POOR internet connectivity has long been a battle for farm offices across the State, preventing businesses from accessing many of the latest technological developments and management tools metropolitan-based businesses enjoy.
However, connectivity challenges don’t have to prevent farm offices from going paperless, according to Partners in Grain WA (PinG WA) co-ordinator Hellene McTaggart and PinG WA facilitator Tracy Minchin.
Over the next few months, the PinG WA team will roll out its first Paperless Farm Office workshop, designed for WA farm businesses.
Ms McTaggart said while poor internet connectivity was a challenge for farm offices across the State, it didn’t have to be a major barrier in transitioning to the modernised practice.
“There’s quite a lot of myths about having to have internet connectivity to have a paperless administration system,” Ms McTaggart said.
“This workshop helps dispel those myths but also explains to people the differences and a bit of background in how different programs work.
“It’s about setting up the systems and then find out which systems work for you.
“Hopefully people are going away with a good road map and feel like they can step through their own process at home.”
Ms Minchin was commissioned to develop the workshop last year, after overwhelming feedback from WA growers for more information about paperless systems.
The Esperance-based accountant runs Rural Biz Assist and transitioned to a paperless office system seven years ago.
The course will offer information about necessary equipment, security, software, storage and cloud services along with several tips to applying paperless to different farm businesses.
Ms Minchin said there were several benefits to running a paperless office, including greater protection of information, increased recall ability and greater office portability.
She said a paperless office would also free up more physical space with information stored within a computer system, rather than on paper.
“You should have a more organised office because you’ve got less paper clutter, less files, less cabinets,” Ms Minchin said.
“You should have a lot less space because you’re not needing to have a lot of equipment on bookshelves.”
With more agricultural companies turning to paperless administration systems, Ms Minchin said there was more interest than ever from farm business looking to make the change.
“There are not many farm businesses that have made the full transition to paperless, but several that are partially paperless,” Ms Minchin said.
“All industries are heading that way, so it’s something that farmers are forced to embrace.
“Just this year CBH has rolled out its electronic Carter’s Delivery Form app that truck drivers use, so that’s just one example.”
She said it was all about “small steps” and adapting a paperless system to suit the needs of each individual business.
“People need to think about just making a start and thinking about your enterprise mix,” Ms Minchin said.
“Some people have different requirements – it’s not just the legal taxation requirements – you can use it for paddock management, chemical sprays, it’s unlimited as to the technology that’s emerging.”
The first PinG WA paperless workshops will run next month in Mingenew, Mullewa and Binnu.
Ms Minchin will also be presenting at the 2018 PinG WA Inspire Summit at Fremantle next week.
More information:visit pingwa.org.au/paperless
