Catering to the huge management challenges that such establishments pose, iSmart Business Solutions Pvt. Ltd., a leader in agri-business software, has developed ‘Harvest IT’, to improve and optimise operational, administrative and managerial efficiency.

The ‘seed-to-sale’ enterprise solution integrates multiple tiers of plantation, right from the estates and factory level to the group and corporate levels. The software spans all functional areas like people management, payroll, accounts, harvesting, stores, production, workshop, book-keeping and financial activities.

‘Harvest IT’ can be customised to address the requirements of different locations and comprises 36 integrated modules for use in tea, coffee estates, vineyards, floriculture and others.

Senior Project Manager at iSmart, Thomas Mathew, explains that the software can be used for total paper-free management. “Information can be fed into the customised systems and transmited to the head quarters. Though it is popular with companies with multiple estates spread across the globe, individual growers are also interested in it.”, he adds. It allows productivity analysis, security options, automation of basic accounting procedures, forecasting, consolidation of accounts and a host of other features to support the executive information system.

Mathew says that the pricing of the product depends on the number of modules at each location and the number of locations. It would work out to be more economically viable for smaller holdings that require lesser computing of facts and figures. The software is available for novice, advanced and expert users, to suit their specific needs and computing expertise.

‘Harvest IT’ has found many users among international plantation companies. It has the potential to penetrate into the smaller growers’ segment in remote areas too, because it works even without a server connection.

With solutions in agriculture sector, last bastion, that of traditional farming, also seems to have been conquered by the all pervading IT sector