Bootsie Whitelaw - 7/25/2006 13:50
BUT the benefit Apex has over AgLeader or Farmworks is local support from the Deere dealer. Nothing is more irritating than calling a Help Line and getting someone merely reading from a manual.
As a consultant I have worked extensively with both Ag Leader yield monitors and Farmworks software and I must say that you are way off base with your comments. Never have I ever called their helplines and received support from "someone merely reading from a manual". In fact I would say that both companies have some of the best support people in the industry. Their knowledge and expertise with their products is top-notch.
If you have a good AMS specialist at your Deere dealer, they can be of great benefit.
"IF" is the key statement here. I also work with G* and you are correct, 'if' your local dealer has a good AMS specialist then the support will be excellent. But that's the problem. It has been my experience that many Deere dealers do not have an AMS specialist on staff. They instead rely on "regional" specialist that splits time between many dealerships in a region or area. When this specialist is available the support is good but more often than not he or she is tied up somewhere else which is less than desirable.
I do want to qualify my above statements by saying that I'm not advocating one company over another. Each has advantages and disadvantages over the other. Deere right now is experienceing difficulties with their new software but I'm confident they will overcome these problems in the near future. Deere is a first rate company with quality products which is a trait I look for when recommending a product. Ag Leader and Farmworks are first rate companies as well which is why I take exception to your statements. To say that neither can compete with Deere when it comes to support is simply not true. | 
Apex
