My Mobile App - A Few Questions

Praetorian22

Hello Everyone

I have recently completed development of an application based on providing several farm management tools to make life even easier when it comes to managing your farm. I'm aware of the fact that many farm management apps already exist but few provide several tools in one singular app version.

I have a few questions for anyone willing to answer.

• Do you current use a farm management app?
• If so was the app downloaded for a cost?
• How many functional management tools are available in your download version?
• Are the areas of dairy farming, crop/feed management, nitrate management and livestock management of vital importance to you?
• Is there any aspect of the way you currently recording essential farm management information that you find difficult?

I would greatly appreciate any feedback and I apologize if I required mod approval before posting this thread. I'm a boards newbie

Pacoa

I got a free app for recording medicines i've used on stock but i don't use it as its complicated and frustrating. Be great if someone could make a simple app for the job.

ceannfort

I use an app for recording Ai service dates but it is very limited. Would like one that could give reminders at 3 weeks and due date.

Rovi

Praetorian22 wrote: »

...and I apologize if I required mod approval before posting this thread. I'm a boards newbie

[MOD]

It's specifically mentioned in section 3 of the forum charter:

3. Advertising / Surveys / Market Research
Surveys, Market Research, and other data/information gathering methods are dealt with on a case-by-case basis. If you wish to engage with the members of the Farming & Forestry forum in any such endeavour, you MUST FIRST contact the forum moderators to explain and clarify your intentions and to satisfy the moderators that your activity is of interest, and potentially of benefit, to the forum and the farming community in general.

'Newbie' or not, you appeared to have some inkling that you should have approached the mods BEFORE posting, but you went ahead anyway.
This makes the mods sad


Go on then, and without IN ANY WAY setting a precedent for anyone else with a shiny whizz-bang product they're dying to 'show' the forum, tell us how your app "is of interest, and potentially of benefit, to the forum and the farming community in general"

[/MOD]

Praetorian22

Thank you to everyone and the mod

I do apologize and I am sorry if I have made you sad, .

The application i have developed plays hosts to five core functional tools.

Livestock management tool (cattle, sheep, pig)
Crop management tool
Crop feed management tool
Grass wedge management tool
Nitrate calculation and regulation tool

This is the first version of the app and the idea behind it was simply multiple functions in one app version. My market research findings indicated that many other (current available) apps house one particular tool based on use in one particular sector. Off course price ranges vary but I felt diverse functionality confined within one singular app version was lacking (in market terms).

@ceannfort & @ Pacoa

The app is straight forward to use and all tools are presented in a clear (interpage link) manner.

E.g. you click on the app icon
Enter your farm ID number (based on your preference)
You are then brought to the homescreen which displays the five tools.

My question is would an application like this appeal to you significantly or just partially?

Would you or people you know of required an app that provides such diversity?

One again Moderator my apologies,

kowtow

To my mind it is better to keep the functions on a handheld limited to those done in the field.

For example, nitrate calculations & returns are easier done on the desktop (albeit with data recorded on the handheld).

What's important is the ergonomics in the field, combined with a seamless link to the desktop (or web, as appropriate).

There are already a few handheld farm apps around - on the whole they look to me like poor bolt ons to fairly average desktop apps..

Praetorian22

Thanks for the feedback.

Yes exactly. The desktop serves as a better means in most cases.
In my app in relation to nitrates its a simple calculation and info logging tool basically a pen and pen in a virtual sense with the extra function of being a calculator.

One other thing about the competitors is the pricing for function quality. Several readily available apps only offer one function per payment. I believe housing several instruments (across various farm activity areas) gives it more appeal to a wider consumer base

dar31

if you are looking for a niche area, there is nothing out there, teagasc or other wise, for recording fert/lime/nutrients to fields as well as keeping record of soil samples, nutrient intake/out take.
some programs have part that allow data to be recorded, but thats it there is no reports, even basic, they are just for data collection, which is useless unless analysed in some form...

Praetorian22

Thank you for the response.

Take this as a sample scenario.

With the application developed by my colleague & I a prospective function is database linkage. So with anyone of the core five areas covered functionally by our application you could record relevant essential data and store it in the phone. Through the backend the data would automatically be transferred to a local hardware device or perhaps a website although that is still a topic of discussion.

Question

Price wise what do you think the current prices of applications already out there is reasonable?

satstheway

Like u Ceannfort I always thought a reminder 3 weeks after an ai service would be of huge benefit. Also a kind of on the go diary or planner so you can reference your year from a previous year. Something simple would work best.

satstheway

Better to pile it high and sell it cheap. Huge number of small or part-time farmers who would use a well designed app.

kowtow

satstheway wrote: »

Better to pile it high and sell it cheap. Huge number of small or part-time farmers who would use a well designed app.

I'd still want to know that it was commercially feasible before investing time and energy (and data) into it.

subscription models seem well suited to me.

Praetorian22

Thanks again everyone.

Yeah we marketing it on the cheap site. From what we have research many apps range between €12.00 & €25.00.

We'll be well below that and offer alot more functionality.

The application itself is very straight forward to use (once you have fingers) .

Simple homepage with the logo and app details were you simply add in your ID which is unique to you. The next page presents you with five clickable button options quite straightforward and easy to follow.

Whether or not your a novice to smartphones or highly experienced you will be able to use it quite easily.

ceannfort

I would like a good app that could record Ai dates. Notify you for 3 weeks an due date. Record birth details tag details of new cows. Site info of calves. And record all vet medicines against each animal. Sale weight and price etc. With all data transferable to desktop so costs can be added to work out margins on a per cow basis.
But it's usage must remain simple and cost low

Bactidiaryl

satstheway wrote: »

Like u Ceannfort I always thought a reminder 3 weeks after an ai service would be of huge benefit. Also a kind of on the go diary or planner so you can reference your year from a previous year. Something simple would work best.

I love the idea of a planner that you can reference other years. A sort of Calendar with layers. You could have details of lots of events and the timing of them on a year to year basis. So you could look back over the years and see when you
let the cows out, closed for silage, sprayed ect ect.

satstheway

Milk prices Slurry rates and fert rates and application times.
would be good.
Do I get royalties for these ideas. I have patents for them

bredunl

Hi Praetorian 22, just wondering if you ever developed this app and if so what is it called/ where can I download it