Case Study: Beef Feedlot Management Application for Web, Mobile, and IoT
From time to time, we like to share case studies of what we’ve been working on here at Intertech. It gives insight into the type of work we do, what you can expect if you work with Intertech to solve your software needs, and what it’s like to work as a consultant for Intertech on challenging projects.
In our new case study, we take a look at work Intertech did for Big Gain, a regional leader in beef feedlot supply, management, and analytics. With help from the Intertech Dev Center paired with Senior Consultants, tasks that originally took weeks and multiple complicated spreadsheets now happen in one unified application in real time. Feedlot managers can take the application, called BeefBooks™, on the go with them via a mobile app and even automate data entry using Bluetooth sensors on trucks during loading and dispersal.
Working with Intertech has been a great experience. Converting a manual process of entering data into spreadsheets to a new online system gives us access to real-time results. We have modernized our business like no one else in the market. Eliminating hundreds of hours in manual work, while giving our customers a tool to quickly manage their business and improve profits is a great benefit we can now offer.
Jay Watje
Beef Department Head, Big Gain
Taking Advantage of the Intertech Dev Center
Intertech Dev Center developers working alongside our senior consultants created the BeefBooks™ application from the ground up. This process involved coordinating multiple inputs from various sources, applying the correct formulas and lookups from the original spreadsheets, and designing an intuitive user interface that customers could use directly. Ultimately, the goal was for the application to make predictions about cattle growth and design feed mixtures and amounts to maximize feedlot profitability when it came time to sell.
Working with a full Microsoft stack, deploying to Azure, our Intertech developers created a web application with an Angular front end. Feedlot data now lives online, where it’s easy to access from any computer, and BeefBooks™ users can easily share data or reports with third parties. On the advice of our Intertech consultants, Big Gain decided to extend the web application via a mobile app for phone or tablet. Now, feedlot owners can get insights in the field in real time about how their cattle are growing.
The Intertech team also researched, designed, and created an integration for Bluetooth scale head sensors. This IoT integration allows for autonomous data collection as the feed truck fills with various ingredients for the feed mixture. The sensor can also track how much feed is dispersed at each pen, allowing for much more accurate data collection and digitizing a process that has relied on pen and paper until now.
Intertech was able to develop this application at a comparatively low price thanks to the Intertech Dev Center, where Intertech developers work on software development projects in between major consulting assignments. Additionally, the new application saves hundreds of man-hours spent managing spreadsheets and emailing results. The time saved by giving real-time results directly to feedlot managers means they can make better decisions about how to run their businesses, driving high customer satisfaction with the new product. BeefBooks™ is currently in beta testing with pilot users with a full rollout anticipated in late 2018.
Find out how Intertech’s consulting services can help your business. Get in touch today to learn more.
Originally published at Intertech Blog.
