Rmrubin: /* Use anywhere */

2015-02-23T05:30:27Z

‎Use anywhere

Rmrubin at 20:28, 5 February 2014

2014-02-05T20:28:29Z

JSoke: /* Lots of data preloaded */

2013-10-14T16:33:10Z

‎Lots of data preloaded

JSoke: Created page with "=Introduction= {{TGF_title}} is a superb tool, both for research feed formulation, commercial feed formulation, and for the class room. Professor '''Carl Parsons''' of the ..."

2013-10-14T16:30:53Z

Created page with "=Introduction= {{TGF_title}} is a superb tool, both for research feed formulation, commercial feed formulation, and for the class room. Professor '''Carl Parsons''' of the ..."

New page

=Introduction=
{{TGF_title}} is a superb tool, both for research feed formulation, commercial feed formulation, and for the class room.

Professor '''Carl Parsons''' of the Animal Sciences Department at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign has been productively using Tower Grove Feed for more than a year both in research and in the classroom.

'''Bud Harmon''', Professor Emeritus and former chairman of the Animal Sciences Department at Purdue University, started using an early version of {{TGF_title}} more than five years ago and has not used any other product since.

=Getting started=
You may wish to have two browser sessions or tabs open for a self-guided introduction to {{TGF_title}}.

In one you can display the section of the help text that provides a [[Getting_Started|tour of the site]]. At the same you can have the {{TGF_title}} site up in another.

The {{TGF_title}} site can be reached at:

http://www.towergrovefeed.com/pro

For a general university based overview of the site you can log in as modu/modu.

For a commercial based overview, you can log in as demo/demo.

=Principal features=

==Easy to use==
Anyone familiar with animal nutrition can easily navigate through the pages of the {{TGF_title}} web site. The information you need is almost always one or two clicks away. If you have a break of several months without using Tower Grove Feed you don't have to relearn it.

==Use anywhere==
Tower Grove Feed runs on the Internet. You can start some work at your office and then continue at home, or anyplace with a wifi or telephone-based Internet connection. You can user {{TGF_title}} on your desktop computer, your laptop or notebook, and even on your iPad or any other tablet PC.

==Lots of data preloaded==
The {{TGF_title}} database contains nearly, if not every, NRC ingredient, commonly used nutrients, and the typical nutrient contribution of each ingredient. In addition, there are numerous sample diet formulas (for swine and poultry, so far).

==Copy and modify==
It is simple to copy an existing formula or ingredient and then modify just a few items to make a new one.

==Multiple languages==
{{TGF_title}} is designed for internationalization and can accommodate translation into many languages. Currently we have American English and Chinese. We welcome co-operative efforts to translate {{TGF_title}} into other languages.

==Multiple control levels==
{{TGF_title}} allows each client to create multiple control levels to manage data and data access. Some of the advantages of multiple control levels are:

===Data protection===
A {{TGF_title}} user cannot change the values at a level above the one in his user profile. A chief nutritionist or professor can set up a model formula. Subordinate levels (other employees or students) can modify the model formula to reflect local conditions or to work on an assignment without changing the model formula at the higher level.

===Separate sets of ingredient costs and nutrient values===
With {{TGF_title}} you can create different parallel control levels to capture regional or seasonal differences in costs and nutrient constituents. You can solve the same formula for different regions or seasons and get different solutions. You can easily switch back and forth from one level to another and hence from one solution to another.

===Easy to override===
{{TGF_title}} costs, nutrient quantities, and various control settings (like the default batch weight) are inherited from the next level up. Inherited values have a yellow background. You can override any inherited value at your current level. The new value will have a white background.

===Hide and test===
You can set up a new diet or ingredient in a private control level and test it until it is ready. You can publish the new item by moving it to a publicly accessible level.

==Formula reports==
===Solution Report===
The {{TGF_title}} Solution Report gives you a quick overview of the results of solving a formula, showing ingredients, nutrients, and ratios in one place.

===Batch Report===
The Batch Report lists ingredients in the order in which they are to be mixed. The Parametrics Report is described below. Reports can be displayed, saved, or printed in a variety of formats, including a spreadsheet.

===Parametrics===
Parametrics is a powerful tool, new to {{TGF_title}}. With Parametrics, you vary costs or dietary restrictions over a wide range without having to modify the original diet or change the control level. You can get a quick overview of how a range of changes will affect the solution cost and the inclusion or exclusion of one or more ingredients.

Parametrics has a wide range of uses. For example, Professor Harmon recently used Parametrics to determine the potential profit margin for a new ingredient he is planning to introduce.

===Move data to a spreadsheet for further analysis===
You are not limited to the calculations in {{TGF_title}} software, because all {{TGF_title}} reports can be saved as spreadsheet. You can use our calculations as the basis upon which to build new ones or view data in charts and graphs.

==Data Security==
We have taken several precautions to protect your data. All transmissions between your computer and the {{TGF_title}} server are encrypted. Your passwords are encrypted. The server has been configured to meet industry standards for protection against malicious tampering. Each client has control of the user IDs that are assigned for the client’s institution. No client can view another client’s data.

=Commercial feed formulation=

Whether you are a individual user, a large organization, a consulting nutritionist, or a feed mill with many clients, {{TGF_title}} can fit your formulation needs.

Each {{TGF_title}} client is assigned an initial control level and an administrative user ID. Logging in at that level, you will see all the sample formulas that we provide. You will also be able to see the comprehensive list of nutrients and ingredients that come preloaded. Most of the ingredients have typical nutrient values.

You can copy any preloaded formula, ingredient, or nutrient as basis for a new one. After you establish your own formulas, you can hide the preloaded ones, if you prefer.

If you are an individual user, your initial control level may be all you need. After reviewing ingredient costs and nutrient values to match your local circumstances, you can solve existing formulas or create new ones, operating with complete independence from anyone else.

If you are a consulting nutritionist or feed mill and you do customized formulation for your clients or customers (we'll use 'client' to refer to both), you will most likely want to set up a separate {{TGF_title}} control level for each client. You can then “adopt the role” of the client and solve a formula using the client's own ingredients. You can set up special formulas for each client. You can set up a user ID for each client, so that the client can log in as his-or-her control level. The client can then view all his-or-her data and can view and print or download reports, like the Batch Report. The client cannot see any other client's data.

If you are a large mill or feed company with many regional or international branch offices, you can set up a control level for each branch. If nutrient values or costs vary from branch to branch you can maintain those values and costs separately for each branch. If the currency is different, you can set the costs for each branch in the local currency. If some branches use pounds and others kilograms, you can set the default unit of measure, batch weight, and cost units for each branch. Also, each branch may wish to set up separate {{TGF_title}} control levels to keep track of historical costs and solutions and to project future ones.

If you are company that makes feed additives or premixes, you can use {{TGF_title}} in two ways. First, you can use {{TGF_title}} to formulate your own products. Then you can show individual clients how to incorporate your product into their diets. You could do this either as demonstration (in which case you might set up a demonstration control level) or as a service for each client (in which case you would set up a control level for each client).

=In the classroom=
===Separate access for each student===
With its control level hierarchy, {{TGF_title}} is an ideal aid to teaching feed formulation. Each student is assigned a separate control level, subordinate to the instructor, and a corresponding user ID and password. When the instructor sets up assignments at the instructor level, each student can work on them without changing the instructor’s original configuration. One student cannot view or change another student’s work.

===Instructor review of student work===
The instructor can view the student’s work when it is ready for review or, before that, to help the student work though some difficulty.

===Quick view of changes===
{{TGF_title}} provides filters so that the instructor (or the student)can readily determine what the student has changed.

===Copy formulas and revert changes===
The student can save a copy of the instructor’s original set up and can revert his or her version to that of the instructor.

===Student data protection===
Because each student works in his or her own control area, one student’s attempt to solve the problem does not affect any of the others.

===Sample class exercises===
For sample class exercises, look at [[Tower Grove Feed Classroom Exercises]].

===The Internet advantage===
Because you gain access to {{TGF_title}} through the Internet, there is no special software set up and students can work on their assignments anywhere in the world that has Internet access.

@@ Line 25: / Line 25: @@
 ==Use anywhere==
-Tower Grove Feed runs on the Internet. You can start some work at your office and then continue at home, or anyplace with a wifi or telephone-based Internet connection. You can user {{TGF_title}} on your desktop computer, your laptop or notebook, and even on your iPad or any other tablet PC.
+{{TGF_title}} runs on the Internet. You can start some work at your office and then continue at home, or anyplace with a wifi or telephone-based Internet connection. You can user {{TGF_title}} on your desktop computer, your laptop or notebook, and even on your iPad or any other tablet PC.
 ==Lots of data preloaded==

@@ Line 2: / Line 2: @@
 {{TGF_title}} is a superb tool, both for research feed formulation, commercial feed formulation,  and for the class room.
-Professor '''Carl Parsons''' of the Animal Sciences Department at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign has been productively using Tower Grove Feed for more than a year both in research and in the classroom.
+Professor '''Carl Parsons''' of the Animal Sciences Department at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign has been productively using Tower Grove Feed for more than two years both in research and in the classroom.
 '''Bud Harmon''', Professor Emeritus and former chairman of the Animal Sciences Department at Purdue University, started using an early version of {{TGF_title}} more than five years ago and has not used any other product since.

@@ Line 28: / Line 28: @@
 ==Lots of data preloaded==
-The {{TGF_title}} database contains nearly, if not every, NRC ingredient, commonly used nutrients, and the typical nutrient contribution of each ingredient. In addition, there are numerous sample diet formulas (for swine and poultry, so far).
+The {{TGF_title}} database contains nearly all, if not every, NRC ingredient, commonly used nutrients, and the typical nutrient contribution of each ingredient. In addition, there are numerous sample diet formulas (for swine and poultry, so far).
 ==Copy and modify==

Overview - Revision history

Rmrubin: /* Use anywhere */

Rmrubin at 20:28, 5 February 2014

JSoke: /* Lots of data preloaded */

JSoke: Created page with "=Introduction= {{TGF_title}} is a superb tool, both for research feed formulation, commercial feed formulation, and for the class room. Professor '''Carl Parsons''' of the ..."