WP6: Development of a software-based decision support tool

WP6: Development of a software-based decision support tool

Involved partners: UKS, WU, DSP, UREAD

The challenge in WP6 is to integrate deliverables, elaborated in different work packages into a coherent and easily manageable software tool to support the diagnostic procedure with respect to multi-factorial syndromes, and to identify the most appropriate measures to improve animal health.
The integration of economic analysis into the herd management software and the inclusion of a participatory consulting approach by an impact matrix represent a challenge that will lead to an innovative product to disseminate the relevant results of the project. The unique challenges in the development of software are taken into account by an iterative process including the specification of requirements, tailoring of the proceeding and acceptance testing of the software tool.

The objective of the workpackage is:

• to elaborate a prefiguration (beta-version) of a software-based decision support tool for herd health management in organic dairy farming based on an impact matrix analysis to identify the most relevant farm specific measures suited to improve animal health, and a tool for herd health monitoring on organic dairy farms,
• to integrate the variables in relation to the health of dairy cows on the farm level (D2.1), and the feedback from the participatory approach with respect to the impact matrix, used in WP2,
• to integrate the pro-active protocol focussing on the improvement of animal health developed under WP3 and protocol and the decision trees, elaborated in WP4,
• to combine the impact matrix with a programme for cost-benefit calculations, developed in D5.4, to analyse the break-even point in relation to farm specific management measures, enabling the identification of measures with the best cost-benefit relationship (efficiency),
• to prove the applicability of the software tool on organic and conventional dairy farms.

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