A Danish company is offering a smartphone-based recording system that allows staff to store all their job information on the go.

The app is called FarmBackup Task and lets administrators allocate and schedule tasks to specific operators and track all users live as the jobs are happening, making it easy to see where they are and what they are doing.

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Salary arrangements can also be added to the app, so when hours are taken from the jobsheets, it automatically calculates any overtime or weekend hours to work out payroll information.

Machinery is logged in the app too, including service dates.

Accounting packages

Unlike HarvestYield, FarmBackup Task is already integrated to accounting packages such as Quickbooks and Xero, so combining multiple invoices for the same customer involves just a few clicks.

The customer will also receive a full summary of the works.

Operators can pick a task from a shared to-do list or create a task for a colleague. Holiday requests can be submitted via the app and, for really keen operators, time tracking lets you detail exactly what you’re doing at any one time.

Subscription costs are based on a flat £12 fee per active employee/month.

Early adopters of the app include Northern Irish contractors John Steele & Son. It looks after more than 40 farmers over a large area, so staff often start the day off site without meeting in the yard beforehand.

Mr Steele says he uses most of the app’s functions apart from the accounting software, but he plans to bring that in at a later stage.

“My staff already use their phone all the time, so it was natural for us to use an app. We have four full-time employees and three part-timers, along with sub-contractors, so keeping track of everyone is challenging.

“When the system is used properly, it can bring a lot of value to the farmers we work for and gives them the assurance that my operators are doing what they are supposed to.”