Whether you run a farm, a facility, or a growing operation, the hardest losses rarely come from a lack of effort. They happen in the time between when something starts to go wrong and when someone realizes it.
In past calving seasons as well as this year, we’ve had multiple conversations with Manitoba farmers who all tell a similar story.
They were taking all the right steps.
They were checking in as often as they reasonably could.
They were balancing weather, distance, family, and already full days.
And something went wrong that they couldn’t catch in time. Not from lack of effort, and certainly not from lack of care. But from not knowing what was happening, when it was happening.
This pattern isn’t unique to agriculture. In fact, 80% of modern organizations have reported facing visibility blind spots, making it difficult to see and respond to issues across their operations and network.
The real risk isn’t the event. It’s the delay.
In any operation, most losses don’t happen instantly. They occur unexpectedly and cannot always be anticipated or planned for.
An alarm that triggers briefly and stops before anyone notices.
Uncharacteristic behaviour from an animal.
A delivery bay left unsecured overnight.
A file room accessed after hours without record.
The challenge is that these moments don’t align with convenient schedules. They happen overnight, during storms, or when you or someone you need is hours away.
Research shows that even the most well-managed operations experience measurable losses. In Canadian cow-calf herds, a small but consistent percentage of calves are lost at or shortly after birth, and difficult deliveries are a leading factor. In other industries, the pattern looks different, but the principle is the same: delays increase the cost of small problems.
But the financial loss is only part of it.
What we hear most often is frustration.
“If I had known sooner, I could have prevented this.”
“The surveillance system I had before was poor quality; I couldn’t properly see what was happening.”
“I checked a few hours earlier and everything looked fine.”
“The weather made it impossible to get out there again.”
This is where timing becomes the deciding factor, not intent.
Distance and weather compound the problem
Many Manitoba producers don’t live on the same land as their operations. Some are an hour’s drive or more away, and harsh winter conditions add another layer of uncertainty.
When roads are bad or temperatures are extreme, every extra trip carries risk. So checks get spaced out. Overnight gaps get longer. Decisions get deferred until morning.
That’s a rational response to real constraints. But it also increases the window where problems can go unseen.
This same dynamic exists in other industries too:
- Owners managing multiple locations
- Facilities that run after-hours
- Operations where staff can’t always be on site
- Any situation where “someone should check” turns into “we’ll look in the morning”
The cost shows up when morning is already too late.
Visibility changes the decision, not the responsibility
One thing we know for certain is this: technology doesn’t replace strong management. It reinforces it. You and your staff are valuable, irreplaceable assets to your operation, and technology can act as a supportive partner to ensure that you get the most out of your efforts. What visibility really changes is decision-making under uncertainty.
Instead of guessing whether it’s worth heading out in bad weather, you can check first.
Instead of assuming everything is fine from earlier conditions, you can confirm.
Instead of reacting after the fact, you can intervene while there’s still time.
That’s the shift. Not automation, not replacement, but awareness.
A local testimonial
One cow-calf producer near Winkler, Manitoba described this exact turning point after installing a camera system in his pens and calving barn.
Before that, every option on the table involved compromise. Boxed systems that needed to be self-installed. Low quality visibility. No easy way to check in without physically being there. Needing support that wasn’t local or easily accessible.
After reaching out to our team, something changed in the first calving season.
He was able to spot a cow that had rolled on a straw pack and intervene in time.
He caught three calves born with the bag over their heads.
He started using the system during extreme cold to check water fountains without unnecessary trips.
Those moments weren’t dramatic on their own. They were ordinary problems that happen every year.
The difference was timing.
By his estimate, the system paid for itself in that first season alone. Not because it created new outcomes, but because it prevented avoidable losses.
This client also expressed that he enjoys the feature of seeing all surveillance activity on his phone in real time, so that he can be virtually anywhere in the world and check on his farm.
“Randy from SolutionsIT has been outstanding with sales and service, giving us a 5-camera system that’s been virtually trouble free since installing it 2021.”
This isn’t about having the best technology. It’s about knowing when to act.
The common thread in these stories isn’t technology. It’s confidence and relief.
Confidence in knowing what is happening in real time.
Relief from unnecessary trips.
Relief from wondering what you might find when you arrive.
Whether you’re managing livestock, equipment, or facilities, the pattern is the same. Most costly problems don’t announce themselves loudly. They start quietly and escalate while no one is looking.
Visibility shortens that gap.
How SolutionsIT fits in
Our role in these conversations is simple. We help clients think through where visibility reduces risk, and where it doesn’t.
That means:
- Designing systems that fit the environment, not boxed kits that assume perfect conditions
- Making sure access works where people are, including on mobile
- Focusing on reliability over features that look good on paper
- Taking care of installs, and addressing any service support you need
The goal isn’t to wear yourself out. It’s to respond sooner, with clear and current information.
Because most losses aren’t caused by neglect.
They’re caused by timing.
Our sources:
United States Department of Agriculture, Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service. (2010). Cow-calf management practices in the United States, 2007–08 (NAHMS Beef 2007–08 Study). USDA–APHIS–VS–CEAH–NAHMS
United States Department of Agriculture, National Agricultural Statistics Service. (2023). Cattle inventory report. USDA–NASS.
CanWest DHI. (2019). Western Canadian dairy herd benchmarking report. CanWest DHI.
Mee, J. F. (2008). Prevalence and risk factors for dystocia in dairy cattle: A review. Veterinary Journal, 176(1), 93–101.
For more information:
USDA NAHMS Beef 2007–08 Study
https://www.aphis.usda.gov/animal_health/nahms/beefcowcalf/downloads/beef0708/Beef0708_dr_PartI.pdf
USDA Cattle Inventory Reports
https://www.nass.usda.gov/Publications/Todays_Reports/reports/catl0123.pdf
CanWest DHI Benchmarking Reports
https://www.canwestdhi.com/services/herd-management/
Mee (2008) – Dystocia Review (ScienceDirect abstract page)
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1090023307001712