Modern dairy farms rely on constant streams of herd data, but the real challenge involves translating that complex data into daily farm decisions. At the Dairy Records Management System (DRMS), staff focus on explaining data in practical terms.

DRMS, a nonprofit affiliated with NC State’s College of Agriculture and Life Sciences and Iowa State University, has supported dairy producers for more than 65 years. The organization collects and analyzes herd data through milk-testing programs and herd-management software. Farmers receive reports and digital tools that help guide decisions about breeding, reproduction, herd health and culling. A support team works directly with producers and service affiliates across the country.

“When a farmer calls with a problem in the software, they’re talking to one of our product experts,” said Jena Swanson of DRMS. “They walk them through the issue and help find a solution right then or shortly after.”

Because DRMS operates through a nationwide network of service affiliates, most staff work remotely. Support specialists field questions troubleshoot software and lead technical trainings that help farmers and distributors understand how to use the organization’s digital tools. Those responsibilities led DRMS to partner with NC State Continuing and Lifelong Education program in 2025 for customized professional development.

The first session focused on presentation skills, specifically helping support staff who lead training sessions on technical features in herd management software. This workshop provided strategies for organizing technical information and maintaining audience attention.

“The content we teach can be technical,” Swanson said. “The training gave our team strategies to keep people interested and focused.”

Participants quickly put the lessons into practice and many revised their presentations immediately. They added short stories, audience questions and interactive elements to improve engagement.

More recently, the team completed a training on technical writing and documentation development. Since support staff frequently create detailed guides that help farmers and service affiliates navigate software tools, the training introduced templates and a consistent process for more effective documentation.

Before the workshop, documentation often started from scratch. The team now uses shared templates that shorten writing time and keep documents consistent.

“Having those templates makes the work faster and easier,” Swanson said. “You’re not starting with a blank page.”

Clear documentation helps farmers resolve problems faster.

“They’re not sitting in an office like we are,” Swanson said. “They’re in a barn, something’s broken and they need to fix it quickly.”

Swanson also described the benefit of instructors who tailored the sessions to the team.

“We explained the challenges our team was facing, and they took that and ran with it,” she said. “They analyzed the problem and built something that would really help us. We plan on partnering with NC State’s Continuing and Lifelong Education for more professional development opportunities for our team in the future.”

Learn more about customized training options for your organized from NC State Continuing and Lifelong Education and request more information today.