Turning Good Data into GREAT Data

Profile Picture of Post's Author Nathan Pokowski | Posted October 16, 2022

Data can be powerful, but it can also lead you down paths that can eat up a lot of time and leave you confused and/or frustrated. Dairy farms have a tremendous number of records through herd management software, feeding software, excel spreadsheets, etc. It is critical to have accurate notes/details behind those records

We have all seen those mislabeled health events in herd management software or inaccurate pen counts in feeding software. There is nothing worse than spending a bunch of time on something that is not an issue. On the other hand, it may lead to a discovery… always a way to turn a negative into a positive.

Coaching others on how to enter data and what words/codes to use is essential. I feel that it would be better to have events labeled as “I don’t know”, bypass refusals/pen counts if unsure, or ask somebody. This should hopefully lead to a discussion rather than an investigation. Investigations are not bad, but they take time out of a day that is likely already busy.

I mentioned busy already and I am not trying to add unnecessary work for somebody. However, taking a few minutes to provide some notes/details with the data makes it a lot stronger and saves time when analyzing records. For example, if there was an issue what are some potential reasons why? Weather events, broken equipment, pen moves, bad feed, etc. This can help managers decide on what needs to be done to avoid future problems or implement something to save time and or money.

Once good clean data is recorded it can be used to solve problems, set benchmarks, goals, etc. This allows farms to focus on areas of concern and how to improve. In the end this hopefully leads to innovation, adoption of new technologies, growth, etc.

Great data can lead to fantastic decisions to change a way a business operates for the better. Details behind the data make it stronger and more useful. Be detailed and precise!

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