DESIGN AND IMPLEMENTATION OF A COMPUTERIZED FARM MANAGEMENT INFORMATION SYSTEM

CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

Piggery farm is a part of animal section in Federal College of Agriculture, Ishiagu Piggery Unit (FCAIPU).  It can be practice for either animal production or crop production purposes.  This study is based on farm management information system” a case study of a piggery farm.  Piggery farm is an example of animal farm which is practiced for the purpose of animal production.  Before a piggery farm could stand, there must be a boar at least, sow / sows, puckers and piglet of different stages.

Once more the direction intention of this project is to computerize farm management information system have been operated manually. Management information system in this organization was essentially operated with a great deal of human efforts, and in fact the activities of the organization in this system is less challenging, less complex and hence organizations do this extents small sized.  Management information systems remain the system that aim at providing information for the management on a regular basis.  This call to mind the time value of information which implies that when the required information is received behind the period it will be used, the information become useless.  Mis dries to inform the manager how to provide the information.

Management always aim at reading the climax in the decision performance fort attainment of organizational objective but this existing system could not attract such performance due to the lack of effective information tool which can provide the management with quality and needed information and at needed time.  This system always result to information over local which actually decreases the decision performance in any management.  Information they say is power.  Quality information is very vital do check in organization.  The only information that can accelerate the management decision performance is the information that possesses the good quality of information. Such qualities of information comprise:

1. Relevance
2. Accuracy
3. Completeness
4. Reliability
5. Timeliness

Despite these qualities management cannot achieve their objectives.  The decision performance also depends on the manager himself. The manager must be able to identify problem, define the problem, analyze it and suggest a possible solution to the problem.  And for manager to do these, he must be backup with information required.

       Due to the show mentioned faults and errors associated with the existing system of management information an alternative system is suggested which a computerized system is.

       The technology have created an interesting opportunities for all managers and as the technology is growing the researcher demand it necessary to let the blowing wind reach the farm managers (piggery farm managers) in their management information system.  A software is developed to replace this manual operation of management. This form of software is an expert system.

       Computerized farm management information system is a software package that contains a lot of files and records the file that was designed in detail is a sales file which each of it record consist of files like varieties of pigs, quantity, price, weight, subtotal, total amount grand total etc.

1.1  BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY

The federal college of agriculture, Umudike now at Ishiagu as the training wing of national root crop research institute situated at Umudike, in Abia State. She still trains staff of NRCRI in Advance Certificate, National and Higher Diplomas.

The relocation of the college to Ishiagu in1993 made way for the establishment of federal university of Agriculture now Micheal Opera university of Agriculture, Umudike.

Ishiagu being the new location is quite suitable for academic and agricultural work. Presently, the college occupies an area of 200 hectares.

       Around 1998, there came the expansion of the organization / management.  That was when the idea of introducing piggery farm section was accepted in anticipation of the management goals achievement.  This led to the origin of piggery farm in this management.  The piggery farm they said has provided worthwhile, it has contributed a lot to the labor market and to the management itself.  The piggery farm is divided into subsection headed by DSP (manager). The sections are.

(1)   Boar Section (2)     Sow Section    (3)  Pocket Section

(4)   Piglet Sections.

       The management is also divided into management sections.  Thus.

(1)   Stock keeping (2)   Feeding (3)     Maintenance

(4)   Health care, (5)      finance, (6)     Accounting   (7)     Marketing and Sales

       Piggery Sales management is discussed in detail here.

1.2. OBJECTIVE OF THE STUDY.

The objective that led to this research work is basically to expose the Nigeria farmers in general and especially FCAI farm manager with the effective, efficient, accurate and timely form of management information system. That is to replace manual management information system with computerized management information system.  The researcher hope to achieve the following after this research thus

• To equip the management with quality information on regular basis.
• To eliminate the steady decline in the management.
• To automate all the activities of management information system
• To accelerate decision performance
• To design a management information system.

1.3  STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM

       It is very unfortunate that the technology potentials has not been fully or even adequately realized in the field of farm management information. Very little farm managers has grabbed this powerful it opportunities.  This has put managers and researchers behind.  Some of the problems militating against high decision performance and achievement of management goals are as follows:

• Lack of quality information tool.
• Lack of specialist in the field. Lack of technical – known how.
• Lack of sufficient fund
• Poor service render by the government
• Poor perception of economic benefit.
• Management decline
• Immobility etc.

1.4  SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY

       In the event of the above mentioned faults and errors discovered in the manual system.  It is believed that the introduction of a computerized system of MIS will change the whole thing positively.  It will totally eliminate the inherent problem which will in turn bring about immense cash value to Nigeria Federal college of Agriculture, Ishiagu and to all farm managers in Nigeria.

       It will definitely expose and enlighten the staff and managers of farm in FCAIPU on what they supposed to know about their management.  In addition, it will bring about more noticeable contribution and improvements to both the headquarters and other branches nationwide to be able to defined their problems and find out large on the favorable side.

       Through the researcher restricted the study to NPAPSCE, the result of the findings will let of immense benefits to all Nigeria farm managers and as well to students conducting similar research work on the same or related topics.

1.5  SCOPE OF THE STUDY

       In the study of this nature, one would like to accumulate information from many areas, But, in the view of the time given for this research such a wide range could not be reached.  The researcher therefore, concentrated on the sales management information of pig in Nigeria Prison Agric Project state command Enugu.  The choice of sales Mis was due to the time factor.

1.6  METHODOLOGY

       The source from which the necessary data were elicited for carryout this research work is basically from primary source.

       The researcher underwent a thorough interview, the farm manager Mrs Maria Ebuche was interviewed and she was kind enough to respond to the interview questions.  Finally, information were elicited from the observation techniques during the investigation.

1.7  DEFINITION OF TERMS

       Terms associated to this topic are to be define below. Thus.

Boar -This male pig that has grown to a point that can pregnant a sow

Confine System – This is type of management system that does not interact with the system’s environment.  The pigs under this system are controlled they are not expose to the environment, their feeding and all management are controlled by a prison or persons.

Computer – A machine used in modern times in organization and homes do manipulate data.

DSP – Deputy Superintendent of Prison.  This is a person that oversees what is going on in the management.  He controls, arrange, organize, plan, manage and makes decision in the management.

Data – Is a raw fact that has no meaning.

Database – A collection of interrelated data stared with controlled redundancy to serve one or more application.

Information – Information is a data that has been evaluated.  It is a processed data.

Information Overload – A situation which the sheer amount of information in a system is simply too great to be coped with by the information management available.  It is overflow of information which slows down decision performance.

Information system-   A systematic way of organizing the handling of information, from information gathering to information retrieval and use.

Management -     The process of procuring, allocating, combing and utilizing or organizational resources expressed usually as 3ms (men, materials and money) through planning organizing directing and controlling activities of work of the organization member to reach certain stated objectives.

Management Information System – is an integrated and holistic reporting network system in an organization that provides planning and controlling information for effective decision making.

Mobility – This ability of information to move from one point to another, from one person to another easily and timely.

Open System – This system that interact with its environments.  The pigs reared in this system are always expose to the environment, its feeding and every other thing about the management is not controlled

Pucker – A pig at the slaughter stage.

Piglet - Young pigs.  That is the earlier first stage of pigs.

System – It is a collection of interrelated and interdependent procedures that are joined together to perform an activity or a task.

Software – The programs that control the computer operation the system programme controls the hardware component of computer which application program controls task performed by computer.

Sow – The female pig.