PORKSHOP.2006: MANAGE YOUR MARGINS THROUGH THE WINDSHIELD, NOT THE REAR-VIEW MIRROR

Lean how to incorporate real-time economic analysis to find your marketing "sweet spot" at PORKSHOP.2006.

Unlike growers of annual crops, pork producers are faced with daily strategic production and marketing decisions.  When margins are wide (as they have been the past two years) they can get by through simply emulating general industry practices.  However, with expectations for more "normal" markets as well as recent negative margins, this may be the year to consider management approaches that combine "site-specific," real-time production and financial data with sound economic principles.

The PORKSHOP.2006 seminar, sponsored by CPA firm Latta, Harris, Hanon & Penningroth, LLC and FBS Systems, Inc. will help you sift though your mountains of data to rapidly identify trends and opportunities that are unique to your mix of genetics, health, facilities, markets and management.  You'll discover how to supplement traditional "rear-view mirror" tools (closeouts and financial statements) with interactive production cost modeling and executive "dashboards."  In addition you'll have the opportunity to benchmark production and financial performance with your peers.

Mark your calendar now for June 7^th 2006, (one day prior to the World Pork Expo) at the Savery Renaissance Hotel, Des Moines, Iowa.  To request a brochure, call 800-437-7638 or complete the form on this link.

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Most farmers still use PC-based software. However, the rest of the business world is turning to Internet-based software.  Read about this transition and the unique FarmServer delivery/support system for FBS clients on pages 14-18 in the March, 2006 Farm Industry News.  The article describes the collaboration of FBS Systems with accounting and consulting firms Agri-Accounting and AgCompass to provide, hosted, subscription-based software through the Internet.  Read the story online by clicking on this link.

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Flow Chart from Management Accounting Case Study

The Farm Financial Standards Council has finally released the draft of its Management Accounting Guidelines for review and comment.  Much of our company's R&D focus (primarily the e.CLIPSE modules) has been to bring our software in compliance with these rigorous reporting requirements.  (In fact, FBS is the only software firm that has completed a case study for the Council.)  You can download both the Guidelines and the FBS Case Study free of charge by clicking here.  The only requirement is that you compete and return the Feedback form also found on the web page.  Also, if you're interested in applying managerial accounting to your business, e-mail norm@fbssystems.com for a free consultation.

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LONGEST USER BEGINS 26TH YEAR WITH FBS

A hearty "thanks" goes out to everyone who entered our "longest continuous user" contest.  You shared some remarkable experiences from the 1980s, and of course, we really appreciate your loyalty and encouragement.

Our winner, however, goes all the way back to the misty dawn of farm software.  Our congratulations go out to Vaughn Huey, of Sanborn, Indiana, who began using FBS in early 1982.  Huey's uses TransAction Plus and Crop Audit to manage his 3,400 acre southern Indiana operation.  Other family enterprises include buying and selling grain, supplies, fertilize and chemicals, spreading lime, and selling sand, gravel and crushed stone.  Huey has an engineering degree from Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology.  He and his wife, Barbara, have two children.

Vaughn will receive $2,500 credit on any FBS-authored module and be recognized at the FBS annual User Conference, August 23-24, in Moline, Illinois.

Here's Vaughn's story in his own words:

I believe I purchased the Secretary of Agriculture program in either December of 1981 or January of 82.  I can get printouts which include 1985 data but not anything before.  If I could get those early files to work I know I could pinpoint the exact month but for now I'm guessing it was December of 1981 and I believe I was attending a Pro Farmer seminar when I purchased it.  It ran on a Radio Shack Model II that had the 8 inch floppy disks.  I still had the original disks until we moved into our new office in the fall of 2003.  I am able to print a historical comparison in CFS that shows my 1983 financial balance sheet and CA+ will print out my 1981 harvest information.  Regardless with 2006 now beginning that would start my 26th year of data for Transaction plus and I believe it was only a year or so later I added Crop Audit and Coordinated Financial Statements.

I still use FBS for a lot of reasons.  Upgrading from year to year has been an easy task and that has allowed me to keep all the years of data accessible.  FBS has listened to its users and has implemented many of their suggestions into an improved package that is easy to use.  The versatility of all the programs allows me to not only keep our farm data but since I have been our church treasurer for longer than I care to mention.  I have set up our church books on TA+.  Many programs on the market do not have the ability to be a good farm program and a good bookkeeping program at the same time.  Over the years the amount of time needed for entry has decreased while the amount of data to input and analyze has increased.  With all my duties outside of agriculture that may be the most important factor of all.  To put it simply I still use FBS because it fits my needs.

Sincerely,

Vaughn Huey

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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. Q. I can no longer access the FBS help file on our network server. What happened, and how do I fix it? a. What happened: •    A vulnerability in Microsoft HTML Help in Windows Server 2003 could allow remote code execution. •    Therefore, Microsoft issued a security update which disabled access to Help files stored on the server. Solution #1 (Move Help file on local directory): •    Create directory on local machine such as C:\FBSHELP. •    Copy the file Fbs_Help.chm from the program directory on server to C:\FBSHELP. •    Go to Utilities | Set Preferences and find the line with the Description, CM:  Fbs Help File. •    In the Value column type C:\FBSHELP (or whatever the new location for the help file) Solution #2 (Edit Registry): •    Contact your system administrator and direct him to the following Microsoft service bulletin:  http://support.microsoft.com/kb/896054

Call in your questions (800.437.7638) or e-mail them to support@fbssystems.com.