Farming
May 8, 2024

How to simplify your farm data analysis for data-driven decisions

Dairy farmers today are drowning in data. With sensors and smart devices tracking everything from milk production to cow activity, the amount of data generated on a modern dairy farm is staggering.

Yet, for many farmers, analyzing data and extracting valuable, actionable insights remains a daunting challenge. Dealing with complex data makes data-driven decisions more difficult and can slow productivity.

However, there is a new analytics solution that enables you to visualize and compare all of your farm data via one central place.

The problem with too much data

Dairy farms have seen a surge in data generation thanks to advanced technologies like milking robots, cow activity monitors, and feed tracking systems. While these tools offer valuable insights, the sheer volume of data they produce can overwhelm farmers.

For instance, just one milking robot can churn out thousands of data points per cow each day. With hundreds of cows on a typical farm, manually sorting through this information becomes impractical. As a result, many farmers find themselves unable to fully utilize all of the data they collect.

Instead of benefiting from data-driven decision-making, farmers often spend countless hours manually analyzing data using spreadsheets and other tools. This not only eats into their time but also makes it difficult to spot trends or optimize operations effectively.

So a lot of valuable data sits unused, as farmers lack the time, tools, and expertise to unlock its potential. Meaning farmers miss out on opportunities to boost productivity, improve animal health, and increase profits.

The need for one central point of analysis

To be able to properly optimize their farm processes, farmers need an easy way to process and analyze all of their data. Such a solution would allow them to spot trends, compare performance metrics, identify issues early, and predict future outcomes.

But performing such an analysis requires skills, time, and technical resources that are impractical for the average farmer. Downloading and combining data from multiple sources, running statistical analysis, building models, and creating visualizations is no easy feat.

For most farmers, it's not feasible to do this work themselves. They need an analytics solution designed specifically to meet the needs of dairy farms.

Introducing Connecterra’s Analytics feature

Connecterra Analytics enables you to visualize, compare, and analyze all your farm data from all your systems in one place. Our platform seamlessly integrates data from various on-farm systems, such as dairy herd management and milking systems, feed software and more, providing you with a comprehensive overview of your farm.

Data is processed in real-time and presented in graphical format, allowing you to track changes over time effortlessly. With automatic updates whenever new data becomes available, Connecterra Analytics eliminates the need for manual data crunching.

Jake Peissig from JPT Farms shares his experience, “The Connecterra app has been a fast and convenient way to analyze herd data on the farm. By taking all the work away from having to compile and organize all the data. Now things can be set up and easily organized into reports that are of value to me and my dairy. Instead of getting these reports quarterly I get updated reports daily or at my fingertips whenever and wherever I have time to access and use them.”

Benefits of using Connecterra’s Analytics feature

Connecterra Analytics offers dairy farmers practical benefits, helping them save time and make informed decisions. These include:

  • Save time: Manually analyzing sensor data and production records is very time-consuming. Connecterra Analytics automates this process so you don't have to spend hours crunching numbers. The platform detects patterns and surfaces insights instantly.
  • Spots trends and anomalies early: Connecterra Analytics continuously monitors your operation's data to identify trends and anomalies. You'll be alerted to any concerning changes, like a drop in milk production. This allows you to take corrective action right away before problems escalate.
  • Make data-driven decisions: Base decisions on real-time data insights rather than guesswork. So you'll know which changes to make to optimize productivity and profitability.
  • Optimizes operations and farm productivity: Fine-tune processes and workflows on your farm. The platform helps pinpoint where you can gain efficiencies, reduce costs, and boost output. This ultimately leads to higher productivity and profit margins.

How to get started using Connecterra’s Analytics feature

Getting started with the Connecterra Platform is fast and easy.  Sign up for a free 60-day trial to start leveraging your data immediately. 

All you need to get started is your name and email address. You will then be taken to a demo environment to first experience our software.

If you want to connect your farm data, there’s an easy link at the top of the page that takes you through a few setup steps. Our Customer Success Manager will help connect all of your farm systems and notify you when it’s done. Meaning you can get work analyzing all of your farm data.

Start your free trial today