Agriculturalists are typically IT-averse, is CanePro easy to use?
CanePro is a user-friendly windows based product, with emphasis on graphical and spatial reporting.

I am only interested in parts of CanePro, can I license only parts of the product?
CanePro is modular in nature so you may choose which modules you wish to license.

My estate is very large, will CanePro be able to cope with all the data?
There is no operation limit on the size of estate CanePro can manage.  Hardware would be recommended relative to the database size and anticipated usage.

How large is your existing client base?
CanePro is widely used in South and East Africa and has been successfully implemented at 20 large commercial estates in the region.  A total agricultural production of 12 million tons of cane from 140,000 ha of sugarcane land is managed by CanePro annually.

Will CanePro be able to accommodate our local labour legislation?
Yes, part of the implementation process will be to identify legislative procedures and accommodate them in the system.

How do you charge for Canepro?
We charge an annual license fee based on the modules selected and the size of the operation (a non-linear function of the tons of cane produced by the estate).

What does this license fee cover?
This covers unlimited user access, remote support for the licensed modules (telephone, email and remote access support), and all software updates released during the license period.

How will CanePro benefit my operation?
For an agricultural information system to be judged a success, it must deliver two primary benefits:  improved yields and reduced costs.

How will CanePro improve my yields?
Through improved decision making based on better access to information; operational benefits from using CanePro’s decision support tools (e.g. harvest and replant planning, irrigation scheduling); and improved timing and control of critical operations (resource planning and utilization).

How will CanePro reduce my costs?
Through effective planning and control of resource utilization – labour (activity capture and payroll), vehicles (utilization and maintenance) and materials (resource planning and control).

Is CanePro a financial solution?
No, CanePro is purely an agricultural management solution but can be integrated with an ERP solution where required.

Can CanePro be integrated with other information systems on my estate?
Yes, CanePro has been successfully integrated with a number of ERP solutions, payroll packages, purchasing and stores systems, weighbridge modules, etc.  We favour integration at the database level, sharing table information between applications.

If I use CanePro as a payroll or HR system, is it secure?
Access to CanePro data is controlled through the security features of the database.  Every potential user of CanePro must be given a SQL Server login and must also be made a user of the CanePro database.  Once a user is made a user of the CanePro database, he or she must be allocated one or more database roles.  These database roles determine what access rights the user has to each individual table and stored procedure.  Furthermore, CanePro uses Windows authentication ensuring that only valid users can access the database.

Can data be extracted for further manipulation outside of CanePro?
All of CanePro’s report grids can be exported directly in MS Excel.  With the relevant permissions, ODBC access can be enabled directly on the database tables.

Is your GIS compatible with our existing shape files.
CanePro’s GIS module was developed using ESRI’s Arc Objects, and is compatible with any ESRI-compatible spatial data.

Can CanePro be used to manage out-growers?
Yes, out-growers can be created as additional farms of fields in the estates hierarchy, however we would suggest using SQR Software’s MGB application to manage large numbers of out-growers.

What operating system does CanePro use?
CanePro is a Client-Server Windows application and operates in an NT environment.

What database does CanePro use?
CanePro uses a Microsoft SQL Server 2000 or 2005 database.

Can CanePro use an Oracle database?
No, the majority of the software logic resides as stored procedures and functions in the database and are specific to SQL Server.

What server hardware does the system require?
Requirement depends very much on the anticipated volume of data and the number of users, as well as the architecture of the LAN.  A hardware recommendation will be made during the initial implementation phase.

Can CanePro be run in a Terminal Services environment?
Yes, this is a popular LAN architecture with many of our existing clients.

What hardware do the client workstations require?
Thin or fat clients.  Fat-clients: minimum specification – P IV 2GHz +, 512 MB RAM, screen resolution 1024 x 768.

How will CanePro be supported?
Spanish-speaking clients will be supported by INSYSS based in Guatemala.  English speaking clients will be supported directly by SQR Software from either South Africa or Australia.

How will CanePro be supported is there is no distributor in our country?
The majority of our clients are based in remote areas of Africa and we have extensive experience in remote support via VPN, dial-in, VSAT, etc.

How often is the CanePro software updated?
We typically schedule two software updates annually.  These updates contain any new developments, bug fixes and customizations requested by the client.

We have a lot of field history, will we be able to import this information into CanePro?
Yes, the first stage of the implementation will be to import any existing information from your own databases and/or spreadsheets.

How long does a typical implementation take?
We strongly suggest a phased implementation process in which the base and fields modules are installed first.  This typically takes 2 – 3 weeks.

Does all the implementation need to be done on-site?
No, the importing of existing data and database preparation would be done off-site.

Do you provide training?
Yes, we have a dedicated training arm which provides module-specific training on request.