Development of Integrated Management Information System for Dairy Producers

Abstract

This paper considers the extent to which concepts of an integrated management information system have been or might be developed for application in dairy production. Major features of such a system are described as capabilities to process records for evaluating current and historical states of the business, to project anticipated events and performance in the immediate future as a means of monitoring and controlling current activities, and to provide both long- and short-run projections of physical and financial performance as an aid to planning and decision making. These concepts are discussed in relation to types of decision aids and systems analyses that have been developed for and of dairy production. Two issues in particular are highlighted. The first concerns integration of predictive models with record processing capabilities so that projections for both planning and control are based on the most up-to-date description of the structure, capacity, operating constraints, and policies of the individual business. The second concerns definition of predictive models with respect to simplicity versus accuracy in representation of the complexity and dynamic, holistic properties of biological production systems. Alternative approaches to these problems are discussed. While many components of an effective management information system have been developed, their combination into a single integrated system has not occurred. The structure and anticipated operation of a proposed dairy information system are outlined.