The main advantage of a data management program is the ability to handle all of those types, sources and formats and standardise the information into one format, in one database, allowing management of the data in a user-friendly workflow.  SGIS enables the user to organise the data and make efficient use of the information for making crop production decisions.

SGIS is based on the ArcView 8.x GIS platform and uses ArcView tool sets and customized GIS tool sets for production agriculture.  This allows the user true GIS capabilities, with efficient use of customised tools for access to the information, reporting and analysing the information and managing the data.

Along with the use of ArcView as the proven GIS platform, SGIS uses a proven, flexible database management program, Microsoft Access.  The use of MSAccess provides a stable database platform that allows the flexibility of using the same information in other programs, without having to "manipulate" (i.e.-export or convert) the file format.

An application example of the flexibility of the MSAccess data base is using MSAccess to query the information for specific data models.  Another application is to open the MSAccess database in the ArcView GIS program for spatial analysis of the data.