Business situation
The Pipestone System is one of the largest pork powerhouses in the US. Due to the scope of their operations, data management is an essential part of their business.
With their former system, multiple users could not access the databases concurrently, they could not create new reports, and information was not in real-time.
“When looking for a software program to replace our current system, we needed to find software that could reproduce many of the same reports that we were familiar with, as well as offer us more opportunities for report generation,” explains Lois Fransen, Information Bureau Director of Pipestone. “After comparing many software programs, we decided to move to Porcitec. Porcitec gave us the reports we were familiar with, as well as giving us opportunities to expand our reporting under a Windows based product.”
For these reasons, Pipestone chose to migrate to Porcitec. Data entry, reports, and formulas were familiar to the staff, which made the transition very smooth. Now Pipestone can design their own custom reports, share information from all farms via the Web, and have a solid foundation for future innovation.
Solution
Pipestone started by converting two farms to Porcitec. They entered data and ran reports simultaneously with their current software to verify that the calculations were the same.
After 6 months, Agritec developed a plan with Pipestone to convert all the farms in their system. The time frame for converting the farms was over a period of one month.
Pipestone chose to host the software and databases on their own servers in their premises and then provided access to remote users. Farms, supervisors, and veterinarians can access their data at any time.
Fransen says, “We especially like this feature. It is very popular with the barns. If they need any information on a sow, they can use the mobile app or go to the website and look her up anytime.”
Benefits
- Timely Reporting
The new solution has increased the speed at which people in the Pipestone system receive critical production data. Providing the right people with timely access to information has significantly improved efficiency. Reports and dashboards are updated immediately as new data is recorded.
- Minimal Training Requirements
One day of training was enough for the technicians to familiarize themselves with the new tool. Since both systems use the same formulas as defined by the National Pork Board, the transition was very smooth. Migration of data was total, so there was no data loss. Other features that Pipestone likes about the program include fast data entry via mobile devices.
- A Solid Foundation for Future Innovation
Porcitec is built under the latest technology and standards. These standards provide Porcitec with exceptional power, consistency, and future vision. Agritec releases several updated versions each year, incorporating user suggestions. This provides the user with an evolving solution that is constantly adapted to user requirements.
“We are extremely happy with Porcitec and the customer service that they provide us. We have not found any limitations with the program” Lois Fransen