GDM Solutions
Providing an Industry Standard Software for Research

ARM Software: Create Protocols. Manage Trials. Report Findings.

Agriculture Research Management made easy. Our leading global ARM software is built for scientists, providing an integrated software approach to manage agriculture research experiments.
 
  • ARM supports all phases and tasks of the research season.
  • Save time creating trials, analyzing data, and producing the reports required for successful and timely trial management.
  • ARM improves efficiency, increases accuracy, and promotes better quality of results.
 
Our software is a recognized and respected standard throughout the agriculture research industry. ARM is trusted by research scientists and managers worldwide, in nearly 100 countries.
 
  
 
 

Your research is more than just assessments and analysis at the end of the season.
Your research software should be more than just a spreadsheet and a final report!

 
ARM offers:
A structured way to enter information consistently
Tools for all phases of the research project, to maximize productivity
The standard way to communicate trial instructions and results
 
 

Ordering ARM

Request pricing information from your local GDM Representative here.
 
Each ARM license is custom-built with your name and company (up to 38 characters long for investigator name and 60 characters for company name). Please complete the ARM order form to purchase our software.
 
A free demonstration version of ARM is also available on request.
 
 

Features

 
 

General ARM Features

  • Easily enter protocols into ARM and create randomized trials from protocols
  • Produce simple line, bar, and box-whisker graphs within ARM. Box-whisker graphs are the quickest way to review new assessment quality and treatment differences
  • Program menu text is available in US English, International English, French, German, Italian, Spanish, Portuguese, Polish, and Japanese languages
  • Automatic conversion between U.S. and metric treatment units
  • Supports master and personal validation list for data entry fields, and thousands of entries in master validation lists
  • Supports global standards such as:
    • EPPO species codes
    • Growth stage codes including BBCH, VR, and Feekes
    • Standard Agricultural Research Terminology (SART codes)
  • Context sensitive help for menu commands and editors
  • Printing reports is fast and easy
  • Open protocols or trials directly from Windows Explorer
  • Two lines (60 characters) available for Company Name
  • Customizable toolbar
  • Direct import and export from database tables, with logic similar to the EDE export/import features of ARM (user-defined and controlled, and able to work with a variety of databases)
 
 

Trial Creation

  • Up to 9,999 treatments,  999 assessment data columns, and subsamples per trial
  • Several plot numbering and randomization options
  • Single file contains all trial information
  • Force randomizations to disperse treatments
  • Optionally conduct under GLP/GEP compliance
  • Split replications into blocks during randomization
  • Hot-edit proposed trial randomizations when creating trials by moving treatments to adjust arrangement
 
 

Data Management

  • Plot assessment data editor based on a grid designed like Microsoft Excel
  • Calculate gross margin (income) using transformations
  • Manage trial workload schedule
  • Many word processing commands in text editors
  • Validation supports master and personal lists
  • Color fields to identify validated and required fields
  • Footnotes for data columns
  • Data collection reports with printed data headers
  • More flexibility in subsample entry and reporting
  • Automatic recalculation of transformed data when original assessment data is changed
  • Many built-in data transformations including Henderson-Tilton, Abbott’s, and data correction
  • Import text to and from ASCII editors or word processors
  • Elastic boundaries on site description sections
 
 

Reporting

  • Attachments:  MS Word documents, Excel spreadsheets, digital photographs, and PowerPoint presentations can be connected to a trial or protocol
  • Field layout tool for arranging trials within a field
  • Plot map drawing tool, providing the ability to add graphical drawings and textual descriptions to plot maps
  • Automatic choice for default number of decimals accuracy on summary reports
  • Explorer-like tree view for Available Reports on Print Reports dialog
  • Print large letter plot signs for field tours
  • Homogeneity of variance test during AOV
  • Correlation and dose-response reports
  • Product calculations for percentage formulations, option to weigh liquid formulations
  • Define report sets from report components
  • Print multi-column labels in many formats
  • Bar, line, and box-whisker data graphs
  • Use personal or master validation (lookup) lists for treatments, data headers, and site description data to speed input. Master lists are nearly unlimited in size.
  • Specify spray volume and mix size by treatment or by trial and correctly calculate product amounts to apply. Supports seed treatment trials, and can report liquid formulation quantity by weight.
  • Calculates quantity of formulated product or stock solutions as product amount on spray/seeding plan
  • A trial can be managed under GLP/GEP edit logging with ARM maintaining an audit trial of who makes field entries and edits, and the reason for any changes
  • Define plot data information of how to view and print subsamples, data origin, cursor order, and entry status
  • Print optional frames (boxes and lines) around various report sections to improve appearance and readability of reports
  • View subsample means within plot data editor
 
 

Trial Data Management

  • Randomize and appropriately analyze trials as randomized complete block, completely random, split block by application, Latin square, non-randomized, factorial, split-plot, and strip-block
  • Print data collection sheets. Optionally pre-enter assessment headings, and even include treatment information.
  • Enter data using a spreadsheet format, or read assessments from electronic data collector directly into plot data editor. Editor automatically makes space for assessments and subsamples.
  • Use the Find command on the Edit Menu to find words in study editors and validation lists, and use Replace to make changes
  • Export trial data to other programs to obtain additional statistical analysis and data graphing capabilities
  • Use plot data column tools to copy and re-arrange information across and within data columns (such as shifting data up or down)
  • Merge study information such as Header, Treatments, Site Description, Tasks, and Plot Data from another ARM study
  • Convert yields from plot units to standard measure such as bushels per acre or kilograms per hectare
  • Select treatment and data header fields to build graph labels
  • Print graphs to screen, paper or file. Use Export button to copy/paste graphs to a program such as PowerPoint.
  • Adjust yields for moisture content during yield conversion, based on either an average moisture for entire trial, or moisture in each plot
  • Transform data using built-in arcsine square root, log, Abbott’s % of Untreated, Henderson-Tilton or square root transformations. Average, Count, and Sum Subsamples functions automatically ignore missing data.
  • Enter your own data transformation equations, including formulas to normalize data or calculate index values for standardized scales.
  • Use simple commands to move, copy, and delete trial information in all trial editors. Use Windows clipboard to transfer information within a trial and between trials.
  • User-definable data type codes, providing automatic checking for out-of-bounds data during entry.
  • Enter standard numeric plot data, non-analyzable numeric information, or even short text entries in plot data cells.
  • Define plot data view showing original or calculated columns, blank or completed assessments, and selected data header fields (rows).
  • Print data column footnotes on reports.
 
 
 

Subsamples

  • Easily create and remove subsamples from plot data storage areas
  • Automatically display varying number of subsamples to aid in data entry
  • View subsamples means within plot data editor
 
 

Trial Reporting

ARM gives great flexibility in printing reports. Design your reports by listing the ARM report components in any order, then create a report set. Report sets can be saved with your custom options for each component, and used again later. You have nearly unlimited choices on information and arrangement in reports.
 
Following are the ARM report components that are available to use in creating your report sets:
 
ARM Reports
Protocol Audit Trial
Other customized reports
Protocol Data Headers
Site Description
Protocol Description
Spray/Seeding Plan
Protocol Plot Data Footnotes
Standardized Summary
Protocol Product Amount Totals
Labels (many sizes)
Status Report
Tour Report
Protocol Schedule
Plot Data Footnotes
Summary Plot Data Summary
Treatment List Comments
Protocol Spray/Seeding Plan
Plot Map
Summary AOV Means Table
Trial Audit Trial
Protocol Treatments
Plot Signs
Summary Factorial AOV Table
Trial Comments
Data Collection
Trial Map
Summary Correlations
Trial Treatments
Data Verification
Product Amount Totals
Summary Dose-Response Analysis
Schedule
Graph
  
 
Many choices are available for selecting printers, setting fonts and page margins, formatting dates, including company logo bitmaps, and adjusting information spacing relative to borders. You can select a subset of treatments, and select and rearrange data columns on your reports, so reports only list the information that you wish to include.
 
List ingredient information for pre-mix treatments, including the portion of the total rate contributed by each ingredient. Synonyms can also be printed for treatments, for uses such as listing common name in place of trade name on printouts.
 
Use the plot data view dialog box to develop a view of assessment data that is sorted in the order you want data to be presented. Within a plot data view, you can easily perform multi-level sorts such as sorting by assessment date within species. Hide all calculated or all original data columns with one command when creating the view. Once a view is created, print a data summary that automatically uses the current view.
 
 

Data Summary Reports

  • List individual plot data, and means by treatment
  • Print treatment means with mean separation letters in ascending or descending order
  • Summarize selected or all treatments and assessments, and arrange assessment order on reports
  • Can automatically select ratings with data
  • Define a view of assessment data in the plot data editor that can be automatically used in reports
  • Automatically calculate percent control (control = 0%) or percent of control (control = 100%), and set reported accuracy (95% vs. 95.3%) on printouts
  • List treatment means table with LSD (or HSD if Tukey's), CV, standard deviation, grand mean, Bartlett's Homogeneity of Variance, and Friedman's Method for Randomized Blocks
  • Define default decimals accuracy for treatment means
  • Print minimum and maximum ratings, also standard deviation or standard error per treatment, along with treatment means on summaries
  • Optionally print either full or brief analysis of variance tables that are appropriate for the experimental design
  • Print factor and interaction means for factorial, split-plot, and strip-block experimental designs
  • Support comparison treatments in factorial and split-plot trials
  • Perform Yates missing plot analysis
  • Print subsamples averaged by plot, or listing individual entries
  • Apply dose-response analysis using the estimation methods of Logit, Probit - Least Squares, or Probit - Maximum Likelihood
  • Include summary comments on report
  • Perform correlation analysis
  • Summary Mean comparison tests: LSD, Duncan’s New Multiple Range Test, Student-Newman-Keuls, and Tukey’s HSD at .01, .05, and .10. Also Waller-Duncan K ratio t test (K=100), Dunnett’s vs. Control, and Dunnett's vs. Reference at .01 and .05.
 
 

Validation

Validation lists, sometimes called lookup tables, are defined for nearly any data entry field. Items can be easily and quickly selected from these lists. Validation makes data entry much easier for inexperienced typists, helps insure uniformity, and nearly eliminates the chance of typing errors.
  • Use personal or master validation (lookup) lists for treatments, data headers, and site description data to speed input. Master lists are nearly unlimited in size.
  • Entry fields and prompts can display in different colors to indicate validated and required entry fields
  • Easily filter entries in large validation lists to display only those items of immediate interest
  • Quickly search validation lists for a specific word or phase using the Find command
  • Easily add or delete from validation lists in study editors
  • Can lock validation lists to prevent un-authorized users from making changes
 
 

Customizing

The ARM is very user-configurable. There are many options to change report appearance, study editor views, and actions.
  • Treatment fields (columns) can be hidden on study editor and reports, and field sizes can be adjusted if needed.
  • Items in most validation lists can be added, deleted, or revised.
  • New rate units are added by GDM upon request.
  • Labels size and format is user-configurable for plot and container labels.
  • All reports can be copied to Word or Excel by a simple button click, offering full flexibility to change report formatting.
 
 

EDE

EDE (Electronic Data Exchange) is a standard format for transferring trial information that was defined in the 1980's. It worked well in the 1980's and 90's when this technology was new, however now it is obsolete technology. Historically, Electronic Data Exchange (EDE) defined a format for transferring data between researchers. ARM continues to support EDE for these historical programs.
 
For more modern IT approaches for new development projects, such as transferring trial information to Excel or a simple database, EDE suffers from many limitations such as:
  • Inability to carry imbedded binary data.
  • EDE can only effectively store ASCII characters, so is very Unicode-unfriendly and makes no accommodation for double-byte characters. One result is that EDE poorly handles many of the accented characters in European and Eastern European names, and does not support Asian character sets. (Clients do not appreciate software that can only handle English characters, and thus forces their names to be spelled wrong!)
  • Frequent errors when exporting and importing EDE on computers running Asian Windows versions.
  • Any new data entry or ARM settings fields can only be added to EDE after detailed discussions with clients who use that EDE format. Historically this has made it challenging to enhance screens with new entry fields or even make minor changes to existing fields.
  • EDE files sent by email are corrupted by some email systems, such as when the mail system mistakenly thinks the EDE is plain text and adds CR/LF to break long lines into 80 character segments.
  • There are literally more than a dozen different EDE formats, in which the same piece of information may be stored in several different record types and locations depending on the selected format.
 
For these reasons, EDE is a very poor information carrier to use for any new development projects for loading ARM trial information into a database or spreadsheet. ARM Trial Database (ATD), is the most efficient way to transfer ARM trial information to a database.

 
 
Copyright © 1997-2024 GDM Solutions, Inc.
Address: PO Box 8452, Brookings, South Dakota 57006
Phone: (+1) 605-692-4021
Email: GDM.ARM.Support@gdmdata.com
Time Zone: US Central Time (-0600 UTC/GMT, or -0500 for March to October)