Another year has come and gone, and now it's 2025! A common process for many of us is to set goals or resolutions to strive for in the new year. A new year is a new beginning – a time to reflect on what has worked so far and what may need some adjustments.
In that realm, let's talk about six ways to ensure your record-keeping efforts are achievable and successful:
1. Digital is the way
For many, recordkeeping is a shoebox of receipts, slips of paper on the truck dashboard, notebooks or some other physical combination. Others choose spreadsheets as their record-keeping place. This may work fine for a few animals but can quickly be outgrown when you need double-letter columns, want to run reports or want to look back at the historic performance of a cow's calves over the years.
Cattle software continues to improve as technology evolves and is adopted by farmers and ranchers. So much is online/web-based today, such as email, bank and investment accounts, and even educational courses and seminars! You can access your email anytime, anywhere with your mobile device or computer – your ranch records should be the same way.
2. Make the most of hardware technologies
The industry has also made significant enhancements to equipment technology, such as electronic ID (e-ID) readers and cattle weigh scales. Most equipment has a wireless or Bluetooth connection that can pair to a device or app to easily provide a connection to an electronic or digital version of the records. Many of the technologies connect to record-keeping software through a wireless connection or through an app version that works with the equipment. The goal of the smart equipment is to make data collection easier and more automated, thus reducing errors and saving time and problems.
3. Get everyone on the same page about records
Keeping records is not necessarily something that's considered “fun,” but it is necessary for good cattle and ranch management. Be sure your team, including owners, employees, managers, consultants, accountants, etc., can access the records they need. Some cattle software programs provide a way to limit a user to certain abilities, such as allowing a person to only be able to view the records or reports.
4. Mobility is key
It's interesting to see more and more farmers and ranchers embrace technology. How many of you have at least one mobile device, such as a phone or tablet? The devices have created a way to stay connected while being portable. Many record-keeping solutions are mobile-friendly, such as records being in a format that's ideal for mobile devices. This is different than viewing your records on a laptop or computer monitor, especially in terms of screen size and functionality.
5. Make sure your record system is supported
This can look different for different ranches. Maybe you and/or your team need to view help articles, attend classes or get recommendations about how to best implement the system in your herd and specific needs. Some software companies offer great online resources to access and view at your own pace, along with being able to talk with other ranchers who use the software for their own herds. Whatever system you choose, be sure there are training resources available. This ensures that everyone has a good foundation and knowledge of the benefits to themselves and the ranch and is thus more likely to do their part to ensure success.
6. Plan and look ahead
It's important to know what goals you are working toward and the steps to get there. Progress is progress, even if it's something you consider to be small! Be sure everyone on your team is on the same page about your goals and plans, which promotes teamwork as you move toward the goal.
This new year can be a great start to better information, collaboration and decisions. A great place to start is with your record-keeping system. Talk to other farmers and ranchers about what works for them, talk with software companies about options and develop a plan to ensure you make the most of 2025!
