Management information system impact on dairy production for selected herds in Texas

Yearly production and performance data were obtained for dairy herd improvement members in Texas to determine whether on-farm use of a management information system (MIS) quantitatively impacted performance. Data from 66 dairy operations for the years 1983–1996 were evaluated. Herds enrolled in an MIS program increased rolling herd average milk production by 281 kg and received a return on investment of 212%. Most of the increase in production occurred during the initial year of MIS usage. Throughout the study, larger herds and those that increased in size tended to adopt a management information system.