RESOURCES

From Launch to Success: Rantizo Celebrates 6 Months of AcreConnect™

October 17, 2024

In March 2024, AcreConnect™ was launched with the ambitious goal of offering a tool for spray drone operators looking to enhance their operations and deliver better customer service. Established to meet an operator need for application maps to show their work, AcreConnect™ received strong interest and demand from launch. As of September 2024, the software has prioritized adding new features that help spray drone operators run their businesses.

 

Launch and Initial Response

AcreConnect launched with essential features aimed at boosting productivity for spray drone operators. Available in two suites, Essentials and Premier, the software’s initial offerings included core business tools. The response from early adopters was overwhelmingly positive, praising its user-friendly interface, field-edge usability1, and capabilities to reduce downtime, office work, and manual note-taking.

 

Introductory Features

  • Work Orders offered operators the ability to get work started fast, assign team members, and select chemicals with confidence from the integrated label database provided by TELUS® Agriculture (formerly Agrian).
  • Product Usage Reports gave operators the ability to accurately record products sprayed, acres applied, and weather on site.
  • Application Maps let operators show their customers where products were sprayed.

 

User Growth and New Features

By June 2024, AcreConnect™ had expanded its user base to include independent operators and large retail operations. During this period, we introduced new features and announced compatibility with XAG drones, establishing AcreConnect™ as the only provider of As Covered and As Applied2 maps for both DJI and XAG drones.


  • Invoice Assistant3 helped users quickly estimate work and generate job quotes for customers, then send the estimate directly via email or text.
  • The Log File Management feature gave users the ability to view, delete, and filter uploaded flight logs with ease.
  • XAG Compatibility allowed XAG drone users to upload flight logs and generate detailed As Applied2 and As Covered application maps.

 

Invoice Assistant3 quickly became one of the most valued features, enabling operators to estimate work before a job and send invoices to customers afterward. Organizing flight logs became easier with log file management. The integration with XAG drones was a crucial enhancement for operators using both XAG and DJI drones in their fleets, also attracting a new set of users to the software.

 

Opportunities with Farm Management Systems

Next, we identified opportunities to integrate with industry-leading farm management systems. We aimed to create a software ecosystem that complemented these systems. By partnering with John Deere Operations Center4 and Climate FieldView™5, we ensured that customers could include spray records alongside other application information and field data.


  • The John Deere Operations Center™4 connection through John Deere API services allowed users to directly share application maps with Operations Center.
  • Application maps could also be uploaded into Climate FieldView™5.


These features streamlined sharing spraying information with customers’ farm management systems. This ultimately gave growers and retailers a more comprehensive view of their field operations.

 

Supporting Operator Compliance

The AcreConnect™ development team worked tirelessly to ensure the software’s capabilities met operators’ needs. In late September 2024, we introduced a critical new feature. We understood the importance of operators maintaining regulatory compliance as part of their business operations. That’s why we introduced the FAA reporting feature to help them do just that.

 

  • The FAA Reporting feature helped simplify the often complex and time-consuming task of compiling information for the FAA. This feature allowed operators to easily generate the FAA’s monthly required report, enabling them to spend more time flying and less on paperwork.

 

The FAA Reporting feature was launched to help operators flying drones over 55 lbs. create monthly FAA flight reports and operators flying drones under 55 lbs. maintain records as required by their Part 137 license. They could also document incident records, as needed.

 

Six Months In: A Collaborative Effort

In just six months, AcreConnect™ has become a valuable tool for the agricultural spray drone industry, enhancing business productivity. We are proud of our team’s ongoing efforts to make AcreConnect™ the go-to software for spray drone operators.

 

Ready to Take the Next Step?

Visit Rantizo.com/AcreConnect to request a 30-day free trial or purchase AcreConnect™ software directly from our online store to start enjoying the benefits today.

 

Are you already using AcreConnect™ and have a feature in mind you’d like to see added? We’d love to hear from you!

 

More Resources:

1 AcreConnect™ requires data connectivity.

2 As Applied Maps require sync with Rantizo Agras account for DJI drone users.

3 Invoice Assistant is not connected to or integrated within any payment software and will not calculate any applicable tax rates. Invoice Assistant is not intended to replace other invoicing systems but is designed to complement other billing systems you may have.

4 AcreConnect™ is connected to John Deere Operations Center™ via John Deere APIs.

5 As Applied Maps are functional in FieldView™ via manual upload only.


© 2024 Rantizo, Inc. All rights reserved. Rantizo® and AcreConnect™ are trademarks of Rantizo, Inc. All other trademarks are property of their respective owners.

share this

past blog posts

Related blogs

Service Provider Map
By Rantizo Marketing March 20, 2025
Drone operators can create Service Provider Map profiles to grow their business; farmers and retailers can request services.
Drone operators can now share AcreConnect™ application maps with Bayer's digital farming platform
By Rantizo Marketing February 25, 2025
Spray drone operators can now share AcreConnect™ application maps with Bayer's digital farming platform, Climate FieldView™
FAA recordkeeping
By Rantizo Marketing December 6, 2024
For spray drone operators with drones over 55 lbs., monthly reporting to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is required. While this monthly requirement may sound daunting, it doesn't have to be. With AcreConnect ™ software, we provide a solution to make monthly reporting easy. In operations with multiple spray drones, pilots, and acres sprayed, manually compiling monthly reports can be a time-consuming process. For independent operators, it’s taking away valuable time that could instead be spent spraying. Let’s explore the requirements submitting monthly reports and how the process can be streamlined and simplified with AcreConnect ™ software. What Do FAA Regulations Say About Monthly Reporting? As defined in the conditions and limitations section of a 44807-exemption approval and a Part 137 license, the FAA requires specific monthly metrics to be reported on for drones over 55 lbs. The reporting process requires operators to provide the FAA with the necessary flight records and information to demonstrate compliance with federal regulations. The required reporting information must be provided exactly as requested by the FAA and is subject to change at any time. It also requires all flight data, even if the drone wasn’t applying crop inputs. The general information to be reported on includes: Company details and FAA exemption numbers. Aircraft summary with total flights and total flight hours. Flight reports with dates flown, fli ght time hours, pilots, and locations. Any incidents occurring in that month can also be reflected in the report. How Can AcreConnect ™ Help with Monthly Reporting? AcreConnect ™ provides the ability to easily create monthly flight record reports. The reporting feature simplifies the often complex and time-consuming task of compiling information for the FAA, while reducing errors, and ensuring operators meet all regulatory requirements. The monthly reporting feature uses uploaded flight record data from DJI or XAG, auto-populates the required information, and generates it into a single report. Operators can export the necessary files directly from AcreConnect ™ to submit to the FAA. Guided by our Chief Pilot’s deep understanding of the FAA regulations, AcreConnect ™ reflects the most current FAA reporting requirements. As regulations change, the feature will adapt and evolve accordingly to make sure all necessary report information is included. Incidents can also be documented and reported on as needed. Maintaining and submitting these reports is required, and it helps spray drone operators ensure safety, compliance, and accountability in their business. Compile a Report in Less Than 15 Minutes According to Silas Steiner, Owner and Operator at Thrive Ag: “The new compliance reporting feature has been a huge benefit. Previously, I was using a combination of an AI chat bot along with a spreadsheet to compile monthly reports. Using AcreConnect™ has decreased the time it takes to generate these reports from an hour or more down to 15 minutes. Huge thanks to the Rantizo and AcreConnect™ team for their help and support.” Recordkeeping Requirements While operators of drones under 55 lbs. are not required to submit monthly reports, they are still required to maintain flight records for up to 12 months. Need help with recordkeeping? AcreConnect ™ can help with that, too. Through its work order and product usage report features, operators can efficiently manage recordkeeping duties, so operators can spend more time flying and less behind a desk. Learn more about recordkeeping requirements in this blog article . To learn more about AcreConnect ™ or reporting requirements for Part 137 operators, visit our website , email sales@rantizo.com or call 319-201-3020. More Resources: Check out: 6 Reasons Why You Should Use Productivity Software Watch: AcreConnect™ Software Demo Video