Staff use a digipen to record key information as they went about their duties. The information is transferred to a computer database, which then prints out the information in whatever form is required.

"By looking at the feedback, stockmen were able to spot where problems were and do something about it," said Martin Barker, of Midland Pig Producers. He is planning to roll the system out across all the company's units.

"By making recording easy for the staff we are getting them engaged. We find they are going into the office two or three times a week to study the pie charts and see if the actions they are taking are having an effect."

The system may, in due course, be available to all Genesis Quality Assurance customers.

Dry sow manager Howard Wigfall (who has an impressive 95 percent farrowing rate) said, "I didn't like the system at first and as we were running the it in parallel with the old, it just seemed like more paperwork.

“But on reflection it has made me record more accurately. It actually reduces the paperwork and as you get more useful feedback, it helps improve performance."

Zoltan Lovas, who is responsible for the farrowing sows, said, "I never used to use the office computer, but I now find I am going into the office several times a week. I just switch it on and click on the icon for farrowings and it gives me the pie charts, which I can study to see if the actions I take are having an effect."