Mid Canterbury dairy farmer Barney Parsons says he thought moving the farm financials from Cash Manager RURAL (RURAL) to Cash Manager Focus (Focus) would be a headache but looking back it was one of the easiest things he’s done online. “Switching to Focus was seamless and I couldn’t believe it when everything fell into place so easily,” he says.

Barney and Maureen Parsons run 1100 cows on 420h at Winchmore in Mid Canterbury with their son and daughter-in-law. Barney says they are now at the stage of being able to take a break here and there, but still be hands on if needed.

“This is where Focus really is a step up for us. Doesn’t matter where we are, we’re available. I can log in on any device and that’s a real game changer when decisions need to be made.

‘Focus is a product for the times we’re now in. The package works in real time, so we always know where we’re at and, because dipping in and out is easy, you’re almost encouraged to check in daily and tweak here and there as you go.”

Barney says he had a look around before automatically settling on Focus.

“My research showed Focus was far easier to use than the other main competition on offer. Just having everything up to date when you log in gives a good platform to work from especially in our line of business where nothing stays the same for long.”

While spending less time ‘hands on’ in the office was definitely a big driver for his move to Focus, Barney says being able to see where they’re at in real time and make changes if needed has been an unexpected bonus for the team.

“I’m really pleased with the move. So, if you’re already using Cash Manager Rural then moving to Focus will be far easier than you anticipate.”