Farm Offers and Group Orders
The coordinator collects available quantities, pack sizes, and delivery dates from farms. After the order cutoff, members receive a confirmed box contents list or a proposed substitution.
Custom Development
CRM for Organic Food Cooperatives
A cooperative needs to turn offers from several farms into confirmed member orders. We’ll build a CRM for order windows, harvest allocation, and pickup that follows the cooperative’s substitution rules.
Where Orders and Harvest Quantities Diverge
- Availability depends on the season and weather, while members need up-to-date information.
- Orders are collected in chats, Excel, and over the phone, and allocation errors disappoint members.
- Farmers need an advance view of demand to plan planting and harvests.
- Customers ask about product origin and quality, but answers can be hard to find quickly.
- Dues, prepayments, refunds, and balances need careful recordkeeping.
Farm Records, Weekly Offers, and Product Allocation
These modules can be included in the project. We’ll agree on the scope and workflow rules after reviewing your processes.
Order Cutoff and Substitutions
After ordering closes, the coordinator reconciles quantities with farms. A substitution is marked approved only after the member confirms it.
Packing by Pickup Point
Volunteers get a list of confirmed boxes by pickup point and time. Uncollected orders stay in a separate queue.
Additional Features
- Publishing Weekly Offers
- The coordinator can track farm offers by pack size, available quantity, and confirmation date. Before orders open, they check which items the farmer confirmed and which locations can receive them. Outdated offers can be removed from the next cycle.
- Tracing Products in Each Box
- The coordinator links each item to the farm and delivery so pickup staff can answer member questions. If an item is substituted, the record shows the actual supplier. Organic status is displayed after the designated team member verifies it.
- Settling Accounts Against Actual Deliveries
- Accounting can match the original farm order against quantities received and boxes collected. If the farmer delivers less, the report shows the shortfall and approved adjustments for members. Cycle totals are reconciled against payment records.
CRM Workflow Examples
How teams can divide responsibilities and handle exceptions after rollout.
A Vegetable Shortfall After Orders Close
The farm confirms the actual quantity. The coordinator determines substitutions or refunds, and pickup staff receive an updated packing list.
Moving an Order to Another Pickup Point
A member asks to change pickup locations. The coordinator checks capacity at the requested point and adds the order to the relevant route list.
What to Include in the First Release
We’ll run one ordering cycle at one pickup point. The farmer confirms supply, the coordinator allocates the shortfall, and pickup staff record actual box contents. We’ll separately agree how the supplier’s organic status is verified and displayed.
Once we agree on the requirements, we design the screens, build a pilot, and try it against the agreed use cases. We plan the rollout and follow-on modules with your team.
Discuss the First PhaseDevelopment FAQ
What If a Farmer Delivers Less Than Expected?
The CRM can flag the shortfall and suggest an allocation based on approved rules. Substitutions are recorded only for orders whose members approved them.
Can We Manage Multiple Pickup Points?
Yes. Each point can have available time windows, assigned staff, and a package count. Transfers between pickup points require confirmation.
How Do We Migrate Orders from Different Pickup Point Spreadsheets?
We’ll start with one cycle and match member orders, confirmed quantities, and pickup points. The coordinator checks approved substitutions, and pickup staff reconcile packages against their list. Records with conflicting pickup locations stay under review.
Which Rules Should the First Cooperative CRM Release Cover?
We’ll take one cycle from confirming a farm offer to pickup. We’ll define how to allocate a shortfall, who approves substitutions, and when pickup points can change. We’ll separately agree whether the pilot should reconcile dues and payments.
Let’s Discuss Your CRM
Tell us your industry, describe one process you want to automate, and let us know which tools your team already uses.