Profitability tool for cattle ranches
Ranch Management Analytics (RMA) was born from the daily challenges of managing Watrous Valley Ranch, a working cattle operation in northeastern New Mexico, USA.
With 500–1,200 head depending on the season, the ranch navigates high elevation, low rainfall conditions and complex enterprises that span cow-calf operations, heifer development, and custom grazing.
CEO Andres Orona recognized that while his team had plenty of data, it wasn’t structured in a way that empowered real decision-making. Ranch managers often relied on gut feel or patchwork spreadsheets — a risky approach in an industry where margins are slim and weather, markets, and resources constantly shift.
As the ranch grew more complex, the cracks began to show.
“We couldn't track the gross margins clearly beyond the forecast and it seemed like we were always chasing spreadsheets and double-checking our numbers and second guessing ourselves.” — Andres Orona, CEO of RMA
Traditional tools for cattle management were built for inventory tracking or compliance, not managerial decision-making. Spreadsheets quickly became unmanageable, QuickBooks wasn’t built for enterprise-level ranch analysis, and even consultants couldn’t deliver a scalable solution.
Andres envisioned a platform that would empower ranch managers to forecast, track, and analyze profitability across all enterprises — not just count cattle.
Together with Big House, that vision became Ranch Management Analytics, a financial and operational dashboard built on Bubble.
The platform integrates directly with ranch bank accounts through Plaid, allocates costs and revenues across enterprises, and compares forecasts with real performance. It also adds clarity where managers often guessed — feed and fuel usage, enterprise gross margins, and cash flow.
“I just needed something to support the managerial decisions we’re trying to make. We tried the spreadsheets but we also tried QuickBooks, but nothing scaled the way we wanted it to.” — Andres Orona
For Andres, choosing the right partner mattered as much as the software. When asked about Bubble, he said:
“I think what surprised me the most is the speed that it can be built and altered. We went from spreadsheets to a working dashboard in months, maybe even quicker than that. It’s smooth and it’s scalable.” — Andres Orona
Big House’s approach went beyond just “building an app.” We immersed ourselves in the logic behind the numbers, ensuring every workflow matched the realities of ranch management.
“Big House was different. In my opinion, they didn’t just build an app. They really took the time to understand the logic behind the numbers. And Big House helped me translate my spreadsheets and processes into clean workflows. And I felt like I wasn’t trying to build this solo. I was building with a partner.” — Andres Orona
Ranch Management Analytics was designed to handle the unique complexity of ranch operations. Key features include:
The build leveraged Bubble’s flexibility to quickly test and refine complex formulas. As ranch management logic evolved, the app evolved with it — without requiring long development cycles.
For the first time, Andres and his team have clarity on actual ranch performance vs. forecasts. This shift changes everything from daily decisions to boardroom conversations with ownership.
“I think more than anything, it’s going to give a lot of clarity on what’s actually happening. It’s not running on gut feel anymore.” — Andres Orona
Instead of patching together spreadsheets, ranch managers now have a live view of enterprise profitability, year-over-year comparisons, and the confidence to make better, faster decisions.
Andres believes the tool will have a lasting impact not just for his ranch, but for the industry at large.
Running a ranch is more than feeding cattle and managing land. It’s about making decisions on timing, costs, and growth.
Andres Orona described how his team “couldn’t track the gross margins clearly beyond the forecast and it seemed like we were always chasing spreadsheets and double-checking our numbers and second guessing ourselves.”
That’s a problem any business leader can relate to — when data is spread across disconnected tools, it erodes confidence in decision-making.
Ranch Management Analytics, with support from Big House, turned this struggle into a digital opportunity. Instead of chasing spreadsheets, Andres now has a central Bubble app that provides clarity in real time.
Ranching has unique variables — weather, feed prices, and cattle health all affect margins. “I just needed something to support the managerial decisions we’re trying to make,” Andres noted. Spreadsheets and even tools like QuickBooks weren’t enough.
By creating an MVP application with Big House, Ranch Management Analytics gained the ability to capture these complex dynamics in a scalable, living system. That’s the kind of custom development ranchers and agribusiness leaders rarely see from off-the-shelf tools. With software quality baked in from the start, RMA now has a platform resilient enough to grow with the business instead of being left behind by it.
In agriculture, intuition is important, but Andres put it plainly: “I think more than anything, it’s going to give a lot of clarity on what’s actually happening. It’s not running on gut feel anymore.”
This shift matters beyond the ranch. Many industries — from healthcare to logistics to finance — make do with legacy processes until something better comes along.
The lesson is universal: when leaders stop relying solely on gut instinct and start relying on structured, accurate data, they free themselves to make decisions with confidence. That’s the power of thoughtful software development.
Enterprises outside agriculture might dismiss ranching as a niche. But the truth is, the problems Andres faced mirror challenges in boardrooms everywhere:
Big House acted as more than just a Bubble agency here. “Big House was different. In my opinion, they didn’t just build an app. They really took the time to understand the logic behind the numbers.” That mindset — translating messy, fragmented processes into clear workflows — is what every enterprise should expect when they hire a Bubble developer for a mission-critical project.
A major turning point for RMA was the realization that software doesn’t need to be perfect on day one.
This is the essence of the MVP application approach: start with the core functionality that solves today’s pain points, then iterate rapidly.
Enterprises that insist on multi-year, multi-million-dollar builds before launch risk missing their market window.
By contrast, a Bubble app allows leaders to test, learn, and refine — without sacrificing software quality.
Andres said it best: “If your software doesn’t help you make better decisions it’s just an overhead. You can’t settle for tools that aren’t built for your operation. You got to own the systems that bring clarity to your numbers.”
For enterprises, this is a call to rethink their digital strategy.
Stop outsourcing critical workflows to generic platforms.
Invest in custom development that actually mirrors your operations and amplifies your decision-making.
Whether it’s a ranch or a multinational, the principle stands: the systems you own define the clarity you achieve.
One of the most striking things Andres shared was how the process felt: “And I felt like I wasn’t trying to build this solo. I was building with a partner and not managing a freelancer.”
This distinction is crucial. A true Bubble agency doesn’t just deliver code; it co-creates with you, ensuring your workflows are captured and enhanced in the software. That’s the type of collaboration that results in software quality and scalable growth.
For enterprise leaders considering whether to hire a Bubble developer, the takeaway is clear: don’t just look for execution, look for a partner who helps you rethink the way your business operates.
In traditional development, building a custom ERP-like tool might take years. For Ranch Management Analytics, the timeline was a matter of a couple months.
The secret was Bubble, a no-code platform that enabled rapid prototyping, testing, and scaling.
Andres often saw ideas move from Excel to a working dashboard in under 24 hours. That speed wasn’t just convenient — it meant the system could keep pace with the fast-changing ranch environment.
“We went from spreadsheets to a working dashboard in months, maybe even quicker than that. It’s smooth and it’s scalable.”
Because the tool was built in no-code, fixes were just as fast. If a formula needed adjusting, it could be reworked in days, not months.
This agility gave Andres confidence that the system would never become outdated or rigid.
At its core, Ranch Management Analytics is about clarity. Instead of guessing how much fuel or feed each enterprise used, the platform allocates costs with precision. Instead of assuming which enterprise is profitable, managers can see it in black and white.
That clarity shifts the role of ranch management from reactive to proactive. Andres can now walk into ownership meetings with live dashboards showing enterprise margins year over year. He can forecast cash flow with confidence, adjust strategy mid-season, and know exactly where money is being made — or lost.
As he put it:
“It’s not running on gut feel anymore.”
The tool doesn’t just save time. It fundamentally changes the quality of decisions being made.
Before RMA, much of Andres’s time was consumed with chasing spreadsheets and cross-checking numbers. Today, that administrative burden is gone.
Instead, his role as CEO has shifted toward leadership and strategy. With live data on enterprise margins, he can guide the ranch with confidence, converse more effectively with absentee ownership, and make plans rooted in evidence rather than guesswork.
This isn’t just a convenience. It’s a transformation in how a CEO leads. By having a system designed for managerial accounting, Andres can run the ranch like a company — and that sets a new standard for the industry.
Although Ranch Management Analytics was born in the cattle industry, its lessons apply far beyond ranching. Many businesses — from manufacturing to logistics — still rely on spreadsheets and generic accounting tools that fail to deliver decision-making clarity.
Andres’s advice resonates for any CEO:
“If your software doesn’t help you make better decisions it’s just an overhead. You can’t settle for tools that aren’t built for your operation.”
And for teams still stuck in spreadsheets:
“Stop patching spreadsheets together and build a system that works for you.”
Whether you’re running a ranch, a factory, or a logistics company, the takeaway is the same: custom tools give you clarity, and clarity drives profitability.
Ranch Management Analytics is just getting started. The roadmap includes:
With each phase, the goal remains the same: help ranchers run their operations like companies, not just survive season to season.
For Big House, this project is proof that no-code can tackle some of the toughest, most traditional industries.
By combining deep collaboration with domain expertise from founders like Andres, we help entrepreneurs and enterprises alike transform fragmented processes into powerful, scalable systems.
Ranch Management Analytics shows what’s possible when software isn’t just built — it’s co-created with a partner who understands the vision.
At Big House Technologies, our work with Ranch Management Analytics is just one example in our portfolio of how we help businesses transform complexity into clarity through custom development.
Whether you’re running a ranch, a startup, or a large enterprise, the challenges are surprisingly similar: managing data, scaling operations, and ensuring your tools keep pace with growth.
We specialize in turning scattered spreadsheets and disconnected processes into powerful, scalable Bubble apps that support real decision-making.
As a Certified Bubble Agency that understands both the nuances of software development and the urgency of getting an MVP application to market quickly, we bring a rare balance of speed, software quality, and partnership.
If you’re considering building your next tool—or rethinking the systems you already have—let’s talk. Book a free call today and explore how Big House can add value to your vision.
✔️
Multi User
✔️
User Feed
✔️
Admin Portal
✔️
Drag & Drop Interface
✔️
File Uploads
✔️
Progressive Web App (PWA)
✔️
Payments
✔️
Role-Based Access
✔️
Bulk Create & Update
✔️
Custom Dashboards
✔️
API Integrations
✔️
Social Sharing
✔️
Automated Billing
Big House was different. They really took the time to understand the logic behind the numbers. I felt like I wasn't trying to build this solo, I was building with a partner. They (Big House) didn’t just help me build an app, they helped me build a system of thinking and that changed everything.
Big House is committed to 1) developing robust internal tools for enterprises, and 2) crafting minimum viable products (MVPs) that help startups and entrepreneurs bring their visions to life.
If you'd like to explore how we can build technology for you, get in touch. We'd be excited to discuss what you have in mind.