Three obvious statements but well worth repeating: “Computers are only an aid to summarizing information for use in assisting management decisions”; “Records are only of any use if they are used — they are not an end in themselves”; and “No point having sophisticated computerized management aids if the basic information is not available and if only decisions at a simple level are to be made”.

Amongst dairy and pig producers, the need for keeping records is well established and probably over 40% of all dairy cows and pigs in Britain are involved in an enterprise recording scheme. By contrast, all too few beef and sheep producers currently keep any detailed computerized records in an organized way. It is estimated that only about 2% of all commercial beef and sheep are involved in an enterprise recording scheme. Good basic records are an essential ingredient to any more sophisticated management aid because these need to be based on relevant reliable data for individual situations. The need to use computers and their value on the individual farm is dependent upon having sufficient information to make it worthwhile employing them. The sophistication of management aids required for enterprises will be determined by the level of recording already involved. It is obvious that the requirements for beef and sheep producers are at a much more basic level than for many pig and dairy producers.