Agricultural Financial Analysis Expert Systems: Software Description

Abstract

SUMMARY The Agricultural Financial Analysis Expert Systems (AFAES) include software to prepare: agricultural financial statements; analysis summaries and graphic presentations of the analysis; and expert systems that present a diagnostic analysis of the financial statement data. In addition, there is a lender data base management system (STANDARDS) to check borrower documentation, to compare borrower data to lender standards and to summarize data from the lender portfolio of borrowers. Using AFAES software helps organize financial data in a format following accounting procedures. The expert system provides a consistent diagnostic analysis of financial data useful to both producers and lender. AFAES is developed to interface with existing accounting and financial statement software or lender data bases. AFAES not only has been developed and verified in Texas but also its development has involved two national task forces, land‐grant university professionals, software vendors, accountants, lenders and representatives of regulatory agencies. Experience gained through development and verification efforts indicate that expert systems technology will be a valuable tool to enhance knowledge delivery by agricultural economists. Economics and finance are areas where expertise is often limited, leading to inadequate use of data and analysis tools by producers, lenders and educators. Expert systems offer a significant delivery technology.