FieldAlytics v3.83 Release Notes

The FieldAlytics team is excited to introduce the following new features into version 3.83 of the FieldAlytics software program as part of our upcoming scheduled feature release.

Main Tab

Yield by Management Zone Utilizing Yield Potential Layers

Users will now have the functionality within the program to utilize any of their Yield Potential layers when working within the Yield by Management Zone analysis report feature. Previously, users were limited to only being able to select from actual logged data yield layers.

With this new functionality, users who have fields with limited past yield layers or may have a field where the collected data was not properly calibrated or missing would have the ability to instead utilize a Yield Potential layer from that same calendar year.

The Yield Potential layers showing for the users are determined from a combination of NDVI imagery sources or management zones and other local inputs to provide a fully interpolated map layer associated to the assumed crop for that growing season.

Report Setup Selection 

Start the report request by selecting the “Yield by Management Zone” report option found from the field level “Action” menu. With this option selected, the system will then populate a report display modal for the user.

Most of the report setup remains unchanged from its past versions. To define the criteria to be used within the report, select from the following:

• Select Management Zone
  • This option will allow the user to decide which of their available Management Zone layers will be utilized to then provide a comprehensive analysis of the Average Yield and Total Yield within each Zone ID area from the selected Management Zone.
• Select Yield Layer
  • This option will display to the user both their available “Actual” yield layers from machine logged data and now the available Yield Potential layers.
• Include Column(s)
  • This option allows the user to include any of the established attribute columns from the selected Management Zone layer to show on the report.
• Select Sort Key
  • Allows the user to either sort by Zone ID or by Yield Avg per Zone. The feature for Yield Average will place these in order of best performance to worst.

Finally, the user can elect to receive the report in either CSV or PDF format. For the option of PDF, the resulting report will include a side-by-side view showing both the selected Management Zone layer used for the analysis, as well as the Yield or Yield Potential layer used for the derived comparison results.

Yield by Management Zone Output – Yield Potential NDVI Layer

The resulting values provided from this analysis can later be plugged into the users existing Management Zone layers to be used to help drive recommendation events, Profit Plans or other strategic functions within the program.

Management Zone Layer Display Updates

To better provide the users transparency and access to information associated to their field data layers, the Management Zone layers have been modified to now allow the user to click and view pop-up data associated to the specific zone polygon selected from the map view.

To enable this feature, the user must first select a desired Management Zone layer from their available profile tree. This option will provide the most benefit to users when working with Zone layers that also include associated column attributes with populated values assigned to each zone. With the Management Zone selected and displaying on the map, now place a “check” in the select box for the “Show Zone Data” option within the small black results box. Once selected, this will default to the zone “ID” associated to each polygon.

From the Map view, click on any desired map label. By doing this, the system will then pop-up a display modal that will show 4 specific items:

1. Zone ID 
   1. This will show the Zone ID number associated to the polygon (1, 2, 3, etc…)
2. Polygon Area
   1. This is specific acreage associated JUST to the polygon selected, keeping in mind that any Zone may have more than 1 polygon associated to it.
3. Total Area
   1. This is the total calculated area for the entire Zone ID associated to the polygon that is currently being selected
4. Column Attribute Data
   1. This will showcase the associated column results to the local Zone selected.

Field Sample Layer Display Updates for UOM

This new enhancement is designed as another feature to provide greater detail and transparency to the user while working with their field data. For this feature, the system has been updated to now include an additional “Units” column while working with and view you Field Sample event layers.

Once selected the system will automatically display the new “units” column. This is designed to show the data to the user in the Unit of Measure preference that they have enabled for their location. Please note that the unit displaying for the data layer may differ from how the data was supplied to the program from the select soil laboratory. 

This feature brings transparency to the display of the results and allows the users to immediately know what unit form their data is being displayed in. For any user wanting to view their results in a different UOM than what is currently being displayed to them, they can modify this with the systems TOOLS menu.

Navigate to the TOOLS > UNIT PREFERENCE > SOIL SAMPLES page/tab and then per element, define you preferred default unit of measure. If any element is set to a unit different than that which your lab supplied the results to FieldAlytics, the program will then do the needed unit conversion to display your results as listed within this tool.

Combined Rx Export Support for Additional Controller Formats

New to the Combined Rx Export feature for both “Saved Rx” events and “Management Zones” is functionality that will now allow users to specify and receive a specific controller file type of choice.

Previous to this new addition, users were limited to only getting the generic “Shapefile” output option for any “Merged/Combined” events for 2 or more fields. This will now expose the complete controller file export list for all supported types.

Simply start the process by enabling the “Combined Export” tool of choice. Then, after selecting the needed Rx event, select the option to have the events “Merged”. Finally, select you desired controller file type from the available list.

Operations Tab

Operations/Asset Task Support – Clean Out Job

With machinery assets being a vital part of the workflow built into the program, the need to have greater definition around post-application clean up and maintenance was needed. To better support this, the program now allows for customized “Clean Out” tasks by organization or business unit to be assigned to your Application job types.

The initial setup of the customized “Clean Out” operation can be handled in conjunction with an Organizations Manager or Admin staff and by the FieldAlytics client services and support team. Together, we can help create a fully instructional guide for the applicator or service man to follow to handle the post-application duties for the clean-out.

Today, as part of the form, users can have the following options available for the setup of the Clean-Out task:

1. Custom Instructional Text
2. Attached Instructional or Visual Aide Document
3. Free Form Text, Numeric or Check Box select features

The users wanting to have a Clean-Out task associated to the job will select the checkbox for this option along with any other required Dispatch Options and then select the “Submit” button to confirm.

At this time the system will refresh the page and within the “Dispatch Log”, the user will find the newly assembled Dispatch containing the selected jobs and associated machine and personnel assets to it.

Within this listing, a new sub-section will show for “Clean-Out Job”. This will show any associated machine asset that has been flagged to complete a Clean-Out job task. For dispatches that do not have a machine asset assigned to a Clean-Out task, they will simply show the alert text of “No Clean-Out Job Assigned”.

*** Please note, additional FieldAlytics Mobile work is currently on-going to enable the in-field use of these feature on the mobile app. This work would allow the applicator to not only mark all associated jobs to the dispatch as “Complete”, but then also indicate from the mobile device that the actions and tasks associated to the assigned Clean-Out have also been completed. ***

The final step in the process is to confirm the completion of the Clean-Out task. This is enabled by the user selecting the “Assigned” button. That action will pop-up the “Confirm Clean-Out Job” completion window.

From this window, the system will show all associated details to the task as well as give the user the option to mark the Clean-Out task “Finished”. Finalize this step by then selecting the “Confirm” button to save.

With the task confirmed as finished, the Dispatch summary display will then also update and list the “Clean-Out Job” section as “Completed”. 

Work Order Tab

Utilizing Merchant Splits

This new feature will help promote the integration services between EFC’s MerchantAg ERP accounting software and the FieldAlytics work order system. Within a customers MerchantAg solution, client specific billing splits can be setup and defined to establish the “percentage” of the split across multiple entities. 

With that information set, those split percent values can then be shared with FieldAlytics to then determine the amount each party will be responsible on the cost sharing side at a global level across the entire job, or more local to the product cost share or the specific job service cost share.

For any MerchantAg connected customer wanting to enable this service, they must contact their MerchantAg customer service support rep/team and go through the needed steps to update their current working software version to that version level needed that now supports the job split functionality with the API.

Once updated, users will be able to go into the Work Orders module, create their job orders, define the job setup criteria for products, rates and other miscellaneous details and then finally “Manage” the needed split criteria based on the available template scenarios created and shared from MerchantAg. Once the job has been Accepted, the split details defined will be shared back across to the MerchantAg platform to allow for later downstream functionality and billing requirements.

By selecting the “Manage Splits” button, the user will then open the “Manage MerchantAg Splits” pop-up modal. The “Define Split” dropdown menu will show any current/existing splits defined within the MerchantAg program that have been shared via the connected API service. Additional splits or modifications must occur within the ERP program and then will by shared/synced back to FieldAlytics. Once the user has selected an available split from the display list, the program will expand this to show the uniquely defined split percentages and custom naming defined as well.

Additionally, this feature will allow the user to see the category options that can be set and defined for the split for the following options:

• Global Splits
  
  • This will set the defined split percentages for all category options across the job. This would be used for any instance where the cost share covers all aspects of the job and the items within it.
• Fertilizers
  • This option will allow the user to locally define the cost share/split as it applies specifically to the fertilizer products associated to the job.
• Chemicals
  • This option will allow the user to locally define the cost share/split as it applies specifically to the chemical products associated to the job.
• Billable Services
  • This function will apply the cost share/split specifically to the Billable Service(s) defined within the “Options” step of the job setup process.

Crop Import from Selected Profit Plans into Work Orders

Within the Work Order program, users will now find an even greater level to the integration and associated import process that happens from a user’s Profit Plan.

From the job creations/setup screen, once a user has selected their field profile, they have the functionality to select the “AgSolver” icon. 

Once selected, the “Profit Planning Event Selection” modal will appear. This screen will allow the user to select any available Profit Plan with proper product and rate values associated to it. Use the “checkbox” option to pull in one or more needed Profit Plans from this step. The system will access the details of the saved Profit Plan and pull across any associated products, rates and units of measure associated to each.

The user can now select the “Save” option to finalize their Profit Plan selection. The system will update and allow the user to navigate to the next step in the job setup process where either their Chemical and/or Fertilizer products can be selected.

Users who have selected the Profit Plan option on the previous step will notice that products will be imported and have their associated rates and units already showing. The system will also automatically run the needed CDMS product compliancy check for those clients utilizing this integrated service as well.

Beyond the product details, the system is now also pulling across the listed/associated crop assigned to the Profit Plan as well as the target carrier rate value. Any needed product additions, edits or changes can occur to allow the user to fully fill out the requirements of the job.

Progress through the remaining steps to fill out the job requirements. Select Save to finalize all input selections.

Tools Page

Location Preference to Enable “End Date” Default Settings

Per job type, users can now enable a Location level setting to have a default “End Date” value populated in their job setup. From the “Tools” menu, access the “Location Pref” option and then select “Work Order”. 

On this page, users have several features and options to customize several of the default settings and inputs specific to their work order jobs and details. This newest feature focuses on having a default “End Date” set based on the job type being worked with by the user.

Within the tool, the user can set the “number of days” for what is acceptable for the start/end date “window”. By default, the system already was using the current date of the job creation as the Start Date. So with the number of days now defined, the program can then calculate and set the end date to match that number of days threshold.

Set the days per job types needed and then select the “Submit” button to finalize.

Chemical Product Price Ingestion for Profit Plans

To assist with the accuracy with the information identified within a clients Profit Plan, the system will now utilized saved product information associated to the retail price of products to then populate the Profit Plan events.

Users can work within the “Product Management – Chemicals” tool utility to establish both Wholesale and Retail pricing for their products. If a user has entered in this information and then later elects to use this product within their Profit Plan, the system will automatically pull across the saved Retail price and display this within the entry form.

The program will provide a notification icon alerting to this imported retail price from your saved product management tool. If needed, users can elect to modify the imported price value.

Image of the Chemical Product Management Tool with Price Values Added

Display from Profit Plan with Chemical Product Added with Default Price Value

Performance Improvements

•       Removed the need to prepare raster’s for yield data in Profit Planning
•       Enabled the CSR2 crop rating layer for client fields in IA
•       Updated the Dispatch Product Requirements report
•       Enabled Blender Assets to be Filterable options in Operations
•       MSB update to support Season Zones in Sample ID maps
•       MSB update to support Season Zones in Elemental Field maps