How to combine budget planning with cost control and performance monitoring?

SmartField – Application for Agronomists for Crop Planning and Controlling

SmartField is an application designed for farmers that helps manage agricultural farms. It is a comprehensive tool that allows for crop planning, monitoring implementation, and selling harvests. The application was designed to enable users to control production costs, maximize profits, and minimize losses.

The application not only optimizes financial processes but also provides full cost control, delivering farmers the essential knowledge and support needed for effective financial management and achieving better results.

Thanks to this solution, users gain a competitive advantage in the market and increase profitability through meticulous cost control, which translates into long-term growth and financial stability.

Implementation: 2022

SMARTFIELD 1.0 – DATA

SmartField was designed as an advanced, adaptive tool that acquires data from multiple sources, allowing it to adapt to the specific needs and conditions of each farm.

This data comes from both internal and external sources, enabling SmartField to create personalized analyses and plans tailored to the realities of the farm.

Internal Farm Data

SmartField integrates detailed information entered by the user, such as:

• Farm and plot structure – information on area, location, soil types, water availability, and other characteristics of individual plots.
• Technical and workforce resources – information on machinery, vehicles, operators, and their availability, which are essential for planning and executing activities.
• Crop and yield history – data on previous production cycles that help analyze performance and optimize future activities.

Operational Data and Agricultural Activity Records

SmartField collects information on operational activities performed in the field, such as:

• Agricultural operations – each stage of work, from sowing to harvest, is recorded and monitored to analyze its impact on yields.
• Consumption of materials and resources – SmartField records the use of fuel, fertilizers, pesticides, and other plant protection products, enabling cost control and performance optimization.
• Real-time execution – the ability to record and track work progress, allowing immediate response to changing conditions.

Market Data and External Information

SmartField also incorporates current market data, such as:

• Market prices of agricultural products – the system allows integration with platforms that track market prices of agricultural products, facilitating decisions on the optimal time to sell.
• Raw material prices – monitoring prices of fertilizers, fuels, and other materials, which allows for cost forecasting and budget adjustment.

SMARTFIELD 1.0 – PLANNING

This module is dynamic and adjusts its layout depending on the selected crop, allowing precise planning of field operations tailored to the needs of different plant types.

It enables the creation of detailed budgets for individual field operations, such as stubble breaking, fertilization, spraying, and other activities. For each operation, you can specify the vehicle, machine, fuel costs, materials, outsourcing, and set a schedule.

The module automatically adjusts its layout and available options to the specifics of the selected crop.

For example, for silage maize, the module displays the appropriate operations, vehicles, machinery, and resources necessary for successful cultivation and harvesting. This allows users to focus on the specific actions and materials required by a particular crop, increasing the precision of planning and resource management.

Creating Crop Budgets

The module enables the generation of detailed budgets for each crop based on planned operations, material consumption, fuel costs, and outsourcing. Within budgeting, you can track costs related to specific activities such as stubble breaking, fertilization, sowing, spraying, and harvesting.

Agricultural Activity Management

The module provides detailed information on planned agricultural operations such as stubble breaking, fertilization, sowing, plant protection spraying (PPP), harvesting, and transport. For each activity, the vehicle, machine, efficiency, diesel consumption, fuel cost, and materials are specified. This allows precise determination of resource requirements and expenditure control.

Schedule and Resource Planning

The module allows setting deadlines for individual agricultural activities (e.g., stubble breaking from 25.07.2024 to 15.08.2024), enabling precise seasonal planning and avoiding delays. Each agricultural activity is linked to the required resources, such as diesel, materials (e.g., fertilizers, seeds), and outsourcing options if needed.

Yield Management and Forecasting

The module allows monitoring of forecasted yields for the current and next year, divided into minimum, average, and maximum values.

Example: For silage maize, yield forecasts for the current year may range from 6,548 to 13,096 units, allowing better management of expected results and planning of sales or storage.

Costs and Resource Requirements

The module details the demand for diesel, fertilizers, plant protection products (e.g., for weeds, pests, fungi) and their costs, allowing precise expenditure monitoring. For each resource, quantities and values are provided for both the current and next year.

Investment Value

The module allows estimation of the potential margin for a given crop, taking into account current market prices and forecasted minimum, average, and maximum yields. This enables users to more precisely assess the potential return on investment per unit area and compare it with possible future revenues from the harvest. For example, for a given crop, investment per hectare can generate a margin from 1,272.58 PLN (at minimum yields) to 1,692.53 PLN (at maximum yields), facilitating profitability analysis based on different production and price scenarios.

Summary of Costs for the Current Season and Next Year

enables the user to plan and optimize expenditures in the long term. Thanks to this module, the farmer gains a full picture of financial inputs, material needs, and resource efficiency, allowing better management and more conscious budgetary decision-making.

SMARTFIELD 1.0 – EXECUTION

This is an advanced tool that allows farmers to track and thoroughly document activities performed on the farm in real time.

It supports the monitoring of planned agricultural tasks, making it easier to control the efficiency and costs of labor, materials, and equipment.

Control of Material and Outsourcing Costs

The module enables tracking of costs related to materials (e.g., fertilizers, plant protection products) and outsourcing costs. The user can easily analyze expenditures at each production stage and compare them with the budget.

Comparison with the Plan

The module automatically compares actual results with assumptions from the Planning module. This allows quick identification of deviations in both material consumption and costs, enabling better budget management and in-season adjustments.

Performance Analysis

The performance analysis function allows review of the efficiency of agricultural activities, such as efficiency per working hour or per hectare. The user can assess how actual results relate to set goals, supporting future decision-making.

Registration of Agricultural Activities

The module enables detailed recording of each agricultural activity, such as fertilization, spraying, harvesting, or soil cultivation. The user can enter data regarding the date, plot, crop, season, and purpose of the activity.

Monitoring Fuel Consumption and Working Time

Detailed data on fuel consumption, machine working time, and operators are recorded. This gives the farmer insight into resource efficiency and helps identify areas for savings.

Control of Material and Outsourcing Costs

The module enables tracking of costs related to materials (e.g., fertilizers, plant protection products) and outsourcing costs.

SMARTFIELD 1.0 – HARVEST

Supports the management of the harvesting process on the farm.

This module enables detailed tracking and analysis of harvest parameters, which directly affects farm profitability and decision-making regarding storage and sale of crops.

Harvest Registration

The module allows the user to record harvests from each plot, enabling accurate tracking of yield volumes, weights, and quality of harvested products.

Scoring and Crop Performance Analysis

The module offers a scoring function that allows evaluation of crop performance based on historical data and yield quality. Comparing yields with previous years enables trend analysis and identification of areas for improvement in future seasons.

Tracking Yields by Plot and Crop Type

Each plot and crop type is monitored individually, allowing precise control of efficiency and performance at the micro level. Yield data is aggregated, providing a full analysis of results at the whole-farm level.

Storage and Transport

The function for recording crop storage and organizing transport allows tracking of which crops are stored and which are transported to customers or the market. The user can manage harvest logistics and optimize costs related to transport and storage.

Reporting and Data Visualization

The module offers advanced reporting functions, including charts and tables that present harvest results, crop quality, costs, and profitability. The reports are intuitive and can be exported to other formats, facilitating their use in the decision-making process.

SMARTFIELD 1.0 – CONTRACTS

The SmartField – Contracts module is a key tool for managing trade agreements and tracking agricultural production results in relation to concluded contracts.

This module enables detailed monitoring of investment value, contract performance analysis, and forecasting of future profits, allowing farmers to better manage sales and optimize revenues.

Management of Trade Contracts

The user can enter and manage details of trade contracts, such as the contractor, type and quantity of material, price/cost, and delivery deadline. Contract data can be assigned to specific crops, enabling close linkage with production results.

Monitoring Investment Value and Sales

The module’s functionality includes accurate tracking of investment costs and sales value for each crop, plot, and the entire farm. The user can analyze how much was invested and how much was obtained from sales based on contracted yields, allowing profitability assessment.

Operating Result Analysis

The module calculates the operating result (profit or loss) for each crop based on investment costs and sales revenues. The operating result can be analyzed by different crops, making it easier to identify the most profitable ones.

Dynamic Calculation of Production Cost per Ton

Based on entered data, the module calculates the cost of producing one ton for different crop types, facilitating production efficiency evaluation and supporting decisions on potential changes in cultivation strategy.

Reporting of Financial and Operating Results

The module generates clear reports on investment value, sales, operating results, and variances between plans and reality. These reports are crucial for farm financial management and can be exported or analyzed within the SmartField system.

Visualization of Yield Distribution and Comparison of Inputs vs Sales

The module includes visualizations that show the distribution of yields across different categories (grain, feed, seeds) and compare investment inputs with sales. These visualizations facilitate quick review of results and assessment of farm efficiency.

SmartField – INTEGRATIONS

SmartField works with the LinkField mobile application, creating a comprehensive solution. Thanks to this integration, SmartField enables two-way data synchronization between the mobile application and the central management system.

This means that any changes and updates made in the LinkField mobile application are instantly reflected in the SmartField system, and vice versa.