Smart data sharing: Get better advice and boost collaboration

Imagine you’ve got a herd of 400 cows, but your feed costs are creeping up, and your milk quality seems inconsistent. You reach out to your consultant, but the conversation feels all over the place because they don’t have the right data. They don’t know if the issue lies with feed or herd health or something else entirely. You need a way to ensure everyone is on the same page—and that’s where good data sharing comes in.

However, sharing farm data isn’t always straightforward. Balancing the need for transparency with the importance of controlling access is a challenge. Not everyone needs access to your entire farm data. Because our data is a gold mine, and you don't want to share all aspects with everyone.

Farmers need tools that enable them to easily and securely share information—ensuring the right people have access to the right data at the right time.

Why data sharing matters for better farm outcomes

The value of farm data isn’t just in collecting it—it’s in how effectively it’s used and shared. Access to contextual data enables targeted advice, faster responses, and helps you to make more informed decisions. For example: 

• Feeding choices: Data-driven insights can directly impact feed costs and milk production.
• Herd health: Early intervention based on accurate health data can reduce vet bills and prevent disease spread.
• Milk quality: Tracking trends over time helps identify and prevent costly quality issues.

It’s been shown that farms adopting advanced data-sharing tools and precision agriculture technologies have improved feed efficiency and overall productivity. Additionally, it makes collaboration with advisors more efficient, while saving time for everyone involved. This underscores the value of targeted data use in modern-day farming.

Practical steps to improve your data sharing

To share the right data with the right people, farmers must take a strategic approach to data sharing.

Here are three steps to construct a better collaboration with your advisors and consultants:

1. Identify key data points: Start by focusing on the metrics that matter most to your farm’s operations and the needs of your advisors. For example, production metrics like ECM and components, herd health trends, or feed intake are often critical areas. Having clarity on what to share reduces clutter and keeps everyone aligned.
2. Leverage secure and flexible tools: Choose platforms that let you customize views for different advisors, ensuring each recipient gets exactly what they need.
3. Hold regular review meetings: Data sharing shouldn’t stop at delivering numbers. Engage with your advisors to regularly review shared insights and discuss actionable strategies. This collaboration ensures your shared data translates into meaningful improvements in farm operations.

These steps enable you to move beyond simply collecting data and start using it to drive meaningful outcomes, making operations more efficient and partnerships more productive.

Simplify data sharing using Connecterra

Effective data sharing can seem challenging, but Connecterra offers a practical, streamlined way to simplify the process. Designed with simplicity and flexibility in mind, the platform empowers farmers to:

• Collaborate with trusted advisors: Invite advisors, consultants, or team members to view your farm's data in their own dedicated accounts. In addition to visualizing trends in KPIs with charts, they get actionable insights and tools that support data analysis.
• Streamline advisor meetings: Smart tools like Connecterra Copilot automate analysis and send summaries of key trends to your advisors, helping them prepare for farm visits and easily catch up with what happened on the farm.
• Tailor data sharing: Share data snapshots with internal and external stakeholders and stay in control of what they can access.

For Allan Kutz, a dairy farmer and Connecterra user, this approach has been beneficial.

“In meetings, everyone has their own idea of what happened. But when the data is right in front of us, we can see what actually happened and have a better conversation.” 

By aligning his team around accurate, real-time data, Allan has improved collaboration with his nutritionists and veterinarians, leading to more effective decisions.

Collaborate with confidence

Your dairy farm data is a powerful tool for informed decisions and seamless collaboration. Connecterra helps you simplify the process of sharing data—whether you're inviting your nutritionist to review analytics or sending a tailored snapshot to a financial advisor. Our platform enables you to maintain control while enhancing collaboration.

Ready to see how it feels when everyone—your advisors, consultants, and team—works from the same page, with the same data? 

Try Connecterra for 60 days free of charge and experience this for yourself.