The evaluation of agricultural production systems with computerized tools makes it possible to analyse, design and support innovation at the farm level. We present here two experiences of using computerized tools in Africa: Olympe, in Madagascar, and Cikeda, in Burkina Faso. Olympe helped assess ex post the relative impact of adopting an innovation such as conservation agriculture on farm income. It also demonstrated its medium- and long-term benefit, through an ex ante analysis, by suggesting ways of stabilizing incomes. Cikeda allowed an ex post analysis of the performance of existing farms and an ex ante determination of new modalities of crop-livestock integration in an approach to support these innovations amongst farmers. Since these tools are only intended to address a specific issue, they are likely to be eventually discarded; they may, however, be of value to advisory organizations if they are incorporated in these organizations' workflows