Newsletter   April 2006

Welcome to our April Newsletter

 

New Orchard 'Update' Version Now Available    

Simply make sure you are connected to the internet then open the Setup Menu then

click  the Check Updates Button.

 

What's News !                   

GrowData continues to set the standard in Australia for Orchard and Vineyard Management Software. Our simple to use

Spray Diaries

& comprehensive reports

(which are EUREPGAP, SQF, ISO & HACCP Compliant)

continue to receive praise from our clients around Australia

am GrowData has expanded their suite of software to include

'Almond Manager'

Renmark based almond processor Almondco has recommended GrowData Almond Manager to all its suppliers. Almondco processes about half of Australia's almond harvest and supplies many overseas markets. Many growers have taken the software 'on board' and are extremely happy they have.  GrowData is making their Q.A. compliance a breeze as well as giving them a more detailed understanding of their costs and water usage.

Almond Manager handles the multiple varieties grown in the one block very easily. Irrigation can be tracked either down to variety level or reported on in a per block format. The harvest screen also allows Almond growers to enter weighbridge tonnage rather than count bins, Once again GrowData demonstrates its commitment to customising their software to meet the individual needs of different crop production requirements.              

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GrowData Orchard Management Software

is GROWING,

and so can you by adding any of our new modules to your basic program

 SAVE TIME, Save Money pm

Easy Track

 ‘Pack Out ’ Module

    for Orchards 

 This module was initially designed for integration with MFC (Mildura Fruit Company) pack out files.  When the pack out for a particular delivery is completed, MFC emails their GrowData Clients a file holding all the pack out information. (grade, class, size, number of cases, first and subsequent payments etc.). The files are automatically imported and merged with GrowData to enable you to produce accurate block by block production and income report in minutes.

These records details how your fruit is packing out in areas such as tonnage, size, grades and income.  With the above data it is easy to produce reports by variety, individual blocks or properties.

If you supply a second Pack House which does not have the capability to produce electronic pack out files, this module will also make it easy to manually enter your pack out information directly into GrowData. For those growers who supply several pack houses, all your relevant information can be input into the one window as individual records. This ensures accurate production and performance reports can be created at the click of a button.

 We are currently commencing similar projects with other major pack house companies.  Please contact us at support@growdata.com.au if you believe a pack house in your area would be interested in using the system. 

 Contact us now for a price and/or further information

 brian@growdata.com.au  or (03) 58 311 711

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Toys for the Boys…. HH 

Hand Held - Module

Fantastic for creating a quick spray diary out in the orchard, then downloading the information straight into GrowData.

Also excellent for tracking production on the spot. This cuts out double entry – paper/computer which minimizes mistakes. Saves Time and Money

How EASY is that?

Contact us for more information.                                   Return to TOP

This goes with that…MM

 Machinery Module

Our current method of tracking machinery costs is to simply calculate an hourly rate for an implement such as a spray pump or a slasher, including an hourly cost for the  tractor as well. For most growers this system is quite adequate as it provides a simple way to track the approximate cost for machinery use.

However……… some of our bigger clients require more detail on usage of all their equipment, so we have created a Machinery Module which enables tracking of both the implement and the tractor against all activities. Reports can then be generated to detail the exact number of hours each piece of equipment has been used and for what tasks.   Return to TOP

Where did I put that......MS

Multiple

Chemical Sheds

A number of our larger clients have multiple chemical sheds, and to successfully track their inventory, we have developed a Multiple Sheds Module.

This module simply needs a stock take be done for each shed and then as chemicals are applied either through spray diary, fertigation or dry application screens, the operator is asked to nominate from which shed the stock is to be taken.

Also, as purchases are entered, the operator just nominates which sheds are being restocked.

If you think this module may be of some benefit in your management information, please give us a call.   Return to TOP

Time after time......ts

Weekly Timesheet Module

If you are tracking your employee’s activities via a timesheet and entering that information into GrowData (to track activities and costs per block & variety), you can use the Employee report to prepare your payroll. Simply enter the weekly pay period into the reports date parameters and it will give a detailed report on each employee, including how many hours they have worked, or if it was contract work, how many trees they have pruned or bins they have picked.

For our larger clients we have taken this a step further with our Weekly Timesheet Module. In the Timesheet screen you are able to enter the commencement date of the pay period then select an employee. The program will then automatically show any entries against this employee for the pay period. For example if the employee has been spraying, picking or pruning, this data will have already have been entered. You then simply have to enter any other data from the time sheet which has not yet been recorded, check that the total in GrowData matches the total as shown on the timesheet and the record is complete. When all timesheet data has been entered, a report for all employees can be produced and this data can then be entered either manually or electronically transferred to your payroll system.

By using this approach you are able to avoid double handling data. GrowData requires the information to accurately capture activities and costs against individual blocks and varieties, and your payroll needs the information to prepare the pay each week. By entering the data once into GrowData there is no need to go through the timesheets a second time to prepare the payroll, as the total hours, trees and bins is all collated for you.    Return to TOP

 Changes to GrowData Orchard Manager: gom

Improved Harvest Report

Our harvest report has been improved. You will now find the each different bin type used on a given block is listed separately, including the number of bins, the tonnage and the cost, making it easier to check for errors and to compare picking costs.

There is also a module developed for our Almond clients to enable them to enter weighbridge tonnage rather than counting bins.

 

Chemical Resistance

Chemical resistance categories can now be tracked to ensure that you do not exceed the recommended usage of a particular chemical group. Simply go to Set Up Menu > Chemicals and identify the chemical. As chemicals are applied it will track the resistance group, enabling you to view a report on a by block basis. This will clearly show you if it is appropriate for you to use a chemical belonging to a particular category. 

 

Copy/Paste

Don't forget to try out our copy/paste function in the Spray Diary. This allows you to copy a previous record, either the whole record including the blocks or just the tank mix. You can even create recipes of your often used tank mixes to save time. Copy/paste can save you time. This is just another reason why GrowData's spray diary is better than anything else available in Australia.

 

Coming Soon

We are currently working on a module which allows our bigger growers to track a spray job over a number of days. The module is designed to record each days progress and then produce revised instruction sheets for the next day, keeping track of what has been completed and what is still outstanding. This ensures that there will not be any double spraying or missed areas.                                                                                         Return to TOP

Tips & Helpful Hints Hints
  • Back up your database on a regular basis.
  • Make sure all your chemical, machinery and water prices are current
  • Network with other GrowData users in your area.
  • If you find your reports are running on to a second page when you print, it is caused by an incorrect paper setting in your printer. You will find that your printer paper is set to "letter" instead of "A4".Some printers have different steps to re set the defaults but usually if you go to the START button (bottom left of screen), > Printers & Faxes > right click on your printer> Properties> Printing preferences > Advanced. You should see an area to change paper size. If you still have a problem give us a call.

   send an email to support@growdata.com.au  to share tips and trick you find extra

     helpful.

  We are always happy to hear from you.

Brian, Jill & Team

Box 6624 Shepparton   Victoria 3632
Telephone: 03 5831 1711     Mobile: 0409 121 146 (B)
email: support@growdata.com.au    web page   www.growdata.com.au

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