Exploring the characteristics and utilisation of Farm Management Information Systems (FMIS) in Germany

Digitisation in Agriculture is currently one of the most important ongoing developments to meet the growing economic, ecological and social demands in the agri-food sector in Germany. Consequently, the use of information and communication technologies (ICT) to collect, exchange and evaluate data from and between different stakeholders and systems has already established itself in the agricultural sector. However, the extent to which information systems are used and the kind of features they have at the farm enterprise level are not clear. To obtain further insight into this topic, a quantitative empirical approach was adopted. It was based on interview data from a web-based survey conducted throughout Germany at the beginning of 2018. In this survey, 329 questionnaires (representing an 8.4% response rate) were completed and evaluated using bivariate and multivariate methods. This paper aims to assign the surveyed farmers to two of the "five steps of digital evolution" model-from the "single product" to the "system of systems" - according to the stated characteristics and functions used in the Farm Management Information Systems (FMIS). According to that model, a single product (e.g. a tractor or a feed trough) develops at level 1 and becomes a "smart product" at level 2. The agricultural machine can now, for example, maintain precise tracking via integrated real-time kinematic (RTK) correction that enhances precise satellite navigation. At the third development stage, a "smart, connected product" is created, where the agricultural machine is networked with other systems. Level 4 represents an "intelligent product system". The focus is no longer only on optimising a single process, but also on optimising process chains. At the last stage, "systems of systems" (i.e. "smart farming"), the networking of different data from diverse sources reaches the maximum level. 43 variables were used to conduct a two-step cluster analysis, in which two clusters could be identified within the sample. The farmers assigned to cluster 2 could be determined as "users of smart products" (58%) which represents level 2 of the model. These farmers are characterised by the fact that they use FMIS for the overall purpose of supporting the documentation, monitoring and planning of farm management processes. The highest level of digitisation in German agriculture was found to match level 3, what is known as "users of smart, connected products". On this level, farmers that were assigned to the cluster 1 (42%) use their information systems to improve individual farm processes by connecting hardware, sensors, data storage and software in different ways.