What hints & tips can I have to help me on my journey with Sandy?

Still not got started?

Once you have set up your account, and logged into Sandy for the first time, you will be taken through the “Sandy Setup” process. Try and follow this in numerical order, as it will guide you through the onboarding process. This will also help make sure that you haven’t missed anything.

Although Sandy is a sophisticated product and requires a sizeable amount of data, it is designed to make the onboarding process as efficient as possible. You will need to commit some time to enter your initial data. However, you can come back to Sandy at any point, so there’s no need to enter your data all in one go. Plan your data entry around what works best for you.

Data preparation

Preparing and checking your data before entering it into Sandy is crucial. This will prevent errors further down the line. You will need to make sure that your data is organised correctly before beginning data entry.

Having consistent field names is absolutely essential and will make it much easier to use Sandy in future years. Time spent organising your data is a worthwhile investment to make. It may be the case that you need to restructure or merge certain farm records here.

It's worth thinking about your end goal with Sandy when compiling your data and the level of investment needed. Do you have sufficient data for what’s required? Will you need to collect any data to enable this? For example if you are interested in the carbon sequestration provided by your hedgerows, do you have your hedges mapped out already?

Data entry methods

There is no obligation to use farm management software (FMS) to populate Sandy, however for those with data already on an FMS this will save time and allow for easier updates in the future. It is important to note that any changes made to your FMS will be reflected in Sandy, but changing figures in Sandy will not change the data in your FMS.

A combination of data entry via FMS (if applicable) or Excel sheet upload followed by manual data entry for any outstanding items is recommended for most users. Using the Excel sheet allows for easier checking of data than entering data manually into Sandy.

Remember, when using the Excel sheet, each tab corresponds to a section within Sandy. There is no obligation to complete this all in one go. You can enter the data, save and upload to Sandy as many times as you want. Make sure you keep adding to and uploading the same sheet each time.

Data checking & troubleshooting

Where data is appearing incorrectly or is absent, there are a number of quick checks you can do.

• Users of Farm Management Software: in the first instance, check that this is appearing correctly in your own software. Are the field names spelled consistently in each data entry? This includes capitalisations and spaces. Have you accepted or confirmed all recommendations from your agronomist?

• Users of data entry via an Excel spreadsheet: are the field names spelled consistently in each data entry, including capitalisations and spaces? Have you made sure that the farm name is selected in each row of data? Is the harvest year correct? Are there any units next to numbers in the cells (these should only contain numbers)?

• If using both Farm Management Software and the Excel sheet, make sure that your field names are spelled consistently across both.

Prioritising your efforts

Remember, Sandy categorises your data into “required”, “encouraged” and “optional”, so there is no obligation to enter every single parameter into Sandy. The product will still function with just the “required” data, but any outputs will have a lower degree of accuracy.

It is entirely up to you as to how much detail you would like to go into. It is worth bearing your end goal in mind here, as depending on your aim with Sandy, this will determine the level of detail required. Some data points will be more relevant than others, depending on your aims, and some of your results will be dependent on high levels of data reporting.

You can go back into Sandy and add additional data at any point, if your requirements change.

Time saving tips

• If you need to add multiple data items manually into Sandy, make use of the “Replicate data” function to edit fields in bulk.

• For editing multiple data items in Sandy, you can use the “Edit multiple” function to make changes across multiple fields or crops.

• When entering data into the Excel sheet, you can copy and paste field names or dates into the other tabs. Ensure you don’t overwrite any drop down menu items.

• When selecting the farm name in the Excel sheet, you can drag the farm name down all the rows you need by clicking in the bottom right of the cell, rather than having to select it each time.

• You are free to organise your data in the Excel sheet in a way which works for you, so think what the most efficient way to order your data entry will be. As long as the field names are consistent and the farm name is assigned to each row, you can order your data however you wish.

   

Where to find help and support

You can ask questions, give feedback or request new features using the help box in the bottom right of your screen.

The Customer Success team are also on hand to help with any queries. You will have been assigned a Customer Success Manager when you signed up with Sandy, so please check through your emails for their contact details. If you have any difficulties finding their details, please use the help box and chat feature to directly message us and we will contact you directly.