NOW DEBUTING ON OUR WEB SITE — A DEMONSTRATION OF FBS INTEGRATION AS UNIQUE AND COMPELLING AS THE CONCEPT ITSELF!

One great idea deserves another.  And you can be among the first to explore it!  We invite you to the "opening" of an exclusive online demo of integrated production and financial programs.  You'll find the excitement and value of the "real thing" captured in this brief but revealing venture.  If you're not already using FBS programs in an integrated format, you'll seriously question why you aren't.  If you are an integrated user, you may discover some things you didn't know.   So take a minute to savor the taste of a veritable banquet of benefits!

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Jorgensen Land & Cattle, Ideal, SD, is nationally known for its Angus bulls, which are marketed via private treaty, auction or lease.  One of the first issues raised by Jorgensen management to controller Daryl Ellis was to determine the "best" sales method.  Further complicating this task is the accounting for the cost of cull animals that don't make breeding stock standards.
    Ellis's beef adaptation of the FBS e.CLIPSE managerial accounting system differs from his prior implementation in Jorgensen's farrow-to-finish pork unit in two areas:

Centers	Groups
Female Breeding Stock
Developing Animals	8019D Abulls Development
Private Sales	8019S Abulls Sales
Leasing	8019L Abulls Lease
Auctions	8019A Abulls Auction
Culls	8019C Abulls Culls
Custom Feeding

With e.CLIPSE automatically moving costs from stage to stage, Ellis can come up with profit and loss by stage and group through the Smart Feeder User Defined Report. (See Figure 1.)

Figure 1.  Bull development, cull, lease, auction and private sale groups.

Ellis treats cull bulls as a "cost center" because:

•	They are a "by-product"
•	Management's intent is to come up with a total unit cost of production for the primary lease, auction and private sale animals.

Therefore, Ellis "pushes" cull gain (loss) of culls into the other centers using a manual journal entry, forcing net margin to zero in the cull center. (See Figure 2.)

Figure 2.  The goal for cull centers is a "zero" margin through netting gain/loss against the other sales centers.

In this example, the 6060/8010-C Cull Center/Group produced a $13,475 loss which is then allocated into the other groups.
    Because these groups—particularly leased animals—can remain "open" for so long, Ellis is working with FBS to develop a monitoring report that adjusts for inventoried costs at the group level in order provide management "real-time," rather than simply historic cost numbers.
    Next month, we'll learn how Ellis tracks the overlapping and intertwined costs within a cow-calf operation.

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"We thought each session was real informative and liked the way you presented them.  The manual that you supplied to follow the Powerpoint presentation has been a real good tool.  When we got home we have gone back to that for reference.  We feel that FBS is the premier software for agriculture and look forward to using the new technology."

That's the feedback we've received so far from our first CROPSHOP seminar in Louisville on Feb. 11.  Participants learned how to benefit from managerial accounting and the newest precision farming technologies and were inspired by the wit and wisdom of Howard Doster.  Most important, over half of the operations attending CROPSHOP have already committed to adopt the systems and practices covered in the seminar.  If you'd like more information on these topics or want to stay informed on upcoming CROPSHOP seminars, contact Norm Brown via email at norm@fbssystems.com or telephone at (309) 582-5628 ext. 101.

Purdue's "Top Farmer" champion, Dr. Howard Doster	Producers compare their managerial accounting / precision farming strategies.	SST president and GIS expert, Dr. David Waits

TIME'S TICKING!  INVEST IN FARMING'S BEST INTEGRATED SYSTEMS AND SAVE UP TO 33%.  BUT DEADLINE'S CLOSING IN!

For a very limited time, choose from two outstanding offers–each dispelling notions of price being a barrier to benefiting from ag's leading integrated management information system.

SPECIAL NO. 1: Buy one program, get a second at HALF PRICE; buy two, get a third program FREE!  Save up to $1,200.  Earn 60 days of free support.   Buy any FBS program listed on our offer page and you can get a second one of equal or lesser value at 50% OFF.  Or, buy two programs and you'll get a third one of equal or lesser value absolutely FREE.  A great opportunity to get started with your integrated MIS!

SPECIAL NO. 2: Buy the complete e.CLIPSE management information system. Save $1,390.  Get a FREE Compaq iPAQ Pocket PC.  Two days of on-site training are included in the package. (Free SST Stratus software is also included with crops version of e.CLIPSE.)  This is our first special on e.CLIPSE—and it hands you a turnkey integrated MIS at unprecedented savings.
    For full particulars on both specials, including details on individual programs, features and benefits, call 800.437.7638 ext 101 or 103.  But there's not a lot of time left, so don't wait till it's too late!

Have you checked your Client Appreciation Program (CAP) credit lately?  If you've been on the TiMEsaver Service Agreement for three years, paid each invoice by June 30 and haven't redeemed any of your CAP credit, you've accumulated the maximum 40% discount toward the purchase of selected FBS programs.  The amount of credit is determined by the number of years spent on TiMEsavr and accordingly would currently be 10, 20, 30 or 40%. If you don't know your actual TiMEsavr credit/discount, contact your FBS sales representative at 800.437.7638 or sales@fbssystems.com.  By combining this opportunity with Special Offer No.1 (above), you could add another module for extra savings up to $798!  So set your CAP for maximum savings. But here again, time is vital!  Contact us today.

Review the dates and sites of the events in your state or region (click here for schedule, booth numbers, etc.). If you're heading to any of these shows, be sure to look us up!

Please Note: FBS has withdrawn from the Mid-South Farm and Gin Show, Feb. 28-Mar.1, in Memphis due to a scheduling conflict.  We regret this move because we consider this show to be very important to us.  We plan to be back in 2004.

SOFTWARE Q&A – WITH Q'S FROM YOU, OUR CLIENTS!

Send us your questions/problems–be they short, long, simple or downright frustratin'!–about SeRVware and we'll handle them right "on the air" for the benefit of all.  This month's question was suggested by Greg Streeter, FBS programmer and Web master, who has assisted several clients with this problem.

Q.

Why do I keep losing my site authorization?

a.

Defragmenting your hard drive, having a hard drive crash, and running Norton Utilities can all destroy the site authorization. Don't panic.  Go to Utilities/Authorize/Transfer Usage/Authorize.  Print out your site code fax or e-mail to support@fbssystems.com.  We will promptly return your site key. Year-end reminder:  If your fiscal year began Jan 1, 2003, have you made an adjustment entry to retained earnings for the amount of your 2002 net income?  You should have a current net income ledger account (in owner equity and type N) to calculate your net income whenever you run a balance sheet report and them post the adjustment to retained earnings on the first day of your fiscal year. – Cheryl Brown, Support Technician Call in your questions (800.437.7638) or e-mail them to support@fbssystems.com.

•  Welcome

New clients Mullenix Accounting, Atlantic, IA, and Lean Island Feeders, Grunthal, MB, Canada.

•  In the NEWS!

Lynn Fahrmeier uses precision farming to fine-tune the management of 1,700 acres near Wellington, MO.  As reported in February's Successful Farming, Lynn relies on PF tools and techniques such as satellite navigation receivers, field maps and soil sensors to help him maintain an old-fashioned hands-on relationship with his soils.
    Maurice Heard and sons Eric and Darwin plan to add 1,200 sows to their 1,800–sow farrow-to-finish operation in Rockfield, KY., which is the cover story of January's Swine Solutions, a Hubbard Feeds Inc., newsletter.  The Heards expand with quality pork production in mind, with particular attention to feed efficiency and rate of gain.  Maurice is described by Hubbard Swine Nutritionist Dennis Liptrap, Ph.D., as "one of those rare individuals that sees that buying a poor product will wind up costing him more than he saved."

•  A Special Thanks!

To Sonja Enevoldsen, Montevideo, MN, for her words to National Support Manager Gary Simpson after he assisted in a support question: "Gary … that is exactly what I wanted to know.  I looked all over for that area, but not the right place.  Thanks again.  So glad you are so handy and helpful."