferences according to their destination, for example, flour producers prefer certain hybrid varieties marketed by the Pioneer company because they obtain a better quality dough thanks to the different oil contents that has some varieties owned by the aforementioned company, therefore agricultural companies that wish to be updated on market trends and be pioneers in this, must have a customer monitoring system that according to Gassman 2004 can lead companies to react more quickly to possible problems and opportunities, he also comments that some pioneers in adopting this information technology achieved great returns on product investment that adjusted their processes to the needs of their clients.
Making an analogy, one could think of producing for certain market niches or packing in different packages envisioning the needs of the end customer, for example, fewer families demand smaller watermelons, as is the case in Japan.
Another example is the call center technology according to Desisto 2003, which can provide very useful information to modify a process or product that allows satisfying market needs.
Advances and future strategies in the agricultural sector based on IT and IS
According to Ortega, (2000), «Precision Agriculture» is understood as «a set of activities that include the collection and management of information that allow making economic and environmentally appropriate decisions for the production of crops», thus Precision Agriculture is rise as one of the essential currents that forestry production will have in the 21st century to be able to:
- Optimize resources Achieve production levels that allow sustaining the food needs of the world population Maintain a competitive position of the companies that participate in this industry
For the development of this technology, the existence of IT and IS is vital that allow concentrating, analyzing and making decisions based on sensitivity analysis and in search of obtaining the maximum benefits.
Examples of use and support for the implementation of IS and IT in agriculture
FAO has anticipated the importance of IS and IT in farm performance. According to a report presented by Rudgard, Crowder “mobile phones that use wireless application protocol (WAP) can be used to send electronic messages and consult certain internet sites.
In Uganda, FAO helped formulate an outreach project with funding from the World Bank: The National Agricultural Advisory Service, which plans to experiment with the use of WAP technology phones by agricultural advisers so that they have access to a wide range of information (sowing calendars, market prices and inputs, weather forecasts) and disseminate it to farmers ”Rudgard, Crowder (2001).
It is also possible to apply agrochemicals in a directed way through the use of GPS (general satellite position), having important savings and effectiveness since overlaps are avoided and the entire surface is applied, Ortega (2001).
Conclusions
The IS and IT developed and adapted for the specific needs of each agricultural production company are vital to obtain valuable information and gain competitive advantage in the market.
There are several key internal aspects in which the implementation of IT and IS can substantially improve the results obtained by a farm.
The SIs must satisfy the needs of each business unit and the entire organizational structure of the agricultural company, including different levels from General Management to field supervisors through production management, obviously the depth and profile of the information required by each This statement is different but it must be provided so that the best decisions are made at all levels.
At this point, the proper qualification and training of the different employees is very important so that they can carry out the work effectively and efficiently.
Companies and / or people that do not enter into this culture of correct use of IS and IT are in serious danger of losing competitiveness because they do not have the necessary tools to make decisions and companies can become obsolete in the market and employees relegated to jobs low pay.
Governments must be actively participating in fostering this culture in order to cope with the rapidly changing economies and globalization.
The agricultural sector must be widely supported to be able to acquire through the transfer of technology the information developed by research centers which in turn must adequately use information systems to obtain competitive advantages versus other nations that allow the sustenance of the activity agricultural key piece in the stability of a country.
In short, the results of an agricultural company can be improved through the correct implementation and use of IT and IS, entering this new culture is a challenge for companies and professionals in today's world.
Bibliography
Amerino de Piñero, María A., 1996, "Importance of cost systems in the competitiveness of companies", Spaces. Vol. 17 (2)
Desisto, Robert (May, 2004). ”A Sales Analytics Hierarchy of Needs”, Gartner, Desisto, Robert (April, 2004). ”Sales Metrics Are a Prerequisite to Analytics”, Gartner
Desisto, Robert (March, 2005). ”Sales Analytics Will Depend on Visibility, Usability and Action-Oriented Intelligence”, Gartner, Desisto, Robert (December 2003). ”Application Integration s Effect on Sales Performance”, Gartner, Doerge, Tom ”Yield Monitor Calibration Update and Guidelines for Collecting Pioneer Strip Trial Data - Yield Monitor Use and Accuracy” Crop insight volume 9. N ° 16
Gassman, Bill (October, 2003). " Business Activity Monitoring Client Issues for 2004 ”, Gartner, Gassman, Bill (April, 2003). ”Detect External Events With Business Activity Monitoring”, Gartner, Hagemeyer, Dale (December 2004). ”SOX for Sales: How Technology Can Help”, Gartner
López, Carlos, "Applied information technologies s costing systems applicable to information systems"
Maoz, M., Kolsky, E. (April, 2004). "How the Customer Interaction Hub Will Improve CRM", Gartner, Miranda, Marcelo ”Geographic information systems”, Agronomy and forestry UC.13, Volume 1 N ° 6 September 2004
NN
Situation of IT investment in Chile
Nuñez, Sandra, "Information technologies in SMEs", Monographs
Ortega, Rodrigo ”Precision agriculture seminar”, Agronomy and forestry UC.13, Magazine 12
Ortega, Rod & Flores, "Precision Agriculture" INIA Quilamapu 2000
Proal, Pia. "Getting Effective Results form email posting"
Rudgard, Crowder, “Farmer Information Network for Agricultural and Rural Development”, FAO Research, Extension and Training Division (SDR)
Soejarto, Alex (November, 2002). ”Business Intelligence and Data Warehousing Worldwide IT Services Market Size and Forecast, 2000-2006”, Gartner, (Consulted on May 10, 2005)
Woods, J., White, A., & Drobik, A. (November, 2004) "Predicts 2005: SCM Strategies for Business Applications", Gartner, (Accessed May 10, 2005)
