Reviewing the Good, Bad, and the Ugly in 2022

Profile Picture of Post's Author Nathan Pokowski | Posted December 19, 2022

2022 is almost in the books. Where did the time go?!

Throughout the year I talked about innovation, technology and data. I thought I would wrap up my blog series by reflecting on previous blogs as there were some important points that should be considered for year-end discussions when reviewing the good, bad and the ugly. What major bottlenecks were present that led to lost profits? What were those that led to profits?

A dairy has many ways to track and manage data. Things such as herd management software, feeding software, spreadsheets, etc. These are excellent tools when reviewing yearly performance and making decisions on where to invest. For some it may be as simple as investing in training to improve data to make it more powerful when making decisions on what needs to be improved. Others may need to consider upgrading or purchasing new software to obtain better data. Once good data is harvested, it is important to summarize with graphs, charts, and key points so that trends (good and bad) can be identified and reviewed. Also, try to condense as much as possible as data can get messy and complicated.

Allowing all parties adequate time to review information before meeting is essential. I would also require employees to prepare answers to why something went well and solutions to any problems before discussing as a group. Be sure to challenge individuals to think outside the box and be innovative. As discussed in previous blogs, some of the best innovations come from those wild and crazy ideas. Also, you may consider involving individuals from different segments of the business. This can be helpful when trying to generate new/innovative ideas as others that don’t do a certain task daily will likely see things differently.

These new ideas may lead to a new technology. It is essential to understand if a new technology is really the answer. Questions need to be asked before moving forward here as a new technology could be a disaster if the current process is flawed. In this case the process needs to be revisited to understand how it can be modified. Once the process is working, then a new technology can be considered. New technologies will not fix poor processes or bad management. They will likely make them worse.

Once a bottleneck is discovered and solutions are presented, a decision needs to be made on how it will impact the bottom line. What will produce the quickest ROI year over year for the farm. Understand that some improvements may not lead to an ROI but may improve culture, which will lead to better performance and generate more income for the business in different ways.

Let’s start 2023 off strong by digging in and identifying the ugly and celebrating the good. Sure, there were some things that led to sleep deprivation. Was a good solution put in place? There may have been an answer to why, but has it been fully understood? Has it been discussed with key members on your team using good data? Don’t forget to celebrate the good and press to find new ways/innovations that can make it better.

Best wishes and Merry Christmas, Nathan Pokowski

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