Announcing an easier way to quickly add cattle in bulk

March 6, 2013 by 4 Comments

It takes too long to add new cattle

Our goal with CattleMax has always been to make it as fast as possible for you to handle your cattle record keeping tasks.  While CattleMax Online’s Group Update feature lets you enter information one time and have it recorded for multiple animals, there was never a quick way of actually entering those animals into CattleMax (outside of data imports).

Some of our trial users never actually got up and going with CattleMax because it was going to take too long to enter their cattle from paper records.  In the past, we were able to help some of our customers by importing spreadsheets, but this was a manual process for us and often had turnarounds of several weeks during the busy time of year.

Today we are excited to announce the new CattleMax Bulk Add feature.  This feature offers a quick way for customers to create individual animal records in a spreadsheet-style view instead of adding cattle one-at-a-time.

An easier way to convert from paper to CattleMax

Getting started with CattleMax Online has always been easy for those who were importing records from another cattle software program such as an older version of CattleMax or other cattle software since it was just a quick import. Many registered breeders not already using cattle software could import records from their breed association.  However, commercial breeders often found themselves having to manually enter records one at a time.

A faster way of adding groups of purchased cattle

Another source of time sink we identified was in adding purchased cattle.  Some of our customers buy cattle in groups… whether that is a couple dozen replacement heifers for breeding stock or buying weaned calves to put on pasture.  In these situations, there is often a lot of similar information (animal type, status, purchase details, breed, etc) and just a limited amount of information that is different (ear tag, birth date, purchase price).

How Bulk Add works

The Bulk Add feature builds on a similar concept from previous versions of CattleMax while offering a streamlined interface.  There are three steps to setting up your Bulk Add:

  1. Enter or paste in a list of tags for the new animals
  2. Enter the information that is the same for all cattle (eg. owner, breed, animal type)
  3. Enter the information that is specific to each individual animal (birth date, purchase price)

Accessing Bulk Add is easy… just click the”Cattle” tab and then click “Bulk Add Animals” in the toolbar area.  After you have created your new cattle records, you can begin recording breeding, pregnancy, treatments, and more as well as importing weights and EID tags.

Additional Thoughts

What you see today is the first iteration of Bulk Add.  As you can see in the demo, it greatly reduces the time involved in entering new animals.  In the coming months, we plan to add additional column choices and additional ways to add information.  As always, we welcome any comments and feedback on new features.

 

Filed Under: CattleMax New Features

It’s Birthday Time-Happy First Birthday CattleMax Online!

November 29, 2012 by Leave a Comment

As the midnight hour drew near on November 29, 2011, a post was made on the CattleMax Facebook page announcing the release of CattleMax Online. After years of planning and many long months of development, it was finally ready!

The first CattleMax Online signup was long-time CattleMax customer and friend, Jimmy Curtis of Paradise Acres in the state of Texas. Next came another long-time customer, Doug Maclean from New Zealand. Shortly afterwards were our friends, the Alexanders at Hang’n A in Washington state. And numerous others signed up within the first few hours from the Facebook post.

In the first 12 months after CattleMax Online’s launch and after several months of beta testing, ranchers from 57 different countries have now signed up for a CattleMax Online account.

Back in July, we wrote a Blog post about 3 observations from the first 9 months of CattleMax Online in which we talked about some of the things learned from the beta testing as well as what we had learned after a few months of use “in the wild.”

Today we have 5 more observations…

Managing complexity -  Our prior version, CattleMax CS evolved over 10 years to become a very complex piece of software. Much of this complexity came from adding feature requests to accommodate very specific needs, since our goal was to make CattleMax work for everyone. With CattleMax Online, we have taken a little different approach – making it work well for most people and recognizing that CattleMax Online may not be the right fit for some. This has been a big shift in thinking, but has paid off, based on customer comments as well as the number of new-to-computer-software customers signing up.

CattleMax Online has been well received. Customer reception was one of the biggest concerns with CattleMax Online, due to the new web-based approach, all-new layout, and improved processes. The free trial period is used by many to get settled in without  any out-of-pocket cost. In the first year, there has been only a few account cancellations and the most of those were due to herd dispersals.

Many active CattleMax CS customers have upgraded to CattleMax Online. The desktop-to-web transition was a major point of attention. Based on our support volume for this time of year, it is safe to say that most of the active CattleMax CS customers have transitioned to CattleMax Online and done it successfully. These days we may receive a few emails and just a few phone calls a day… compared to dozens of calls and emails for CS questions previously.

Mobile usage continues to grow. A double-digit percentage of the traffic in CattleMax Online is from mobile devices… devices that previously could not access CattleMax when it was on the desktop. We have found most customers perform the majority of their record keeping tasks from the desktop/laptop and use the mobile version for conveniently looking up and recording information on-the-go.

International use of CattleMax Online is increasing. Ranchers in 57 countries have signed up for a CattleMax Online account – a feat that took many years with CattleMax desktop versions of CattleMax – it has only taken 12 months for CattleMax Online to reach that level.

With customers throughout the world, there is someone using CattleMax Online every minute of the day!

Filed Under: CattleMax Observations

In the Cloud — the evolution of cattle herd management software

November 23, 2012 by Leave a Comment

This article was written by Rodney L. Roberson, Ph.D., executive director of United Braford Breeders, and originally published in the “Performance Principles” column of the Summer 2012 Issue of Braford News.  Dr Roberson graciously gave us permission to republish it.

Whether you like it or not, the purebred business requires extensive record recording and reporting. Making this part of the business easier could allow breeders to focus more on making their cattle better. And better records could provide the tools needed for such genetic advancement. Once purebred breeders dreamed of the day when they could access and update their computerized herd records from the mobile office chair behind the steering wheel in their pickup truck. That day is here. Desktop computers are great but a little constraining. You can now use your smartphone (iPhone, Android or other) or your iPad or other tablet to access your record systems on the fly. Similarly you can use your laptop computer anywhere you have phone or WiFi access.

The secret is the “cloud.” Cloud computing is the rage today and it involves the delivery of computing resources, software and hardware, over a network — typically the Internet. Exploiting the cloud, you can safely and securely store your cattle records remotely and work with them using any device that has internet access. Using a cloud- based system, you can minimize the need for backing up your records or synchronize them among devices and users. Multiple users can access the records at the same time, as changes are real-time. You can grant controlled access to your records to anyone you want: ranch manager, absentee owner, your kid at college, your breeding consultant, your sale manager or just about anyone you want to allow into your system and from anywhere they have internet access. Additionally, you can electronically share selected information in CattleMax with your breed association and do away with countless repetitive reporting chores.

Cattlesoft has been designing and marketing cow herd management software since 1999. Cattlesoft is leading beef cattle producers into the cloud with their newest rendition of CattleMax software. Cattlesoft has enjoyed such overwhelming acceptance of their online product that they recently stopped selling the desktop version altogether. Computer users recognize the continuous job of updating software to fix little bugs and problems. And just when you get software that is working the way you want, you are required to purchase the new and improved version. In addition to the access advantages listed above, using an online software system eliminates the need for continuous downloads or CD installations for updates, improvements and major upgrades. These are done in the cloud often without you even knowing when they happened. Cattlesoft has also reduced the “sticker shock” often associated with getting into a new herd management software system. You don’t need to buy new hardware and with CattleMax, you pay on a monthly subscription plan based on the number of active animals in your system and the kind of operation you run (commercial or purebred.) CattleMax Online starts at $9 per month for commercial and $14 per month for registered herds and that rate includes everything — additional licenses and users, backups, mobile version and breed association interfaces for the purebred herds with registered cattle.

Purebred breeders can easily get their CattleMax system up and running with the assistance of their breed association. For example, a UBB member can have all of his records imported directly from the UBB office in Kansas City and he is ready to go. When new EPDs are generated, those too can be quickly imported in the user’s CattleMax system. Rather than putting all your calving and performance information in a home desktop system and then doing it all over when registering online or filling out paper forms, a CattleMax user will be able to click on animals to register in his herd system and easily submit the information electronically direct to the UBB office. Performance information can similarly be readily submitted. Required herd inventories can be updated in your CattleMax records as they change throughout the year and seamlessly submitted and updated in the office. This could clearly be a time and money saver for Braford breeders.

For those of you who have used other herd management systems, Cattlesoft even offers to convert your records into the CattleMax system at no charge to get you going.

This is not an infomercial for Cattlesoft and CattleMax. There could be other cloud- based management systems available for cattle producers. CattleMax is the most visible vehicle available to take cattle producers and their records into the cloud. The cloud is now and there are ways you never dreamed of through which the cloud could enhance the way you get things done.

Filed Under: Cattle management record keeping topics, Cattle Technology

4 Benefits of Cattle Management in the Cloud

August 16, 2012 by Leave a Comment

This is the second part of the presentation I recently gave on cattle management in the cloud to attendees at the 2012 Texas A&M Beef Cattle Short Course. The first part can be found at What does “Cattle Management in the Cloud” mean?

Comparing cloud-based software to traditional desktop-based software can be challenging, particularly when trying to fit one in to the mold of the other.  However, when comparing the strengths of each, the cloud offers some tremendous benefits.  Here are a few…

1. Access your records from anywhere

With cloud-based agriculture software, you can now access your records from work, home, the ranch, and even the pasture – all while ensuring you are working with the latest version of your records. There is no more synchronizing to worry about.

Desktop-based customers have worked around this in the past by using online back up services, email, and flash drives. However, it only takes one time to get files mixed up and overwrite a newer version with an older. Fortunately the cloud takes care of all of this.

2. Share records family, employees, and advisors

Keeping everyone “in the loop” has always been a challenge with cattle records, even when you are caught up on the records. With true multi-user support, anyone that is granted access can look up information, work with the records, and generate reports.

Customers already using our CattleMax Online cloud-based software have been pleased with the number of phone calls eliminated when others can access the records on their own instead of calling in to the record keeper.

3. Works on all of your computing devices

Years ago we were mostly a Windows-only world. However, with the rise in Mac popularity including iPhones and iPads as well as the creation of low-cost Android-based devices, we are now in a diverse computing world.

With cloud-based software being accessible from any device with a web browser, it no longer matters what operating system or device you are using.

4. Less PC headaches

With our desktop-based softwares, we found that over half of our support was due to PC issues (activation, reinstalling, downloading updates, etc). Customers were just spending a lot of time on IT.

With the cloud, you can easily change computers and not have to worry with downloading, installing, updating, or troubleshooting any software.

Using technology to better manage your operation

Traditionally, agriculture has been a few years behind the technology curve; however, the cloud brings new technologies to ag much quicker which helps ranchers better manage their operations.

Filed Under: Cattle Technology

What does “Cattle Management in the Cloud” mean?

August 13, 2012 by Leave a Comment

Last week, I gave a presentation on cattle management in the cloud to attendees at the 2012 Texas A&M Beef Cattle Short Course. Below is an excerpt from that talk that I wanted to share for those that were not able to attend.

If you’ve read any main stream media publication lately, you’ve probably seen articles referring to “cloud computing”, “web applications, or “web-based software”.  Before you can evaluate if cloud-based software is right for you, it’s important to understand what it is.

Internet-based “in the cloud”

You will see the terms “cloud” and “web-based” used to refer to Internet-based software because the software can be accessed from anywhere with an Internet connection. Internet connections supported by most cloud applications can range from high-speed to satellite and also include 3G/cellular.

Accessed via web browser

Instead of downloading and installing software, cloud software is accessed by any modern web browser in the same manner that web-based email such as GMail, Yahoo, Hotmail/Outlook and AOL are accessed. This makes it easy to access your records since there is no software to download or install.

Limited offline capabilities

When using cloud software, it is important to consider offline scenarios such as power outages as well as use in areas without Internet. Some customers will export information to PDFs, spreadsheet, and even paper printouts.

Monthly all-inclusive subscriptions

Many desktop-based softwares, including previous versions of CattleMax, are priced with a large up-front cost plus an additional fee for add-ons such as online backup service and additional licenses. In addition, upgrades were priced with a slightly smaller cost every few years.

On the other hand, cloud-based software is priced at a smaller ongoing monthly fee that includes online backup, upgrades, and other components that were previously priced separately. This pricing structure helps all customers better manage budgeting while ensuring they are always using the latest version of the software.

Questions from the talk

  • What about security? – It is important to talk with any cloud software provider and ask about security practices. Questions to ask would be regarding both the software technologies used by the vendor as well as the security policy of the hosting provider where the software is hosted.
  • What about privacy? – Your records are your private information so you should be able to decide if and how they are shared with others. This is commonly handled through user accounts that you can assign to others.
  • Is it more expensive? – Actual difference of cost out of pocket will vary with each operation. Do keep in mind that the actual price of software is one of only three components in any cattle management software (setup time and maintenance time being the other 2).
  • What if I stop using the software – Having an exit strategy is important with any software program, desktop or cloud-based. It is essential that you have a way of exporting your records to formats both usable by you as well as your next software program. Remember that it’s your data, not theirs.

On Thursday, we will publish the second part of the talk that covers the Benefits of Cloud-based Agriculture Software.

Filed Under: Cattle Technology

Addressing a few concerns about the cloud and CattleMax Online

July 11, 2012 by Leave a Comment

What is “the cloud”?

Wikipedia defines cloud computing as “the delivery of computing and storage capacity as a service to a community of end-recipients… Cloud computing entrusts services with a user’s data, software and computation over a network… End users access cloud-based applications through a web browser or a light-weight desktop or mobile app while the business software and user’s data are stored on servers at a remote location.”

CattleMax Online is based on cloud computing technology, meaning that it is accessed via a web browser instead of a downloaded software. Other products available via the web include Microsoft Office, QuickBooks, Mint/Quicken, Google’s Gmail, and many more. SalesForce.com, a publicly-traded company and one of the early pioneers in cloud computing, was founded in March 1999 – a few months before we even started Cattlesoft.

This past week, I read a discussion thread on Cattle Today that discussed cloud computing and specifically CattleMax Online. I wanted to address these concerns and welcome any questions that others may have.

Concern #1 – I can’t access my records without Internet

Lack of Internet access is by far the major reason that CattleMax Online is not a fit for some ranches today. Fortunately when it comes to Internet access, the “haves” are increasing daily.

Intermittent or slow access is an issue for some and this is often worked around with printable reports, PDFs, or using EID readers or scale indicators for collecting data in the field. With no software to install or updates to download, as well as being optimized to run over slow Internet connections including 3G/cellular & satellite, CattleMax Online is slow-Internet friendly.

In the event your power and Internet go down, you can access records via a smartphone or tablet using 3G/cell data.

Overall though, you will find that being able to access your records from any computer (work, home, school) or mobile device (at a sale, in the pasture) without the need for copying files or synchronizing data will far outweigh the drawbacks of not being able to access your records in the back corner of the ranch.

Concern #2 – Cloud computing is a threat to our personal freedom

I certainly don’t want to get in to politics here but I will say that whether your information is stored in the cloud, on your local PC, or on the back of a feeds sack on your truck dashboard, access to your information can be obtained via proper legal means.

As we state in our Privacy Policy, we will never share your information with others. This has been the case since the beginning – your data and your personal information is yours. Data is not commingled across accounts nor is it shared with other organizations or entities.

Also CattleMax Online is a private software rather than a social networking site like Facebook, so there is no communication between customers within the software.

Concern #3 – When someone else has your data, they are in charge

As with all versions of CattleMax since the beginning, your data belongs to you. CattleMax CS data can be accessed via Microsoft Access and CattleMax Online data can be exported to spreadsheets and PDF as well as printed.

What may surprise many is that some desktop cattle software programs actually do prevent you from accessing your data outside of their program, either through proprietary data file formats or security mechanisms on Access databases. I know, as I’ve unsuccessfully tried to help convert a few of their users over to CattleMax.

As far as infrastructure goes, CattleMax Online is hosted at a 24/7 monitored and managed hosting provider located in Atlanta, GA. Data is stored on enterprise-grade hardware running enterprise-grade databases and is backed up daily. All of this is monitored 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.  Cost was not a factor in choosing our hosting provider and it is definitely not an insignificant amount.

Wrap up

As I was writing this post, I was reminded of the quote “The more things change, the more they stay the same.” When we started in 1999, we heard some of the same type of concerns about keeping cattle records on a computer instead of pen-and-paper.

  1. I can’t access my records without your software installed
  2. Desktop computers are a threat to our personal freedom
  3. When your data is in someone else’s software, they are in charge

I hope that I have addressed some of the concerns about cloud computing and specifically CattleMax Online. If not, feel free to reply in the comments or contact me directly.

Filed Under: Cattle Technology

3 observations from the first 9 months of CattleMax Online

July 10, 2012 by Leave a Comment

We initially released the first public beta of CattleMax Online back in October, so I thought I’d share a few observations from that time period.

1. Ranchers really like “cattle records anywhere”

In the past, it wasn’t easy for multiple people to be working with the records at the same time – and all but impossible from multiple locations. Someone was always chained to a desk that was the “cattle records computer” or had to collaborate with the other users on who had the most recent copy of the records. This led many to batch their record keeping, entering records every week or so instead of daily.

Since CattleMax Online can be accessed anywhere from any device, it’s now possible for multiple people to be recording and updating information at the same time. Now we are seeing cowboys recording calvings in the pasture while the ranch secretary back at the office records sales from the morning… all the while the ranch owner hundreds of miles away is viewing reports as things happen. The same scenario plays out with parents with children off at school or in another town.

2. Removing small speed bumps leads to heavier use

With CattleMax CS, around half of our support requests were “PC issues”… installing on a new computer, deactivating an old computer, lost serial numbers, random errors that couldn’t be reproduced, etc.

However we are finding that with CattleMax Online, our support questions have become fewer but also a lot “tougher” to answer. Gone are the 30 second replies of “Go to this address and click that link”. With customers not stumbling over licensing and PC-issues, they are using the software more frequently and deeper. Here’s what I mean…

A few recent CS support questions from last week:

  • Needing to re-activate and customer is only available after 5pm
  • Trouble sending herd file to customer service
  • “My screen doesn’t look like yours” (running old version)
  • Needing a new CD since the old was misplaced

A few recent CMO support questions from last week :

  • Calculating percent dam weight and using it on a Weaning report
  • Downloading EPD updates from a breed association
  • Adding weights in bulk instead of one-at-a-time
  • Oh and yes a PC issue… help with sending a CS file for importing in to CMO

3. Who catches on to CMO fast and who takes time

CattleMax Online is a completely new product with a completely new design and feature set. As we like to say, “we brought over the best from the desktop and fixed the rest.”

Never used CattleMax We have a long list of those who have tried CattleMax but never bought because lack of certain features (Mac support, mobile version) or more likely because of the complexity of CattleMax CS. This group, who has minimal preconceived notions of how CattleMax should work, has been by far the fastest to adjust to CattleMax Online. They never had the chance to learn the CS quirks in-and-out like the next two groups.

CattleMax CS Regular users 90% of the CattleMax CS users fall into this category. They used CattleMax CS a few times a month and stick to the Preset Reports and Customizable Lists. After finding the common features (reports, group update, sale tickets), they usually get settled in and really like the improved features.

CattleMax CS Power Users This is by far the group that has taken the longest to adjust to CattleMax Online and some may never make the adjustment. You know who you are with your dozen custom fields, repurposed boxes (who needs Other ID, I’ll put xxx there), hundreds of notes per animal, and 20+ reports in the Access Companion. These customers used CattleMax CS almost daily for years, so it’s no surprise they have a very rigid set of expectations. My best advice to this group has been to evaluate the pro’s and con’s of CMO and determine if the benefits (faster data entry, mobile version, multi-user, and more) outweigh the cons of losing certain things like the Access Companion or re-learning the flow.

Filed Under: CattleMax Observations