Case Study: Computer-Assisted Grower Assessment Tool

The Challenge

Many software solutions rely on an industry changing to fit the solution through the introduction of technology, process change, or outside innovation. Agriculture has a long history of mechanization, advances in growing and fertilization methods, and outside technology such as satellite imaging and GPS positioning.

Unlike some industries, agriculture’s connection to nature and the planet means specialists are still needed to use these tools effectively and provide the food and natural resources people consume. Those specialists are farmers around the world.

TD MASH was tasked with developing and maintaining an application to assess farmers’ use of Bt, or Bacillus thuringiensis, insect-resistant corn and the required non-Bt corn refuge. Registrants of Bt corn products must submit an annual report to the Environmental Protection Agency, making reliable assessment data essential.

Solution Requirements

To support the annual reporting process, the assessment tool needed to meet several operational, security, and usability requirements.

Be straightforward to use
Collect farmer signatures during assessments
Work in all locations without requiring broadband or internet connectivity
Upload data once connectivity becomes available
Maintain the integrity of data during synchronization
Keep the data and assessments of different participants separate and secure
Support different product assessments and sample groups each growing season

Since the inception of the assessment program, portable computing equipment has improved dramatically. However, assessments are often completed in areas where farmers still do not have dependable broadband service. The solution therefore needed to be cost-effective and flexible to the needs of the industry and its users rather than focused on using the newest technology.

The Solution

TD MASH created a Microsoft Windows-based assessment tool that operates consistently from year to year. Each seed provider identifies the products and growers to be assessed using purchasing data and previous assessment records.

TD MASH creates custom-branded, secure applications for each provider and maintains a central repository where providers can download aggregated data and PDF documents of completed assessments to send to each grower.

After the custom-branded applications are released, TD MASH provides direct support to assessors and seed providers throughout the assessment cycle to ensure data is collected successfully and unforeseen issues are resolved.

Assessors are selected for their connections to the community and rely on TD MASH for the technology support needed to complete a successful assessment cycle.

Key capabilities:

Microsoft Windows application
Offline data collection
Secure data synchronization
Digital signature capture
Provider-specific branding
Seasonal assessment management
Centralized data repository
PDF assessment generation

Ongoing Support

At the end of each assessment season, TD MASH completes the cycle of collecting the data and preparing the platform for the following season.

No two seasons are the same in terms of who and what is assessed, so the process has been refined over time to provide the smoothest possible experience for assessors and seed companies from year to year.

The Result

TD MASH has established a track record of building industry solutions for long-term use while responding to changes in client needs, market conditions, industry requirements, and technology practices.

The assessment platform gives seed providers and assessors a dependable way to collect secure regulatory data in the field, even when reliable internet connectivity is unavailable.

By combining offline operation, secure synchronization, annual customization, centralized reporting, and direct user support, the solution continues to serve the industry across changing assessment seasons.

Long-Term Value

The application was designed around the realities of agricultural work rather than requiring users to change their processes to fit the technology.

Ongoing communication with clients, industry partners, and assessors allows TD MASH to maintain the platform for long-term use while adapting it to changing seasonal and regulatory needs.