MACMAN: A farm management system for macadamia (user manual)

A farm management system for macadamia 

user’s manual MacMan 

1

First published 1999 

Sixth edition 2006 

ISSN 0727–6273 

QI06037 

© 1999-2006 The State of Queensland, Department of Primary Industries & Fisheries 

Copyright protects this publication. Except for purposes permitted by the Copyright Act, reproduction 

by whatever means is prohibited without the prior written permission of the Department of Primary 

Industries and Fisheries, Queensland. 

The Department of Primary Industries and Fisheries (DPI&F) has a vision of profitable primary 

industries for Queensland, and supports strategic industry development at all stages of the industry 

lifecycle and throughout the entire value chain from production to consumption. Its mission is to 

maximise the economic potential for Queensland primary industries on a sustainable basis. 

NSW Department of Primary Industries has a vision of profitable and sustainable primary 

industries building vibrant communities. Its mission is to have strong economic performance of 

primary industries, appropriate access to and wise management of natural resources, healthy 

and safe industries, a stronger voice for primary industries in Government decision-making and 

excellence in service delivery to stakeholders. 

Enquiries should be addressed to: 

The MacMan Team 

Maroochy Research Station 

DPI&F 

PO Box 5083 SCMC 

Nambour Qld 4560 

Australia 

Delphi and the Borland Database Engine are registered trademarks of Borland International, Inc. 

Microsoft and MS-DOS are registered trademarks, and Windows® is a trademark of Microsoft 

Corporation in the USA and other countries. 

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About the MacMan project 

MacMan is a farm recording system to enable Australian macadamia growers to monitor their 

farm management practices and results and to improve their orchard productivity and efficiency. 

The MacMan farm recording software is the primary product of the project. The aim of the 

MacMan software is to provide users with: 

• A quick and easy way to keep farm records 

• A system to satisfy their customers’ food safety and quality requirements 

• A detailed system to enable growers to compare their management practices within their 

own enterprise and with other growers. 

The MacMan team has also produced a number of other products to support these objectives, 

including the MacMan farm diary and the MacMan recording wall chart. 

At the heart of the MacMan software is a customised recording and reporting system. This system 

provides the foundation for a range of comparative analyses from which benchmarks can be 

derived. 

The national network of Best Practice Groups is also an important part of the MacMan project. 

These groups provide growers with a forum for comparing their practices and results and analysing 

where they can improve their productivity and efficiency. 

The MacMan project is a collaborative effort of the Department of Primary Industries and Fisheries, 

Queensland, New South Wales Department of Primary Industries, the Australian Macadamia Society 

and Horticulture Australia Limited. 

3

Disclaimer 

The Department of Primary Industries and Fisheries, Queensland, New South Wales Department 

of Primary Industries, the Australian Macadamia Society and Horticulture Australia Limited can 

accept no responsibility for situations arising from the misuse, intentional or otherwise, of information 

contained in the MacMan software program. All users of MacMan accept full responsibility for 

decisions based on information provided by the MacMan software. 

Acknowledgements 

The MacMan project is funded and supported by the following organisations: 

The MacMan project team includes: 

Shane Mulo (DPI&F) Project leader 

Paul O’Hare (DPI&F) 

Kev Quinlan (NSW DPI) 

Pat O’Farrell (DPI&F) 

Kim Jones (AMS) 

Larissa Bartel (DPI&F) 

The MacMan team also gratefully acknowledges the support and efforts of the following members 

of the Australian macadamia industry: 

David Bell, Darren Burton, Lindsay Bryen, Paul Chapman, Ted Davenport, Rod Fayle, Les Gain, 

Robyn Gough, Kim Jones, Lesleigh Kerr, Ian McConachie, Phil Montgomery, Andrew Pearce, Bev 

Phelps, Tim Salmon, Neil Treverrow and Kim Wilson. 

Larissa Bartel kindly provides the publishing services for the MacMan software including the design 

and layout of the CD and sleeve, and capturing of images, graphics manipulation, layout and 

desktop publishing for the manual. 

4

Licence agreement 

Grant of Licence 

The State of Queensland through its Department of Primary Industries and Fisheries (“DPI&F”) 

hereby grants you a non-exclusive and non-transferable licence to use the enclosed software 

(“SOFTWARE”) and documentation on the following terms and conditions: 

Copyright 

© 1999-2006 The State of Queensland, Department of Primary Industries & Fisheries 

This SOFTWARE and its related documentation are subject to copyright. Without excluding or 

limiting the application of the Copyright Act 1968 (Cth), You are not permitted to copy in whole or 

part, the SOFTWARE or its documentation except for backup purposes and to load the SOFTWARE 

into the computer as part of executing the SOFTWARE. All other reproductions or copies of the 

SOFTWARE and its documentation are in violation of this Agreement and the Copyright Act. 

Use of Software 

DPI&F grants you the right to use one copy of the SOFTWARE on a single computer. The 

SOFTWARE may be used on another provided that the SOFTWARE is used only on one computer 

at a time. The user shall not transfer the software from one computer to another over a network. 

The user shall not distribute copies of the SOFTWARE or documentation without the prior written 

consent of DPI&F. 

If you derive any profit from the use of the SOFTWARE other than through primary production, you 

must purchase a licence for each client on whose behalf you run the SOFTWARE unless that 

client has already purchased a licence for the SOFTWARE. 

You may not copy the SOFTWARE or any accompanying documentation. You may not engineer, 

decompile, disassemble or create derivative versions from the SOFTWARE. You may not rent, 

lease, give away, exchange or otherwise dispose of the SOFTWARE. 

Each copy of the SOFTWARE must contain all of the original SOFTWARE’s proprietary notices 

and licence. 

Use of names 

You must not without written permission use the name, any trademark or logo of DPI&F to claim 

any sponsorship, endorsement, approval or affiliation or other association with DPI&F by virtue of 

this Licence. 

Term 

This licence is effective until terminated. Termination occurs if all copies of the SOFTWARE in the 

Licensee’s possession are destroyed. Termination also occurs if the Licensee fails to adhere to 

the conditions of the agreement or the provisions of the Copyright Act 1968. Upon termination, the 

Licensee must ensure that all copies of the SOFTWARE and its documentation are destroyed. 

Warranty 

DPI&F warrants to the original licensee that the disk(s) on which the SOFTWARE is recorded is 

free of defects in materials and workmanship for a period of ninety (90) days from the date of 

receipt. DPI&F undertakes to supply, as your sole and exclusive remedy, a replacement version 

free from defects. 

5

Warranty as to Results 

You are responsible for determining that the SOFTWARE is suitable for your own use or purpose. 

Sole responsibility and risk associated with the use and results of the SOFTWARE and/or the 

accompanying documentation, irrespective of the purpose to which such use or results is applied, 

is accepted by you. 

Liability 

You indemnify DPI&F against all loss, damage, expense and cost that You may sustain or incur 

arising directly or indirectly out of the Licensee’s use of the Software and/or the accompanying 

documentation. 

Where you supply results or any information arising from or out of the SOFTWARE to any third 

person, you agree to indemnify DPI&F against any claim arising from such results or information. 

To the extent permitted by law, DPI&F excludes all liability for any loss or damage (including direct, 

indirect, special or consequential loss or damage) arising from the supply or use of/or reliance 

upon the results of the use of the SOFTWARE and/or accompanying documentation. 

Where any statute or law implies warranties or conditions into this licence, which cannot be 

lawfully modified or excluded under this licence (‘non-excludable condition’) then this licence will 

be read subject to such non-excludable condition. Where such statute or law permits, DPI&F 

limits its liability to You for breach of such non-excludable condition at its option to: 

(i) resupplying the SOFTWARE; or 

(ii) refunding the amounts paid by You for the SOFTWARE. 

DPI&F makes no representation 

You acknowledge that no promise, representation, warranty or undertaking has been made or 

given by DPI&F, or any person acting on its behalf in relation to the profitability of, or any other 

consequences or benefits to be obtained from the delivery to or use by you of the SOFTWARE, 

and any accompanying documentation. 

Without limiting the generality of the foregoing, DPI&F does not warrant, guarantee or make any 

representations whatsoever regarding the accuracy, reliability, friendliness, currency or any other 

aspect regarding characteristics or use of the SOFTWARE. 

Australian Conditions 

You acknowledge that the SOFTWARE and any related documentation was developed to assist 

growers in making decisions in relation to Australian macadamia orchard management and therefore 

may not be suitable for growers or conditions outside of Australia. 

Governing Law 

This agreement is governed by the laws of the State of Queensland, Australia. 

Contact 

Should you have any questions concerning this agreement, or if you wish to contact the MacMan 

project team for any reason, please write to: 

The MacMan Team 

Department of Primary Industries and Fisheries 



Australia 

6

Using this manual 

The manual is divided into sections to make it easy for you to quickly find the information you need. 

When you first receive the program we recommend that you start with the Getting started section, 

which will assist you with installing the program on to your computer. The Working with MacMan 

section gives you instructions on how you can control the program with your mouse, and 

demonstrates the program features that make using MacMan as simple as possible. 

Each section has been written so that it may be read independently from the others. Where 

information outside the scope of a section is required, references to other sections are provided. 

MacMan contact list 

There are a number of MacMan team members throughout the country who are available to help 

you with any problems you may have or to accept your feedback. The following list shows your 

closest contact and which members of the team are best to talk to depending on your needs. 

National software support 

MacMan development team 



Ph: 07 5441 2211 Fax: 07 5441 2235 E-mail: macman@dpi.qld.gov.au 

Local support and Best Practice Group information 

Paul O’Hare 

DPI&F 



Ph: 07 5441 2211 Fax: 07 5441 2235 E-mail: macman@dpi.qld.gov.au 

Kevin Quinlan 

NSW DPI 

PO Box 72 

Alstonville NSW 2477 

Ph: 02 6626 2445 Fax: 02 6628 5209 E-mail: kevin.quinlan@dpi.nsw.gov.au 

Kim Jones 

AMS 

Suite 1 

113 Dawson Street 

Lismore NSW 2480 

Ph: 02 6622 4930 Fax: 02 6622 4932 Email: idm@macadamias.org 

Pat O’Farrell 

DPI&F 

PO Box 1054 

Mareeba Qld 4880 

Ph: 07 4092 8555 Fax: 07 4092 3593 Email: patrick.o’farrell@dpi.qld.gov.au 

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8 

Contents 

Chapter 1 - Getting Started ................................................................... 15 

Introduction ...............................................................................................................................16 

Dividing your farms into blocks and plantings ........................................................................17 

Employees .............................................................................................................................18 

Contacts .................................................................................................................................18 

Machinery...............................................................................................................................18 

Pests and Diseases ...............................................................................................................18 

Chemicals .............................................................................................................................. 18 

Storage vessels .....................................................................................................................19 

Water sources ........................................................................................................................19 

Job groups.............................................................................................................................. 19 

Variable cost categories .........................................................................................................19 

Notes templates .....................................................................................................................19 

Preferences ............................................................................................................................20 

Installing MacMan .................................................................................................................. 20 

Running MacMan ...................................................................................................................22 

Uninstalling MacMan ..............................................................................................................22 

Main MacMan Window ..............................................................................................................23 

The MacMan Access Tree .....................................................................................................23 

The main menu ......................................................................................................................25 

File ..................................................................................................................................... 25 

View ...................................................................................................................................25 

Setup..................................................................................................................................26 

Data entry ..........................................................................................................................26 

Browse...............................................................................................................................26 

Reports .............................................................................................................................. 27 

Tools...................................................................................................................................27 

Options .............................................................................................................................. 27 

Help ....................................................................................................................................28 

MacMan information pages ....................................................................................................29 

Farm information tree ........................................................................................................ 29 

Crop calendar ....................................................................................................................30 

Reminders ......................................................................................................................... 31 

Working with MacMan ..............................................................................................................33 

Menu commands ...................................................................................................................33 

The mouse .............................................................................................................................33 

Scrolling ..................................................................................................................................33 

Buttons ...................................................................................................................................33

Radio buttons .........................................................................................................................34 

Check boxes ..........................................................................................................................34 

Drop down lists .......................................................................................................................34 

Hot keys .................................................................................................................................35 

Hints .......................................................................................................................................35 

Hint panels .........................................................................................................................35 

Popup hints ........................................................................................................................35 

Date selectors ........................................................................................................................35 

Changing the date ..............................................................................................................36 

Navigator buttons ...................................................................................................................36 

Using Reports ........................................................................................................................37 

Using Checklists ....................................................................................................................38 

Getting Help ............................................................................................................................40 

Press the help key .............................................................................................................40 

Select help from a menu ....................................................................................................40 

Chapter 2 - Setup information .............................................................. 41 

Farm Information .......................................................................................................................42 

Describing your farm(s) block(s) and planting(s) ...................................................................43 

Creating a new farm ..........................................................................................................44 

Creating a new block .........................................................................................................45 

Creating a new planting .....................................................................................................46 

Updating farm, block or planting details..................................................................................48 

Deleting a farm, block or planting ...........................................................................................48 

Farm, block and planting reports ............................................................................................49 

Planting history .......................................................................................................................50 

Planting update reminders ......................................................................................................50 

Farm, block and planting visual summaries ...........................................................................50 

Employee Information...............................................................................................................52 

Employee details ....................................................................................................................52 

Employee summary reports...................................................................................................53 

Contacts .....................................................................................................................................54 

Contact details ........................................................................................................................54 

Browsing contacts ..................................................................................................................56 

Contact reports .......................................................................................................................56 

Machinery Information..............................................................................................................57 

Machinery details ...................................................................................................................57 

Machinery reports ..................................................................................................................58 

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Pest Information ........................................................................................................................59 

Pest details .............................................................................................................................59 

Renaming a pest ....................................................................................................................60 

Pest reports ............................................................................................................................60 

Chemical Information................................................................................................................61 

Product details ........................................................................................................................61 

Chemical application methods and product properties ...................................................... 62 

Chemical actives / ingredients ...........................................................................................63 

Notes..................................................................................................................................63 

Stock inventory ...................................................................................................................64 

Updating chemical cost and ingredient information ...........................................................65 

Product reports .......................................................................................................................66 

Storage Vessels ........................................................................................................................67 

Storage vessel details ............................................................................................................67 

Water Sources ...........................................................................................................................69 

Water source details ..............................................................................................................69 

Job Groups ................................................................................................................................70 

Standard job categories ..........................................................................................................71 

Creating custom job categories..............................................................................................75 

Editing custom job categories ................................................................................................76 

Deleting custom job categories ..............................................................................................76 

Variable Cost Categories .........................................................................................................77 

Standard variable cost groups and categories .......................................................................78 

Creating a variable cost category ...........................................................................................82 

Renaming variable cost categories ........................................................................................82 

Notes Templates .......................................................................................................................83 

Adding a new template ............................................................................................................83 

Codes .........................................................................................................................................84 

Harvest codes ........................................................................................................................84 

Creating a new harvest code .............................................................................................85 

Consignment codes ...............................................................................................................87 

Creating a new consignment code ....................................................................................87 

Chemical Product codes ........................................................................................................ 89 

Renaming product codes...................................................................................................91 

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Chapter 3 - Inputs .................................................................................. 93 

Jobs ............................................................................................................................................94 

Recording a job ......................................................................................................................94 

Browsing existing job records ...............................................................................................104 

Adding a job ..................................................................................................................... 106 

Deleting a job ................................................................................................................... 106 

Clearing filters .................................................................................................................. 107 

Select all ..........................................................................................................................107 

Manage job groups...........................................................................................................107 

Jobs details ...................................................................................................................... 107 

Editing a job .....................................................................................................................107 

Reports .................................................................................................................................108 

Time sheets ............................................................................................................................. 111 

Filtering records .................................................................................................................... 111 

Entering records ................................................................................................................... 112 

Time sheet reports ............................................................................................................... 113 

Recording jobs from timesheet entries................................................................................. 113 

Variable costs .......................................................................................................................... 114 

Variable costs categories ..................................................................................................... 114 

Adding a variable cost record ............................................................................................... 114 

Adding multiple variable cost records................................................................................... 116 

Importing data ..................................................................................................................117 

Browsing variable costs ........................................................................................................ 118 

Variable costs reports........................................................................................................... 119 

Chapter 4 - Outputs ............................................................................. 121 

Harvest yield ........................................................................................................................... 122 

Adding a harvest record .......................................................................................................122 

Non apportioned harvest yield records .............................................................................122 

Apportioned harvest yield records ....................................................................................125 

Browsing harvest yield records ............................................................................................ 127 

Adding a new record ........................................................................................................ 127 

Editing a record ................................................................................................................ 128 

Deleting a record..............................................................................................................128 

Clear all filters .................................................................................................................. 128 

Selecting all records ........................................................................................................ 128 

Adjusting harvest yield records ........................................................................................128 

Harvest Reports ...................................................................................................................129 

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Post harvest handling ............................................................................................................ 130 

Adding a post harvest handling record ................................................................................. 130 

Dehusking and sorting ..................................................................................................... 131 

Sorting details .................................................................................................................. 132 

Resorting nuts.................................................................................................................. 134 

Transferring nuts ..............................................................................................................135 

Dispatch from Vessel ....................................................................................................... 136 

Multiple post harvest handling records ............................................................................. 137 

Browsing post harvest handling records............................................................................... 138 

Adding a record ................................................................................................................139 




Reports ................................................................................................................................. 140 

Factory Results ....................................................................................................................... 141 

Adding a record .................................................................................................................... 141 

Consignment details ........................................................................................................ 142 

Unsound kernel reject analysis ........................................................................................ 143 

Notes................................................................................................................................ 144 

Browsing factory results records .......................................................................................... 144 





Reports ................................................................................................................................. 146 

Factory results report ....................................................................................................... 146 

Chapter 5 - Monitoring ......................................................................... 149 

Pest and disease monitoring ................................................................................................. 150 

Adding pest and disease monitoring records ....................................................................... 150 

Browsing pest and disease monitoring records .................................................................... 151 




Reports ................................................................................................................................. 152 

Leaf and soil monitoring ........................................................................................................ 153 

Adding records ..................................................................................................................... 153 

Browsing leaf and soil analysis results ................................................................................. 154 




Reports ................................................................................................................................. 156 

Water quality ............................................................................................................................ 157 

Adding records ..................................................................................................................... 157 

Browsing water quality analysis results ................................................................................ 158 

Reports ................................................................................................................................. 159 

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Chapter 6 - Environment ..................................................................... 161 

Weather records .....................................................................................................................162 

Adding records .....................................................................................................................162 

Browsing weather records ....................................................................................................163 





Hide filters ........................................................................................................................164 

Reports .................................................................................................................................165 

Beaufort Scale .................................................................................................................166 

Growth cycles..........................................................................................................................167 

Adding records .....................................................................................................................167 

Browsing records .................................................................................................................. 168 

Reports .................................................................................................................................169 

Chapter 7 - MacMan Reports .............................................................. 171 

MacMan Reports .....................................................................................................................172 

Pre-season delivery report ................................................................................................... 173 

Consignment delivery report ................................................................................................175 

Cost of production report ......................................................................................................178 

NIS storage estimates report ...............................................................................................180 

Weather, pests and spray overlay chart .............................................................................. 180 

Leaf and soil results charts ..................................................................................................181 

Reminders report ................................................................................................................. 182 

AMS statistics report ............................................................................................................ 182 

Combined outputs trend chart .............................................................................................. 183 

Building your own reports .....................................................................................................184 

E-mailing reports and charts ................................................................................................185 

E-mailing tabular reports ..................................................................................................185 

E-mailing charts ...............................................................................................................186 

Exporting reports and charts ................................................................................................187 

Archiving reports .................................................................................................................. 188 

Other reports ........................................................................................................................189 

Farm information..............................................................................................................189 

Employees ....................................................................................................................... 189 

Contacts ..........................................................................................................................189 

Machinery ......................................................................................................................... 189 

Pests................................................................................................................................ 189 

Chemicals ........................................................................................................................189 

Jobs .................................................................................................................................189 

Variable costs .................................................................................................................. 190 

Harvest yield .................................................................................................................... 190 

Post-harvest handling ...................................................................................................... 190 

Factory results ................................................................................................................. 190 

Monitoring ......................................................................................................................... 190 

Environment ..................................................................................................................... 190 

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Chapter 8 - MacMan Tools .................................................................. 191 

MacMan Tools ......................................................................................................................... 192 

Backup facility ...................................................................................................................... 192 

Restore facility ...................................................................................................................... 194 

Backup and send your data to the MacMan team ............................................................... 196 

MacMan and AMS Web sites .............................................................................................. 197 

Download latest version ........................................................................................................197 

Electronic mail service ......................................................................................................... 198 

Job archive facility ................................................................................................................ 198 

Planting update reminders .................................................................................................... 200 

Calculator ............................................................................................................................. 201 

Data repair facility ................................................................................................................. 201 

Chapter 9 - Customising MacMan ....................................................... 203 

Program preferences ............................................................................................................. 204 

General preferences............................................................................................................. 204 

Recording preferences ......................................................................................................... 205 

Browsing preferences ...........................................................................................................206 

Reminders preferences ........................................................................................................ 207 

Colour preferences ............................................................................................................... 208 

Reports preferences............................................................................................................. 209 

Advanced preferences ......................................................................................................... 210 

Chapter 10 - Managing multiple enterprises ...................................... 211 

When multiple enterprises are useful .................................................................................. 212 

Working with enterprises ....................................................................................................... 212 

Creating a new enterprise ..................................................................................................... 213 

Enterprise name ................................................................................................................... 213 

Folder where files are located ............................................................................................... 213 

Using multiple enterprises on a single computer ............................................................. 214 

Creating multiple enterprises on a local area network ..................................................... 214 

Serial number ....................................................................................................................... 214 

Active ................................................................................................................................... 215 

Checking the status of an enterprise ................................................................................... 215 

Backing up your enterprises ................................................................................................. 216 

Using MacMan to backup your enterprises ......................................................................... 216 

Creating unique backup folder names ............................................................................. 216 

Creating unique backup file names .................................................................................. 216 

Using external programs to backup your enterprises .......................................................... 217 

14

MacMan user’s manual 

Chapter 1 

Getting Started 

15

Introduction 

One of the most important steps in using the MacMan farm recording software is getting started. 

This involves entering your initial setup information such as describing your farm(s). Entering this 

information is straightforward, but as each macadamia farm is managed slightly differently, it is 

important that it is entered to reflect how you manage your enterprise. 

Once the setup information has been entered, MacMan can be quick and easy to use and can 

provide you with a great deal of very useful information to assist you with the management of 

your business. 

Setup information will need to be kept up-to-date as aspects of your enterprise change (such as 

changes in tree dimensions or chemical prices). Once setup information has been entered, the 

day to day recording of jobs, harvest yields, post-harvest handling details, factory results, monitoring 

details and weather information is recorded in the data entry section of MacMan. 

MacMan setup information includes: 

� Farm, block and planting descriptions 

� Employees 

� Contacts, such as your suppliers and customers 

� Machinery 

� Pests and diseases you wish to monitor or manage 

� Chemicals 

� Nut storage vessels, such as silos 

� Water sources 

� Job groups 

� Variable cost categories 

� Notes templates 

� Enterprises 

Farm, block and planting descriptions need to be entered before you can record day to day 

management information such as jobs done or nuts harvested. Most of the other sections are 

optional and only need to be set up if you intend to record this type of information within MacMan. 

For example, if you intend to record information about the individual employees responsible for 

specific jobs on your farm, you should enter details for those employees in the setup section so 

that you can quickly select them from lists when entering jobs later on. 

Similarly, if you intend to record information about chemicals that you apply on your farm, you 

should ensure that the chemicals that you use are entered in the chemicals section first. You 

should also ensure that relevant information about those chemicals, such as the price you paid 

and the ingredients are correct as MacMan refers to this information each time you record a job 

to accurately calculate the cost of the applied chemical and the exact quantities of elements 

applied. 

16

Dividing your farms into blocks and plantings 

One of the most important decisions you need to make when starting to use the MacMan software 

is how best to divide your farm(s) into blocks and plantings for recording purposes. The experiences 

of a number of MacMan users have been extremely useful in developing suggestions to help you 

with this decision. 

Farms are generally divided into one or more blocks. Each block is further divided into one or 

more plantings. A planting is the lowest level of recording in MacMan. Plantings enable you to 

record jobs or harvest yields in part of a block if you wish. 

There is one simple rule that must be adhered to in dividing your farm(s) into blocks and plantings: 

Every farm must have at least one block and every block must have at least one planting. 

It is important when making the decision on how to divide your farm(s) into blocks and plantings 

that it reflects how you manage your enterprise. Some growers manage their enterprise in 

such a way that they never wish to record their activities or outputs on less than a block basis, in 

which case they would create just one planting for each of their blocks. Other growers manage 

their enterprises so that different parts of their blocks may at times be treated differently, in which 

case they would create more than one planting for each block. 

The most common methods people use to divide their blocks into plantings are: 

� By variety. Where growers have more than one variety in a block, it is not uncommon 

that at times they may wish to harvest the varieties separately or wish to record how the 

different varieties are performing. The varieties may also receive different inputs, such 

as crop protection or fertiliser treatments. 

� By tree age. If there are parts of the blocks that are markedly different in age and are 

managed differently, this would be a sound reason to divide them into different plantings. 

If there are a small number of replant trees scattered through a block which are not 

treated substantially differently from the rest of the block, it would usually be best not to 

create a separate planting for them. 

Do not create too many plantings in each block if you don’t manage your farm that way. It will be 

an unnecessary task and may become cumbersome to manage the amount of records created. 

Ideally, most blocks should be divided into no more than three or four plantings. 

Some MacMan users originally described each of their rows as a planting. In some cases this 

created an overabundance of plantings (over twenty plantings per block in some cases). Once 

they began recording, some users found that this necessitated too much data entry and generated 

too many records. For this reason, we usually do not recommend individual rows as a method of 

dividing your blocks into plantings. 

17

Employees 

You need to enter your employees if you wish to record the person or people involved in jobs 

such as spraying, harvesting or dehusking in your macadamia enterprise. People who are paid 

an hourly rate are entered in MacMan as employees. 

The hourly rate should include all the on-costs such as worker’s compensation, superannuation 

and leave loading. If people are paid a weekly rate, this needs to be converted to an hourly rate. 

When recording a job, you can specify the hours of each employee involved and MacMan will 

calculate the associated costs. If people are paid on a per kilogram or per container rate for 

operations such as hand harvesting, they are treated as contractors in MacMan and are entered 

as suppliers in the contacts section of MacMan. 

You should also enter any unpaid employees. In family farms in particular, many operations are 

done without payment being involved. If you wish to record did jobs such as spraying, these 

people can be entered as employees with a pay rate of $0 per hour. 

Contacts 

You need to enter the details about your customers, suppliers and any other individuals or 

organisations with whom you deal. 

Customers include processors to whom you send nuts. Suppliers include anyone who provides 

you with products or services involved with your macadamia enterprise. 

People being paid on a per kilogram or per container rate for operations such as hand harvesting 

are treated as contractors in MacMan and are entered as suppliers in the contacts section. 

Machinery 

You need to enter your machinery if you wish to record the machinery involved in jobs such as 

spraying, harvesting or dehusking. You will also need to enter an hourly rate for each machine if 

you wish to record machinery running costs when recording jobs in MacMan. When recording a 

job, you can specify the hours of each machine involved and MacMan will calculate the associated 

costs. 

Pests and Diseases 

The MacMan software provides you with information and pictures of 26 of the major macadamia 

pests and diseases in Australia. You can also enter your own information (text only) about each 

of these pests and diseases. 

You should also enter information about any other pests or diseases or beneficial insects you 

monitor or manage in your macadamia enterprise if you wish to record these activities. 

Chemicals 

The MacMan software provides you with information about many commonly used pesticides and 

fertilisers. This list is not designed to be comprehensive but is meant to help get you started. 

18

If you wish to record the chemicals that you apply on your farm, you will need to check and if 

necessary alter the information about each of these chemicals to ensure that information such as 

pricing and ingredients are correct. You may purchase the chemical in a different size container 

and you will probably pay a different price to the one listed in MacMan. You may also use the 

same chemical but purchase it under a different trade name. 

If you use any chemicals that are not already included in MacMan, you will need to add details 

about those chemicals. Please ensure that you enter accurate information, including the container 

size, the price you paid, ingredients and methods of application. You may also wish to delete any 

chemicals present that you will not use. 

If you wish to maintain a chemical stock inventory, you will also need to enter the amount of 

chemical you have in store. MacMan can update your stock balances as chemical applications 

are recorded. 

Storage vessels 

If you wish to record information about the post-harvest handling of your nuts, you will first need 

to enter the details of each of your nut storage vessels. 

For each vessel, specify all of the appropriate storage management conditions. If a vessel is 

managed differently at different stages, select all of the different appropriate methods and record 

how it is managed in the notes. 

Water sources 

You may wish to enter the details of the water sources you use on your farm(s). This includes 

dams, creeks, bores etc. You can also record the results of any water quality tests you undertake 

for each of these sources in the Monitoring section in MacMan. 

Job groups 

Jobs are grouped to make it easier and quicker to select the correct operation when recording 

jobs in MacMan. This also enables you to filter on the job group (eg crop protection) when 

viewing records in the jobs browser. 

Nine standard job groups are provided in MacMan. Each job group contains a number of standard 

job categories. If none of the standard job categories suit a specific job that you do on your farm, 

you can add your own custom job categories to a job group and decide the attributes that need to 

be recorded for that job category. 

Variable cost categories 

MacMan provides you with standard variable cost groups and categories to use when entering 

your expenses incurred in managing your macadamia enterprise. MacMan also allows you to 

customise your variable cost categories to suit your own management system. 

Notes templates 

If you have standard formats for notes (such as for spray jobs), you can save these formats as 

templates and reuse them for future jobs. MacMan provides you with some standard templates 

to get started and you can also create your own. 

19

Preferences 

You can set preferences about how you wish to record information in the MacMan farm recording 

software. These preferences are located in Options in the main menu at the top of the main 

window. These preferences are preset to defaults when you first install MacMan but you can 

change them to suit your own recording requirements. 

Installing MacMan 

To install MacMan, you need to use the setup program that is supplied on the MacMan CD you receive. 

Follow these step-by-step instructions to load MacMan on to your computer: 

Turn on your computer 

To run MacMan you must have Windows 95, 98, ME, NT or XP installed on your computer. If you 

are using a Macintosh computer, you need to be running IBM emulation software in order to 

install and run MacMan (see your Macintosh dealer for further information). 

Close any programs other than Windows 

If you have any other programs open at this stage, close them before continuing. If other programs 

are open they may interfere with the installation process. MacMan itself must NOT be running. 

Check your computer’s clock and date settings 

If the time settings are incorrect on your computer, or your date is shown in the American style 

with the months before the days, you should change the settings to the Australian style. 

Go to the Windows Control Panel to adjust your Regional settings if required. 

Put the CD in your CD ROM drive. 

Put your MacMan CD into your CD ROM drive. The MacMan setup program should start 

automatically. If for some reason the setup program does not start automatically, simply run the 

Setup.exe file on the CD 

MacMan setup 

The MacMan setup window allows you to either install a new copy of MacMan to your computer 

or update an existing copy. Choose the option that is most appropriate to you and read the 

instructions on the right hand side before continuing. When you are happy with your selection, 

click Start to continue. 

20

A message will appear asking for confirmation of what you are doing. Please read this carefully 

and click Yes if you are happy with your choice. 

Welcome screen 

Read the instructions on the screen and click Next to start the installation. 

Software licence agreement 

It is important that you are aware of the requirements of the software licence agreement. By 

continuing with the installation of the program you are entering into a legally binding agreement 

with the owners of the program. 

If you agree with the licence conditions click Next. 

Enter your user information 

This window is to record your details as the owner of your copy of MacMan. Click the boxes and 

type your name, the company name, and the serial number you received with your software. 

Please ensure that you enter your serial number correctly. 

When you have entered the details click Next. 

Choose the destination location 

By default the program is installed to the primary hard drive on your computer (C:\Program 

files\MacMan). If you wish to install the program in another folder or on another hard drive this 

window gives you the option to install the program in the folder of your choice. 

Click Next to continue the installation. 

Start installation 

MacMan now has the information it needs to start installing and the program will start to install. 

Click Next to start installation of MacMan. 

The installation of the program may take a few minutes depending on the speed of your computer. 

While the program is being installed it will show the progress of the installation on screen. When 

installation is complete a shortcut will be created on your Windows Start menu. You will also be 

given the option to create a MacMan shortcut on your desktop. 

Translating data from a previous version of MacMan 

When upgrading to the latest version, your MacMan data files need to be translated. Choose the 

folder where your MacMan data files can be found and press Translate to update your data. The 

default path will be selected automatically, but you can override this if your data files are stored in 

another location. 

The installation is now complete 

The installation is now completed and MacMan has been installed on your computer under the 

MacMan program group in the start menu. 

Click Finish to close the window. 

21

Running MacMan 

This section explains how to run and close MacMan. 

Select the program from the start menu 

MacMan will be listed under Programs in the Windows Start menu. 

Within MacMan are a number of windows that are used to record and browse your information. 

The main window is where you launch all major MacMan functions. It also gives you a few 

general choices about the way the program will work. 

The main window stays open all of the time you are working with MacMan. The other windows are 

opened on top of the main window in such a way that the one on top is the window you are 

working with and when you are finished you must close it to return to the window beneath. When 

you have finished working with MacMan it is important to exit the program correctly. 

Select File, Exit MacMan or Close from the menu at the top of each active window. 

OR 

Click the “x” in the top right hand corner of the active window. 

Never turn your computer off while MacMan is still running, MacMan must always be closed 

first. 

Uninstalling MacMan 

To uninstall MacMan, go to the Windows Control Panel and select the Add or Remove Programs 

option. Select MacMan from the list of installed programs and click Remove. 

22

Main MacMan Window 

The main MacMan window is used to access all the major sections of MacMan. It also provides 

you with: 

� The structure and details of your farms, blocks and plantings 

� A crop calendar of important macadamia orchard management practices 

� A system for setting reminders for your own operation 

The MacMan Access Tree 

The MacMan access tree is located on the left side of the main MacMan window. It can be used 

to open all of the major sections of MacMan. It is divided into 3 pages: 

� Setup information – This information needs to be entered 

before you start recording inputs such as jobs or outputs 

such as harvest. It usually only needs to be entered 

once. An example of the Setup information page is 

shown. 

� Data entry – This is where you record all your inputs 

such as jobs and costs, outputs such as harvest yields, 

post-harvest handling records and factory results, 

monitoring details and environmental information such 

as weather records and growth cycle data. An example 

of the Data entry page is shown. 

23

24 

� Jobs access tree – The option to view the Jobs access 

tree can be selected by clicking View on the main menu 

and then clicking Jobs access tree. The Jobs access 

tree provides a short cut in selecting the job category 

when entering a job. An example of the Jobs access 

tree is shown. 

The job categories are grouped into job groups. Standard job categories have the symbol S. 

Custom job categories that you create have the symbol C. 

When you first open MacMan, you will notice that many of the items in the Access tree have a “+” 

symbol beside them. This indicates that you can click here to expand that branch of the tree to 

display more related options. 

Once clicked, the tree branch is expanded and the “+” symbol turns into a “-“ symbol. To collapse 

this level back to the way it was, click the “-“ symbol. 

At the top of the Setup info page is an Add/Update button and a Help button. When clicked, the 

Add/Update button will open whichever window corresponds to the item highlighted in the tree. 

You can then add or update records through this window. 

For example, if Farm(s) within the Farm Information level is highlighted and the Add/Update 

button is clicked, the window for adding or updating a farm will open on top of the main window. 

If you click the Help button, this will open the section of Help that corresponds to the item highlighted 

in the tree. 

At the top of the Data entry page is an Add button, a Browse button and a Help button. When 

clicked, the Add button will open the window that corresponds to the item highlighted in the tree 

where you add new records. If you click the Browse button, this will open the window that 

corresponds to the item highlighted in the tree where you view existing records. If you click the 

Help button, this will open the section of Help that corresponds to the item highlighted in the tree. 

At the top of the Jobs page is an Add button, a Browse button, a Help button and a Key button. 

The first three are the same as in the Data entry page. If you click the Key button, this will open 

the Key to job menu tree window, as shown below. This window explains the symbols used in the 

Jobs page.

You can also open the windows to add or browse records by selecting the relevant item in the 

access tree and then right clicking on this item to display the following. You can then left click on 

the Add a record or Browse your records selection required. 

The Add a record function may also be accessed by selecting the item in the tree and then double 

clicking on it. The Add and Browse functions for each of the major sections in MacMan may also 

be accessed from the main menu at the top of the main MacMan window. 

The main menu 

Certain options are accessible only from the main menu at the top of the main MacMan window. 

In this section we will discuss each of the main menu options. 

File 

When you click File the menu below is displayed. 

Exit MacMan 

You can close the program in a number of different ways. You can use the “x” button in the top 

right hand corner of the main window, or the Exit MacMan command as shown above to close 

MacMan. Both work the same way. 

View 

When you click View the menu below is displayed. 

Menu trees 

Menu trees will already be selected by default when you start using the program. If you do not 

wish to see the MacMan access tree at the left of the main MacMan window, click on Menu trees 

to deselect this option. 

Jobs access tree 

Click on Jobs access tree if you wish to see it displayed. The Jobs access tree is not selected by 

default. 

25

Setup 

When you click Setup the menu below is displayed. 

You can access all the sections in the Setup info page on the MacMan access tree through this 

menu. 

Data entry 

When you click Data entry the menu below is displayed. 

You can access all the windows for adding new records in each of the sections in the Data entry 

page on the MacMan access tree through this menu. 

Browse 

When you click Browse the menu below is displayed. 

You can access all the windows for browsing records in each of the sections in the Data entry 

page on the MacMan access tree through this menu. 

26

Reports 

When you click Reports the menu below is displayed. 

Each of these reports is described in detail in the MacMan Reports section of this manual. 

Tools 

MacMan includes a number of useful tools that have been designed to save you time and to 

ensure that the information you record is safe and valid at all times. 

When you click Tools the menu below is displayed. 

Each of these tools is discussed in detail in the MacMan Tools section of this manual. 

Options 

When you click Options, the menu below is displayed. 

Preferences 

A number of important program preferences can be set in this section. See the Customising 

MacMan section of the manual for more information. 

27

Help 

When you click Help, the following menu is displayed. 

Get help 

This will enable you to access MacMan Help. See the end of this chapter for more information on 

getting help. 

E-mail the MacMan team 

If you have an e-mail account and internet access, this will open your normal e-mail software to 

enable you to send an e-mail message to the MacMan team. The MacMan team’s e-mail address 

will be automatically filled for you. 

Team contact details 

The contact details of the MacMan team members can be found listed on this page of the MacMan 

help system. 

Read MacMan manual 

This will open the MacMan manual as a portable document file (.pdf) file. You will require Adobe 

Acrobat to be able to read this file. 

About MacMan 

The About MacMan window provides the registration details of the program. The version of the 

program you are running can be seen on the left side of the window. Your serial number can be 

seen in the centre of the window. 

An example of the About MacMan window is shown below. 

28

MacMan information pages 

The right side of the main MacMan window has four very useful sections: 

� Farm information tree 

� Crop calendar 

� Reminders 

Farm information tree 

The farm information tree to the right of the main MacMan window enables you to see at a glance 

the structure of your farms, blocks and plantings, which plantings require updating and information 

about the farms, blocks and plantings. An example of the farm information tree is shown below. 

If all the planting details are less than 12 months old, there will be a “✓ ” beside all the farms, 

blocks and plantings. If any planting details are more than 12 months old, there will be a calendar 

symbol next to that planting and the date it was last updated. The farm and block to which this 

planting belongs will also have a calendar symbol. If any farm or block is incomplete (i.e. there is 

no block in a farm or no planting in a block), there will a “X” next to the farm and block. 

Add/update and Refresh 

You can access the farm, block and planting windows by double clicking on the relevant farm, 

block or planting or by clicking once and then clicking on the Add/Update button. When you have 

finished adding or updating information about the farms, blocks or plantings, click on the Refresh 

tree button and the farm information tree will be updated. 

29

Details table and graph 

The details table to the right of the farm information tree will show the summary details of the 

farm, block or planting selected. If you select a farm or block, the Tree numbers chart with the 

tree numbers and variety in the farm or block will be shown below the information table. If you 

select a planting, the Tree growth graph with changes in canopy volume and tree height will be 

shown. 

Crop calendar 

The Crop calendar is designed to provide timely management suggestions for each month. Click 

the Crop calendar tab to open this page. 

An example of the Crop calendar is shown below. 

The Crop calendar will show the current month when opened. You can scroll backwards and 

forwards to the other months by clicking on the arrows. 

30

Reminders 

You can set your own reminders using this facility. Click the Reminders tab to open this page. 

An example of the Reminders page is shown below. 

Click the New reminder button to add a new reminder or the Edit reminder button to edit an 

existing reminder. This will open the Add or edit reminder window. 

An example of the Add or edit reminder window is shown below. 

You can then add or edit the following details: 

Reminder 

Type the task you wish to be reminded about. 

Category 

Select the category of reminder from the drop down list, or type in your own category (for eg. 

personal) 

Date 

Type the date of the reminder or use the calendar to the right of the space, or click the Today 

button for today’s date. 

31

Done 

Click the checkbox if the task is done. 

Employee (optional) 

Select the employee from the drop down list. 

Remind me 

Click the checkbox if you want MacMan to remind you about the task. You can also set the 

number of days in advance that you wish to be reminded. 

Notes (optional) 

Type any notes you wish to make about the reminder. 

Click the OK button when you have completed these details and the new or edited reminder will 

be saved. 

If you wish to delete a reminder, click the relevant reminder and click the Delete reminder button. 

MacMan will ask you to confirm you wish to delete the reminder before proceeding. 

Click the relevant reminder and click the Issue reminder checkbox if you wish MacMan to issue 

you a reminder when you start the program. 

Click the relevant reminder and click the Done checkbox when a task has been completed. 

32

Working with MacMan 

MacMan has several features. It is important to understand how they operate to enable you to use 

MacMan as effectively as possible. 

Menu commands 

The menu on the main MacMan window can be used to access all of the features of MacMan. To 

select one of the options available simply click on the desired menu item. Each option will expand 

to display a further list of options that you can select. 

An example of this is the menu command for Setup. When clicked it will drop down a list of 

options. From there you can pick the desired option. For options such as Farm Information 

another sub list may be displayed and so on. 

The mouse 

MacMan is a mouse driven application and works in the same way as most other Windows based 

applications. Instead of using the keyboard to select options or point to things, you guide the 

program by using your mouse. The mouse is used to do just about everything you want, except to 

enter descriptive and numerical information. 

Scrolling 

In a number of places throughout MacMan you will see what are called scroll bars. 

To use a scroll bar you can click on the arrow pointing in the direction you want to move. Another 

way is to click on the bar, hold your left mouse button down and then move the mouse in the 

direction you want to go. You can also click above and below the bar to move up or down. 

Buttons 

The buttons in MacMan look like the buttons on a calculator. The commands they control are 

printed on them. They are used to open and close program windows and perform many other 

functions. 

33

To activate a button, move your mouse so that the pointer is over the button you want and then click 

the left mouse button. This will cause MacMan to carry out the command associated with that 

button. The following buttons are typical examples you might see in MacMan. 

Radio buttons 

Radio buttons are used throughout MacMan to provide a multiple choice option to a question where 

only one option is applicable or accurate. If you click on a radio button all the other associated radio 

buttons are cleared. For example: 

Check boxes 

Checkboxes are used for yes or no responses. You can check the box to select the option, or 

uncheck it to deselect the option. When a box is checked, a tick appears in the box. This means 

you have indicated yes to the question. When a box is not checked, it appears blank, indicating a 

no to the question. 

Unlike radio buttons, in a group of checkboxes more than one may be checked. 

Drop down lists 

Throughout MacMan you will find many drop down lists which provide you with a list of options from 

which to choose depending on what you are doing at the time. The way to view the list is to click 

to the right of the drop down list. By doing this a list will appear, usually with a scroll bar option 

available. To select an item, scroll down the list and click on the item you want. For example: 

34

Hot keys 

Pressing a “hot key” on your keyboard can also activate commands. The hot key is the letter on a 

menu command that is underlined. Pressing the key and at the same time pressing the 

corresponding letter on your computer’s keyboard has the same effect as clicking the left mouse 

button while pointing to the screen command. 

Hints 

Hint panels 

Hint panels may be found at the bottom of the various sections of MacMan. When you hold the 

mouse pointer over a button or a control on the current window, information about the function of 

the control is displayed in the hint panel. 

You can also change the colour of the hint panels through the Colours page in MacMan Preferences. 

The example above is from the main window of MacMan and shows a popup hint to the right of the 

picture and the hint panel which is at the bottom to the left. 

Popup hints 

Popup hints appear when you have your mouse on a button or an area in the program. They usually 

contain the same information as the hint panel. Popup hint boxes help to guide you through the 

program by providing information about program functions. This feature can be turned on or off 

through the preferences window. For more information on how to do this, see the Program 

preferences section in the manual. 

Date selectors 

When entering a date you may either type it (eg 14/09/2004) or use one of the date selectors 

provided or use the T or Today button if they are available to select today’s date. 

Date selectors are used to simplify date entry. Look for the small calendar icon inside every date 

entry box. Click the calendar icon and the date selector will open, displaying a calendar. 

The calendar will show one month at a time. The date that is selected is highlighted in bright blue 

and also appears in words on the top of the calendar. 

35

Changing the date 

The arrows at either side of the date at the top of the calendar move the calendar forward and 

backwards between months and years. 

The double arrow moves the selector forward or backward one year at a time. The single arrow 

moves the selector forward or backward one month at a time. To enter a date, use the arrows to 

move the calendar to the year and month you want, then click the relevant day with the mouse. 

Clicking a date closes the date selector and puts the selected date in the date entry box. A shortcut 

is available enabling selection from a list of suitable options by clicking directly on the day, month or 

year at the top of the date selector. 

Navigator buttons 

Many of the windows and pages in MacMan contain multiple records, but often only one record can 

be seen at a time. The navigator buttons help you to move between records. The function of each 

button on the navigator bar is explained below: 

36 

go to the first record 

go back one record 

go to the next record 

go to the last record 

add a new record 

delete a record 

save a new record or changes to an existing record. While you can use this button to save 

your records, MacMan does this automatically anyway. 

cancel the changes you have made to a record to delete a new record before it has been 

saved.

Using Reports 

When you request a report, you may be presented with a preview of that report immediately, or you 

may have to provide additional information before the report can be displayed. 

An example of a report that will be presented immediately is the Farm summary report, whereas 

MacMan needs a consignment number in order to display the Consignment delivery report shown 

below. 

Whenever information is required before displaying a report, a window will be displayed in which 

you can enter that information. 

37

Using Checklists 

MacMan uses checklists when recording a new job to make the entry of data easier. 

Checklists allow you to record multiple records quickly and efficiently. Checklists are based on a 

top down approach (i.e. you start at the top and work your way down). 

On the left-hand side of the checklist is a key to tell you which sections are optional and which are 

mandatory. The key is as follows: 

38 

� green ticks indicate all information required for that section has been entered 

� red question marks indicate information for that section needs to be entered (i.e. this field 

is mandatory) 

� blue question marks indicate information for that section has not yet been entered yet but 

it is optional (you can choose whether you wish to enter this data) 

As stated above, checklists are designed to be used from the top down and in this case it is 

important that you follow this rule. 

Click the Record button if you are satisfied with the information you have entered and when there 

are no more red question marks down the left-hand side. When you click Record, MacMan will 

save all of the information that you have entered. Where relevant, it will also apportion your details 

to individual plantings. 

After clicking Record you can go back and change some or all information in the checklist and 

record another entry if you wish. It is not until you click Record that any of the information entered 

in a checklist is committed to your records. Close will close the checklist and nothing entered 

since the last time you clicked the record button will be saved.

The window used for selecting the relevant farm(s)/block(s)/planting(s) for a new job will have 

three lists, as seen below. 

From left to right, the first section is a list of available farms, the second is a list of blocks for the 

farm(s) selected and the third is a list of plantings for the block(s) selected. At least one farm 

should be selected before moving on. 

To choose the relevant farm(s)/block(s)/planting(s), simply select the relevant farm(s). If the record 

being entered has been done on more than one farm, either hold down the left button on the mouse 

and drag the pointer over all the relevant farms or hold down the control button on your keyboard 

and select the relevant farms. 

Once you have selected one or more farms, the middle list will display all the blocks in the farm(s) 

selected. If you are able to specify which block(s) the record being entered relates to, you can 

select the specific block(s) using the same method as was used for selecting farm(s). 

This will then display the available planting(s) in the block(s) selected. If you are able to specify 

which planting(s) the record being entered relates to, you can select the specific planting(s) using 

the same method as was used for selecting farm(s). 

Once you have selected the appropriate farm(s)/block(s)/planting(s), click the OK button to take 

you back to the checklist. 

39

Getting Help 

The MacMan help system is a comprehensive resource that contains similar contents to the MacMan 

user’s manual. Just like the manual, it contains many pages of information on specific topics that 

are relevant to using MacMan. The help system can be accessed in a number of ways, as shown 

below. 

Press the help key 

On most keyboards, function key number 1 (or F1), which is usually found near the top left corner, 

is the standard help key. You can press this key at any time within MacMan to display help. The 

help system will display the page of help which is most relevant for the window (or section of the 

window) in which you are working. 

Select help from a menu 

Many of the windows in MacMan have menus at the top that usually include help as one of their 

options. Where you see the Help option, you can select it to drop down a help menu that will have 

links to MacMan Help. The Help menu on the main MacMan window also has a link called Get Help 

that will display the MacMan help contents. 

40


Chapter 2 

Setup 

information 

41

Farm Information 

Recording information about your farm is an important starting point in MacMan. You will need this 

information before you can begin recording jobs or outputs, such as harvest details. 

The terms farm, block and planting are used in MacMan. 

42 

� A farm is defined as a collection of one or more blocks in the one location. 

� A block is defined as a group of one or more plantings within a farm that may be managed 

together as a unit. For example, they could be managed together for irrigation, soil type, 

harvesting or some other purpose. 

� A planting is the lowest level of recording in MacMan and is defined as a group of like 

trees that are always managed the same way (eg when spraying or fertilising). For example, 

a planting may consist of an entire block, a group of rows, a single row, or some other 

grouping of trees within a block. 

As a guide, many people define plantings in MacMan that are based on groups of trees of either: 

� a single variety or 

� similar ages 

A planting should consist of only one variety if you wish to keep the details of the performance of 

that particular variety. If this is not possible (ie where multiple varieties exist within a planting), you 

should specify that the variety for the planting is Mixed. 

It is important that the information you record at this stage is an accurate reflection of how you 

divide your farm into blocks and plantings. Farms can be divided many ways depending on farm 

size and management systems. 

Even if you do not normally sub-divide your blocks when you manage them, in MacMan you must 

define at least one planting for each block and at least one block for each farm. This is necessary 

because of the way MacMan records information for your farm. 

Do not create too many plantings in each block if you don’t manage your farm that way, as it will be 

an unnecessary task and be cumbersome to manage. 

Ideally, most blocks should have no more than three or four plantings. 

Think carefully about how you will divide your farms into blocks and plantings. This information is 

usually recorded once and not changed. Exceptions to this include when trees are removed or 

topworked.

Describing your farm(s) block(s) and planting(s) 

MacMan allows you to keep a range of records for one or more farms. Describing each of your 

farms is an important first step in using the MacMan software. When getting started with MacMan, 

you must describe your farms, blocks and plantings before you can record much else. 

To add or edit a farm, block or planting record, click the “+” button next to Farms, blocks and 

plantings in the Setup menu on the main MacMan window. This will open a window in which all of 

your farm, block and planting information can be entered or updated. An example of this window is 

shown below. 

Any existing farms will be shown on the left hand side of the window. By clicking the “+” button 

beside a farm, you can see all of the blocks defined for that farm. Similarly, by clicking the “+” 

beside a block, you can see all of the plantings defined for that block. 

To see details for any farm, block or planting, click on its name on the left hand side. The right hand 

side of the window will show details relating to the selected farm, block or planting. You can add or 

update information shown on the right hand side as required. 

Note: When you have finished adding or updating farm, block or planting information, you must 

press the “✓ ” button to save your changes or the “x” button to cancel them. The tree on the left 

hand side of the window remains disabled until you save or cancel your changes. If you close this 

window without saving your changes, MacMan will automatically save them for you. Some 

information relating to farms, blocks and plantings must be provided before saving the record. 

When you save a farm, block or planting record, or close the window, MacMan will analyse the 

information you have entered and will prompt you to enter any details that are missing. 

43

Creating a new farm 

To create a new farm, press the New farm button. A new entry will appear in the tree on the left 

hand side of the window with the word New against it. The right hand side will show a series of 

boxes into which you can enter the new farm information as shown below. When you have finished 

entering details for the new farm, press the Save (tick) button to save it. 

Farm name 

Type the name you use to identify the farm. (Note: you cannot use apostrophes (‘), dashes (-), 

slashes (\ and /) or inverted commas(“) in MacMan records, apart from in the notes sections). 

Owner/Manager 

This can be either the person(s) or company who own or manage the farm. 

Farm address 

This is the actual address of the farm, including the road and suburb or town. 

State 

Select the state where the farm is located from the drop down list. 

Postcode 

This is the farm postcode. 

Notes 

Space is provided for you to record your own notes about the farm. As in all sections of MacMan, 

notes are optional. You may wish to use this space to record previous land usage or other important 

historical information about the farm. 

Click the Templates button if you wish to use a notes template. This will open the Notes templates 

selection window. If you have existing notes, you will be asked to confirm that you want to overwrite 

your existing notes with this template. Select the notes template that you want and click the OK 

button. The template will be loaded in the notes section. See the manual section on Notes templates 

for more information. 

Once you have completed the farm details, you must save them by clicking the “✓ ” button. The “x” 

button is used to cancel (i.e. not save) changes you have made to a record. 

It is important that you press the “✓ ” button to save your new farm when you have entered all of its 

details. After saving the new record, the tree on the left hand side will update to show the new farm. 

44

Creating a new block 

In MacMan, each of your farms must consist of one or more blocks. The division of your farms into 

blocks depends on how you manage them. Blocks are groupings of trees that may be managed 

together. This grouping may be by location, soil type, harvest or irrigation management or some 

other system. 

To create a new block, first select the farm that the block will belong to by clicking on it with your 

mouse in the tree on the left hand side of the window. To create the new block, press the New block 

button. A new entry will appear in the tree on the left hand side of the window with the word New 

against it. This entry will be displayed underneath the farm that you selected, indicating that this 

new block belongs to that farm. The right hand side will show a series of boxes into which you can 

enter the new block information as shown below. When you have finished entering details for the 

new block, press the “✓ ” button to save it. 

Block name 

Type the name you use to identify the block. Do not use apostrophes, dashes, inverted commas or 

slashes. 

Block is irrigated? 

Tick this check box if the block is irrigated. When you tick this box, three more boxes are enabled, 

allowing you to record method and rate and wetted diameter (where sprinklers are used). 

Method 

You can select either Sprinkler or Drip from the list. If you choose Sprinkler, you can also enter the 

Wetted diameter. 

Rate 

This is the litres of water applied per tree per hour. If there is more than one sprinkler or dripper per 

tree, it is the total amount of water being applied to the tree hourly. 

Notes 

Space is provided for you to record notes about the block. As in all sections of MacMan, notes are 

optional. Click the Templates button if you wish to use a notes template. (See the section on 

Notes templates for more information on using templates.) 

Once you have completed the block details, you must save them by clicking the “✓ ” button. The “x” 

button is used to cancel (i.e. not save) changes you have made to a record. 

It is important that you press the “✓ ” button to save your new block when you have entered all of its 

details. After saving the new record, the tree on the left hand side will update to show the new 

block. 

45

Creating a new planting 

In MacMan, each block consists of one or more plantings. A planting is the smallest unit of recording 

and is defined as a group of like trees that are always treated the same way. Your plantings may 

consist of individual rows, groups of rows, individual varieties or some other system. A planting 

can also represent a whole block if all trees in that block are managed uniformly. Ideally, most 

blocks should be divided into no more than three or four plantings. 

To create a new planting, first select the farm and block that the planting will belong to by clicking on 

it with your mouse in the tree on the left hand side of the window. To create the new planting, press 

the New planting button. A new entry will appear in the tree on the left hand side of the window with 

the word New against it. This entry will be displayed underneath the farm and block that you 

selected, indicating that this new planting belongs to that farm and block. The right hand side will 

show a series of boxes into which you can enter the new planting information as shown below. 

Planting name 

Type the name you use to identify the planting. Do not use apostrophes, dashes, inverted commas 

or slashes. 

Variety 

If the planting contains trees of only one variety, select that variety from the drop down list. You can 

either select Other from the list or click the New button if your planting contains a variety that is not 

in the list. If you have more than one variety in a planting, select Mixed. If you wish to keep details 

about the performance of a particular variety, it is important that you only have one variety per 

planting. 

If you click the New button, this will open the varieties window. An example of the MacMan varieties 

window is shown below. 

To add a new variety, click in the box next to the Add button, type the variety name or number and 

click the Add button. The new variety will be added to the list. It will be listed as a custom variety in 

the bottom of the window rather than a standard variety. Only custom varieties can be deleted. If 

you wish to delete a custom variety, click the variety and then the Delete button. When you are 

finished adding or deleting varieties, click the OK button. 

46

Date planted 

You can record the planting date by either typing it (eg 12/11/1990) or by using the calendar at the 

right of the box to select the date. To use the calendar, click on the calendar symbol and a month 

will appear. Use the single and double arrows at the top to scroll backwards and forwards to select 

the correct month and year. You can then select the appropriate date of the month. 

If the planting has been planted over a number of months or years, select the initial planting date. 

You can then record the other planting dates in the notes section. 

Number of trees 

Record the total number of trees in the planting. 

Row spacing 

This is the average spacing in metres between rows in the planting. If you have individual rows as 

plantings, it is the average spacing between rows. 

Tree spacing 

This is the average spacing in metres between trees in the row. 

Tree height 

This is the average height in metres of the trees in the planting. This figure will need to be reviewed 

annually. 

Tree canopy shape 

Select whether the trees are circular or rectangular in shape when viewed directly from above. 

Younger trees will tend to be circular in shape. When trees begin to form a hedgerow, they are 

assumed to have a rectangular shape for the purposes of management (e.g. for calculating canopy 

volumes). 

If you select circular, a box will appear allowing you to record canopy diameter. If you select 

rectangular, two other boxes will appear allowing you to record canopy length and width. Length is 

the distance along the row and width is the distance across the canopy at right angles to the tree 

row. In a hedgerow, the effective canopy length is the same as the tree spacing in the row. 

These dimensions are important as they allow MacMan to calculate factors such as how much 

fertiliser or pesticide is applied or how much is harvested per unit volume or area. 

Notes 

Space is provided for you to record notes about the planting. As in all sections of MacMan, notes 

are optional. Click the Templates button if you wish to use a notes template. (See the section on 

Notes templates for more information on using templates.) 

Once you have completed the planting details, you must save them by clicking the “✓ ” button. The 

“x” button is used to cancel (i.e. not save) changes you have made to a record. 

It is important that you press the “✓ ” button to save your new planting when you have entered all of 

its details. After saving the new record, the tree on the left hand side will update to show the new 

planting. 

47

Updating farm, block or planting details 

You can update details for a farm, block or planting by first selecting it on the left hand side of the 

window, then simply changing the relevant details on the right hand side. You can change any 

information other than the name this way. To rename a farm, block or planting you should click the 

‘Rename’ button at the top of the window. This will open the Change name window. An example of 

this window is shown below. 

Type the required name in the space next to new name and then click the OK button. The tree on 

the left hand side of the window will be updated to reflect the new name. 

Deleting a farm, block or planting 

To delete a farm, block or planting, first select it on the left hand side of the Farms, blocks and 

plantings window and then press the Delete button. As many records may be associated with this 

farm, block or planting, such as jobs or harvests, you will need to decide which ones to keep and 

which to delete. The window that is shown when you press the delete button will allow you to view 

all of the records associated with the selected farm, block or planting and decide which ones to 

delete and which to keep. 

The first section in the window confirms the farm, block and planting that you wish to delete. If you 

wish to change any of these, you can choose the appropriate option by selecting it from the dropdown 

lists. 

The second step is to search for records that are associated with your selected farm, block or 

planting. If you have not changed the farm, block or planting above, this search will already be done 

and the results will be displayed on the right hand side, otherwise you can press the Search for 

linked records button to find associated records now. The type and number of associated records 

are displayed on the right hand side and you can either individually select specific associated 

records that you wish to delete by ticking the box beside it or you can press the Select all button to 

have all associated records deleted when you delete the farm, block or planting. 

When you are happy with your selections, press the Delete selections button. The farm, block or 

planting will be deleted, along with any associated records that you have selected. 

48

Farm, block and planting reports 

MacMan enables you to produce summary reports for each farm, block or planting that you have 

entered. To produce one of these reports, first select the appropriate farm, block or planting from 

the left hand side of the window, then from the menu, choose, Reports, then either Farm report, 

Block report or Planting report. Only reports that are appropriate for the level you have selected (ie 

farm, block or planting) will be available to print. 

As with all MacMan reports, a preview window will appear showing the report on your screen and 

you can then print, export or e-mail this report using the tools at the top of the report preview 

window. 

You can also produce a report showing you the tree numbers and variety in a farm or block as 

either a pie chart or as a list. Click Reports at the top of the window and then click Tree numbers 

by variety chart. This is particularly useful if you have defined your plantings by variety. An example 

of the MacMan tree counts by variety chart is shown below. 

Select the farm and block required from the drop down lists at the top of the window. You can then 

select if you wish to view the report as a pie chart or as a list. You can also choose to view the pie 

chart with actual tree numbers or as percentages. 

Click the Print button to produce a print preview of this report. With the pie chart, you can then 

adjust the page orientation, the margins and the detail in the print preview. To print this report, click 

the Print button in the print preview window. If you wish to send this chart to someone via electronic 

mail, press the E-mail button and the chart will be attached to a new e-mail message that you can 

address and send. 

The farms, blocks and plantings window also allows you to produce a AMS statistics report. This 

report provides a summary of plantings for the selected farm, previous production as tonnes of 

nut-in-shell at 10% moisture content and a production trend graph. See the manual section on 

Reports for more information. 

49

Planting history 

Whenever changes are made to an existing planting, MacMan retains a copy of the previous details 

for historical purposes. It is important that planting details for growing trees are kept up to date as 

MacMan uses this information to accurately apportion chemicals, labour, machinery and costs to 

plantings on your farms. 

Historical planting information is used to produce growth charts on the main MacMan window 

showing changes in tree height and canopy volume over time. These can be seen when a planting 

is highlighted in the tree on the main MacMan window. 

Planting update reminders 

By default, MacMan will automatically remind you to update your planting measurements after an 

interval of twelve months since the last update. If you do not want this reminder, click Options in the 

main menu and then Preferences and then un-tick the Show planting update reminders box in the 

Reminders page. When trees have matured and planting measurements stabilised, this reminder 

can be turned off. 

Farm, block and planting visual summaries 

The farm information tree to the right of the main MacMan window enables you to see at a glance 

the structure of your farms, blocks and plantings, which plantings require updating and information 

about the farms, blocks and plantings. An example of the farm information tree is shown below. 

If all the planting details are less than 12 months old (or planting update reminders are turned off), 

there will be a “✓ ” beside all the farms, blocks and plantings. If any planting details are more than 

12 months old (and planting details are turned on), there will be a calendar icon next to that planting 

and the date that it was last updated. The farm and block to which this planting belongs will also 

have a calendar icon. If any farm or block is incomplete (ie there is no planting in a block), there will 

be a “x” next to the farm and block. If this is the case, you should add relevant block and/or planting 

details as MacMan requires complete farms, blocks and plantings before you can record inputs 

and outputs. 

50

You can access the farms, blocks and plantings window by double clicking on the relevant farm, 

block or planting or by clicking once and then clicking on the Add/Update button. When you have 

finished adding or updating information about the farms, blocks or plantings, the farm information 

tree will be updated. 

You can view information about your farms, blocks or plantings to the right of the farm information 

tree. If you select a farm, you will see a table with information about the farm and a pie chart 

showing the number of trees in each block in the farm. If you select a block, you will see a table 

with information about the block and a pie chart showing the numbers of trees in each planting in 

the block. If there are more than six blocks in the selected farm or more than six plantings in the 

selected block, the bar graph will be shown with the numbers of trees rather than a pie chart. If you 

select a planting, you will see a table with information about the planting and a trend chart showing 

changes in tree height and canopy volume in the planting. 

51

Employee Information 

MacMan allows you to record information about your employees. This information is important for 

recording who has done particular jobs (eg spraying) and for calculating the costs of macadamia 

farming operations. This can then help you to identify areas where improvements in efficiency can 

be made. 

Employee details 

To add a new employee record, click Employees in Setup on the main MacMan window then click 

the Add/Update button. This will open the Employee information window. To record information 

about an employee, click the “+” button on the tool bar. 

An example of a MacMan employee information window is shown below. 

You can record the following information about each employee: 

Employee name 

Enter the full name of the employee. 

52

Rate of pay ($/hour) 

Enter the standard hourly pay rate of the employee. This rate is used in calculating the cost of jobs 

involving this employee. This rate should include on-costs such as superannuation, workers 

compensation, holiday leave loading etc. If employees are paid different hourly rates for different 

jobs, the pay rate can be adjusted when recording those jobs. 

Where workers are paid on a work unit basis other than time (eg hand pickers being paid a per 

kilogram or per lug rate), they are usually recorded as suppliers in the contacts section of MacMan 

rather than as employees. 

Spray accreditation number 

An accreditation number is required to purchase or apply endosulfan in Australia. Type in the 

employee’s spray accreditation number if they have one. 

Current worker 

Tick the checkbox to signify if the employee is a current worker. Only employees who are current 

workers will be available for selection when recording jobs. If an employee is not a current worker, 

you will still be able to view the jobs they have done in the jobs browser. 

Notes 

Space is provided for you to record your own information about your employees. As in all sections 

of MacMan, notes are optional. You may wish to keep records here of any employee qualifications 

or training. 

Templates 



your existing notes with this template. Select the notes template that you want (e.g. you may wish 

to select the employees template with contact details and roles and responsibilities and training) 

and click the OK button. The template will be loaded in the notes section. See the manual section 

on Notes templates for more information. 

Once you have completed the employee details, you can save them by clicking the “✓ ” button. 

If you close the employee window or click the “+” button to add another employee, any changes or 

additions you make will be saved automatically. If you wish to add several employees, click “+” 

button each time to create a new employee record, then enter that employee’s details. 

Employee summary reports 

MacMan allows you to print summary reports of your employees. Click Report at the top of the 

window and then within Employee report, select either All employees or Current employee only. 

This will produce a preview report of your employee’s details. To print this report, simply click the 

Print button at the top of the report preview window. 

53

Contacts 

MacMan allows you to keep records of all your contacts, such as customers and suppliers. This is 

important for keeping track of your consignments and anyone supplying you with a product or 

service. 

Contact details 

To add a new contact record, click Contacts in Setup on the main MacMan window, and then click 

the Add/Update button. This will open the Contacts window. 

An example of the MacMan contacts window is shown below. 

To record information about a contact, click the “+” button on the navigation tool bar. 

You can then record the following information about the contact: 

Type 

Tick the appropriate check box to say whether the contact is a Supplier or a Customer. If both the 

options are left blank, the contact falls into the Other category. If you check both options the 

contact will appear as both a supplier and a customer. 

Name 

Type the contact’s name. This is the only mandatory information required to record a contact. All 

the other information is optional. 

Address 

Type the contact’s address. 

54

Locality 

Type the contact’s town or suburb. 

Postcode 

Type the postcode. 

Phone 

Type the telephone number. 

Fax 

Type the facsimile number if available. 

Mobile 

Type the mobile telephone number if available. 

E-mail 

Type the contact’s e-mail address if available. Once you have done this, MacMan will automatically 

update your MacMan e-mail contact list. You can view this list by selecting Tools then Send e-mail 

or edit e-mail addresses on the main menu. 

Notes 

Space is provided for you to record your own information about your contact. As in all sections of 

MacMan, notes are optional. For example, you may wish to keep details about a contact’s key 

employees or payment details. 

Templates 






Once you have completed the contact’s details, you can save them by clicking the “✓ ” button. 

If you close the contact window or click the “+” button to add another contact, any changes or 

additions you have made to contact records will be saved automatically. If you wish to add several 

contacts, click the “+” button each time to create a new contact record, then enter that contact’s 

details. 

55

Browsing contacts 

Next to the navigation bar there is another bar with the following four buttons. 

With this tool bar you may specify the category of contact you wish to browse by clicking the 

relevant button. 

All contacts 

This will show you all the contacts you currently have entered in alphabetical order. 

Suppliers 

This will show you only those contacts that you have indicated are suppliers. 

Customers 

This will show you only those contacts that you have indicated are customers. 

Others 

This will show you only those contacts that you have indicated are neither suppliers nor customers. 

Once you have selected the category, use the arrow buttons in the navigation bar to browse through 

your contacts. 

Contact reports 

MacMan allows you to print summary reports of your employees. Click Report at the top of the 

window and then click Contacts report. This will produce a preview report of your contacts’ details. 

To print this report, click the Print button at the top of the report preview window. 

56

Machinery Information 

MacMan enables you to record information about your machinery. This information is important for 

recording which machines have been involved in particular jobs and calculating the costs of 

machinery involved in macadamia farming operations. This can then help you identify areas where 

improvements in efficiency can be made. 

Machinery details 

To add a new machinery record, click Machinery in Setup on the main MacMan window then click 

the Add/Update button. This will open the Machinery information window. To record information 

about a machine, click the “+” button on the tool bar. 

An example of a MacMan machinery information window is shown below. 

You can record the following information about each machine: 

Equipment name 

Enter the name of the machine. 

Running costs ($/hour) 

Enter the hourly running cost of the machine. This rate is used in calculating the cost of jobs 

involving this machine. 

57

Notes 

Space is provided for you to record your own information about your machinery. As in all sections 

of MacMan, notes are optional. You may wish to keep records here of servicing and repairs and 

maintenance. 

Templates 






Once you have completed entering the machinery details, you can save them by clicking the “✓ ” 

button. If you close the machinery window or click the “+” button to add another machine, any 

changes or additions you make will be saved automatically. If you wish to add several machines, 

click the “+” button each time to create a new machinery record, and then enter that machine’s 

details. 

Machinery reports 

MacMan allows you to print summary reports of your machinery. Click Report at the top of the 

window and then click Machinery report. This will produce a preview report of your machinery 

details. To print this report, simply click the Print button at the top of the report preview window. 

58

Pest Information 

MacMan provides you with information and images of the major pests and diseases of macadamias 

in Australia. You can also record your own notes on pests and diseases. This information is 

important in managing your macadamia crop protection program. 

Pest details 

To add, update or view information about a pest, click Pests in Setup on the main MacMan window, 

and then click the Add/Update button. This will open the Pest details window. 

An example of the MacMan Pest details window is shown below. 

To select a pest, click the down arrow button to the right of Select a pest. This will display the list of 

all the pests currently recorded. Scroll down the list until you find the name of the pest you want. 

When you find it, click it and details about that pest will be displayed. 

To add a pest not already on the list, click the “+” button on the tool bar. 

To record information about a pest, type the information in the Your notes page. 

You cannot type information in the other pages as MacMan provides them as a reference for you. 

These pages include: 

Information 

General information about the pest. 

Symptoms 

Symptoms of damage by the pest. 

59

Monitoring 

A guide to monitoring for the pest. 

Control 

A range of control measures for the pest, including cultural and biological controls if available. 

Chemical control recommendations are not given as these quickly date and are specific to each 

state in Australia. 

Pictures 

Pictures of the pest and the damage caused. You can scroll through the pictures using the arrows 

on the bottom navigation tool bar. 

Renaming a pest 

If you wish to rename a pest, select the pest you wish to change and then click File and then 

Rename current pest in the menu at the top of the Pest details window. This will open the Rename 

a pest window. An example of the Rename a pest window is shown below. 

Type the new pest name in the space next to new pest name and then click the OK button. The 

new pest name will appear in the space next to Pest name in the Pest details window. 

Pest reports 

Current pest report 

MacMan enables you to produce a report for each of the pests listed. Use the arrow buttons on the 

top of the navigation tool bar or the drop down list to select the relevant pest. Once you have 

selected the pest, click Report at the top of the window and then click either Print current pest with 

no pictures or Print current pest with pictures. This will produce a preview of the selected report. 

Entire pest list report 

MacMan also enables you to produce a report showing the details of all the pests for which there 

has been details recorded. Click Report at the top of the window and then click Print entire pest list 

with no pictures. This will produce a preview report of the details of all the pests. 

To print either of these reports, simply click the Print button at the top of the report preview window. 

60

Chemical Information 

MacMan enables you to record information about the chemical products that you use. You can 

keep details about the products themselves as well as product storage records. In MacMan, 

chemical products include pesticides, spray additives and fertilisers, including animal or plant 

materials. 

You can also use chemical product codes in MacMan. These codes are shortcuts that enable you 

to simply record details about products that you use. They are particularly useful when you use 

products at a standard rate on a regular basis. You can record information about chemical product 

codes in the Codes section in Setup in MacMan. 

Product details 

It is necessary in MacMan to add a product to the Chemical product information section before you 

can record a job involving that product. Details about several commonly used pesticides and 

fertilisers have already been included in MacMan. You can make changes to these details or add or 

delete products. 

To add or view details about a chemical, click Chemicals in Setup on the main MacMan window 

and then click the Add/Update button. This will open the Chemical product information window. 

An example of the Chemical product information window is shown below. 

To select a product, click the down arrow button to the right of Find a product. This will display the 

list of all the products currently recorded. Scroll down the list until you find the name of the product 

you want. When you find it, click it and details about that product will be displayed. You can 

change any of the details about that product (such as size of container or cost) by clicking in the 

relevant space, deleting the current details and typing your own. 

61

To record information about a product not already on the list, click the “+” button on the tool bar. 

You can then record the following information about the product: 

Product name 

Type the trade name of the product (eg Bulldock 25 EC rather than beta-cyfluthrin, or Nitram rather 

than ammonium nitrate). 

Product category 

Click the down arrow button to the right of the space. Select the category that best represents the 

product (eg weedicide). 

Size of container 

Type the number of units (eg if you commonly purchase a 20 litre container, type 20). 

Units 

Click the down arrow button to the right of the space. Select the appropriate units (eg. litres). 

Cost 

Type the up-to-date price you pay for the container of product. Don’t type the dollar sign as MacMan 

will enter it for you. You will need to keep this up-to-date as you purchase more of the chemical as 

MacMan uses this figure to calculate the cost of the chemical when it is used in a job. 

The lower section of the product records window is divided into 4 pages, each of which can 

contain information about the currently selected product: 

62 

� Application methods and product properties 

� Actives/ingredients 

� Notes 

� Stocks 

Chemical application methods and product properties 

This page includes the following information about the current product: 

Suitable application methods 

Click the boxes provided to indicate the suitable application methods. Many products may only be 

able to be applied using one method (eg Bulldock 25 EC can only be applied as a spray). Other 

products may be able to be applied more than one way (eg urea can either be broadcast, applied 

through a fertigation system or applied in a spray). Tick whichever methods apply to the current 

product. 

Animal manure 

Click the box provided if the product you are applying contains animal manure. This is to enable 

you to plan to effectively use the product if there are food safety concerns with regard to microbial 

contamination.

Flammable 

Click the box provided if the current product is flammable. 

Neutralising value 

Neutralising value is a measure of the fertiliser’s ability to raise pH in the soil. It is usually used 

when referring to lime and dolomite. You can obtain this information from your supplier. 

Signal heading 

This is found at the top of pesticide labels and describes the hazard level associated with using the 

product. Select this value from one of the options in the drop down list. 

Withholding period 

This is the recommended number of days that should elapse between the last application of a 

pesticide and harvest. 

Chemical actives / ingredients 

Ingredients 

For fertilisers, type in the percentage of each nutrient (eg Granam contains 20% nitrogen and 24% 

sulfur). This information is usually found on the fertiliser container label. 

Active ingredient 

For pesticides, type the active ingredient of the product (eg beta-cyfluthrin rather than Bulldock 25 

EC). The active ingredient can be found on the pesticide label. 

Concentration 

For pesticides, type in the concentration of the active ingredient (eg 500 g/L of active ingredient is 

equivalent to a concentration of 50%, 25g/L is equivalent to 2.5%). The amount of active ingredient 

can also be found on the pesticide label. 

Notes 

Space is provided for you to record your own notes about the product. As in all sections of MacMan, 

notes are optional. For example, you may wish to record details of preferred suppliers of a particular 

product. 

Templates 






Once you have completed the details of the product, you can save them by clicking the “✓ ” button. 

If you close the products window or click the “+” button to add another product, any changes or 

additions you have made to product records will be saved automatically. If you wish to add several 

products, click the “+” button each time to create a new product record, then enter that product’s 

details. 

63

Stock inventory 

The stock inventory page allows you to keep inventory details of products you use. This is important 

for safety purposes as well as helping you maintain stock information. 

Select the product to which you wish to add inventory records from the drop down list to the right of 

Select a product at the top of the chemical product information window. Click the Stocks page to 

view the Stock inventory section. An example of the Stock inventory section is shown below. 

To enter a new record for the selected product, click the “+” button on the lower navigation tool bar. 

You can then record the following inventory information about the product: 

Date 

This is the date you either add or remove an amount of the product from the store. You can either 

type in the date or use the date selector button to the right of the space. 

Product stock quantities 

Type the amount of the product added in the In column whenever you add any to the store. Type 

the amount of the product removed in the Out column whenever you remove any from the store. 

MacMan will automatically calculate the balance of the product at the bottom of the window when 

you click the “✓ ” button after any has been added or removed. 

64

Employee 

Click the down arrow button to open the list of employees. This will show all the current workers. 

Select the appropriate employee. 

Batch numbers 

Type the batch numbers on the product containers. 

Label readable and intact 

Tick the box provided if the label on the container is readable and the container is intact. 

Your notes 

Space is provided for you to record your own notes about the product storage. As in all sections of 

MacMan, notes are optional. 

Templates 






Once you have completed the details of a storage event for a product, you can save it by clicking 

“✓ ” button on the tool bar on the Stocks page. If you close the products window or click the “+” 

button to add another storage record, any changes or additions you have made to storage records 

will be saved automatically. If you wish to add several storage records, click the “+” button each 

time to create a new storage record, then enter the storage details. 

Updating chemical cost and ingredient information 

When adding a new chemical or updating an existing one, the following fields are the minimum that 

is required before the new chemical record can be saved: 

� Name 

� Category 

� Container size 

� Container units 

� Application method (at least one must be selected) 

The remaining fields are optional, although it is strongly recommended that you enter elemental 

ingredients for fertilisers (from the label) and also the price you paid for chemical, as this information 

is incorporated into all jobs involving that chemical. 

There are several reports in the inputs section that are only meaningful if chemical ingredients and 

costs are entered (eg the cost section in the chemical reports, the elemental analysis report and 

the chemical costs section of the cost production report). 

65

If, after recording chemical applications in the jobs section, you discover that your cost and/or 

chemical ingredient information in the chemical products section was missing or incorrect, you 

can update these details retrospectively. First, update the chemical product’s details in the Chemical 

product information section, ensuring that both elemental ingredients and costs are correct. Then 

choose the File and Update chemical records for existing jobs from the menu. The current chemical 

is displayed in a window, along with its cost, elemental ingredients and active ingredients (where 

relevant). 

You can choose to update any of this information in existing job records by ticking the relevant 

boxes. You can also specify the specific jobs that you wish to update by nominating a date range 

(or just selecting all jobs is appropriate). At the bottom of the window, the number of records that 

will be reviewed and potentially updated is shown. If you wish to apply the updates, press the Apply 

button. 

Product reports 

Current product stock report 

MacMan enables you to produce stock reports for each of the products for which you have entered 

storage details. Use the arrow buttons on the top navigation bar or the drop down list to select the 

relevant product. Once you have selected the product, click Report at the top of the window and 

then click Current product stock report. This will produce a preview report of the stock details for 

the product you have selected. 

Product storage inventory 

MacMan also enables you to produce a report showing the current balance and value of all chemicals 

in storage. Click Report at the top of the window and then click Product storage inventory. This will 

produce a preview report of the current balance of all products in storage. 

To print either of these reports, simply click the Print button at the top of the report preview window. 

66

Storage Vessels 

MacMan enables you to keep records about your nut storage vessels, such as silos. This information 

is important for keeping track of how your nuts are handled during drying and storage. 

Storage vessel details 

To add a new storage vessel, click Storage vessels in Setup on the main MacMan window and then 

click the Add/Update button. This will open the Vessel details window. 

An example of the Vessel details window is shown below. 

To record information about a storage vessel, click the “+” button on the tool bar. 

You can then add the following details about the storage vessel: 

Vessel name 

Type in the name of the storage vessel (eg The 30 tonne silo) 

67

Vessel type and conditions 

Select the storage type by clicking the appropriate radio button (i.e. floor, rack, bin or silo). A 

number of storage management conditions are also shown. These include: 

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� Time clock 

� Manual control 

� Humidity control 

� Continuous air 

� Ambient air 

� Dehumidified air 

� Rack drying 

� Heated air 

� Cool storage 

� Temporary storage 

Tick the checkboxes next to the methods appropriate to the storage vessel. You can select more 

than one checkbox. If the storage vessel is managed differently at different stages, tick all relevant 

methods and record how it is managed in the notes. 

Notes about this vessel 

Space is provided for you in the notes page to record your own information about the storage 

vessel. As in all sections of MacMan, notes are optional. 

Templates 






Once you have completed the storage vessel details, you can save them by clicking the “✓ ” button. 

The storage vessel will be added to the list at the left of the window. If you close the Vessel details 

window or click the “+” button to add another vessel, any changes or additions to vessel details will 

be saved automatically. If you wish to add several storage vessels, click the “+” button each time 

to create a new record, and then enter the vessel details. 

To delete a storage vessel, use the navigation bar at the top of the window to find the record you 

wish to delete, then click the “-“ button. MacMan will ask you to confirm that you wish to delete this 

vessel before deleting it.

Water Sources 

MacMan enables you to keep records about all the water sources you use in your macadamia 

farming operation. This includes dams, creeks, bores etc. You can also keep records of any water 

quality tests you undertake for each of these sources in the Water quality section in Monitoring in 

Data entry on the main MacMan window. 

Water source details 

To add a new water source, click Water sources in Setup on the main MacMan window and then 

click the Add/Update button. This will open the Water sources window. 

An example of the Water sources window is shown below. 

To record a water source, Click the “+” button on the tool bar. 

Each water source is specified for a particular farm. To select the relevant farm to which the water 

source belongs, click the space below Farm and then click the down arrow at the right of the space 

to display the list of farms. Click the relevant farm from the drop down list. 

Click the space below Water source and type the water source name (eg big dam). Once you 

have typed the water source name, you can save it by clicking the “✓ ” button. If you click the “+” 

button, any additions to water sources will be saved automatically. If you wish to add several water 

sources, click the “+” button each time to create a new record, then enter the water source. 

To delete a water source, use the navigation bar at the top of the window to find the record you wish 

to delete, then click the “-“ button. MacMan will ask you to confirm that you wish to delete this water 

source before deleting it. 

69

Job Groups 

Job categories are grouped to make it easier and quicker to select the correct operation when 

recording jobs in MacMan. This also enables you to filter on the job group (eg Crop protection) 

when viewing records in the jobs browser. 

There are nine standard job groups. Each job group contains a number of standard job categories. 

You can also add your own custom job categories to a job group and decide the attributes that need 

to be recorded for that job category. 

The nine standard job groups are: 

70 

� Crop protection 

� Establishment 

� Harvest 

� Nutrition/irrigation 

� Orchard floor management 

� Overheads 

� Post harvest 

� Repairs and maintenance 

� Tree management 

To view the job groups or add custom job categories, click Job groups in Setup on the main MacMan 

window and then click the Add/Update button. This will open the Job categories window. 

An example of the Job categories window is shown below.

Standard job categories 

Crop protection 

Crop protection includes all aspects of insect pest, disease and vermin management. It is 

recommended that ground spraying for weeds etc be recorded separately. There is a category for 

ground spraying within the orchard floor management job group. Standard job categories in crop 

protection include: 

� Pest and disease monitoring : This includes inspecting the orchard for insect pests, 

diseases and/or vermin and recording and analysing the results. 

� Spray : This includes all orchard foliar spray applications, including spray applications of 

foliar fertilisers. It is recommended that ground sprays be recorded within the orchard 

floor management job group. 

� Vermin control : This includes vermin control methods such as the management of rat 

baiting, clearing overgrown gullies etc. It is recommended that mowing be recorded within 

the orchard floor management job group. 

Establishment 

Establishment includes any jobs to establish a new farm, block or planting. Standard job categories 

in establishment include: 

� Ground preparation : This includes clearing and marking out and any cultivation of the 

ground to prepare the ground for planting. 

� New capital works : This includes the construction or installation of any new buildings or 

facilities or equipment. 

� Nursery tasks : This includes all nursery tasks where you do not wish to record a product. 

� Tree planting : This includes all the tasks associated with planting the tree, such as digging 

the hole, hand watering, staking the tree or applying mulch immediately following planting. 

Harvest 

This includes cleaning up under the trees in preparation for harvest and hand and machine harvesting 

and associated jobs. Standard job categories in harvest include: 

� Hand harvest : This includes the picking up of the nuts by hand and the collection and 

transport of the nuts to the shed. 

� Harvest cleanup : This includes mulching or sweeping out from under the trees of old or 

immature nuts, leaves or foreign matter. It also includes levelling the soil surface, filling 

holes, removing exposed stones and clearing drains beneath the trees in preparation for 

harvest. 

� Machine harvest : This includes the picking up of the nuts by machine and the collection 

and transport of the nuts to the shed. 

� Nut fall spray : This includes the application of chemicals to promote nut fall (e.g. Ethrel). 

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Nutrition/irrigation 

This includes all aspects of monitoring for crop nutrient and water requirements, broadcast 

applications of fertiliser (including manures), irrigation and the application of fertiliser through the 

irrigation system. It is recommended that foliar sprays of nutrients be recorded as a spray job 

within the crop protection job group. Standard job categories include: 

72 

� Broadcast : This includes the spreading of solid fertiliser on the orchard floor, either by 

hand or machine. 

� Fertigate : This includes the application of soluble fertiliser to the trees through an irrigation 

system. 

� Irrigate : This includes the application of water to the trees through an irrigation system. 

� Leaf and soil monitoring : This includes sampling of soil and/or plant tissue for testing for 

crop nutrition requirements and the analysis of the results. 

Orchard floor management 

This includes managing weeds and the inter-row area, as well as any soil management work to 

control drainage and erosion. It is recommended that cleaning up under the trees in preparation for 

harvest be recorded separately. There is a category for harvest cleanup in the harvest job group. 

Standard job categories within orchard floor management include: 

� Erosion control : This includes construction and maintenance of mounds and drains and 

other tasks within the orchard to control water flow and manage soil erosion. 

� Ground spraying : This includes all ground spray applications, such as weedicide sprays 

or the spraying of soluble fertilisers on the soil surface. 

� Mowing : This includes mowing, slashing or flail mulching grass or weeds around or 

between trees, windbreaks or farm buildings. 

Overheads 

This includes all those areas requiring staff time within an enterprise not actually involved directly 

with production or handling. Standard job categories within overheads include: 

� Administration : This includes clerical, administrative or management duties involved with 

running the enterprise. 

� Leave : This includes recreation, long service, sick leave etc. 

� Machinery relocation : This includes relocating machinery from one part of the enterprise 

to another. 

� Staff training : This includes all staff time spent in training activities. 

� Transport general : This includes the transport of any equipment etc not involved with the 

delivery of nuts.

Post harvest 

This includes all jobs involved with handling nuts from the time they are delivered to the shed to the 

time they are dispatched to the processor. Standard job categories within post harvest include: 

� Dehusk or sort or handle : This includes dehusking and sorting, resorting, transferring 

nuts between storage vessels and dispatching nuts to a customer. It does not include 

dehusking where it is done as part of a mechanical harvesting job. 

� Transport of nut off farm : This includes transporting the nuts off the farm to a customer or 

another location. 

Repairs and maintenance 

This includes all jobs on the farm associated with repairs and maintenance. Standard job categories 

in repairs and maintenance include: 

� R&M farm buildings : This includes repairs and maintenance to all farm buildings and 

structures, such as offices, sheds, fences or roads. It also includes cleaning and pest 

eradication. 

� R&M irrigation : This includes inspecting the irrigation system to ensure efficient operation 

and carrying out repairs and maintenance as required, such as clearing blockages in lines 

and sprinklers. 

� R&M orchard machinery : This includes repairs and maintenance, including servicing, of 

all orchard machinery and equipment, such as tractors, sprayers, harvesters, vehicles 

etc. 

� R&M shed machinery : This includes repairs and maintenance, including servicing, of all 

shed machinery and equipment, such as dehuskers and silos. 

� Sprayer calibration : This includes the calibration of equipment used to spray chemicals 

onto the tree or ground. 

73

Tree management 

This includes a wide range of tasks relating to the cultural management of the trees. Standard job 

categories in tree management include: 

74 

� Frost protection : This includes wrapping the trunks of young trees to prevent frost damage. 

It is recommended that the spraying of frost retardants be recorded as a spray job within 

the crop protection job group. 

� Hand pruning : This includes training of young orchard trees and hand pruning of bearing 

trees. 

� Mechanical pruning : This includes pruning of bearing trees with mechanical equipment, 

such as tractor mounted pruning saws. 

� Pruning disposal : This includes the removal and disposal of tree prunings. 

� Top working : This includes the tasks involved with regrafting or budding an existing orchard 

tree to change the variety. 

� Tree care : This includes tasks such as staking of young trees, removal of suckers or 

treatment for trunk canker. 

� Wind damage repair : This includes tasks involved in repairing or uprighting trees blown 

over or damaged by wind. 

� Windbreak maintenance : This includes pruning and other tasks involved with maintaining 

windbreaks, including establishment and removal.

Creating custom job categories 

You can create custom job categories in MacMan to suit your own operation. Select the job group 

you wish the new job category to belong to and click the Create new category button. This will open 

the job properties window. 

An example of the Job properties window is shown below: 

You can alter the job group by clicking on the down arrow in the space next to Group and selecting 

the job group required. 

Type the name of the job category in the space next to Job. If you wish, you can also record any 

notes about the job category in the space provided. 

You then need to select the attributes applicable to this job category. This is information that you 

may wish to record in the Job recording checklist when you record a job in this category. Click the 

checkboxes next to the appropriate attributes. 

You will also need to select if you want the hours and any products used in the job to be apportioned 

by tree row length or by tree number. Tree row length is used for apportioning of hours and products 

in standard mechanised jobs in MacMan. Tree number is used for apportioning of hours and 

products in standard manual jobs in MacMan. 

If you select chemicals applied, you will need to select the application method(s) applicable to that 

job. Chemicals can often be applied more than one way and you will need to click the checkboxes 

of all applicable methods. When you record this job category in the Job recording checklist, MacMan 

will filter your list of chemicals to only show those matching your selected methods. 

Click the OK button when you have completed entering this information. This will take you back to 

the Job categories window. The new custom job category will be added in italics to the list of 

existing job categories within the job group. Standard job categories are in plain type. 

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Editing custom job categories 

You can also edit details about any custom job category you have created. You cannot edit standard 

job categories. Select the custom job category you wish to edit and click the Edit this category 

button. This will open the job properties window. 

Edit the details required and click the OK button. This will save the changes and take you back to 

the job categories window. 

Deleting custom job categories 

You can also delete any custom job category you have created. You cannot delete standard job 

categories. Select the custom job category you wish to delete and click the Delete this category 

button. 

If there are no job records associated with this custom job category, MacMan will ask you if you are 

sure you want to delete it before proceeding. 

If there are job records associated with this custom job category, MacMan will ask you if you wish 

to delete these historical records. If you wish to delete the category but maintain these historical 

records, you can still view them in the Jobs browser when you select All as the filter option for job 

group and category. If you do not want to maintain these records, they will be deleted from the jobs 

browser. 

Click the OK button when you have completed adding, editing or deleting any custom jobs. 

76

Variable Cost Categories 

MacMan provides you with standard variable cost groups and categories to use when entering your 

expenses incurred in managing your macadamia enterprise. MacMan also allows you to customise 

your variable cost categories to suit your own management system. 

To view the variable cost groups and categories and to add custom variable cost categories, click 

Variable cost categories in Setup on the main MacMan window and then click the Add/Update 

button. This will open the Variable cost categories window. 

An example of the Variable cost categories window is shown below. 

Click the “+” button next to a variable cost group (eg Administration) to view the variable cost 

categories within that group. Alternatively, click the Expand all button to view all the categories 

within all the groups. Click the Contract all button if you no longer wish to view the variable cost 

categories. 

If you wish to shift a variable cost category from one group to another, click on the selected category 

and drag it into the desired group. MacMan will ask you to confirm that you wish to move the 

category to the new group. Any existing variable cost records for that category will also be moved 

to that group. 

To produce a report of all of your variable cost categories, select Report then Variable cost categories 

report from the menu. This report will list all variable cost groups, categories and associated 

notes. 

77

Standard variable cost groups and categories 

The standard variable cost groups and categories within these groups are: 

Administration 

� Accounting : This includes all accounting fees paid as part of the farm business. 

78 

� Admin salaries : This includes salaries paid as part of the administration of the farm 

business. 

� Administration – other : This includes all other administration expenses paid as part of the 

farm business. 

� Insurance : This includes all insurance expenses paid as part of the farm business. 

� Office equipment/stationery : This includes all office equipment and supplies (such as 

stationery, consumerables, furniture etc). 

� Telephone/fax/post : This includes all expenses related to office communications of the 


Consultants 

� Consultants – other : This includes expenses from other consultants who provide 

management advice on an irregular basis to the farm business. 

� Insect monitoring : This includes expenses from pest scouts who monitor the orchard for 

pests and diseases and provide pest management recommendations to the farm business. 

� Nutrition or irrigation monitoring : This includes expenses from consultants who monitor 

soil and leaf nutrient levels or soil moisture levels and provide recommendations on fertiliser 

and irrigation to the farm business. 

� Orchard consultant : This includes expenses from consultants who provide orchard 

management advice on an irregular basis to the farm business. 

Contractors 

� Contracting dehusking and sorting : This includes expenses from other businesses that 

provide a dehusking and/or sorting service for a fee to the farm business. 

� Contract harvesting : This includes expenses from other businesses that provide a 

harvesting service for a fee to the farm business. 

� Contract pruning : This includes expenses from other businesses that provide a pruning 

service for a fee to the farm business. 

� Contract spraying : This includes expenses from other businesses that provide a spraying 

service for a fee to the farm business. 

� Contractors – other : This includes expenses from other businesses that provide a service 

for a fee to the farm business.

Crop nutrition 

� Crop nutrition –other : This includes all other crop nutrition product expenses incurred as 

part of the business (e.g. soil amendments). 

� Fertiliser : This includes all fertiliser expenses incurred as part of the business. 

Crop protection 

� Crop protection – other : This includes all other crop protection expenses incurred as part 

of the business. 

� Fungicide : This includes all disease control chemical expenses incurred as part of the 

business. 

� Insecticide : This includes all insect control chemical expenses incurred as part of the 

business. 

� Rodenticide : This includes all vermin (e.g. rats) control chemical expenses incurred as 

part of the business. 

� Weedicide : This includes all weed control chemical expenses incurred as part of the 

business. 

Employment costs 

� Casual wages : This includes all wages paid to casual employees. 

� Employment costs – other : This includes all other expenses incurred as part of employing 

staff. 

� OH&S : This includes all expenses incurred as part of occupational health and safety. 

� Permanent wages : This includes all wages paid to permanent employees. 

� Staff training costs : This includes all expenses incurred as part of staff training. 

� Superannuation : This includes all expenses incurred as part of meeting the superannuation 

requirements of staff. 

� Worker’s compensation : This includes all expenses incurred as part of meeting the 

worker’s compensation (e.g. Workcover) requirements of staff. 

Freight 

� Freight – other : This includes all other freight expenses incurred by the business. 

� Freight inwards : This includes all inward freight expenses (e.g. delivering machinery or 

equipment to the farm) incurred by the business. 

� Freight outwards : This includes all outward freight expenses (e.g. delivering nuts from the 

farm to a processor) incurred by the business. 

79

Fuel and oil 

80 

� Diesel : This includes all expenses for diesel incurred by the farm business. 

� Fuel and oil –other : This includes all expenses for other fuel and oil products incurred by 

the farm business. 

� Oil : This includes all expenses for oil incurred by the farm business. 

� Petrol : This includes all expenses for petrol incurred by the farm business. 

Government charges 

� Government charges – other : This includes all expenses for other government charges 

(e.g. land tax) incurred by the farm business. 

� Rates : This includes all local council rates incurred by the farm business. 

� Vehicle registrations : This includes all expenses for vehicle registrations incurred by the 


Hire 

� Hire equipment : This includes all expenses incurred for the hire of equipment (e.g. farm 

or shed machinery) by the farm business. 

Irrigation 

� Irrigation – other : This includes all other irrigation expenses incurred by the farm business. 

� R&M irrigation system : This includes all expenses for the repair and maintenance of the 

irrigation system incurred by the farm business, excluding employment costs of the staff 

of the farm business. 

� Water rates : This includes all expenses for water rates incurred by the farm business. 

� Water usage : This includes all expenses for water used incurred by the farm business. 

Leases 

� Leases –farm machinery : This includes all farm machinery lease expenses incurred by 


� Leases – other : This includes all other lease expenses incurred by the farm business. 

� Leases –shed machinery : This includes all shed machinery lease expenses incurred by 


Levies 

� Levies : This includes all levies charged on the sale macadamias for research and 

development or for marketing and promotion.

Management 

� Management – other : This includes all other management expenses incurred by the farm 

business. 

� Management fees : This includes all expenses relating to the provision of a management 

service (e.g. the provision of regular management advice) incurred by the farm business. 

� Management salaries : This includes all management salaries (e.g. the salary of the farm 

manager) incurred by the farm business. 

Repairs and maintenance – improvements 

� R&M dams : This includes all expenses for the repair and maintenance of farm dams incurred 

by the farm business, excluding employment costs of the staff of the farm business. 

� R&M farm buildings : This includes all expenses for the repair and maintenance of farm 

buildings incurred by the farm business, excluding employment costs of the staff of the 


� R&M fences : This includes all expenses for the repair and maintenance of farm fences 

incurred by the farm business, excluding employment costs of the staff of the farm business. 

� R&M improvements –other : This includes all expenses for the repair and maintenance of 

other improvements incurred by the farm business, excluding employment costs of the 

staff of the farm business. 

� R&M roads : This includes all expenses for the repair and maintenance of farm roads incurred 


Repairs and maintenance – plant 

� R&M motor vehicles : This includes all expenses for the repair and maintenance of motor 

vehicles incurred by the farm business, excluding employment costs of the staff of the 


� R&M orchard machinery : This includes all expenses for the repair and maintenance of 

orchard machinery incurred by the farm business, excluding employment costs of the 

staff of the farm business. 

� R&M plant – other : This includes all expenses for the repair and maintenance of farm 

plant incurred by the farm business, excluding employment costs of the staff of the farm 

business. 

� R&M shed machinery : This includes all expenses for the repair and maintenance of farm 

dams incurred by the farm business, excluding employment costs of the staff of the farm 

business. 

� R&M tools : This includes all expenses for the repair and maintenance of farm tools incurred 


Utilities 

� Electricity : This includes all expenses for electricity incurred by the farm business. 

� Gas : This includes all expenses for gas incurred by the farm business. 

� Utilities – other : This includes all expenses for other utilities incurred by the farm business. 

81

Creating a variable cost category 

To create a new variable cost category, click the Add button. This will open the Add variable cost 

category window. 

An example of the MacMan Add variable cost category window is shown below. 

N.B. Each variable cost category name needs to be unique. If you create a new variable cost 

category, it needs to have a different name to any existing category. 

Click the down arrow in the space next to Variable cost group to select the group to which you wish 

the new category to belong. Type the name of the category in the space next to New category 

name. 

Notes about this category 

Space is provided for you to record your own information about this variable cost category. As in all 

sections of MacMan, notes are optional. 

Once you have completed entering the variable cost category and any notes, you can save them 

by clicking the OK button. The new variable cost category will appear in the selected group in the 

Variable cost categories window. 

You can delete a variable cost category by clicking on the selected category and clicking the Delete 

button. MacMan will ask you to confirm that you wish to delete the category before deleting it. Any 

variable costs recorded against this category will not be deleted. 

Renaming variable cost categories 

If you wish to rename a variable cost category, click the category that you wish to rename and then 

click the Rename button. This will open the Change category window. An example of this window 

is shown below. Type the new category name in the space provided and click the OK button. 

82

Notes Templates 


templates and reuse them for future jobs. 

To view or add notes templates, click Notes templates in Setup on the main MacMan window and 

then click the Add/Update button. This will open the Notes templates window. 

An example of the Notes templates window is shown below. 

To view the contents of each template, click on the selected template (eg Employee) and a preview 

can be seen in the right side of the window. You can change or add to this to suit your own 

operation by typing in the required information. 

Adding a new template 

To add a new template, click the “+” button on the navigation toolbar at the top of the window. This 

will open the New template window. An example of the New template window is shown below. 

Type the name of the new template in the space provided and click the OK button. 

The new template will be added to the Notes template window. You can then type the required 

format in the Preview section in the right side of the window. Click the “✓ ” button to save the format 

when you are complete. 

Click the “-“ button to delete a notes template. MacMan will ask you to confirm that you wish to 

delete the template. 

83

Codes 

MacMan allows you to trace your nuts from the orchard through to the processor. This is important 

to you for quality management purposes. 

Nut identification codes are used to achieve this traceability. Harvest codes are used to trace the 

nuts from the orchard through dehusking, sorting and into storage and consignment codes are 

used to trace nuts from the farm through to the processor. 

You can also use chemical product codes in MacMan. These codes are short cuts that enable you 

to simply record details about products that you use. They are particularly useful when you use 

products at a standard rate on a regular basis. 

Harvest codes 

Each harvest is assigned a code. This code, which can be up to 20 characters in length, is usually 

assigned when the nuts are brought into the shed. A number of harvests can have the same code 

if they are treated as part of the same lot in the shed during dehusking and sorting. The code is 

changed when there is a clear separation between the handling of lots of nuts in the shed. 

For example, all nuts harvested in a harvest round from the one farm might be assigned the same 

harvest code (eg 2004 R1 Av farm). At the end of the harvest round, all the harvested nuts might be 

routinely cleared through the dehusking and sorting system before starting on the next round’s 

harvested nuts. 

Your decision on how you assign your harvest codes is very important. You need to decide before 

you start to record any harvest or other output records. 

There are a number of different ways of assigning harvest codes depending on how you manage 

your orchard and shed operations. These include: 

Harvest round 

This is the most common system used. The nuts from any one harvest round are dehusked and 

sorted as a separate lot from the next harvest round. Dehusking and sorting occurs throughout the 

round but there is not a definite break until the end of the round. Traceability is limited to that 

harvest round. 

Daily 

This system gives you the greatest traceability but can only be used when the nuts you harvest on 

any one day are dehusked and sorted as a separate lot from the next day’s harvest. 

Weekly 

Weekly harvest codes can be used when the nuts from any one week’s harvest are dehusked and 

sorted as a separate lot from the next week’s harvest. Dehusking and sorting occurs throughout 

the week but there is not a definite break in the nuts being brought into the shed until the end of the 

week. This system is a good compromise in many sheds between ease of management and the 

degree of traceability. 

Monthly 

The nuts from any one month’s harvest are dehusked and sorted as a separate lot from the next 

month’s harvest. Dehusking and sorting occurs throughout the month but there is not a definite 

break until the end of the month. This gives a lower level of traceability than a weekly harvest code. 

84

Yearly 

All the nuts harvested in any given year are assigned the same harvest code. This is a very easy 

system but gives you the lowest level of traceability. It assumes there is no separation during the 

year of nuts coming into the shed for dehusking and sorting. 

It is recommended that the year should be placed at the start of the harvest code (eg 2004 R1 Av 

farm). All the harvest codes for that year will then appear sequentially in the harvest code list. This 

will enable easier selection of the relevant code from the list when entering harvest or dehusking 

records. 

The harvest code may also include farm, block or planting information. If nuts harvested from 

more than one farm are dehusked and sorted in the one shed, but are handled separately, the 

harvest code should identify the farm. Similarly, if nuts from different blocks or plantings can be 

handled separately, this may also be included in the harvest code. The closer your harvest code 

can identify the origin of the nuts, the greater will be your traceability (Note: remember harvest 

codes cannot exceed 20 characters). 

Creating a new harvest code 

There is a drop down list of the current harvest codes in the MacMan harvest yield and harvest 

apportioning windows. Beside this drop down list there is a New button, which if clicked will allow 

you to define a new harvest code by opening the Harvest code window. 

You can also create a new harvest code by selecting Harvest codes in Codes option in Setup on 

the main MacMan window and then clicking the Add/Update button. This will also open the Harvest 

codes window. 

An example of a Harvest codes window is shown below. 

85

When the Harvest codes window is open, you can select an existing harvest code or browse the 

existing codes by using the arrow buttons in the navigation bar, or you can add a new harvest code. 

To select an existing harvest code, click on the box next to Select code at the top of the window. 

This will display all harvest codes. Select the relevant code. 

To add a new harvest code, click the “+” button. You can then record the following details about the 

harvest code: 

Harvest code 

Give the new code a name that clearly identifies it. It may include any character from your keyboard 

except apostrophes (‘), slashes (\ or /), inverted commas (“) or full stops. It should be different to 

all other previously entered harvest codes, and must not exceed 20 characters. 

Date started and date finished 

These dates may be typed in (eg 05/06/2004) or entered by using the calendar or you can click the 

Today button to enter today’s date. They tell you and MacMan the period during which the code is 

active. The date started is the date harvesting began with this lot of nuts. The date finished is when 

the last nuts from this lot have been consigned to a customer. You can leave these fields blank until 

this information is known. 

Is harvest currently active? 

The checkbox will be ticked when you enter a new harvest code. When the code is no longer 

active, click the checkbox to remove the tick. If a code is not active it will no longer be shown in the 

current harvest code list when entering a new output record. For example, you may not wish 

harvest codes from previous years to remain active as you will no longer wish to select them. 

Your notes 

Space is provided for you to keep your own notes about the harvest code. As in all sections of 


Once you have completed the harvest code details, you can save them by clicking the “✓ ” button. 

If you close the harvest codes window or click the “+” button to add another harvest code, any 

changes or additions you have made to harvest codes will be automatically saved. If you wish to 

add several harvest codes, click the “+” button each time to create a new code then add the details. 

If you click the “-“ button to delete a harvest code, MacMan will ask you if you are sure you want to 

delete it. If you want to search for existing records using this code you must not delete it. You 

should deactivate it instead by unchecking the currently active box. 

To update the information about a code, first find the relevant code by using the arrows on the 

navigation bar or by using the Select code box. When you have located the relevant code, simply 

update any information required and click the “✓ ” button to save your changes. 

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Consignment codes 

Each consignment of nuts to a customer is assigned a consignment code. The purpose of this 

code is to clearly identify each lot of nuts that has been consigned. A number of different systems 

of assigning codes can be used. These include: 

� Consignment docket number 

� Date 

� Truck load 

� Silo load 

Creating a new consignment code 

There is a drop down list of all active consignment codes in the factory results window and when 

you select dispatch in the post harvest handling window. Next to these lists will be a New button 

that if clicked, will allow you to define a new consignment code by opening the Consignment codes 

window. 

You can also create a new consignment code by selecting Consignment codes in Codes in Setup 

on the main window and then clicking the Add/Update button. This will open the Consignment 

codes window, as shown below. 

When the Consignment codes window is open, you can select an existing consignment code or 

browse the existing codes by using the arrow buttons in the navigation toolbar, or you can add a 

new consignment code. 

To select an existing consignment code, click the drop down arrow in the box next to Select code. 

This will display all consignment codes. Click on the relevant code to select it. 

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To add a new consignment code, click “+”. You can then record the following details: 

Consignment code 

Give the new code a name that clearly identifies it. It may include any character from your keyboard 

except apostrophes (‘), slashes (\ or /), inverted commas (‘), commas or full stops. It should be 

different to all other previously entered consignment codes and must not exceed 20 characters. 

Date started and Date finished 

These dates may be typed in (eg 05/06/2004) or entered by using the calendar or by clicking the 

Today button. They tell you and MacMan the period during which the code is active. The date 

started is the date delivery to a customer began for this consignment of nuts. The date finished is 

when the last of this consignment of nuts was sent. In many cases, the date started and date 

finished will be the same. You can leave these fields blank until this information is known. 

Is consignment currently active? 

The checkbox will be ticked when you enter a new consignment code to show that this code is 

active. When the code is no longer active (eg codes from previous years), click on the checkbox 

to remove the tick. If the code is no longer active, it will not be shown in the current consignment 

code list when entering a new dispatch or factory results record. 

Your notes 

Space is provided for you to keep your own notes about the current consignment code. As in all 


Once you have completed the consignment code details, you can save them by clicking “✓ ”. 

If you close the consignment codes window or click “+” to add another consignment code, any 

changes or additions you have made to consignment codes will automatically be saved. If you 

wish to add several consignment codes, click “+” each time to create a new code, then add the 

details. 

If you click “-“ to delete a consignment code, MacMan will ask you if you are sure you want to delete 

it. If you want to search for existing post harvest records using this code you must not delete it. 

You should deactivate it instead by unchecking the currently active box. 

To update the information about a code, first find the code by using the arrows on the navigation bar 

or the Select code box. When you have located the relevant code, simply update any information 

required and click “✓ ” to save your changes. 

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Chemical Product codes 

Chemical product codes are short cuts that enable you to simply record details about products that 

you use. They are particularly useful when you use products at a standard rate on a regular basis. 

To open the product codes window, click Chemical product codes in Codes in Setup on the main 

MacMan window then click the Add/Update button. This will open the Chemical product codes 

window, as shown below. 

Product codes are short cuts that enable you to simply record details about products that you use. 

They are particularly useful when you use products at a standard rate on a regular basis. For 

example, the letter B may represent Bulldock 25 EC at 0.05 L/100 L or whatever rate you commonly 

use. 

You may also wish to use codes to represent mixtures of products at standard rates that you 

regularly apply together. For example, the code BX may represent a regularly applied mixture of 

Bulldock 25 EC at 0.05 L/100 L and copper oxychloride at 0.4 kg/100 L. 

It is necessary in MacMan for a product code to be added to the code list before you can record a 

job using that code. 

To select a code, click the drop down arrow to the right of Select code. This will open the list of all 

currently defined product codes. Scroll down the list until you find the code you want. When you 

find it, click it and details about that code will appear. You can change any of the details about that 

code (such as the application rate) by clicking in the relevant space, deleting the current details and 

typing in your own. 

To record information about a code not already in the product code list, click “+” on the top tool bar. 

You can then record the following information about the code: 

Code 

Type a code that makes sense to you (maximum of six letters or numbers). 

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Method 

Click the method box to display the drop down list of the product application methods available. 

Select the correct one for this code. 

Target pests 

If the code represents a pest control application, you can select the target pests for the code at this 

stage or you can select them when you record the job. To select the target pests now, click the Set 

button. This will open the Pest targets window. An example of the pest targets window is shown 

below. 

Click the check boxes next to all the relevant target pests. You can also access details about a 

certain pest from this window by clicking the checkbox next to the relevant pest and then clicking 

the Details button. This will open the pest details window. If you wish to add or update information 

about a pest at this stage, click the New button and this will also open the pest details window. 

When you have selected all the relevant target pests for the code, click the OK button and you will 

return to the chemical product codes window. The number of target pests selected will be shown. 

If you wish to delete the target pests, click the Clear button 

Notes about this product code 

Space is provided for you to record your own information about the code. As in all sections of 


Products associated with this code 

To enter the products associated with this code, click “+” on the bottom tool bar. 

Product 

Click the drop down arrow in the product box to display the list of the available chemical products. 

This is the list of products from the Chemicals section in MacMan. Select the desired product by 

clicking it. 

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Category 

MacMan will automatically fill this from the product details section (eg insecticide). 

Rate 

Type the rate per 100 litres, the rate per tree or the rate per hectare. The rate must be in litres or 

kilograms, and not millilitres or grams. 

If you want the code to represent more than one product, click “+” again on the bottom tool bar after 

you have entered the first product and rate. This will allow you to enter another product and rate. 

Continue doing this until all the products and their respective rates for the code are entered. 

Once you have completed the details of any code, you can save the code by clicking “✓ ” on the 

bottom tool bar. 

If you want to add another code, click on the “+” button on the top tool bar and repeat the procedure. 

Renaming product codes 

If you wish to rename a product code, select the code you wish to change and then click File and 

then Change current product code in the menu at the top of the chemical product codes window. 

This will open the rename a product code window. An example of the rename a product code 


Type the new product code in the space next to new product code name and then click the OK 

button. The new product code name will appear in the space next to code in the chemical product 

codes window. 

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Chapter 3 

Inputs 

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MacMan allows you to record information about your orchard inputs, including: 

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� Jobs 

� Time sheets 

� Variable costs 

These orchard input sections are opened when you click the “+” button next to Inputs in the access 

tree in Data entry on the main MacMan window. In each of these sections, you can either add new 

records or browse existing records. 

Jobs 

One of the major features of MacMan is that it allows you to quickly and easily record and browse 

all of the jobs you do in growing and handling macadamias. These jobs can be recorded on a 

farm, block or planting level. 

Recording a job 

To record a job, you can either: 

1. Click Jobs in Data Entry on the main MacMan window and then click the Add button, or 

2. Click the relevant job category on the Jobs access tree and then click the Add button if the Jobs 

access tree has been selected in View on the main MacMan menu. 

Both methods will open the Job recording checklist. The second method will have the operation 

category already filled. 

An example of the Job recording checklist is shown below.

It is important when filling out a job recording checklist that you start at the top and work step by 

step to the bottom. 

Some of the headings on the Job recording checklist have a red “?” and some have a blue “?” next 

to them until information is entered. It is mandatory to enter information for options with a red “?”. 

It is optional to enter information for options with a blue“?”. The red or blue “?” is replaced by a 

green tick “✓ ” when you have entered the relevant information. 

The headings on the Job recording checklist will vary depending on their relevance to the job 

category. For example, those job categories that could involve applying a product (eg spraying) 

will have a heading for product and rate. 

The following information can be recorded in the jobs checklist: 

� Date 

� Operation 

� Labour 

� Location 

� Hours of Irrigation 

� Product and rate 

� Machinery details 

� Leaf/Soil monitoring results 

� Pest monitoring results 

� NIS harvested 

� Post-harvest details 

� Notes 

� Reference numbers 

� Future reminders 

Job Details 

The Details section is shown to the right of the Job recording checklist. It is divided into two pages. 

The first page shows employees and contractors, machinery and products associated with the job. 

The second page shows the location where the job was done. 

Recording a job 

Once you have entered at least all the mandatory information about the job, you can then record 

the job by clicking the Record button. 

Undoing a job 

If you wish to delete the last recorded job, click the Undo button and the job will be deleted. 

Options 

Click the Options button if you wish to select any preferences in Options. This will open the 

MacMan Preferences window. 

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Key 

If you click the Key button, it will open the Key to the checklist window which will explain the 

meaning of the ticks, crosses and question marks to the left of the headings in the checklist, as 

discussed on the previous page. An example of the Key to the checklist window is shown below. 

Date 

You can enter the start date and end date of the job. If the start and end dates are the same, enter 

the start date and MacMan will prefill the end date with the same date. 

You can type in the dates, use the calendar to the right of the date space or click the “T” button to 

enter today’s date. To type in the date, use the format 01/04/2002 rather than 1 April 2002. To use 

the calendar, click the Date selector button. This will open a monthly calendar. Use the single and 

double arrows to scroll backwards and forwards until you find the correct month. Select the correct 

date of the month. Click the “C” button if you wish to clear the end date. 

Operation 

If you wish to select an operation or change one already shown, click the Select button. This will 

open the Job categories window. An example of the Job categories window is shown below. 

Select the required job group and applicable job category and click the OK button. You will notice 

that the Job recording checklist will vary to suit the selected operation. 

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Users are encouraged to use standard job categories. However, you can also create custom job 

categories to suit your enterprise, by clicking on the Create new category button in the job categories 

window. This will bring up the Job properties window as below. 

Type the name of your custom job category in the space provided (e.g. Mistletoe removal) and then 

select which attributes you want to be able to record for that job category. You can also delete 

custom job categories (N.B. you cannot delete or edit standard job categories) by clicking Delete 

this category in the Job categories window. When you have completed adding, editing or deleting 

custom job categories, click the OK button and this will return you to the Job recording checklist. 

For more information on job groups and categories, see the Job Groups section in the manual. 

Labour 

If you have selected in Recording preferences in Options not to specify employees when recording 

jobs, you need only type in the number of hours. 

If you have selected in Recording preferences in Options to specify employees when recording 

jobs (this preference is selected by default), click the Selector button to open the Employees and 

contractors selection window. You can use this window to record employees and/or contractors 

involved in a job. 

An example of the Employees and contractors selection window is shown below. 

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Scroll down the employee list until you find the name of the relevant employee and click it. The 

hourly rate for that employee from the Employees section of MacMan will be automatically filled. 

You can change this rate for this job by highlighting the rate and typing in the rate required. 

Click in the space for the number of hours and type in the number of hours that this employee 

spent on this job and then press the tab key. Press the tab key again if the hourly rate is correct. 

The cost of the employee’s time will be automatically added to the summary in the bottom part of 

the window. 

If more than one employee is involved in the job, repeat this process for each employee. 

You can add employees to the list by clicking on the Add new employee button. This will open the 

Employee information window. Click the ”+” button to add a new employee. Complete and save 

the employee details and the name will be added to the list. 

Click the Clear button to clear employee details. 

If contractors are involved in the job, click the tab on the Contractors page to open the contractor’s 

list. 

Scroll down the contractor list until you find the name of the relevant contractor and click it. Type in 

the labour and machinery cost and then press the tab button. Type in the contractor’s product cost 

if you are being charged for any products and press the tab button again. Press the tab button 

again and these costs will be automatically added to the summary in the bottom part of the window. 

If more than one contractor is involved in the job, repeat this process for each contractor. 

You can add contractors to the list by clicking the Add new contractor button. This will open the 

Contacts window. Click the “+” button to add a new contact. MacMan will include this new contact 

in your contractors list, if you tick the box to indicate that they are a supplier. Complete and save 

the contractor details and the names will be added to the list. 

Click the Clear button if you wish to clear the contractor details. 

When you have completed adding all employees and contractors involved in the job, click the OK 

button and you will return to the Job recording checklist. 

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Location 

Click the Select button to open the Farm/block/planting selection window. An example of this 


Initially, this window will display a list of the farms you have defined in MacMan in the far left section. 

At this point you must select one or more farms. 

If the record being entered has more than one farm, either hold down the left button on the mouse 

and drag the pointer over all the relevant farms or hold down the Control button on your keyboard 

and select the relevant farms with your left mouse button. 

Once you have selected a farm (or farms where relevant) you can record a job. The blocks section 

of the window will however now list all of the available blocks on the selected farm(s). You can 

select either one block, or multiple blocks (if applicable) to further specify where on your farm(s) 

the job was done. 

Once you have selected a block (or blocks where relevant) you can also select a planting, or 

multiple plantings (if applicable) to be very specific about the part of your farm(s) on which the job 

was done. 

Custom groups allow you to save combinations of farms, blocks and/or plantings to which you 

regularly apply jobs. You can select stored Custom Groups from the drop-down list on the window. 

Click the Load button to load a custom group from the drop down list at the top of the window. Click 

the Save button to save a custom group after you have selected the relevant farms, blocks and/or 

plantings and given the combination a readily identifiable name. Click the Delete button to delete 

the current custom group. 

If you do not wish to see the farm, block or planting columns in the Farm/Block/Planting selection 

window, click “F”, “B” or “P” in the top right corner to remove the required column. Click on the 

button again to make the column reappear. 

You can also alter the width of the columns. Place the pointer on one of the vertical lines between 

the columns, hold down the left mouse button and drag the line to the desired position. Click the 

Auto width button in the top right corner to return the columns to the original widths. 

Once you have selected one or more farm(s), block(s) or planting(s) click the OK button to return 

to the Job recording checklist. If you have selected the Location tab at the right on the checklist, 

you will see the farm(s), block(s) or planting(s) you selected on that tab. 

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Irrigation hours and litres 

When you select Irrigate or Fertigate as the operation, fields for hours of irrigation and litres of 

water will appear. 

Type in the number of hours the irrigation system is running (not the labour hours) and the litres of 

water applied. 

Product and rate 

A field for product and rate will appear when you select an operation potentially involving a product 

(such as spray, broadcast or a custom job category with chemicals applied as an attribute). 

Click the Select button to open the Product selection window. If there is more than one product 

involved in the job, you can record the details about each of the products in this window. 

An example of a Product selection window is shown below. 

For a spray job, you will need to enter the spray volume at the top of the product selection window 

before the rest of the window is displayed. 

The products list will be displayed. Click the tab on the Codes page if you wish to display the codes 

list. Scroll down the lists until you find the relevant product or code and then select it. 

Click the check boxes of the product(s) involved in the job and the relevant product(s) will appear 

in the space to the right of the window. For each product you will need to enter a figure in either: 

100 

� Total chemical applied, rate per 100 litres, rate per tree or rate per hectare for spray or 

ground spray jobs, or 

� Total chemical applied, rate per tree or rate per hectare for broadcast jobs. 

MacMan will automatically calculate the other figures. The units you use must be litres or kilograms 

rather than millilitres or grams. For spray jobs, the equivalent amount in ml or g will be displayed 

next to the volume per 100L. 

Alternatively, you can select a code rather than individual products and these figures will be 

automatically entered for you. To select a code, click on the required code and the Apply this code 

button.

You can de-select a product by clicking on the product in the right side of the window and then 

clicking the De-select this product button 

By default, the checkbox next to Record chemical cost will be selected. It will calculate this cost 

using the price from the Chemical product information section of MacMan. If you do not wish to 

record the cost of products being applied, click on the checkbox to remove the tick. 

If you wish to automatically update your chemical stock inventory following this job, click on the 

checkbox next to Update stock inventory. You will need to ensure that you have entered adequate 

product in the stock inventory before recording the job. 

If you wish to specify target pests for which a spray (or other treatment) has been applied, click the 

Set button at the top of the window. This will open the Pest targets window. An example of the 

Pest targets window is shown below. 

Click the checkboxes next to the relevant target pests. You can also click the Details button to find 

more information about a selected pest or the New button to add or update details for a pest. Both 

of these buttons will open the Pest details window. After you have selected the target pest, click 

the OK button to return to the Product selection window. 

After you have completed the details of all products being applied, click the OK button. 

Machinery details 

An optional field for machinery details will show if you select a job category with machinery information 

selected as a job attribute. Click the Select button to open the Machinery hours and costs window. 

An example of the Machinery hours and costs window is shown below. 

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Scroll down the machinery list until you find the name of the relevant item of machinery and click it. 

The hourly rate for that machine from the Machinery section of MacMan will be automatically filled. 

You can change this rate for this job by highlighting the rate and typing in the rate required. 

Click in the space for the number of hours and type in the number of hours that this machine spent 

on this job and then press the tab key. Press the tab key again if the hourly rate is correct. 

If more than one machine is involved in the job, repeat this process for each machine. 

Leaf/Soil monitoring results 

An optional field for leaf and soil monitoring results will show if you select Leaf and soil monitoring 

as the job category (or if you have selected a custom job with leaf and soil monitoring information 

as an attribute). 

Click the Leaf button or the Soil button. Click the Select button to open the relevant leaf or soil 

analysis details window and enter the results. See the manual section on Monitoring for more 

information. 

Pest monitoring results 

An optional field for pest monitoring results will appear if you select Pest and disease monitoring 

as the job category (or if you have selected a custom job with pest monitoring information as an 

attribute). Click the Select button to open the Pest monitoring results window and enter the results. 

See the manual section on Monitoring for more information. 

NIS harvested 

An optional field for NIS (nut-in-shell) harvested will show if you select Hand harvest or Machine 

harvest as the operation category (or if you have selected a custom job with harvested nut information 

as an attribute). You can select in Recording in Preferences in Options to apportion or not to 

apportion the harvest yield amongst your farms, blocks and plantings. Click the Select button to 

enter the results. 

If you have clicked the Apportioned button in Options, this will open the Harvest apportioning 

window when you click the Select button. If you clicked the Not Apportioned button in Options, the 

Harvest yield window will open when you click the Select button. See the manual section on 

Harvest Yield for more information. 

Post-harvest details 

An optional field for post- harvest handling results will appear if you select Dehusking or sorting or 

handling as the operation category (or if you selected a custom job with post harvest handling 

information as an attribute). Click the Select button to open the Post-harvest handling details 

window and enter the results. See the manual section on Post Harvest handling for more information. 

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Notes 

Space is provided for you to keep your own notes about the job. As in all sections of MacMan, notes 

are optional. Click the Select button to open the Notes window. 

An example of the Notes window is shown below. 


templates and reuse them for future jobs. Click the Templates button to open the Template selection 

window. 

Select the template you want or create your own template and then click the OK button to load that 

template. You can then record your notes. More information on this is in the Notes templates 

section of the manual 

Click the Print button if you wish to print the notes. 

Once you have finished recording any notes, click the OK button to return to the Job recording 

checklist. 

Reference number 

If you have selected to record job reference numbers (see the Recording 1 page in Preferences in 

Options), there will be an optional field present for you to type the job reference number. A reference 

number can be any combination of letters or numbers. Reference numbers can be useful for 

linking your MacMan records with other programs (such as accounting programs). 

Future reminders 

If you have selected future reminders (see the Reminders page in Preferences in Options), there 

will be an optional field for you to set future reminders. Click the checkbox if you wish to set a 

reminder and type the date or use the calendar to set the date when you wish to be reminded. 

Type the reminder in the space next to Note. When you record the job, the reminder will show in 

the Reminders page on the right side of the main MacMan screen. 

You can also record incomplete jobs in MacMan. Click the checkbox to save the link in the Reminders 

page on the right side of the main MacMan screen when you record the job. When you wish to 

return to the job, click the reminder for the job and then click the Edit job button. This will take you 

to the Jobs browser and the relevant job will be selected. You can then edit the details about the 

job. 

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Browsing existing job records 

As well as adding new job records, MacMan allows you to browse existing job records. It will allow 

you to produce reports on these jobs for your own benefit and to suit the needs of your customers. 

To browse jobs, you can either: 

1. Click Jobs in Data Entry on the main MacMan window and then click the Browse button, or 

2. Click the relevant job category on the Jobs access tree and then click the Browse button. 

Both methods will open the Jobs browser window. The second method will have the operation 

category already filled. 

An example of the Jobs browser window is shown below. 

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You can choose to browse your job records filtered by: 

� Job group 

� Operation 

� Employee 

� Farm 

� Block 

� Planting 

� Contractor 

� Machine 

� Chemical 

� All dates 

� Date range and/or 

� Year 

Filtering by Job Group 

To select a job group (e.g. crop protection), click the down arrow next to Group. This will open the 

list of all the job groups. Scroll down until you find the relevant job group and click it. The browser 

will then display only the jobs matching the job group you have selected. You can also select All to 

browse all job groups. 

Filtering by Operation 

To select the operation category (e.g. pest and disease monitoring), click the down arrow next to 

Operation. This will open the list of all the categories of operations. Scroll down until you find the 

relevant category and click it. The browser will then display only the jobs matching the operation 

category you have selected. You can also select All to browse all categories of job. 

Filtering by Employee 

To select jobs filtered by employee, click the down arrow next to Employee. This will open the list 

of all the employees entered. Scroll down until you find the name of the relevant employee and 

click it. You can also select All to browse the jobs done by all employees. 

Filtering by Farm, Block or Planting 

To select a farm, click the down arrow next to Farm. This will open the list of all farms entered. 

Scroll down until you find the name of the relevant farm and click it. You can also select All to 

browse the records of all farms. 

If you wish to browse records for a block within a farm, click the down arrow next to Block. This will 

open the list of all the blocks in the currently selected farm. Scroll down until you find the name of 

the relevant block and click it. 

If you wish to browse records for a planting within a block, click the down arrow next to Planting. 

This will open the list of all the plantings in the currently selected block. Scroll down until you find 

the name of the relevant planting and click it. 

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Filtering by Chemical 

To select a chemical, click the down arrow next to Chemical. This will open the list of all chemicals 

entered. Scroll down until you find the name of the relevant chemical and click it. You can also 

select All to browse the records of all chemicals. 

Filtering by Machine 

To select a machine, click the down arrow next to Machine. This will open the list of all the machines 

entered. Scroll down until you find the name of the relevant machine and click it. You can also 

select All to browse the records of all machines. 

Filtering by Contractor 

To select jobs filtered by contractor, click the down arrow next to Contractor. This will open the list 

of all the contractors entered. Scroll down until you find the name of the relevant contractor and 

click it. You can also select All to browse the jobs done by all contractors. 

Filtering by Dates 

You can filter job records to see only those jobs done between two given dates, or all the job 

records for a certain year, or all jobs done regardless of date. 

To browse the records for all dates, click the All dates button. This will be selected by default. 

To browse the records between two dates, first click the Date range button. Type the From and To 

dates or use the Date selector buttons. 

To browse the records for a particular year, first click on the Year button. Use the up and down 

arrows to select the required year. 

Jobs list 

Once you have made your selection by job group, operation, employee, farm, block, planting, 

chemical, machine, contractor and/or dates, MacMan will list the relevant jobs and dates in the 

Jobs list. The jobs will be sorted by date with the most recent job first. 

To find any given job, you can use the navigation bar at the top of the window to scroll backwards 

and forwards through the list. 

Click on a job in the Jobs list to select it. 

Adding a job 

Click the Add new job button to add a new job record. This will open the Job recording checklist. 

Complete the details and click the Record button. 

Deleting a job 

Click on the relevant job record in the Jobs browser and click the Delete jobs button to delete an 

existing record. MacMan will ask you to confirm this before deleting the record. To delete multiple 

job records, hold down the control key on your keyboard and select the relevant records using your 

mouse, then click the Delete jobs button. 

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Clearing filters 

Click the Clear all filters button to clear all the selected filters. 

Select all 

Click the Select all button to select all the records shown in the Jobs list. You can then click the 

Delete jobs button to delete these jobs. This can be handy when you have many job records you 

wish to delete. 

Manage job groups 

Click the Manage job groups button to open the Job categories window. You can then create or 

edit custom job categories. 

Jobs details 

The right side of the browser is divided into the following pages: 

� The Summary page will show you the dates, and a summary of the labour, contractors, 

location, products and machinery associated with the selected job. If you have entered a 

reference number for this job, it will also be shown on this page. 

� The Labour and contract page will show you the detailed breakdown of hours and costs 

for each employee and/or contractor involved with the selected job. 

� The Location page will show you the farms, blocks and plantings involved with the selected 

job. If any products have been applied with the job, it will also show the breakdown of 

how much product has been applied to each planting. 

� The Products page will show you the detailed breakdown of each product involved with 

the selected job. It will also show spray volumes and target pests if these are relevant. 

� The Machinery page will show you the detailed breakdown of hours and costs for each 

machine involved with the selected job. 

� The Notes page will show you any notes recorded for the selected job. 

Editing a job 

Click the Edit button on the appropriate details page if you wish to edit a job. For example, on the 

Summary page, if you click the Edit dates & reference number button, the window as shown below 

will open, to allow you to change the dates or reference number. 

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Reports 

When you can have filtered the jobs you want in the jobs list, MacMan can produce a wide range of 

reports to suit different needs. To produce a report, click on Report in the menu at the top of the 

Jobs browser and then follow the arrows to produce the selected report. 

You can produce the following reports from the information in the Jobs Browser: 

Job cost report 

This provides a summary of the labour hours and costs, the contractor costs, machinery hours and 

costs and product costs involved in the selected jobs. 

Job chemical report 

This provides a detailed breakdown of the chemical volumes and costs involved in the selected 

jobs. 

Job chemical (summarised by operation) report 

This provides a summary of the chemical volumes and costs involved in the selected jobs, grouped 

by operation. 

Job chemical (summarised by chemical) report 

This provides a summary of the chemical volumes and costs involved in the selected jobs, grouped 

by chemical. 

Fertiliser application report 

This provides a detailed report of fertilisers, rates and volumes and costs involved in the selected 

jobs. 

Fertiliser application (summarised by operation) report 

This provides a summary of fertilisers, rates and volumes and costs involved in the selected jobs, 

grouped by operation. 

Fertiliser application (summarised by chemical) report 

This provides a summary of fertilisers, rates and volumes and costs involved in the selected jobs, 

grouped by chemical. 

Pesticide application report 

This provides a detailed report of pesticides, rates and volumes and costs involved in the selected 

jobs, including pesticides applied by non-spray methods. 

Pesticide application (summarised by operation) report 

This provides a summary of pesticides, rates and volumes and costs involved in the selected jobs, 

including pesticides applied by non-spray methods, grouped by operation. 

Pesticide application (summarised by chemical) report 

This provides a summary of pesticides, rates and volumes and costs involved in the selected jobs, 

including pesticides applied by non-spray methods, grouped by chemical. 

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Elemental analysis report 

This provides an elemental breakdown of the amounts of applied fertiliser involved in the selected 

jobs. When you select this report, a window is shown allowing you to confirm and if necessary 

adjust both the number of trees and total hectares for the selected farm, block or planting from the 

jobs browser. When you are satisfied with these estimates, press the OK button to produce the 

report. The total amounts of applied elements are displayed, grouped by application method. Rates 

applied per tree and per hectare are also displayed, based on the estimates provided in the previous 

step. 

Spray diary 

This provides a spray diary of products, rates and volumes and withholding periods involved in the 

selected jobs. It will also include any recorded notes, if the option to print notes is selected in 

Options. 

Job labour report 

This provides a detailed breakdown of the labour and contractor hours and costs involved in the 

selected jobs. 

Job labour (summarised by operation) report 

This provides a summary of the labour and contractor hours and costs involved in the selected 

jobs, grouped by the type of operation. 

Job labour (summarised by employee) report 

This provides a summary of the labour and contractor hours and costs involved in the selected 

jobs, grouped by employee. 

Job labour analysis chart 

This provides a bar chart showing the hours or dollars spent for each of the job categories involved 

in the selected jobs. You can choose to view the chart expressed as either dollars or hours, and as 

either the true value or as a percentage. 

An example of the Job labour analysis chart is shown below. 

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Job machinery report 

This provides a detailed breakdown of the machinery hours and costs involved in the selected jobs. 

Job machinery (summarised by operation) report 

This provides a summary of the machinery hours and costs involved in the selected jobs, grouped 

by operation. 

Job machinery (summarised by machine) report 

This provides a summary of the machinery hours and costs involved in the selected jobs, grouped 

by machine. 

Cost of production report 

More information on this report is available in the manual section on Reports. 

Irrigation report 

This provides a detailed report of irrigation hours and litres involved in the selected jobs. 

Weather, pests and spray overlay chart 

More information on this report is available in the manual section on Reports. 

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Time sheets 

MacMan enables growers whose employees use time sheets to record their activities, to quickly 

and easily transfer the information from the time sheets into MacMan. This information can then 

easily be summarised using the job recording checklist. 

To record or browse time sheet details, click Time sheets in Inputs in Data entry on the main 

MacMan window and then click the Add button. This will open the Time sheets window as shown 

below. 

Filtering records 

The top part of the time sheet window enables you to filter records to enable you to browse the 

records you wish to see if the Show filters button has been selected. Click the Hide filters button if 

you do not wish to see the filters. 

You can filter the entries shown in the bottom of the window by using the filters at the top of the 

window. You can filter the entries by: 

� Employee 

� Operation 

� Farm 

� Reference number (if reference numbers are selected in Preferences in Options) 

� Date (you can show all dates or a date range) 

Click the Show in descending order button if you wish to show the most recent time sheet entries 

first. 

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Entering records 

You need to complete the section marked Enter new timesheet records to enter a new time sheet 

record. The following information needs to be entered: 

Employee 

Click the drop down arrow to the right of the space and click the name of the relevant employee. 

A smart key system also operates when entering time sheet records. If you type the first letter for 

employee, farm or operation, MacMan will automatically fill the first employee, farm or operation 

beginning with that letter. You can either use the tab keys or left and right arrows on your keyboard 

to move between fields. 

Date 

You can either type the date or use the date selector to the right of the date space. 

Farm 

Click the down arrow to the right of the space and click the name of the relevant farm, or just start 

typing the name and MacMan will fill in the rest. 

Operation 

Click the drop down arrow to the right of the space and click the relevant operation, or just start 

typing the operation name and MacMan will try to find it in the list. 

Hours 

Type the number of hours spent doing the job. 

Spray volume (L) 

Spray volume will be enabled if the operation you are recording involves a spray volume. Type the 

total spray volume in litres (i.e. product and water applied.) This is optional. 

NIS (kg) 

NIS (kg) will be enabled if machine harvest or hand harvest have been identified as the operation. 

Type the weight of NIS harvested in kilograms. This is optional. 


If you have specified in Recording in Preferences in Options to record job reference numbers, you 

can type the number in the space provided. This is optional. Reference numbers can be used to 

link to your manual time sheet system. They can also be useful for grouping time sheets. 

Once you have completed these details, click the Save button to save this record. The record will 

be shown in the list at the bottom of the window. 

If you click the Clear button this will clear everything but the date. This is designed as a time 

saving tool when entering multiple timesheet records for a single day. If you click the Clear all 

button, this will also clear the date. 

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Time sheet reports 

To produce a time sheet report, first choose the type of time sheets that you require (current or 

archived), then use the filter options to display just the time sheets that you require. Press the Print 

button to produce a tabular report containing all of the time sheets currently displayed in the window 

with totals for hours, spray volume and kilograms of nut in shell. 

Recording jobs from timesheet entries 

Once you have entered time sheet details and filtered the entries to show only those ones you wish 

to see, you can then record that information as a job in the Job recording checklist. You can select 

entries to record by either: 

� Clicking on single entries 

� Clicking the Select all entries button to select all the entries shown 

� Holding down the Control key and clicking on the entries you want 

Once you have selected the entries you want, you can save these entries as a single job by clicking 

the Record selected entries as a job button. This will carry the relevant information (date, operation, 

location and labour) through to the Job recording checklist. You can then complete the rest of the 

Job recording checklist and click the Record button. 

Once you have recorded the job in the job recording checklist, the time sheet records associated 

with the job are archived. You can view these records by clicking the Archived time sheet button at 

the top of the Time Sheets window. 

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Variable costs 

In MacMan, you can record all of your expenses involved in macadamia production, similar to a 

cash book program. This is particularly useful in calculating and observing trends in your costs of 

production. 

Variable costs categories 

MacMan uses standard variable cost groups and categories within these groups to match the 

typical expenses incurred in managing a macadamia enterprise. These standard groups and 

categories are detailed in the Variable cost categories section of this manual. 

Adding a variable cost record 

To add a new variable cost record, click Variable costs in Inputs in Data entry on the main MacMan 

window then click the Add button. This will open the Variable costs window. 

An example of the Variable costs window is shown below. 

You can then record the following information: 

Farm 

Click the down arrow in the space next to Farm and select the relevant farm. 

Date 

Enter the date by either typing the date (eg 06/05/2004) in the space next to Date or using the date 

selector or clicking the Today button to enter today’s date. 

Cost group 

Click the down arrow in the space next to Cost group and select the relevant group. 

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Cost category 

Click the down arrow in the space next to Cost category and select the relevant group within the 

selected group. 

Click the New button to enter a new cost category. This will open the variable cost categories 

window. Add the new variable cost category to the relevant group and then click the Record button 

to return to the Variable costs window. 

Cost $ 

Type the amount of the expense in the space next to Cost. Do not add the $ symbol as MacMan 

will do that for you. 

Supplier 

Click the down arrow in the space next to Supplier and select the relevant supplier. 

Click the New button to enter a new supplier. This will open the Contacts window. Enter the new 

supplier (remember to click the supplier checkbox). 


This is optional. A reference number can be a transaction number or a receipt or invoice number 

or some other identifying number. 

Your notes 

Space is provided for you to record your own information about the cost. As in all sections of 


Templates 




button. The template will be loaded in the notes section. See the manual section on Notes 

templates for more information. 

To save the record you have just entered, click the Record button. 

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Adding multiple variable cost records 

You can also add multiple variable cost records at the one time. This is particularly useful when 

transferring summary values from heads of expenditure from an external cash book system. 

Select the Record multiple variable costs at once option in Recording in Preferences in Options in 

the menu on the main MacMan window. When you click Variable costs in Inputs in Data entry on 

the main MacMan window and then click the Add button, you will now open the Add multiple 

variable costs window. 

An example of the Add multiple variable costs window is shown below. 


Farm 

Click the down arrow in the space next to Farm and select the relevant farm. 

Date 

Enter the date by either typing the date (eg 06/05/2004) in the space next to Date or using the date 

selector or clicking the Today button to enter today’s date. 


This is optional. A reference number can be a transaction number or a receipt or invoice number 

or some other identifying number. 

Supplier 

Click the down arrow in the space next to Supplier and select the relevant supplier from the list. 

If you need to enter a new supplier click the New button. This will open the Contacts window. 

Enter the new supplier (remember to click the supplier checkbox). 

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Cost 

All the groups and their categories will be listed. Type in your cost for each of your relevant 

categories. Do not add the $ symbol as MacMan will do that for you. 

Notes 

Click the Notes button if you wish to enter any notes against any record for which a cost has been 

recorded. This will open the Your notes window for that particular record. You can click the 

Templates button if you wish to use a notes template. You can click the Print button if you wish to 

print the notes. 

Importing data 

You can import variable cost records from your cashbook program. Click the Import data button 

and this will open the Variable cost import facility. An example of the Variable cost import facility is 

shown below. 

You need to specify the file from which you wish to import data. The file from which you import your 

data must be a comma separated values (CSV) file. It must also be formatted as follows: 

Group name, category name, cost (for example Administration, Salaries, 12345). The $ symbols 

are optional. 

Once you have specified the file from which you wish to import your data, click the OK button. A 

message will tell you how many records were successfully imported and how many were rejected. 

You can view the error log to see the details of the rejected records. The most common reason for 

rejection is if there is not an exact match in the name of the group and category. You can either: 

� Accept the reasons for rejection (e.g. you may not wish the records to be imported as they 

may not be related to the macadamia business), 

� Correct the reasons for rejection (e.g. matching the names of the groups and categories) 

and trying again. 

Once you have completed adding or importing the multiple variable cost records, click the Record 

all button to save the records. 

117

Browsing variable costs 

You can browse through variable cost records by clicking Variable costs in Inputs in Data entry on 

the access tree on the main MacMan window and then clicking the Browse button. 

An example of the Variable Cost browser is shown below. 

The Variable costs browser will show your existing variable cost records in date order from the 

most recent to the oldest. You can limit the number of records you see in the summary table by 

filtering by: 

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� Farm 

� Group 

� Category 

� Supplier 

� Reference number 

� Year or date range that records must fall within 

As you change these display options at the top of the window, the table of records will be updated 

automatically.

Variable costs reports 

Once you have used the filtering options to select the required records, you can then produce 

different reports of these records to suit your different needs. You can select four types of report in 

variable costs. Click Report at the top of the Variable costs browser and then click the required 

report. 

Variable costs chart 

This will produce a bar chart of the filtered costs in the Variable costs browser. You can select to 

show relative costs by dollars or percentages. You can also select to view the costs arranged by 

variable cost groups or by individual categories. An example of the Variable costs chart is shown 

below. 

Variable costs details report 

This will produce a detailed report on the filtered costs in the Variable costs browser. 

Variable costs summary report 

This will produce a summary report on the filtered costs in the Variable costs browser. 

To print these reports, click the Print button in the Report preview window. 

Cost of Production report 

More information on this report can be found in the manual section on Reports. 

119

120


Chapter 4 

Outputs 

121

MacMan allows you to record information about your orchard outputs, including: 

122 

� Harvest yield details 

� Post-harvest handling information 

� Factory results 

These orchard output sections are opened when you click the”+” symbol next to Outputs in Data 

entry on the main MacMan window. In each of these sections, you can either add new records or 

browse existing records. 

The orchard output sections are linked using harvest and consignment codes to enable you to 

trace your nuts from the orchard to your customers. 

Harvest yield 

MacMan allows you to record and browse all your harvest yield details. This enables you to trace 

outputs from your operation and to compare the performance of your farms, blocks and plantings. 

Adding a harvest record 

To add a new harvest yield record, click Harvest yield in Outputs in Data entry on the main MacMan 

window and then click the Add button. This will open the Harvest apportioning window or the 

Harvest yield details window depending on which apportioning option you have selected. These 

options can be set in the Recording section in Preferences in Options in the menu at the top of the 

main MacMan screen. The Not apportioned option will be set by default when you first receive your 

copy of MacMan. 

You can also record harvest yield records direct from the Job recording checklist when you select 

Hand harvest or Machine harvest as the operation. 

Non apportioned harvest yield records 

This window is used to assign harvest yield records to a particular farm, block or planting. An 

example of a MacMan Harvest yield details window is shown below.

Date 

You can type in the date (eg 06/05/1999), use the date selector button, or if you wish to use today’s 

date, click the Today button. 

Harvest code 

You can either select from the existing list of harvest codes or create a new harvest code. Select 

from the existing list by first clicking on the space next to Harvest code to open the list. Scroll down 

until you find the correct harvest code and click it. 

To create a new harvest code, click the New button. This will open the Harvest codes window. 

From here you can create a new harvest code. Your new harvest code will be added to the list. For 

more information on harvest codes, see the Codes section in this manual. 

Farm 

Click the space to display the current list of farms. Select the relevant farm. 

Block 

If you have taken this harvest from a particular block, click the space to display the list of blocks 

available for the chosen farm. Select the relevant block. If the harvest was taken from more than 

one block and you know how much came from each, you can complete a Harvest apportioning 

window instead in order to reduce the data entry required. If the harvest came from more than one 

block and you don’t know how much came from each, leave the space blank. If you have already 

filled a block in the space, but decide it should be blank, click the Clear button. 

Planting 

If you have taken this harvest from a particular planting within a block, click the space to display the 

list of available plantings for the chosen block. Select the relevant planting. If the harvest was 

taken from more than one planting and you know how much came from each, you can complete a 

Harvest apportioning window instead. If the harvest was taken from more than one planting and 

you don’t know how much came from each, leave the space blank. If you have already filled a 

planting in the space and decide it should be blank, click the Clear button. 

Bearing trees 

MacMan will automatically calculate the number of trees for you from the farm, block or planting 

you have selected. You can adjust this if the harvest came from a different number of trees from 

that shown by typing the correct figure. 

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Variety 

You can either select the variety or let MacMan fill in the variety for you. To select a variety, click the 

space and it will open the variety drop down list. You may need to scroll up or down to find the 

variety. If the harvest has come from more than one variety, select Mixed. If the harvest has come 

from a variety not on the list, you can either select Other from the list or you can click the New 

button to add a new variety in the Varieties window. 

An example of the Varieties window is shown below. 

Type the name of the variety in the space and click the Add button. You can also delete custom 

varieties you have created by selecting a variety from the list and clicking the Delete button. Click 

the OK button to return to the Harvest yield records window when you have completed adding 

varieties. 

Estimated NIS harvested (kg) 

Type your best estimate in kilograms (not tonnes) of nut-in-shell harvested. (Note: This is nut-inshell 

and not nut-in-husk.) 


Select the employee in charge of the harvest from the drop down list. 

Machine (optional) 

Select the machine used for the harvest from the drop down list 

Nuts were hand harvested? (optional) 

You can tick the checkbox if you wish to record that the nuts were hand harvested. This may be 

useful to you in comparing the amount of nuts that have been hand harvested with the amount that 

have been machine harvested. 

Consigned as nut-in-husk? (optional) 

If you select the Yes button to say the nuts are being consigned as nut-in-husk, you can specify a 

consignment code and a customer from the drop down lists. You can also record a new consignment 

code by clicking the New button to open the Consignment codes window. 

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Your harvest notes 

Space is provided for you to record your own information about your harvest. As in all sections of 


Templates 






Once you have completed the harvest details, you can save them by clicking the Record button. 

Apportioned harvest yield records 

The previous window is used to assign harvest yield records to a particular farm, block or planting. 

You can also apportion a harvest yield amongst a number of farms, blocks and plantings using the 

Harvest apportioning window. 

This window can also be accessed in the Job recording checklist when you select hand harvest or 

machine harvest as the job category. 

An example of the Harvest apportioning window is shown below. 

Enter harvest as 

You have two options for entering your harvested nut in shell estimate. The first is to enter a total 

nut in shell estimate for all plantings and divide that estimate among those plantings using 

percentages. The second option is to choose the plantings first and then enter nut-in-shell kilogram 

estimates for each of those plantings directly. Check ‘%’ to choose the first option, or ‘Kg’ to 

choose the second option. 

Date 

You can type the date, use the date selector button or click the Today button to enter today’s date. 

Harvest code 

Click the space and select the harvest code from the drop down list or click the New button to open 

the Harvest codes window to record a new harvest code. 

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Est. NIS harvested 

If you have chosen to enter your planting harvest estimates as percentages, you should enter the 

total estimated nut in shell kilograms here. Ensure that you enter the weight in kilograms of nut-inshell 

(not nut-in-husk) harvested. If you chose to enter individual planting harvest estimates in 

kilograms, then this field will be disabled. As you enter estimates for individual plantings below, the 

total of the estimates for all plantings will be shown in this field. 


Select the employee in charge of the harvest from the drop down list. 

Machine (optional) 

Select the machine used for the harvest from the drop down list. 

Hand harvested? (optional) 

Click the checkbox if you wish to signify that the nuts were hand harvested 

Select plantings 

Click the Select plantings button to open the Farms/blocks/plantings selection window. Select the 

farm(s), block(s) or plantings to which this harvest applies and then click the OK button to return to 

the Harvest apportioning window. 

The selected plantings will be listed with the variety, total canopy base area, total number of trees, 

proportion of harvest and / or kilogram equivalent for each planting. 

If you chose to enter a total harvest estimate rather than individual planting estimates, then the 

calculated proportion of harvest is based on the relative proportions of canopy base area. You can 

adjust the proportions of harvest by typing the percentages you think more accurately reflects this 

harvest. When you hit the tab key, this will automatically adjust the kilogram equivalent. The 

proportion percentage totals need to add up to 100% before you can record the harvest. The total 

percentage is given at the bottom of the window. It will be in red if it doesn’t total 100% and the OK 

button will be disabled. 

If you chose to enter individual harvest estimates from each planting then the Kg equivalent fields 

will be enabled to allow you to directly enter the estimates for each planting. There is no need to 

balance any figures in this case, however only plantings against which a kilogram equivalent value 

is entered will be recorded. 

When you are satisfied with either the relative proportions of the harvest yield amongst the plantings 

or the individually entered kilogram estimates for each planting, click the OK button to save the 

harvest records. If you have opened the harvest yield recording window via the Jobs recording 

checklist, pressing the OK button will return you to the checklist. In this case, harvest details will 

only be recorded once the job is recorded on the checklist. 

126

Browsing harvest yield records 

You can browse harvest yield records by clicking Harvest Yield in Outputs in Data entry on the 

main MacMan window and then clicking the Browse button. This will open the Harvest yield browser 

window. 

An example of a Harvest yield browser window is shown below. 

This window will show your existing harvest yield records in date order from the most recent to the 

oldest. You can limit the number of records you see in the summary table by specifying: 

� Farm 

� Block 

� Planting 

� Harvest code 

� Variety 

� Employee 

� Method (hand harvested or machine harvested) 

� Machine 

� Year or date range that displayed records must fall within. 

As you change these display options at the top of the browser, the records displayed will be 

automatically filtered according to the options you have chosen. 

Adding a new record 

Click the Add button to add a new harvest yield record. This will open the Harvest yield window or 

the Harvest apportioning window (depending on which you have selected apportioned or nonapportioned 

in Preferences). Complete the details and click the Record button to save the new 

harvest information. 

127

Editing a record 

To edit an existing harvest yield record, click on the relevant record in the browser and click the Edit 

button. This will open the Harvest yield window showing the relevant record. Edit the details 

required and click the Record button to save your changes. 

Deleting a record 

To delete an existing harvest record, click on the relevant record in the browser and click the Delete 

button. MacMan will ask you to confirm this before deleting the record. You can also delete multiple 

harvest yield records by holding down the control key on your keyboard and selecting the relevant 

records with your mouse. You can then delete those selected records by pressing the Delete 

button. 

Clear all filters 

Click the Clear all filters button if you wish to clear all selected record filters. 

Selecting all records 

Click the Select all button to select all the filtered records in the browser. This is handy, for example, 

if you wish to adjust NIS yield estimates or delete multiple harvest records. 

Adjusting harvest yield records 

For most people, the quantity of nut-in-shell recorded in the harvest yield section of MacMan is an 

estimate. You can, if you wish, revise that estimate later in the season to produce a more accurate 

estimate of harvest yield. 

To adjust the figures for harvested yield of nut-in-shell if you wish, select the harvest yield record(s) 

you wish to adjust. You can click an individual record or select multiple records to adjust by holding 

the control key down on your keyboard and clicking with your mouse or click the Select all button. 

Click the Adjust NIS button and this will open the Revise your NIS estimate window. 

The existing NIS estimate will be prefilled. Type is either the revised NIS estimate or the percentage 

adjustment factor. MacMan will calculate the other figure. Click the OK button and MacMan will 

adjust the selected harvest records in the browser. 

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Harvest Reports 

When you have filtered your harvest yield records to show only the ones that you are interested in, 

you can produce a report of these records. Select Report from the menu at the top of the window 

and then click one of these options: 

Harvest detail report 

This will produce a preview report of the records you see in the browser. When you select this 

report, a window is shown allowing you to confirm and if necessary adjust both the number of trees 

and total hectares for the selected farm, block or planting from the harvest browser. When you are 

satisfied with these estimates, press the OK button to produce the report. The report includes the 

bearing trees, variety, estimated nut in shell harvested, employee, consignment code and customer 

(where relevant). The total weight of nut in shell harvested is displayed at the end of the report. The 

nut in shell harvested is also expressed as kilograms per tree and per hectare, based on the 

estimates provided in the first step. To print this report, simply click the Print button in the report 

preview window. 

Harvest summary reports 

These reports provide a summary of the total tonnes of harvested nut in shell, grouped either by 

farm, block or planting. 

Harvest yield chart 

This will produce a Harvest yield by variety bar chart. This chart is useful if you have recorded your 

harvest yields against varieties, or against plantings comprising single varieties. You can select to 

show the relative yields by weight or percentage. 

Harvest yield trend chart 

This will produce a trend chart showing total tonnes of nut in shell harvested per year. Possible 

filters include farm, block, planting, variety, harvest method, machine and year range. An example 

of this chart is shown below. 

You can also access the Delivery report and the combined outputs trend chart from the Harvest 

yield browser. More information on these reports can be found in the manual section on Reports. 

129

Post harvest handling 

MacMan enables you to keep records of all your macadamia orchard post harvest handling activities. 

This includes: 

130 

� Dehusking and sorting 

� Resorting 

� Transferring nuts between storage vessels 

� Dispatching nuts from storage to a customer 

Adding a post harvest handling record 

To add a new post harvest handling record, click Post harvest handling in Outputs in Data entry on 

the main MacMan window and then click the Add button. This will open the Post harvest handling 

window. You can also enter post harvest handling records direct from the Job recording checklist 

when you select Dehusk or sort or handle as the operation. 

An example of a MacMan Post harvest handling window is shown below. 

You can record the following information: 

Operation 

Select the appropriate post-harvest handling operation by clicking one of the four buttons. 

The middle and bottom of the Post-harvest handling window will change to reflect the selected 

operation. For each of the operations, you need to specify where the nuts have come from and to 

where the nuts are going. For dehusking and sorting, and for resorting, you can also record the 

sorting details if you wish.

Date 

You can type in the date (eg 06/05/1999), use the date selector button, or if you wish to use today’s 

date, click the Today button. 

Moisture (optional) 

Type in the percentage moisture content of the nuts if you know it. 

Farm (optional) 

Select the farm from the drop down list where the nuts are from. 


Select the employee responsible for the post harvest activity from the drop down list. 

Dehusking and sorting 

Enter the following details: 

Harvest code 

Click the space to open the drop down list and select the correct harvest code. 

NIS estimate pre-sort (kg) 

Type the amount of nut-in-shell in kilograms prior to sorting. 

Storage or dispatch 

Click the appropriate radio button to specify whether the nuts are being stored following dehusking 

and sorting or are being dispatched immediately without being stored. 

If you select Storage, enter the following details: 

Storage vessel 

Click the drop down arrow to open the list and select the correct storage vessel. 

NIS estimate post-sort (kg) 

This space will be pre-filled from the NIS estimate pre-sort. As you specify amounts that have been 

removed by sorting in Sorting details at the bottom of the window, these will also be automatically 

subtracted from this calculated field. 

If you select Dispatch, enter the following details: 


Click the space to open the drop down list and select the correct consignment code or click the 

New button to open the Consignment codes window and enter a new consignment code. 

Customer 

Click the space to open the drop down list and select the correct customer. 

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NIS estimate post-sort (kg) 

This space will be pre-filled from the NIS estimate pre-sort. As you specify amounts that have been 

removed by sorting in Sorting details at the bottom of the window, these will also be automatically 

subtracted from this calculated field. 

Sorting details 

Click the Yes button if you have: 

132 

� Removed the small nuts as part of the sorting operation (either through a trommel or 

some other method) 

� Water sorted the nuts 

� Visually sorted the nuts 

� Air sorted the nuts 

A space is available where you can record the amount of nuts removed by each sorting method if 

you record this figure in the shed. This will automatically be subtracted from the NIS estimate postsort 

calculated field. 

If you click Yes for water, belt or air sorting and record an amount sorted, the Enter Reject Analysis 

button becomes enabled in the bottom right corner of the window. You can now click this button to 

open the Sorting details window. This is optional. This window is used to record details of any 

reject analysis you might do as part of water, belt or air sorting. There will be columns in the sorting 

details window for each of the sorting methods where you have specified an amount. 

An example of the Sorting details window is shown below.

A sample of the nuts that have been rejected is usually taken and the percentages of categories of 

rejects calculated. Type the percentage of nuts that have been rejected during water, belt or air 

sorting for the following categories: 

� Bug damage (including spotting bug and green vegetable bug) 

� Macadamia nutborer 

� Discoloured/mould 

� Rat damage 

� Germinated 

� Mechanical damage 

� Open micropyle 

� Half nuts 

� Good nuts rejected 

� Immature 

� Other 

The total should equal 100%. You can also record any notes about the reject analysis. Click the 

Record button when you have completed the reject analysis to return to the Post harvest handling 

window. 

Your notes 

Space is provided for you to record your own information about your dehusking and sorting operation. 

As in all sections of MacMan, notes are optional. 

Templates 






Click the Record button when you have completed entering the details to record this operation. 

133

Resorting nuts 

Click Re-sort to open the Post harvest handling window for resorting nuts. An example of the Post 

harvest handling window for resorting is shown below. 

You can then enter the following information: 


Click the space to open the drop down list and select the correct storage vessel from which the 

nuts have come. 

NIS estimate pre-sort (kg) 

Type the amount of nut-in-shell in kilograms prior to sorting. 

Was the storage vessel emptied? 

Select Yes or No to signify whether the storage vessel has been completely emptied. 

Storage or dispatch 

Click the appropriate radio button to specify whether the nuts are being stored following dehusking 

and sorting or are being dispatched immediately without being stored. Complete these as for 

dehusking and sorting. 

Sort number 

Select the sort number from the drop down list. Sorting immediately following dehusking is usually 

regarded as the first sort and the first resort is regarded as the second sort. 

Sorting details 

Complete these as for dehusking and sorting. 

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Your notes 

Space is provided for you to record your own information about your resorting operation. As in all 


Templates 







Transferring nuts 

Click Transfer to open the Post harvest handling window for transferring nuts from a storage vessel 

to another. An example of the Post harvest handling window for transferring nuts is shown below. 




nuts have been transferred. 

NIS removed (kg) 

Type the amount in kilograms of nuts that are being transferred from this silo. 



135


Click the space to open the drop down list and select the correct storage vessel to which the nuts 

have been transferred. 

NIS stored (kg) 

This will be automatically pre-filled from the NIS removed figure. You can change this figure. 

Your notes 

Space is provided for you to record your own information about your transfer operation. As in all 


Templates 







Dispatch from Vessel 

Click Dispatch from Vessel to open the Post harvest handling window for dispatching nuts from a 

storage vessel to a customer. This does not include: 

136 

� Dispatching nuts immediately following harvest (which is entered in the Harvest yield 

window), or 

� Dispatching nuts immediately following dehusking and sorting (which is entered in the 

Post harvest handling window for Dehusk/Sort). 

An example of the Post harvest handling window for dispatch is shown below.




nuts have been dispatched. 

NIS removed (kg) 

Type the amount in kilograms of nuts that are being dispatched from this silo. 




Click the space to open the drop down list and select the correct consignment code or click the 

New button to open the Consignment codes window and enter a new consignment code. 

Customer 

Click the space to open the drop down list and select the correct customer. 

Your notes 

Space is provided for you to record your own information about your dispatch operation. As in all 


Templates 







Multiple post harvest handling records 

When you have added a new post harvest handling record for a date for which you already have a 

record, the Multiple post harvest handling record window will appear, as shown below. 

137

This is used by MacMan to determine the order of events for the records made on the one day. 

This ensures accurate figures for the amount of nuts in the Nuts in storage report. 

When the window opens you will see your last entered record highlighted. Click on the Up button 

or the Down button to move that record either up or down the list to get your records in the correct 

time order. Click the OK button when you have finished ordering your records to return to the Post 

harvest handling window. 

Browsing post harvest handling records 

You can browse post harvest handling records by clicking Post harvest handling in Outputs in Data 

entry on the main MacMan window and then clicking the Browse button. This will open the Post 

harvest handling browser window. 

An example of a Post harvest handling browser window is shown below. 

This will show your existing post harvest handling records in date order from the most recent to the 

oldest. You can limit the number of records you see in the summary table by using the drop down 

keys to specify: 

138 

� Operation (such as dehusk and sort, resort, transfer or dispatch) 

� Harvest code 

� Consignment code 

� Farm 

� Customer 

� From a certain storage vessel 

� To a certain storage vessel 

� Employee 

� Year or date range that displayed records must fall within

If you wish to see all dispatch records, including those dispatched direct from harvest or from the 

sorting belt, click the checkbox next to Show all dispatched. 

As you change these display options at the top of the Post harvest handling browser, the records in 

the browser will be automatically updated. 

The dates of the post harvest records are listed on the left of the browser. As you scroll through 

these dates, the details on the right side of the browser change to reflect the selected record. 


� The Details page will show you a summary of the details associated with the selected 

post harvest record, such as operation, consignment code, farm, employee, etc. 

� The Reject analysis page will show you the reject analysis results associated with the 

selected post harvest record. 

� The Notes page will show you any notes recorded for the selected post harvest record. 

Adding a record 

Click the Add button to add a new post harvest handling record. This will open the Post harvest 

handling window. Complete the details and click the Record button. 


Click on the relevant record in the browser and click the Edit button to change an existing record. 

This will open the Post harvest handling window showing the relevant record. Edit the details 

required and click the Record button. 


Click on the relevant record in the browser and click the Delete button to delete an existing record. 

MacMan will ask you to confirm this before deleting the record. 


Click the Clear all filters button if you wish to clear all selected record filters. 

139

Reports 

When you have filtered your post harvest handling records to show only the ones in which you are 

interested, you can produce a report of these records. Select Reports from the menu at the top of 

the window and then click one of these options: 

Dehusking/sorting report 

This will produce a preview report of your dehusking and sorting details. To print this report, click 

the Print button in the report preview window. 

Resort report 

This will produce a preview report of your resorting details. To print this report, click the Print button 

in the report preview window. 

Transfer report 

This will produce a preview report of your nut transfer details. To print this report, click the Print 

button in the report preview window. 

Dispatch from vessel report 

This will produce a preview report of the details of your dispatches from your storage vessels. To 

print this report, click the Print button in the report preview window. 

Shed reject analysis chart 

This will produce a pie chart showing sorting details. You can choose to view either rejects from 

belt sorting, water sorting, or air sorting and either measured in kilograms or as a weighted average. 

You can also produce this chart by clicking the coloured chart button at the top of the Post harvest 

handling browser. 

Shed reject summary chart 

This chart shows nuts rejects through belt, water and air sorting as well as small nuts rejected over 

multiple years. The total of all rejects is also shown for each year. 

Air reject analysis report 

This will produce a preview report of the air sorting details you see in the browser. To print this 

report, click the Print button in the report preview window. 

Belt reject analysis report 

This will produce a preview report of the belt sorting details you see in the browser. To print this 


Water reject analysis report 

This will produce a preview report of the water sorting details you see in the browser. To print this 


Combined reject analysis report 

This will produce a preview report of the combined belt, water and air sorting details you see in the 

browser. To print this report, click the Print button in the report preview window. 

140

Shed reject trend chart 

This will produce a chart showing annual shed rejects for a specific farm over a number of seasons. 

Rejects that can be shown on the chart include belt, water, air, small nuts and total reject. 

You can also access the Nut storage estimates report, the Pre-season delivery report, the 

Consignment delivery report and the combined outputs trend chart from the Post harvest handling 

browser. More information on these reports can be found in the manual section on Reports. 

Factory Results 

MacMan enables you to record the results of all your consignments to your customers. This 

includes your consignment details and unsound kernel reject analysis 


To add a new factory results record, click Factory results in Outputs in Data entry on the main 

MacMan window and then click the Add button. This will open the Factory results window. 

An example of a MacMan Factory results window is shown below. 

You can then add the following records: 

Date 

This is the date you consigned the nuts. You can either type the date (eg 06/05/2004) or use the 

date selector button or click the Today button to enter today’s date. 

Customer 

Click the drop down arrow in the space next to Customer to display the existing list of customers. 

Select the name of the relevant customer and click it. 

Grade 

You can select whether the consignment is premium or commercial grade. 

141

Farm consignment code 

This is the consignment code you have given to the nuts when you sent them to the customer. You 

can either select from the existing list of consignment codes or create a new consignment code. 

Select from the existing list by first clicking the drop down arrow in the space to the right of Farm 

consignment code to display the list. Scroll down until you find the correct code and click it. 

To create a new consignment code, click the New button. This will open the Consignment codes 

window. You can then create a new consignment code. This code will be added to the Consignment 

code list. You can then select that code from the list. For more information on consignment codes, 

see the section on Codes in the manual. 

Customer code/test number 

If the customer who receives your nuts gives the consignment a code (such as an identification 

number), type it here. 

Farm (optional) 

Select the farm from which the consignment came, from the drop down list. 

Consignment details 

Weight of NIS delivered (kg) 

Type the weight in kilograms (not tonnes) of nut-in-shell delivered to the customer. This is the 

weight of nuts at the delivery moisture content (not at 10% moisture content). 

Moisture content (%) 

Type the percentage moisture content of the delivered nut-in-shell. 

NIS Weight at 10% (kg) 

Type the weight in kilograms (not tonnes) of nut-in-shell delivered to the customer at 10% moisture 

content. 

Price per kg $ 

If this figure is available, type the price per kilogram returned to you by the customer. It is important 

for your own benefit that you are consistent whether you record a gross figure or a net figure. 

1 st grade (%) 

Type the percentage of first grade kernel in the consignment if this figure is available. 

Gross return 

If this figure is available, type in the gross return for the consignment. It is important for your own 

benefit that you are consistent whether you record a gross figure or a net figure. 

Sound kernel % 

Type the percentage of the consignment that is sound kernel. MacMan will automatically calculate 

the percentage of the kernel that is sound kernel and the weight in kilograms of sound kernel in the 

consignment (based on a kernel moisture content of 1.5%). 

142

Commercial (optional) % 

If the customer also reports a percentage commercial kernel recovery, you can type this figure in 

the space provided. MacMan will automatically calculate the percentage of the kernel that is 

commercial kernel and the weight in kilograms of commercial kernel in the consignment (based on 

a kernel moisture content of 1.5%). 

Unsound Kernel % 

Type the percentage of the consignment that is unsound kernel. MacMan will automatically calculate 

the percentage of the kernel that is unsound kernel and the weight in kilograms of unsound kernel 

in the consignment (based on kernel moisture content of 1.5%). 

Shell 

MacMan will automatically calculate the percentage of shell and other extraneous matter by 

subtracting the sum of the sound and unsound kernel from the total (100%). 

Kilograms of kernel (Sound, commercial and unsound)l 

If your processor provides kernel weights you can enter those weights in these boxes. If your 

processor does not provide these weights, MacMan can calculate them for you when you press 

the Calculate button. 

Unsound kernel reject analysis 

Click Unsound kernel reject analysis to open this page. An example of this page is shown below. 

You can enter your figures for unsound kernel reject analysis either so they add to 100% or so they 

add to the total unsound kernel percentage, depending on how your customer provides your results. 

MacMan will automatically convert the two systems. 

143

Type the percentage figures for the unsound kernel that was rejected for the following reasons: 

144 

� Insect damaged 

� Mouldy 

� Discoloured 

� Internal discolouration 

� Immature 

� Germinated 

Notes 

Click Notes to open the notes page. Space is provided for you to record your own information 

about your consignment results. As in all sections of MacMan, notes are optional. 

Templates 






Click the Record button once you have completed the factory results details. 

Browsing factory results records 

You can browse factory result records by clicking Factory results in Outputs in Data entry on the 

main MacMan window and then clicking the Browse button. This will open the Factory results 

browser window. 

An example of a Factory results browser window is shown below.

This will show your existing factory results records in date order from the most recent to the oldest. 

You can limit the number of records you see in the summary table by using the drop down keys to 

specify: 

� Customer 

� Farm consignment code 

� Farm 

� Grade (premium or commercial) 

� Year or date range that displayed records must fall within 

As you change these display options at the top of the Factory results browser, the table will be 

automatically updated. 

The dates of the factory results records are listed on the left of the browser. As you scroll through 

these dates, the details of the right side of the browser change to reflect the selected record. 


� The Details page will show you a summary of the details associated with the selected 

factory results record, such as farm, factory consignment number, farm consignment 

number, etc. 

� The Reject analysis page will show you the reject analysis results associated with the 

selected factory results record. 

� The Notes page will show you any notes recorded for the selected factory results record. 


Click the Add button to add a new factory results record. This will open the Factory results window. 




This will open the Factory results window showing the relevant record. Edit the details required 

and click the Record button. 





Click the Clear all filters button if you wish to clear all filter selections. 

145

Reports 

When you have filtered your factory results records to show only the ones that you are interested 

in, you can produce a report of these records. Click Report at the top of the window and then select 

the report you require. 

Factory results report 

You can either select to have your rejects expressed as totalling 100% or expressed as totalling the 

unsound reject percentage depending on how you prefer your reject figures presented. This will 

produce a preview report of the records you see in the table. To print this report, click the Print 

button in the report preview window. 

Factory results trend chart 

An example of the Factory results trends chart is shown below. 

You can decide what results are included in the trend chart by filtering on: 

146 

� Farm 

� Customer 

� Grade 

� Start and end years

You can also decide which of the following you wish to see by ticking the relevant checkboxes: 

� Tonnes of nut-in-shell (at 10% moisture content) 

� Tonnes of sound kernel (at 1.5% moisture content) 

� Tonnes of commercial kernel (at 1.5% moisture content) 

� Tonnes of unsound kernel (at 1.5% moisture content) 

� Sound kernel recovery% 

� Commercial kernel recovery % 

� Unsound kernel recovery % 

You can also produce this chart by clicking the coloured chart button at the top of the Factory 

results browser. 

To print this report, click the Print button in the Factory results trend window. 

You can also access the Pre-season delivery report, the Consignment delivery report and the 

AMS statistics report from the Factory results browser. More information on these reports can be 

found in the manual section on Reports. 

You can also access the Pre-season delivery report, the Consignment delivery report, the AMS 

statistics report and the combined outputs trend chart from the Factory results browser. More 

information on these reports can be found in the manual section on Reports. 

147

148


Chapter 5 

Monitoring 

149

MacMan allows you to record information about your orchard monitoring, including: 

150 

� Pest and disease monitoring 

� Leaf and soil analyses 

� Water quality 

These monitoring sections are opened when you click the “+” button next to Monitoring in Data 

entry on the main MacMan window. With each of these sections, you can either add new records 

or browse existing records. 

Pest and disease monitoring 

Adding pest and disease monitoring records 

To add a pest and disease monitoring record, first click Pest and disease monitoring in the main 

MacMan window and then click the Add button. This will open the Pest monitoring records window 

as shown below. 

You can also add pest and disease monitoring records direct from the Job recording checklist 

when you select Pest and disease monitoring as the operation. 

You can then add the following details: 

Date 

You can either type the date (eg 06/09/2004) or use the date selector to the right of the space or 

click the Today button to enter today’s date. 

Location 

Click the Set button. This will open the Farms/Blocks/Plantings selector window. Select the relevant 

farms, blocks or plantings to which this monitoring record refers. 

Spray 

Tick the spray checkbox if a spray has been recommended as a result of this pest monitoring 

result.

Reference number (optional) 

Type the reference number if the pest scout has provided one with the monitoring results. 

Items to clear after recording 

If you are entering multiple monitoring records, it can be useful to keep parts of a record instead of 

having to re-enter them each time. MacMan will keep the date, location and pest results between 

records by default. If you wish to clear any of these between records, click the relevant checkboxes. 

Pest 

Tick the checkboxes next to the pests monitored. They will be added to the centre section of the 

window. The checkbox to signify whether the pest is present will be ticked by default. Click the 

checkbox to remove the tick if the pest is absent. If an activity level has been provided by the pest 

scout (either as a percentage or as a rating), you can either type the figure in the space provided or 

select the number from the drop down list. 

Click the Clear all button if you wish to clear all the pest results. 

If any of the pests (or beneficial insects) being monitored are not on the list, click the Add new 

pests button. This will open the Pest details window. Add the pest and when you shut this window, 

the pest will be added to the list. 

Notes 

Space is provided for you to record your own information about the pest or any action taken. As in 

all sections of MacMan, notes are optional. 

Once you have entered pest monitoring results, you can record these results by clicking the Record 

button. 

Browsing pest and disease monitoring records 

You can browse pest and disease monitoring records by clicking Pest and Disease monitoring in 

the main window and then clicking the Browse button. This will open the Pest records browser. 

An example of the Pest records browser is shown below. 

151

You can limit the number of records you see in the browser: 

152 

� by specifying the pest 

� by selecting records from a certain farm, block or planting 

� or by specifying a year or date range that displayed records must fall within 

As you change these display options at the top of the Pest records browser, the records will be 

automatically updated. 

The dates of the monitoring records are listed on the left of the browser. As you scroll through 

these dates, the details on the right side of the browser change to reflect the selected record. 


� the Pests page will show you if the pest is present or absent and the activity level for the 

selected monitoring record. 

� the Locations page will show you the location where the monitoring was done for the 

selected monitoring record. 

� the Notes page will show you any recorded notes for the selected monitoring record. 


Click the Edit button on the appropriate page if you wish to edit a record. For example, click the 

Edit pests button in the Pests page if you wish to edit the target pests results. This will open the 

Pest monitoring window. Edit the results and click the Record button to return to the browser. 


Click the Add button to add a new pest monitoring record. This will open the Pest monitoring 

records window. Complete the details and click the Record button. 




Reports 

When you have filtered your pest and disease monitoring records in the summary window to show 

only the ones in which you are interested, you can produce a report of these records. Click Report 

at the top of the window and then click Pest monitoring report. This will produce a preview report 

of the records you see in the table. To print this report, click the Print button in the report preview 

window. You can also produce pest monitoring reports based on location and target pest by 

selecting either the Pest monitoring location report or the Pest monitoring target report. 

You can also access the Weather, pest and spray overlay chart in the Pest records browser. More 

information on this report can be found in the manual section on MacMan reports.

Leaf and soil monitoring 

Adding records 

To add a leaf or soil analysis record, first click Leaf analyses or Soil analyses in the main window 

and then the Add button. This will open the Leaf analyses window or Soil analyses window as 

shown below. 

You can also add leaf and soil monitoring records direct from the Job recording checklist when you 

select Leaf and soil monitoring as the operation. 

You can then add the following details: 

Laboratory used 

This is the laboratory that analysed the sample. Click the drop down arrow to display the list of 

laboratories. When you select the laboratory, the blank results page for that laboratory will be 

shown. 

Date 

This is the date the sample was taken. You can either click the Today button to enter today’s date 

or type the date (eg 06/09/2004) or use the date selector to the right of the space. 

Locations 

Click the Set button to open the Farm/block/planting selector window. Select the farms, blocks 

and/or plantings relevant to the result and click the OK button. 

Results 

Type your results in the spaces provided. Green coloured boxes will be automatically calculated. 

Optimum levels for this laboratory 

If you click on the tab at the top of the Optimum levels for this laboratory page, a blank results page 

will also be displayed. You can then type in your optimum levels for analyses conducted by this 

laboratory. 

153

Notes 

If you click on the Notes page, you can enter notes about the soil or leaf analysis. 

Once you have completed these details, you can record the analysis by clicking the Record button. 

Browsing leaf and soil analysis results 

You can browse leaf and soil analyses results by clicking Leaf analysis or Soil Analysis on the main 

MacMan window and then clicking the Browse button. This will open a Leaf analysis results or Soil 

analysis results browser. 

An example of a Leaf analysis results browser is shown below. 

You can select the records you wish to see by specifying the following: 

Laboratory 

Click in the space next to Laboratory to display the drop down list. Select the relevant laboratory 

from the list. 

Farm, block and planting 

Select the appropriate farm, block or planting to which the analysis refers. 

Dates 

Select all dates, a particular date range or a year that records must fall within. 

As you change these display options at the top of the browser, the records will be automatically 

updated. 

The dates of the monitoring records are listed on the left of the browser. As you scroll through 

these dates, the results on the right side of the browser change to reflect the selected record. 

154


� the Results page will show your nutrient levels and the optimum levels for the selected 

record. 

� the Locations page will show you the locations where the monitoring was done for the 

selected record. 

� the Notes page will show you any recorded notes for the selected record. 


Click the Edit button on the appropriate page if you wish to edit a record. For example, click the 

Edit results button in the Results page if you wish to edit the results. This will open the Soil 

analysis window or Leaf analysis window. Edit the results and click the Record button to return to 

the browser. 


Click the Add button to add a new soil or leaf analysis record. This will open the Soil analysis 

window or Leaf analysis window. Complete the details and click the Record button. 




155

Reports 

When you have filtered your leaf or soil analysis results to show only the ones in which you are 

interested, you can produce a report of these results. Click Report in the menu at the top of the 

window and click Analysis report. This will produce a preview report of the records you see in the 

table. To print this report, click the Print button at the top of the report preview window. 

Leaf and soil analysis charts 

MacMan enables you to graph the results you have entered for one or more nutrients. An example 

of a Soil analysis chart is shown below. 

Click the checkboxes next to the elements you wish to graph. Once you select an element, the 

results for that element will be displayed as a trend in the right side of the window. 

You can either choose to see the graph in a 3D display and/or to print the graph. You can select 

one or both of these options if desired. 

If you click the Print button, a print preview report will be displayed. You can adjust the page 

orientation, the margins and the detail in the print preview. To print this report, click the Print button 

in the print preview window. 

156

Water quality 


To add a water quality record, first click Water quality in Monitoring in Data entry on the main 

MacMan window and then click the Add button. This will open the Water quality window. An 

example of a MacMan Water quality window is shown below. 

You can then enter the following records: 

Farm 

Select the relevant farm from the drop down list to which this water quality record belongs. 

Water source 

Select the water source from the drop down list to which this water quality record belongs. 

Date 

This is the date the sample was taken. You can either click the Today button to enter today’s date 

or type the date (eg 06/05/2004) or use the date selector button to the right of the space. 

157

Results 

You can enter the following results if they are available: 

158 

� pH 

� Conductivity 

� Chloride 

� Sodium 

� Bicarbonate 

� Nitrate 

� Boron 

� Residual alkali (RA) 

� Sodium Adsorption Ratio (SAR) 

Many laboratories conduct a range of other analyses. The results of these can be recorded in the 

notes section. 

It is important to record the laboratory that conducted the water quality testing in the notes section. 

Some laboratories use different units for measurement. Consistency is important if you wish to 

make valid comparisons. 

Your notes 

Space is provided for you to record your own information about your water quality analysis (such 

as the name of the laboratory and any other important analysis results). As in all sections of 


Click the Record button to record this water quality analysis once you have completed entering the 

details. 

Browsing water quality analysis results 

You can browse water quality analyses results by clicking Water quality on the main MacMan 

window and then clicking the Browse button. This will open a Water quality browser window. 

An example of a Water quality browser window is shown below.

You can then select the records you wish to see by specifying the following: 

Farm 

Select the relevant farm from the drop down list. 

Water source 

Select the relevant water source from the drop down list 

Dates 

You can select all dates, a date range or a particular year that you wish to see records fall within. 

As you change these display options at the top of the browser, the table will be automatically 

updated. 

Click the Clear all filters button if you wish to clear all date or customer selections. 

Click the Hide filters button if you do not wish to see these record filters at the top of the window. 

Click the Add button to add a new water quality record. This will open the Water quality window. 



This will open the Water quality window showing the relevant record. Edit the details required and 

click the Record button. 



Reports 

To produce a report of your water quality records, click Reports at the top of the Water quality 

window and then click Water quality report. This will produce a preview report of the records you 

see in the table. To print this report, click the Print button at the top of the report preview window. 

159

160


Chapter 6 

Environment 

161

The environment section comprises weather records and growth cycle information. These are 

opened when you click the “+” button next to Environment in Data entry on the main MacMan 

window. With each of these sections, you can either add new records or browse existing records. 

Weather records 

In the weather records section you can record rainfall, minimum temperature, maximum temperature, 

relative humidity, cloudy days and other important climatic information. Weather records can be 

kept for each of your farms. 


To add a weather record, first click Weather records in the main window and then the Add button. 

This will open the Weather details window as shown below. 


Farm 

Select the relevant farm from the drop down list to which this weather record belongs. 

Date 

You can either click the Today button to enter today’s date or type the date (e.g. 06/05/2004) or use 

the date selector button to the right of the space to select the date or use the up and down arrows 

to move the date backwards and forwards. 

162

Weather details 

You can then type in the following details if they are known: 

� Rainfall 

� Relative humidity 

� Minimum temperature 

� Maximum temperature 

Cloudy? 

Tick the Yes or No button if you wish to record that the day was cloudy or not. 

Notes 

Space is provided for you to record your own notes about the weather. Notes are optional as in all 

sections of MacMan. 

Templates 




button. The template will be loaded in the notes section. See the manual section on Notes 

templates for more information. 

Click the Record button to record these details when you have completed entering the information. 

Browsing weather records 

You can browse weather records by clicking Weather records in the main window and then clicking 

the Browse button. This will open the Weather records browser. 

An example of a Weather records browser is shown below. 

This will show your existing weather records in date order from the most recent to the oldest. 

163

You can then limit the records you see in the summary table by using the dropdown keys to 

specify: 

164 

� Farm 

� Year, month or date range that displayed records fall within 


updated. 


Click the Add button to add a new weather record. This will open the Weather details window. 




This will open the Weather details window showing the relevant record. Edit the details required 






Click the Clear all filters button if you wish to clear all selections. 

Hide filters 

Click the Hide filters button if you do not wish to see these record filters at the top of the window.

Reports 

To produce a report of the weather data, click on Reports at the top of the window and then click 

Weather report. This will produce a preview report of the records you see in the browser. To print 

this report, simply click the Print button in the preview report window. 

Weather chart with seasonal overlays 

MacMan enables you to graph one or more years of weather data you have entered. To produce a 

report of your weather data, click on Reports at the top of the browser window and then click 

Weather chart with seasonal overlays. You can also produce this chart by clicking the coloured 

chart button at the top of the Weather records browser. 

An example of a Weather records chart is shown below. 

You can then select the following details: 

Farm 

Select the farm from the drop down list whose records you wish to graph. 

Years 

All the years for which there are records for the selected farm are shown. Tick the checkboxes 

next to the years you wish to select. Once you have selected one or more years in the list you will 

notice the graph to the right displaying the year(s) you have selected. 

Rainfall, relative humidity, minimum or maximum temperature 

Select whether you wish to graph rainfall, relative humidity, minimum or maximum temperature by 

clicking the relevant radio button. Rainfall will be selected by default. 

165

Monthly, weekly or daily scale 

The graph may be viewed on a monthly, weekly or daily scale. Select the scale you want by 

clicking the relevant radio button. 

If you select Daily, a box will open to enable you to select a month. Click the down arrow to display 

the months and then click the correct month. The graph will show the daily rainfall summary for 

that month. 





in the print preview window. 

Weather chart with pest and spray overlays 

You can also access the Weather chart with pest and spray overlays in the Weather records 

browser. More information on this report can be found in the manual section on Reports. 

Beaufort Scale 

The Beaufort scale is used for calculating wind speed. The Beaufort scale is easy to use if you 

don’t have any instruments to measure wind speed. It relates quite well to km/hr as shown in the 

table. 

Here is a guide to using the Beaufort scale to record your wind speed. 

166

Growth cycles 

The growth cycles section allows you to record and graph data about important growth events for 

different varieties, years and farms. This includes information such as flowering, premature nut 

drop, mature nut drop and leaf flush timing and intensity. 


To add a growth cycles record, first click Growth cycles in the main window and then the Add 

button. This will open the Growth cycles window as shown below. 


Date 

You can either click the Today button to enter today’s date or type the date (e.g. 06/05/2004) or use 

the date selector button to the right of the space to select the date. 

Farm 

Select the relevant farm from the drop down list to which this growth cycle record belongs. 

Variety 

Select the relevant variety from the drop down list to which this growth cycle record belongs. 

Event 

Select the relevant growth cycles event from the drop down list. It can be either Flowering, Leaf 

flush, Mature nut drop or Premature nut fall. 

Stage 

Select the relevant stage of the growth cycle from the drop down list. Select from Start, Peak or 

End. 

Intensity 

Select the intensity of the stage from the drop down list from 0 to 100% or you can type in your own 

figure. 

Click the Record button to record these details when you have completed entering the information. 

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Browsing records 

You can browse growth cycle records by clicking Growth cycles in the main window and then 

clicking the Browse button. This will open the Growth cycles browser. 

An example of a Growth cycles browser is shown below. 

This will show your existing growth cycle records in date order from the most recent to the oldest. 

You can then limit the records you see in the summary table by using the drop down keys to specify 

the following: 

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� Farm 

� Variety 

� Event 

� Stage 

� Year or date range that displayed records fall within 


updated. 

Click the Clear all filters button if you wish to clear all selections. 

Click the Add button to add a new growth cycles record. This will open the Growth cycles window. 



This will open the Growth cycles window showing the relevant record. Edit the details required 



MacMan will ask you to confirm this before deleting the record.

Reports 

To produce a report of your growth cycle data, click Reports at the top of the Growth cycles browser 

and then click Growth cycle report. This will produce a preview report of the records selected by 

using the filter options in the browser. To print this report, simply click the Print button in the 

preview report window. 

Growth cycle chart 

MacMan enables you to graph your growth cycles by farm, variety and year. To graph a growth 

cycle, first click the coloured chart button in the Growth cycles browser. An example of a Growth 

cycles chart is shown below. 

You can then set the following options: 

Farm 

Click the down arrow to display the drop down list. Select the desired farm by clicking it. 

Variety 

Click the down arrow to display the drop down list. Select the desired variety by clicking it. 

Year 

Use the up and down arrows to find the desired year. 

You can choose to see the graph in a 3D display and/or print the graph. You can select one or both 

these options if required. 



in the print preview window. Note: The colours used on the graph may not appear distinctive if 

printing on a black and white printer. Use colour if available. 

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Legend 

The legend at the bottom of the chart shows which colours are used to represent each growth 

event. You can change the colours used in Preferences in Options in the main MacMan menu. 

Select the Colours page and then click the colour you wish to change. This will display all possible 

colours. Click the colour you want and then click the OK button. When you are satisfied with the 

colours, click the OK button in Preferences and this will return you to the main screen. 

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Chapter 7 

MacMan 

Reports 

171

MacMan Reports 

One of the features of the MacMan farm recording software is the ability to produce a wide range of 

reports. A number of standard report formats have been developed to display the selected data. 

These include both tabular and graphical reports. The graphical reports include a number of highly 

visual bar and pie charts that enable you to see and compare important information at a glance as 

well as see trends over time. 

Reports in MacMan can either be accessed: 

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� via the main menu at the top of the main screen (for reports applicable to more than one 

section of MacMan) or 

� via the menu at the top of specific windows (for reports applicable to a specific section of 

MacMan). 

The reports accessible via the main menu are described here in detail. There are many other 

reports that are accessible via specific sections in MacMan. These reports are described in their 

relevant chapter. The reports accessible via the main menu are: 

� Pre-season delivery report 

� Consignment delivery report 

� Cost of production report 

� NIS storage estimates report 

� Weather, pest and spray overlay chart 

� Leaf and soil monitoring chart 

� Summary reports 

� Reminders report 

� AMS statistics report 

� Combined outputs trend chart

Pre-season delivery report 

The Pre-season delivery report is designed to meet the needs of your customers with regard to 

information concerning food safety and nut quality issues. Many processors require either a MacMan 

generated or manually completed delivery report at the start of the season before accepting any 

consignments. The Pre-season delivery report has been designed in MacMan to match the report 

in the Macadamia Industry Approved Supplier Program 

Click Pre-season delivery report to open the Pre-season delivery report generator window as shown 

below. 

You can then enter the following details (use the down arrow to scroll through the report generator): 

Name of grower 

Type the name of the grower 

Name of business 

Type the name of the business. This is optional 

Name of farm 

You can select either all farms or one specific farm. 

Trace back to 

You can either type the date or use the date selector button to specify the date that you wish to 

trace your records back to. For example, you may wish to trace your records back to the end of the 

last harvest season. 

Find applied chemicals 

Click the Find applied chemicals button to trace the chemicals applied since the specified date. 

This includes pesticides, herbicides and vermin control products. 

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Find applied fertilisers 

Click the Find applied fertilisers button to trace the fertilisers applied since the specified date. 

Find applied other chemicals 

Click the Find applied chemicals button to trace any other chemicals applied since the specified 

date. 

Are all chemical applications recorded? 

Tick the checkbox if this is correct. 

Are chemicals applied by someone who holds a farm chemicals users certificate? 

Tick the checkbox if this is correct 

When was the equipment last calibrated? 

Type the date or use the date selector button to specify the date the application equipment was 

last calibrated. 

Is animal manure used? 


Do domestic animals graze in the orchard? 


What method of NIS storage is used? 

Tick the relevant checkboxes of the methods of nut-in-shell storage that you use. If you select 

Other, specify the system that you use. 

Drying system used? 

Tick the relevant checkboxes if you use heating, humidity control or a time clock for drying nut-inshell. 

If you select Other, specify the system that you use. 

Are the storage silo/bins/racks etc cleaned before the commencement of the new season? 


Is there a pre-harvest clean-up program? 


Are the recommendations of the Macadamia Industry Code of Sound Orchard Practices adopted 

and followed? 


Is there a commitment to adopting quality and food safety principals and systems? 


Comments 

Type any relevant comments 

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Name of grower’s authorised person stating that this is a true and accurate record 

Type the name of the authorised person. 

Date 

Type the date or use the date selector button to specify the date of the report. 

When you have completed the details, click the Print button and MacMan will generate a Print 

preview of the Pre-season delivery report. To print this report, simply click the Print button at the 

top of the report preview window. The report can then be signed. 

Consignment delivery report 

The Consignment delivery report is designed to meet the needs of your customers with regard to 

information concerning food safety and nut quality issues. Many processors require either a MacMan 

generated or manually completed delivery report to accompany each consignment. This enables 

them to decide how to best handle the consignment when they receive it to satisfy their customers’ 

requirements. The Consignment delivery report has been designed in MacMan to match the 

report in the Macadamia Industry Approved Supplier Program 

Click Consignment delivery report to open the Delivery report generator window as shown below. 

You can also access the Consignment delivery report via the Harvest yield, Post-harvest handling 

and Factory results browsers. 

You can then enter the following details: 

Set the search period for the report 

You can either type the date or use the date selector button to specify the date from which you wish 

to search to search for records. You can then use the down arrow to select a set time frame to 

search back to, or if you select Specify date, you can either type the date or use the date selector 

button. Some processors require management records (eg sprays applied) since the last harvest 

round. 

Select the consignment code to trace 

Select a consignment code from the list. 

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Trace history of the nuts 

Click the Trace history of the nuts button to trace the relevant records associated with the 

consignment code or the vessel for the specified time frame. 

The details of the management history will be shown on the right of the window, including: 

� Storage vessels used 

� Harvest codes of nuts in the consignment 

� Varieties in the consignment 

� Locations where the nuts in the consignment originated 

� Chemicals applied to nuts in the consignment 

You can use the “+” button to add vessels, varieties or chemicals, or the “-“ button to remove 

vessels, harvest codes, varieties, locations or chemicals. 

Click the Next button to proceed to the next page of the delivery report. You can then enter the 

following details: 

Date of consignment 

Type the date or use the date selector button to specify the date of consignment of the nuts. 

Your name 

Check the name is correct and change it if necessary. 

Your address 

Check the address is correct and change it if necessary. 

Harvest round 

Type the harvest round(s) or click on the up or down arrows to select the harvest round from which 

these nuts have come. 

Time between harvesting and dehusking 

Type the maximum time in hours between harvesting and dehusking nuts in this consignment. 

Time on the ground 

Type the maximum time in weeks that nuts in this consignment have been on the ground prior to 

harvest. 

Domestic animals grazing in the orchard 

Click Yes if domestic animals (eg sheep, cattle) graze in any part of the orchard from which nuts in 

this consignment were harvested. Otherwise click No. If you click Yes, MacMan will ask you how 

long between the removal of the animals and the harvest of the nuts. 

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Click the Next button to proceed to the next page of the delivery report. You can then enter the 

following details: 

Water sorting 

Click Yes if any of the nuts in the consignment have been water sorted. Otherwise click No. If you 

click Yes, MacMan will ask you if you know the NIS moisture content at the time of water sorting. 

Type the moisture content if you know it. 

Small nuts removed 

Click Yes if small nuts (

Cost of production report 

The Cost of production report comprises all of the costs you record in MacMan. These can include 

all job costs (labour, machinery, chemicals and contract costs) as well as variable costs (from the 

variable costs section). 

An example of the Cost of production report generator is shown below. 

The following steps should be followed when producing a cost of production report. 

1. Select a location and date range 

The first step in producing a cost of production report is selecting the location. This can be your 

whole enterprise (multiple farms if relevant), or a specific farm, block or planting. When you select 

a location, MacMan will calculate the area of that location in hectares by analysing the canopy 

dimensions and spacings for each planting in the selected location. This figure is used in the 

report to convert total costs to costs per hectare. You can override the hectare calculation if you 

wish. 

You can also select a date range. For example you may want to compare the cost of production for 

a farm for this season, then compare the results with the previous season. Use the date selectors 

to select a date range or just select an entire calendar year using the year selector. MacMan will 

also calculate the tonnes of NIS harvested for the selected location for the selected time frame. 

You can also override the tonnage calculation if you wish. 

2. Select the job costs to include in the report 

Job costs that can be included in the cost of production report include: 

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� Labour 

� Contract costs 

� Chemicals 

� Machinery

You can select which of these costs you want included in the report. There may be occasions 

when you do not wish to include all of these costs in the report. For example, if you are recording 

machinery operating costs in the Variable costs section, you may not wish to include machinery 

costs from the Jobs section. 

3. Select the variable costs to include in the report 

You can include any number of variable costs in the cost of production report by selecting from the 

list of available headings in the list shown. These headings match the ones you use in the Variable 

costs section, including any custom cost categories you have created yourself. 

Many people keep these types of cost in a separate cashbook program and choose simply to 

transfer a summary figure for each major head of expenditure on a regular basis (eg every 3 

months) in order to produce the cost of production report in MacMan. 

For example, to generate a cost of production report for financial year 2002/2003, print a report 

from your cashbook showing a summary for each head of expenditure for that year, then enter just 

the summary figure into the MacMan Variable costs section (eg. record each summary value on 

the same date within the year, such as 30/06/2003, and create a note to describe where the values 

came from). By selecting a date range of 31/07/2002 to 30/06/2003, you can have these summary 

expenditure values included in the Cost of production report in MacMan. 

CAUTION: To avoid duplication of cost entries in the report, make sure you do not include the 

same cost from both the Variable costs section and the Jobs section. 

Variable costs are recorded in MacMan against farms, so if you select a location for the report that 

is less than a whole farm, you will also need to decide how you want the proportion of the actual 

costs to be calculated. If you wish, you can still select actual amounts to be displayed, however 

most people are likely to want only proportions of the total costs to be displayed. These proportions 

can be calculated for the selected location in the following ways: 

� By the number of trees 

� The total canopy base area 

� Land area (based on tree x row spacings) 

Although the differences between each method can be subtle, you can adjust the results slightly 

by changing one of these options. For most people, calculating proportions according to the 

number of trees is a good starting point, particularly if the trees in the orchard are of a uniform age 

and receive similar management. 

Once you have selected the options above, you are ready to produce the cost of production report. 

When you have completed these details, click the Print button and MacMan will generate a Print 

preview of the Cost of Production report. To print this report, simply click the Print button at the top 

of the report preview window. 

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NIS storage estimates report 

This report provides a current balance estimate of the nut-in-shell in each of your storage vessels 

and the date each of your storage vessels was last emptied. These estimates are calculated from 

your records in the Post-harvest handling section in Outputs in MacMan. 

An example of the Nut storage estimates window is shown below. 

To see the estimated current balance in your storage vessels, tick the relevant boxes on the left 

hand side. The vessel, its current estimated balance and date on which it was last emptied will be 

displayed on the right hand side. A graph showing the relative balances in each storage vessel is 

also displayed. 

Weather, pests and spray overlay chart 

This report provides you with a picture of what is happening in your orchard with regard to pest and 

disease management. It enables you to overlay your weather (rainfall, relative humidity, maximum 

and minimum temperature) data with your pest monitoring results and your spray events. You can 

filter the results by farm, block or planting or by year or date range. 

An example of the Weather, pests and spray overlay chart is shown below. 

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You can chart rainfall, relative humidity, maximum temperature and/or minimum temperature by 

clicking the relevant checkboxes. 

You can also chart the activity levels of up to five pests for which you have monitoring records by 

clicking the relevant checkboxes. 

You can also chart spray events for up to five chemicals by clicking the relevant checkboxes. You 

can choose to see the chart in a 3D display and/or print the chart. You can select one or both these 

options if required. 

If you click the Print button, a print preview of the report will be displayed. You can adjust the page 


in the Print preview window. 

Leaf and soil results charts 

MacMan enables you to graph of the leaf and soil analysis results you have entered of one or more 

nutrients. An example of a Soil analysis chart is shown below. 

Select the laboratory whose results you wish to chart. Click the checkboxes next to the elements 

you wish to select. Once you select an element, the results for that element will be displayed as a 

trend in the right side of the window. 



If you click the Print button, a print preview of the report will be displayed. You can adjust the page 


in the Print preview window. 

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Reminders report 

This report contains a list of the reminders you have entered in the Reminders section on the main 

MacMan window. Click the Print button in the print preview of the Reminders report to print the 

report. 

AMS statistics report 

This report provides the information required by the Australian Macadamia Society for its annual 

census. This includes: 

182 

� The numbers of trees of different varieties and ages and tree spacings 

� The production in tonnes of NIS at 10% moisture content for the last 4 years plus the 

estimate for the current years production 

An example of the AMS statistics report is shown below. 

You can then complete the following details: 

Farm 

If there is more than one farm, select the relevant farm from the drop down list 

Owner’s name 

This will be prefilled from the Farm Information window. You can change this if you wish. 

Manager’s name 


Farm address 


State 

This will be prefilled from the Farm Information window. You can change this if you wish.

Postcode 


Year to forecast 

The current year will be selected by default. You can use the Up and Down arrows to change the 

year. 

Production forecast 

Type your production forecast (in tonnes nut-in-shell @ 10% moisture content) for the selected 

year. 

Click the Look up statistics button to fill the Tree information table, the Previous production table 

and the Production trend chart. The data in the Tree information table is taken from the planting 

details. You can use the the buttons at the top of the table to add, edit or delete information in the 

table. The data in the Previous production table and the Production trend chart is taken from the 

Factory results browser. 

Click the Print button to produce a print preview of the report. Click the Print button in the Print 

preview window to print the report. 

Combined outputs trend chart 

This chart combines information from all of the major outputs sections, including harvest, postharvest 

handling and factory results. The chart can be produced from the browsers in each of 

these sections. 

Total tonnes of nut in shell harvested and delivered to the factory are shown on a yearly basis, along 

with tonnes of sound, unsound and commercial nut in shell. Tonnes of kernel are also shown 

(delivery, sound, unsound and commercial). Rejects are also available for overlay on this chart, 

either as a total of both shed and factory rejects , or as individual reject percentages (shed, unsound 

and commercial). As rejects are exressed as a percentage of total nuts, it is possible to specify 

either harvested nut in shell, delivered nut in shell (@10%) or sound nut in shell (@ 10%). 

Filter options for this chart include farm and year range. 

183

Building your own reports 

All major sections of MacMan include reports that you can use to summarise and print the information 

you record. The MacMan custom report designer is a feature that has been designed for those 

users who may wish to design and build their own custom reports. 

This feature has been designed for advanced users who have some knowledge of databases and 

report creation, to construct and save their own customised report layouts. As this is an advanced 

feature in MacMan, it can only be viewed by ticking the See advanced features in menus preference 

on the advanced page of the preferences window (see Options | Preferences in the main MacMan 

menu). 

To begin, select Reports, Build your own report from the main MacMan menu. You will need to read 

the conditions of use and press the I agree button if you wish to continue. The report manager 

window that appears allows you to create both custom reports and folders to keep them in. 

To create a new custom report, select the New Report button on the tool bar. A designer window 

will appear, within which you can design your report. 

If you wish to include records you have saved in MacMan in your report, you will first need to 

establish rules for the type of data to include and how that data should be displayed. To do this, 

select the Data page in the report designer window, then select File, New from the menu. A data 

dictionary has been included in this section to give you access to all of the major records stored in 

MacMan. 

You can access these records for inclusion in your report by one of two methods: 

184 

� The Query wizard will take through a series of steps to allow you to select tables, fields, 

calculations as well as specifying data groupings, search criteria, and sort orders. 

� The Query designer is a more flexible and more advanced method of selecting all of the 

data options associated with the report. 

In either case, the end result is a structured query language (SQL) statement that can be used in 

conjunction with the report. When you have defined one or more valid data queries, these will be 

displayed in the data window. You can then return to the design window and begin constructing 

your report by dropping controls from the toolbar on to the relevant sections, or bands, in the report. 

You can also set properties for each control you include on the report from the toolbar at the top of 

the design window.

To preview your new report, select the preview window. This will show you how the report will 

appear when you run it. When you have finished designing your report, you can save it (File, Save 

from the menu), selecting an appropriate name and folder into which to store the report template. 

To preview custom reports that you have built, select the Print preview button from the tool bar. You 

can also use the report manager window to manage your custom reports and folders. 

E-mailing reports and charts 

All MacMan reports and charts can easily be mailed electronically via e-mail. MacMan can create 

a new e-mail message using your default e-mail software and automatically attach the report or 

chart to the new message. Once connected to the Internet, all you then have to do is address and 

send the e-mail. 

E-mailing tabular reports 

When tabular reports are produced in MacMan, they are shown in a report preview window (see 

figure). 

185

Using the buttons on the toolbar at the top of this preview window, the report can be sent to a 

printer, exported to a file, or attached to an e-mail message. If you wish to e-mail the report in the 

preview window, simply press the e-mail button on the tool bar (next to the print button). A new email 

message will be created using your default e-mail client software (eg Outlook, Eudora etc). 

The report in the preview window will be included in the e-mail message as a file attachment in 

PDF (Acrobat * ) format. The e-mail subject will also be pre-filled to indicate which MacMan report is 

being sent however you can override the subject if you wish. To send the e-mail message, enter 

the e-mail address of the person you wish to send it to (in the ”To” box) and then press the “Send“ 

button (or equivalent). 

* The Acrobat reader is freely available as a download from the Adobe web site. 

E-mailing charts 

To e-mail a MacMan chart, first produce the chart, then from the chart’s window, press the e-mail 

button. 

As with tabular reports, a new e-mail will be created with the chart included as an attachment, this 

time a JPG (JPEG) file. As with tabular reports, the e-mail subject will be pre-filled to indicate which 

MacMan chart is being sent and you can change the subject if required. To send the e-mail message, 

enter the e-mail address of the person you wish to send it to (in the “To” box) and then press the 

Send button (or equivalent). 

186

Exporting reports and charts 

Both tabular and graphical reports in MacMan can be exported to a range of file types. This allows 

reports to be shared with others and opened or edited in other applications. 

MacMan tabular reports can be exported to several common file formats, including Adobe Acrobat 

portable document format (.pdf), Microsoft Excel (.xls), Rich Text Format (.rtf), HTML files and 

XHTML files. This is done by printing the report from the preview window, ticking the Print to file box 

and choosing the file format required and the location in which to save the report. 

MacMan charts can be exported to a range of graphical file formats including Bitmap (BMP), JPEG 

(JPG) and Metafile (EMF), as well as a range of data file formats including Text (TXT), Excel (XLS), 

HTML and XML. To export a chart, double click any part of the chart, select the Export option on the 

window that appears and then choose the format required and click the Save button to create a file 

(or the Send button to attach the file to a new e-mail message). 

187

Archiving reports 

If you select Print to file, you can also select to archive tabular reports. MacMan will provide a 

default archive location but you can specify a different location if you wish. 

You can also view previously archived reports. Click Report archive in Reports on the main menu 

to view the Report archive window. An example of the Report archive window is shown below. 

You can select the archive location or use the default path. Click on the required archived report in 

the right of the window and click the Load button to view the report. 

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Other reports 

There is a wide range of other reports and charts applicable to specific sections in MacMan. These 

reports and the sections in which they are found are listed below. Where notes can optionally be 

printed with a report, it is marked with an asterisk (*). 

Farm information 

Farm summary report * 

Tree number by variety chart 

Block summary report * 

Planting summary report * 

Employees 

Employee report * 

Contacts 

Contacts report * 

Machinery 

Machinery report * 

Pests 

Current pest report * 

Current pest with pictures report * 

Entire pest list report * 

Chemicals 

Current product storage report * 

Product storage inventory 

Jobs 



(summarised by operation) 


(summarised by chemical) 

Job cost report 





(summarised by employee) 





(summarised by machine) 











Elemental analysis report 

Spray diary * 

Irrigation report 

Job labour analysis chart 

189

Variable costs 

Variable costs chart 

Variable costs details report * 

Variable costs summary report 

Harvest yield 

Harvest report * 

Harvest yield chart 

Post-harvest handling 

Dehusking and sorting report * 

Resorting report * 

Transfer report * 

Dispatch from vessel report * 

Reject analysis chart 

Belt reject analysis report * 

Water reject analysis report * 

Air reject analysis report * 

Combined reject analysis report* 

Shed reject trend chart 

Factory results 


(with rejects expressed as totalling 100%) 


(with rejects expressed as totalling unsound 

kernel %) 

Factory results trend chart 

190 

Monitoring 

Pest monitoring report * 

Pest monitoring location report 

Pest monitoring target report 

Leaf and soil analysis report 

(for each laboratory) * 

Leaf and soil analysis chart 

(for each laboratory) 

Water quality report * 

Environment 

Weather report * 

Weather chart with seasonal comparisons 

Growth cycle report 

Growth cycle graph


Chapter 8 

MacMan Tools 

191

MacMan Tools 

MacMan includes a number of tools that have been designed to save you time and to ensure that 

the information you record is safe and valid at all times. 

These tools include: 

192 

� A backup facility 

� A restore facility 

� A facility to backup your data and send it to the MacMan team 

� Access to the MacMan and the Australian Macadamia Society web sites 

� A facility to download the latest version of the MacMan software from the MacMan website 

� An electronic mail service 

� A job archive facility 

� Planting update reminders 

� A calculator 

� A facility to repair data 

Backup facility 

MacMan includes a facility that makes it easy for you to take backup copies of the information you 

record in MacMan. It also includes a facility to enable you to restore information. There are many 

reasons why keeping a remote backup copy of your records is a good idea. These include helping 

to safeguard against theft, fire, fusion and other forms of data corruption. 

To use the backup facility in MacMan, select Backup your MacMan data files from the Tools menu 

on the main MacMan window.

This will open the Backup your MacMan data files window, which looks like the screen below. 

Select the destination path for data files 

When backing up, you can select where the backup files should be saved. 

By default, MacMan will suggest backing up your data to your A: drive. However, you can change 

this path if you wish. Generally speaking, if you are unsure, you should accept the MacMan 

default. 

For most people, it is a good idea to backup your files to a floppy disk or a CD so you can 

store the backup away from your computer (such as in another room or even better, another 

address). 

Start Backup 

If you are backing up to a floppy disk or CD burner, you should insert a disk in your floppy drive or 

a CD in your CD drive now. Once you are happy with backup destination (or have just accepted 

the MacMan default), click Start Backup to go ahead and backup your data files. 

Only MacMan data files will be copied by the MacMan backup facility. The backup facility will 

compress all of your MacMan records into a single file. The name of this file will match your 

MacMan serial number, with an extension of .001. If necessary, MacMan will split the backup file 

to span several storage media (eg floppy disks). If this is required, the backup file extensions will 

be numbered .001, .002, .003 etc. 

When the backup is complete, MacMan will display a message like the one below. It will also 

display a warning if for any reason the operation did not finish. 

193

Restore facility 

To use the restore facility in MacMan, select Restore your MacMan data files from the Tools menu 

on the main MacMan window. 

Note: When you restore files, the program will over-write any data files it finds in your copy of 

MacMan, so don’t use the restore program to add new files to your copy of MacMan unless you 

intend to replace any existing files of the same name. 

This will open the Restore your MacMan data files window, which looks like the screen below. 

Select the source and destination path for the data files 

When restoring, you can select from where the data files should be restored and to where they 

should be restored. 

In both cases, MacMan will suggest paths both of these. However, you can change any or all of 

these paths if you wish. 

Generally speaking, if you are unsure, you should accept the MacMan defaults. The default options 

restore your data files from your A: drive to your original path. You should choose Other path if 

data you are restoring came from another computer or a different location to your MacMan data 

files. 

Start Restore 

If you are restoring from a floppy disk, you should insert a disk in your floppy drive now. Once you 

are happy with the above options (or have just accepted the MacMan defaults), click Start Restore 

to go ahead and restore your data files. 

The restore facility will warn you that you may be about to overwrite any existing data files in your 

restore path. Select Yes to continue if you are sure you want to go ahead. 

When the restore operation is complete, MacMan will display a message like the one below. It will 

also display a warning if for any reason the operation did not finish. 

194

Note: If you have been sent data files as an attachment to an electronic mail message, you will 

need to save the files before restoring them in MacMan 

Setting backup reminders 

MacMan can remind you to backup your records. It does this by counting the number of times the 

program has run since your last backup and reminding you to backup if you exceed a certain 

number (which you can set). 

Set backup reminders by selecting the Options menu on the main MacMan window and select 

Preferences. Open the Reminders page, as shown below, to set whether you want a backup 

reminder. 

If you tick the Remind me to backup my files checkbox, you can then use the up and down arrows 

to set the frequency of reminders. The reminder frequency is set by default to 5 program runs. 

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Backup and send your data to the MacMan team 

This facility is designed to make it easier to send your data to the MacMan team for participation in 

a best practice group. You can also use this facility to share data with others who may wish to 

review your data, such as a remote owner or consultant. 

To use this facility, select Backup & send your data to the MacMan team from the Tools menu on 

the main MacMan window. This will open the Backup and send MacMan data window. An example 

is shown below. 

This facility will automatically take a backup of all of your MacMan data, attach it to one or more emails 

(as required) and send it to the e-mail address you specify. 

When you first enter this section, MacMan will check your computer settings and try to fill as many 

of the boxes as possible. You will need to check the following sections and enter information in 

them if required: 

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� Your full name: This is so that we can identify you from the e-mail you send. 

� Your return e-mail address: This is useful in case we need to contact you, for example to 

confirm that we have received your data. 

� The e-mail address to send your data to: If you are sending your data to the MacMan team, 

this will be macman@dpi.qld.gov.au. If you wish to send your data to another user, enter 

that person’s e-mail address here. 

� Mail host: This is the name of the server through which you send your e-mail to your 

Internet Service Provider (ISP). Normally, your ISP will give you this information when you 

subscribe to their connection service. If you do not know the name of your service provider’s 

mail server, please contact your service provider directly. The MacMan team also maintains 

a list of mail servers used by popular Internet Service Providers, so you can also contact 

us for assistance if required. 

� User ID: Normally this field should be left blank. If however you normally must enter a user 

ID to read your e-mail, you can enter that user ID here if required. Generally you should 

only need to do this if advised by your service provider or the MacMan team. 

� Port: Normally this will be 25. Under rare circumstances, your service provider or a member 

of the MacMan team may advise you to change this value if necessary. 

Once you have entered your settings, they will be retained for future use.

You must be connected to the Internet before you can send your data. If you normally must dial a 

phone number to connect to your Internet Service Provider, do so now. When you are connected 

to the Internet, the status bar at the bottom of the window will show a green box with the words 

“Connected to Internet”. If the Send button is active, simply press it to send your data. 

The time required to send your data will depend on how many records you have in MacMan. If your 

backup file is too large to attach to a single e-mail, it will be split into sections and attached to 

multiple e-mails. The status bar at the bottom of the window will indicate when your data is being 

sent. A message will also be displayed when transmission of your data is complete, however this 

only provides an indication of when MacMan has transmitted your data to your e-mail program. If 

you are using a dial-up connection to the Internet, it is important that you remain connected long 

enough to allow your e-mail software to transmit all of your data to your Internet service provider. 

The network connection status lights in your Windows tray will cease to light up when all of your 

data has been transmitted. 

MacMan and AMS Web sites 

Select Go to MacMan web site or Go to AMS web site from the Tools menu on the main MacMan 

menu. If you are connected to the internet, this will take you to the selected web site. 

Download latest version 

You can download the latest version of MacMan from the internet via the Tools menu on the main 

MacMan menu. You need to be connected to the internet to do so. 

You can use this facility to download minor updates to MacMan (eg 1.5.0.0 to 1.5.0.1, or 1.5.0.2 or 

1.5.0.3 etc.) Major updates, such as version 1.4 to version 1.5 will generally be provided to you on 

CD. 

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Electronic mail service 

If you have an Internet connection from your computer, you can send electronic mail (otherwise 

known as e-mail) from MacMan. This service is included in MacMan to give you a quick and easy 

way of sending e-mail while running MacMan. 

Select Send e-mail or edit e-mail addresses from the Tools menu on the main MacMan window. 

This will open the E-mail contact list window as shown below. 

Click the New button to add new e-mail contacts in the New email contact window as shown below. 

Type the details and click the Save button to save them. 

If you wish to edit the e-mail details of a contact, click the name in the space below Contacts in the 

E-mail contact list window and then the Properties button. This will open the New email contacts 

window with the details of the selected contact. Edit the details and click the Save button to save 

these edited details. 

Click the relevant contact in the E-mail contact list window and then the Forward arrow to add a 

name to the send e-mail list. Click the OK button and you can send e-mail in the normal way. 

Job archive facility 

This facility is designed to enable people with a large number of job records to archive some or all 

these records or restore these records if they wish. This is an advanced feature and is only 

available when selected in the Advanced section in Preferences. Please consult with a member of 

the MacMan team before using this facility and always ensure that your have a current back up 

first. 

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To use the facility, select Archive jobs from the Tools menu on the main MacMan window. This will 

open the Jobs archive facility window as shown below. 

Click the Change path button if you wish to select an archive path different to the specified archive 

location. This will open the MacMan network data path window as shown below. 

Select the location where you wish to archive your records and click the OK button. 

You can then select whether you wish to: 

� Move records to the archive or restore records from the archive, and 

� Move all records or those of a certain date range (eg previous years). 

Once you have made these selections, click the Archive job records or the Restore job records 

button. 

If you wish to clear the Job archive, click Tools at the top of the Job archive facility window and then 

click Clear the job archive. MacMan will ask you to confirm that you wish to completely empty the 

current jobs archive before proceeding. 

Note that archived job records will not be included in future data backups, so you must ensure the 

security of your archive files yourself. 

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Planting update reminders 

The planting update reminder is a facility built into MacMan that will monitor the age of your planting 

measurements. If the measurements entered are more than 12 months old, the reminder facility 

will highlight those plantings whose measurements need updating. 

The planting reminder can either check your planting records automatically each time MacMan 

runs, or you can run the reminder yourself by selecting Planting update reminder from the Tools 

menu on the main MacMan window. This will open the Planting update reminder window as shown 

below. 

The reminder facility can either take you directly to the planting whose measurements need updating 

by clicking the Update planting button or you can click the No changes required button if no changes 

are required. 

Click the Select all button and then the No changes required button if no changes are required to all 

plantings displayed. 

If you prefer to have the reminder facility check your plantings automatically when MacMan runs, 

you can set this preference by selecting Options in the main MacMan window then Preferences 

and then selecting the Reminders page. By default, this preference is on when you install MacMan. 

Note: The reminder facility uses your computer’s clock to determine whether your measurements 

are more than 12 months old, so it is important that your computer’s clock is accurate. The date 

MacMan uses to determine the age of your planting measurements is not visible in any MacMan 

window. It does not use the planting date as an indicator. 

You can close the planting reminder window without updating your plantings by clicking the Close 

button. However, if you have selected the automatic reminder preference, you will be reminded to 

update your planting measurements the next time MacMan runs. 

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Calculator 

To help you check rates or calculate volumes while recording jobs, MacMan can launch the calculator 

that is supplied with Microsoft Windows. To open the calculator, select Calculator from the Tools 

menu on the main MacMan window. As the calculator is a separate program to MacMan, you can 

leave it open and switch back and forth between MacMan and the calculator as required. 

Data repair facility 

This facility is designed to enable people to repair their own data. 

It may become necessary to repair your data files if, for example your computer loses power while 

MacMan is running, in which case temporary indexes that the program maintains may become 

corrupted. If this happens, you may notice error messages appearing when you open certain 

sections of the program. The repair facility allows you to select specific sections of the program 

and repair any tables as required. You should generally consult with a member of the MacMan 

team for advice before repairing your data. 

To open the data repair facility, select Repair data from the Tools menu on the main MacMan 

window. This will open the Table repairer window as shown below. 

Select the sections where repairs are required by clicking the relevant checkboxes next to the 

headings in the space below Select section(s). You can then click the Repair button to run the data 

repair for the selected sections. Messages in the right side of the window will show the tables that 

have been successfully repaired. When tables are successfully repaired, a green tick will appear 

beside their name in the list. A red cross will appear if a table could not be repaired. Please contact 

the MacMan team for assistance if required. 

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Chapter 9 

Customising 

MacMan 

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Program preferences 

MacMan preferences are accessed through Options in the main menu. You need to click the OK 

button after you have selected a preference to save it. 

NOTE: Clicking the Cancel button or closing the window by clicking the “x” button in the far right 

corner will cancel any changes you have made to your preferences. 

General preferences 

The General page of the MacMan preferences window is shown below. 

General preferences include the following: 

Sound 

If you turn the sound on you will hear an audible beep whenever there is a program error or whenever 

a message pops up. 

Help 

The Popup hints will appear when you point to a command on the window with your mouse pointer. 

The hint will give you a clue about the function of the button or section you are pointing to. 

Web site addresses 

The web sites for the Australian Macadamia Society and for MacMan are shown. These are linked 

to Go to MacMan web site and Go to AMS web site under Tools in the main menu at the top of the 

main MacMan window. When you click either of these tools, it will take you to the selected web site. 

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Recording preferences 

The Recording page of the MacMan preferences window is shown below. 

Recording preferences include the following: 

Job reference number 

Click the top checkbox if you want to record a job reference number when entering new job records. 

A field for a job reference number will then be shown in the Job recording checklist and the 

Timesheets window. A reference number can be useful for tracing jobs, particularly where they are 

split over a number of days. 

Specify employees 

The checkbox will be selected by default. Click the checkbox to deselect it if you do not wish to 

specify employees when recording jobs. You may not wish to select employees if, for example, 

you are the sole worker or it does not matter who did the job. 

Items to clear between recorded jobs 

You can select whether you wish to clear date, operation, labour, location, machinery and /or notes 

between recording jobs on the job checklist. You may decide to retain some of these items between 

recording jobs if you are recording a batch of jobs. 

Variable cost recording 

You can record multiple variable cost entries at once. This is particularly useful when transferring 

summary values from heads of expenditure in an external cash book program. 

Harvest recording 

You can select whether you wish harvest yield records to be apportioned amongst farms, blocks 

and plantings selected or to be not apportioned. If the records are not apportioned, they are assigned 

to a particular farm, block or planting. The Not apportioned option will be selected by default. 

Confirmation when recording 

This will display a confirmation message each time a major record is saved (eg jobs, harvests, 

variable costs etc). 

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Browsing preferences 

The Browsing page of the MacMan preferences window is shown below 

Automatically refresh browsers 

This preference is selected by default when you first load MacMan. If it is not checked, browsers 

will not refresh data until the Refresh button is clicked. When refresh buttons are present in browsers, 

you will not see your data displayed in the browser until you click the refresh button. This gives you 

the opportunity to set any number of filter options within browsers before requesting your data. This 

can improve performance where large numbers of records exist or where MacMan is running on a 

slow computer or network. 

Menu settings 

If this box is checked, browsers rather than data entry windows will be launched when an item is 

selected from the Data entry or the Jobs access trees (e.g. by double clicking with your mouse or 

by pressing the Enter key). 

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Reminders preferences 

The Reminders page of the MacMan preferences window is shown below. 

Reminder preferences include the following: 

Data backup 

You can set whether you wish to be reminded to backup your MacMan data files. This preference 

is set by default. You can also set the frequency of program runs of those reminders. This is set 

by default to remind you to backup your data files after 5 program runs. 

Planting details 

This will automatically warn you to update your planting measurements such as canopy size after 

an interval of twelve months since the last update. An example of the Planting update reminder 


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Pop-up task reminders 

Click this checkbox if you wish to see pop-up task reminders when you run MacMan. An example 

of the pop-up reminders is seen below. 

Future reminders 

Click this checkbox if you wish to set future reminders when recording jobs. A field for setting future 

reminders will then be shown in the Job recording checklist. 

Colour preferences 

The Colours page of the MacMan Preferences window is shown below. 

Program colour scheme 

Enhanced windows colours will be set by default. Selecting enhanced colours in MacMan will 

provide colour coding in the browsers, background colours in checklists and trend and pie charts, 

and operation icons in the job recording checklist and browser. 

Chart colour scheme 

MacMan includes ten pre-defined chart colour schemes. Simply select one of the schemes shown 

in the drop-down list. A preview of the colour scheme will be displayed on the chart to the right. All 

charts in MacMan will use the selected colour scheme. 

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Reports preferences 

The Reports page of the MacMan Preferences window is shown below. 

Print notes 

Click this checkbox if you wish to have any notes you have recorded in MacMan printed with your 

reports. 

Show text search tools 

Click this checkbox if you wish to include searching tools in the report preview windows. These 

searching tools allow you to find specific text within the report. 

Report header information 

Type the name, address etc that you wish to see appear in the header of your reports. You have 

the option of recording different report headings if you manage several farms with different details. 

You can also click the Set button to include a logo in the reports. 

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Advanced preferences 

The Advanced page of the MacMan Preferences window is shown below. 

Saving of changes to disk immediately 

This may prevent data loss if frequent power interruptions are experienced by saving data changes 

to your hard disk when you close a window. 

Auto-backup when closing 

This will automatically backup your data to your local hard drive each time MacMan closes. 

Advanced features in menus 

Select this preference if you wish to see advanced features in MacMan menus (e.g. in the Tools 

menu). Advanced menu features are shown with an “A” symbol beside them. 

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Chapter 10 

Managing 

multiple 

enterprises 

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MacMan allows you to manage data for multiple enterprises. While it is possible to include multiple 

farms in a single set of data, there are sometimes compelling reasons for keeping data from 

specific farms or groups or farms separate from other data. This can be done in MacMan by 

creating a separate enterprise for each dataset that you wish to keep. By creating multiple 

enterprises, it is possible to keep all of the records for each of those enterprises completely separate 

from each other. 

When multiple enterprises are useful 

Consultants or managers who manage farm records for several owners can keep owner’s data 

separate by creating an enterprise for each one. This is particularly useful where a manager 

wishes to share data with one or more of those owners, as all data associated with an enterprise 

is completely separate from other enterprises and therefore can easily be sent to individual owners. 

An enterprise can contain all of the information normally found in MacMan, including multiple farms, 

blocks and plantings, jobs, harvest records, factory results and so on. 

Some macadamia businesses include additional operations that are not directly related to the 

management of the orchard, such as contracting services or nurseries. By creating a separate 

enterprise fro these aspects of the business, managers can keep these records separate from the 

records associated with the farm itself. 

Working with enterprises 

If you wish to work with multiple enterprises, you will need to display the enterprise selection tool 

bar on the main MacMan window. You can do this by selecting View then Enterprise tool bar from 

the main MacMan menu. When this menu item is ticked, an extra tool bar will appear at the top of 

the main MacMan window. 

You can use the drop-down list on this tool bar to select any of your active enterprises. When an 

enterprise is selected from this list, MacMan closes the currently open enterprise and opens the 

new enterprise. The name of the selected enterprise will be displayed on the enterprise tool bar 

and also in the title of the main MacMan window. 

Each time MacMan opens, it attempts to load the previously selected enterprise. If this enterprise 

is no longer available, the program will revert to the default enterprise. 

When MacMan is first installed, the default enterprise (named “default”), is created automatically 

for you. Most users will normally just use this default enterprise for all of their MacMan records, 

however for those who wish to have more than one set of MacMan records, additional enterprises 

can be created as follows. 

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Creating a new enterprise 

To create a new enterprise, go to the setup page on the main MacMan window and open the 

Enterprises section. You can create, update or delete enterprises using the window that appears. 

To create a new enterprise, press the “+” button on the toolbar. There are four elements to an 

enterprise that must be described as follows: 

Enterprise name 

This is a name that you give to an enterprise. You can use up to 30 characters to name your new 

enterprise. This name will appear on the enterprise tool bar on the main MacMan window and you 

will use this name to identify the enterprise. 

Folder where files are located 

Each enterprise is associated with a set of data files that hold your records. In this box, you need 

to enter the folder in which these files can be found. This can either be a folder on your computer 

or a shared folder on a local area network. If you already have a set of data files that you wish to 

connect to, enter the folder in which those files can be found. If you are creating a new enterprise, 

use the folder button at the right of the box to choose a folder in which you wish to create a new set 

of data files for the enterprise and MacMan can create a new set of blank data files in that folder. If 

necessary, you can create a new folder from within the window that appears. 

Note: Always create a separate folder for each new enterprise and do not store your 

enterprise in the same folder as your MacMan program (eg C:\Program files\MacMan). 

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Any spare folder can be used to store an enterprise, however to make management of your MacMan 

files easier, the following guidelines are recommended: 

Using multiple enterprises on a single computer 

Assuming MacMan was installed to the default location on your computer, the default enterprise 

path will be C:\Program files\MacMan\Data. If you wish to create additional enterprises, it is 

suggested that you create a new folder for each additional enterprise beneath the MacMan folder. 

For example: 

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Enterprise: Nursery Folder: C:\Program files\MacMan\Data\Nursery 

Enterprise: Contracting Folder: C:\Program files\MacMan\Data\Contracting 

Using this structure, the MacMan backup facility can still be used to create separate backups of 

each enterprise, but all MacMan data can easily be backed up or burned to a CD for example, 

simply by selecting the data folder and each of its sub-folders. 

Creating multiple enterprises on a local area network 

Although MacMan is not designed for intensive file sharing, some simple file sharing facilities do 

exist for those who have a local area network or peer-to-peer network. In either case, enterprises 

can be created in shared folders and accessed by more than one copy of MacMan. Simultaneous 

use is not recommended under these circumstances. 

For peer-to-peer file sharing, enterprises should be established on the shared hard drive as per the 

guidelines for a single computer above. For those with a dedicated file server, create a shared 

folder on the server (eg {Server}\MacMan) and then create folders beneath this folder for each new 

enterprise required. For example: 

{Server}\MacMan\Nursery 

{Server}\MacMan\Farm 

{Server}\MacMan\Contracting 

On the Enterprise management window, use the folder button to the right of the Folder where files 

are located box to select and if necessary create a new folder for your new enterprise. If you have 

selected a folder in which no MacMan data files currently exist, you will be asked if you would like to 

create a new blank set of data files in this folder. If you are happy to continue, press the Yes button 

and a new blank enterprise will be created. 

Serial number 

Each MacMan data set is encoded with a serial number. This serial number is provided to each 

registered MacMan user and printed on the spine of your MacMan CD. You are also prompted to 

enter this serial number when installing MacMan. 

Warning: Records in MacMan are encoded with your serial number. You must enter the correct 

serial number in order to work with records in MacMan. Please ensure that the serial number you 

enter when creating a new enterprise is correct. You also should not change the serial number of 

an existing enterprise as this can cause some records to be unavailable within MacMan. If a serial 

number has been incorrectly assigned and you wish to change it, please contact the MacMan 

team for assistance.

If you are creating a new enterprise that is associated with the same business that you registered 

the MacMan software against, the serial number is the same as the one that was provided with 

your MacMan CD. By pressing the Default button to the right of the serial number box, this serial 

number will be automatically loaded for you. 

If you are creating a new enterprise to work with a set of data from another registered MacMan 

licence, then you should enter the serial number that matches that licence. The example below 

demonstrates when this may be necessary. 

Example: A consultant wishes to manage records on behalf of three different macadamia farm 

owners. Under the conditions of the MacMan licence agreement, each separate business must 

have its own licence, so each owner will require a licence, as well as the consultant. The consultant’s 

default MacMan enterprise will be coded with his or her serial number. When creating a separate 

enterprise for each of the three owners, the consultant should enter the serial number assigned to 

each of those owners in the relevant enterprise. This way, these records can be shared with those 

owners if required. 

If the folder you specify for the enterprise already contains MacMan data files, the program will 

attempt to fill the serial number box by reading the serial number coded within those data files. 

Active 

Only active enterprises will appear in the Enterprise tool bar’s drop-down list on the main MacMan 

window. If an enterprise is no longer required, it can be deactivated by un-ticking this box. You 

should ensure that this box is ticked for all enterprises that you wish to work with. Deactivating an 

enterprise does not delete the associated data files; it only makes that enterprise unavailable for 

selection within MacMan. 

Checking the status of an enterprise 

The enterprise management window can be used to verify the status of an enterprise. The status 

of the currently selected enterprise is shown in the status bar at the bottom of this window. 

If the selected enterprise is valid (i.e. the folder exists and contains valid MacMan data files) then a 

green tick appears in the status bar. If either the folder specified does not exist or there does not 

appear to contain recognised MacMan data files in that folder, a red cross will appear and you 

should check the folder where the files are located to verify that it is a valid path. 

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Backing up your enterprises 

The MacMan backup facility can be used to backup your enterprises, however it is designed only to 

work with the currently selected enterprise, so if you wish to backup multiple enterprises you will 

need to backup each of those enterprises independently. Alternatively, you can backup all of your 

MacMan data by using external software such as backup or CD burning software. Both methods 

are discussed below. 

Using MacMan to backup your enterprises 

If you wish to use MacMan to backup your enterprises, you will need to do the following for each 

enterprise: 

1. Select the enterprise using the enterprise tool bar on the main window. 

2. Open the MacMan backup facility and make a backup of your data. 

The MacMan backup facility compresses all of your MacMan data (for the currently selected 

enterprise) into a single file. By default, the name of this file will match the serial number of the 

currently selected enterprise, so if you create multiple enterprises that share the same serial number, 

you must ensure that you save your backup files in appropriately named folders to avoid overwriting 

other enterprise backups. 

For example, if you had three enterprises all sharing the serial number of 1030303 and you wished 

to use the MacMan backup facility to backup all three enterprises, you should either create 

appropriately named folders in the path where the backup files will be saved, or rename the backup 

files themselves so that they are more meaningful. 

Creating unique backup folder names 

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…\MacMan backups\Farm\1030303.001 

…\MacMan backups\Nursery\1030303.001 

…\MacMan backups\Contracting\1030303.001 

This can be done in the MacMan backup window by changing the path in which the backup file will 

be saved before starting the backup. 

Creating unique backup file names 

…\MacMan backups\Farm.001 

…\MacMan backups\Nursery.001 

…\MacMan backups\Contracting.001 

This can be done in the MacMan backup window by changing the name of the backup file before 

starting the backup.

Using external programs to backup your enterprises 

While the MacMan backup program provides a simple and effective solution to those with only a 

single enterprise, it can become cumbersome for those with several enterprises. In this case, an 

external solution, such as dedicated backup or CD creation software can often provide an easier 

option. 

If you are using this type of software for backing up your enterprises, please ensure that you correctly 

select all of the folders in which enterprises can be found. If you have followed the guidelines above 

for creating local enterprise folders, it should simply be a matter of selecting either your MacMan 

folder (C:\Program files\MacMan by default) or your MacMan data folder (C:\Program 

files\MacMan\Data by default) and all of the folders beneath to ensure that all of your enterprises 

are backed up. 

Most software of this kind will allow you to save your selections in some form of script file, so even 

if you have to select a number of data paths, these selections can be saved for future backups. 

As always, please ensure that you store your MacMan backups in a safe place, preferably well 

away from your computer. 

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