Farm Focus – developed for farmers and rural business owners

Business Director Aaron Allred says staff work to ensure clients receive the most up to date information so when Farm Focus first appeared on the scene he saw the benefits a cloud-based application would deliver.

“Providing timely and accurate business information is critical, and because Focus was an online tool designed and built specifically for farmers by farmers, we saw how the application could make positive changes in how farmers ran their business. Time is money so having their planning and budget information on-line means farmers can check and change detail anytime from anywhere, which is a big step up from having to return home to the office as was previously the case.”

Aaron says his staff have been encouraging clients to make the switch from the old Cash Manager Rural to Farm Focus and they’ve received some positive customer feedback – “clients are actually calling up and asking to be switched. so we’ve decided to advise new clients to get onto Focus from the get-go!”

Aaron says clients are not the only ones to benefit from Focus – “as a business we’re enjoying new features which make our job easier too.”

He says the new drill down and search feature and Stock Reconciliation Report have both made a difference to time spent on accounts.

“Building a budget is much easier because all the information we need is right there securely saved in the system. We don’t need to contact the client to find invoices or receipts saving down time both ways.

“The Stock Reconciliation Report is another plus. Stock numbers are an important part of a farm budget. Knowing exactly what has arrived or left the property at any given time is essential, especially so in relation to National Animal Identification and Tracing (NAIT) compliance requirements."

Aaron says Focus clients can now tick a box and give their accountant or bank manager access to their business accounts. "In fact, they are calling in to ask us to access their business accounts. When they tick that box, our team are able log on to create a budget or help with planning and often we can work on the same screen to work through an issue they may have.”

He says being able to chat online has had a positive spin off in strengthening client relationships.

“Being able to log into their screen and work with them helps us understand exactly what they’re talking about and saves time, stress and ultimately money because there’s no downtown travelling back and forth.”

Aaron says his team regularly update processes in line with industry requirements and it’s great to know the Farm Focus team of developers who built Focus can do the same.

“Nothing stays the same in business so knowing Focus can be adapted to meet customer demand or new market requirements does give an extra level of assurance our Farm Focus investment will pay off into the future.”