We interviewed hundreds of farmers this past year, asking what they like and don’t like about their current farm management solution. As you know already, farmers are not shy about expressing their opinion. Most felt they’ve reached a crossroads with their current system and are willing to consider all options for next season.
TOP PAIN POINTS
Farmers are frustrated with many things, but their top 3 pain points are:
- Isolated Silos. Farmers use a variety of ag-based software, from cloud to desktop to spreadsheets. These individual solutions do not integrate together, failing to deliver accurate and timely cost-based information. So why do most software companies avoid farm accounting? The answer to that question is rather simple – it’s not easy! Farm accounting can be complex, especially when dealing with complicated partnerships and multiple entities. Since the launch of Farm Works Software® in the 1990’s, no integrated accounting and field record keeping solutions have materialized in ag.
- Big Corporate Companies = Big Data Concerns. It is obvious that at the end of the day, farmers are skeptical that big corporate companies have their best interest at heart. For example, do you want your equipment manufacturer or input supplier having access to your financial information? And what do they plan to do with this data? This concern ranked highly in our farmer interviews.
- Customer Service. Farmers are flat out frustrated with limitations to customer service such as return calls and email. When you have questions, you need answers now – not later. The Traction team understands this concern better than anyone, based on our years of experience with Farm Works. Every farmer who engages with Traction will receive first class onboarding to ensure success. Based on the needs of the farmer, Traction can move quickly to provide video conferencing, screen share, integrated chat, community feedback board and more.
These pain points and many others are associated with companies who are slow to change or are stuck in corporate politics. You need to partner with a company that is independently focused and motivated. Independence provides benefits to farmers like timely software updates, greater support, better data workflows, third-party integrations, and more emphasis on the farmer’s needs. Traction is the answer to all these things because our company independence is our passion. Our loyalty is to you.

Author
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Brian Stark is co-founder and Marketing Director of Traction Ag, Inc, a cloud-based farm accounting and management software company focused on helping farmers become more profitable and efficient. Prior to Traction Ag, Brian led the sales and marketing efforts at Farm Works Software, a global leader in farm management desktop software that was acquired by Trimble in 2009. He helped manage the Trimble marketing and communications team for over 10 years, with a strategic focus in building brand awareness and digital marketing efforts.