Information needs and information technology on dairy farms

Investment in information technology (IT) enables the farmer to collect and process data at farm and animal level to be used in decision making. In or der to evaluate the currently available IT applications it is essential to determine in what way IT will support information needs. A methodology was presented that was based on system decomposition principles which made a fo rmal analysis possible. When evaluating an automated concentrate feeder, pr ocesses related to the function of nutrition are important. In the case of activity measurement the evaluation should include at least the function re production and in the case of electrical conductivity of quarter milk the f unction health care. Milk temperature measurement supports two functions, n amely reproduction and health care, while milk production measurement suppo rts a wide range of processes in different functions. (C) 1999 Elsevier Sci ence B.V. All rights reserved.