to jump to the article. Summary: Since genomics testing officially began in January of 2009, it has developed a wider application in the dairy industry. During a producer roundtable discussion, held by Alta Genetics in January 2011, Nate Zwald explained how genomics testing their herds can ultimately improve the genetic progress of their operations. Because this article was so popular, we asked Zwald a follow-up question: Q: What factors make it profitable for a herd to genomic test their females? A: Genomic testing females can be a profitable part of a complete genetic plan, but the investment cost needs to be weighed against the benefit. Here are some points to consider: 1. You have to take action on the results of a genomic test. Without different decisions than you would do otherwise, you have no opportunity to benefit from this testing. Too often I have heard about "introductory testing" which is done, and results received, but nothing was done with them.