"intelligent Reports" For Dairy Herd

The rapid development of the Internet, combined with the increasing power of microcomputers,provides an opportunity to improve greatly the quality of information available to the managers of dairyfarms. Internet technology provides a framework upon which information can be distributed quickly,with great flexibility, and at low cost, but existing information tools for dairy management are largelyoptimized for a system built around mainframe computers and character-based paper records. Themulti-platform browsers that have fueled growth of the World-Wide-Web (WWW) offer tremendousnew flexibility in the way data may be displayed. Increasing computer power also makes it possible toadd embedded intelligence and measures of confidence to reports. Thoughtful graphic design can makethis increased sophistication unobtrusive, and accessible to dairy farmers and the consultants that servethem.Distributed access to a centralized database and report engine will also aid dairy research, andmonitoring of industry-wide or localized trends.