CS - Argentine Commercial Farm/ranch Management Information Systems: Design, Capabilities, Costs And Benefits

The integration of financial, tax and production data in a Management Information System can optimize the business productivity. Linking up farms across counties with a central headquarters and having on line up to date information can be obtained with today´s technology.
A Management Information System was set up for farm/ranch business entities whose properties were settled from 150 km to 1,200 km from each headquarters. Its main objective was to have auditable field and accrual and tax accounting records, daily processed business, financial and production information for all the farms and ranches that were administrated. It was also found to be an important tool for developing Standard Operating Procedures and Good Agricultural Practices. More over, now all information is available to decision makers in real time, with instant adjustments for all production and financial data.
Costs and Benefits were analyzed, being the second ones more difficult to measure it was found totally necessary with today’s standards to manage and administrate a business.