Some experts say the 2013 harvest will produce a record yield of corn and soybeans, with a projected income of $120.6 billion for the industry. This means more trucks on the road, more equipment in the field, more employees scattered all over, more loads to deliver and more paperwork to fill out and keep track of.
This is the busiest time of the year for the farm industry, and staying on top of all aspects of the business becomes a grueling task. But there are ways to ensure that all operations continue to run smoothly.
Manage Farm Equipment Status
During harvest you have numerous trucks and machines completing multiple tasks every day. Combines and are working hastily to get turn the latest crop, grain trucks are hauling load after load and tractors are tilling harvested land to prepare for next season. How are you supposed to keep track of it all?
Many of those in the agriculture industry are starting to utilize an equipment tracking system in their business to decrease the hassles that come with the chaos. Businesses that run an equipment tracking system can instantly locate all equipment, whether it’s on a delivery, been misplace or stolen. On a computer or tablet device, you can pull data on GPS locations, engine runtime and machine health. By leveraging all this information, you will make better business decisions and complete harvest faster and more profitable.
Keep Harvesting Equipment Healthy
Nothing is more stressful then being on a time crunch. With a small window of opportunity to get the crops off the field, costly breakdowns can be a major detriment to production and morale. Integrating a maintenance solution into your business is one of the best ways to stay on top of equipment health and recover quickly from breakdowns or problems.
The system allows you to schedule maintenance based on usage or time, set alarms to alert you when maintenance is due and track maintenance trends with history reports. Other little things such as encouraging employees to watch how hard they break and shift, and reducing idle times, can also go a long way in keeping equipment healthy. When you stay on top of equipment health, you not only extend the machines life, but you stay on top of your business.
Track Farm Asset Location
Knowing machine location and health status is vital to run a successful harvest operation, however, maintaining your non-powered assets is just as important. Tanks and storage bins, along with trailers and grain carts, are often left sitting in remote areas for a long period of time.
This can lead to assets being forgotten then lost, or even stolen. Asset tracking systems designed specifically for non-powered assets keep you updated on locations at all times. Geo-fenced areas and landmarks can be created with configured alarms to notify you via text or email if an asset moves from a specific location to prevent theft or unauthorized use. With asset tracking, you can keep your eyes on the field at all times.