Quick Harvest Snapshot

• How often do you deliver grain during peak harvest weeks? Options: Every day during peak weeks, Several times per week, Weekly, Occasionally during harvest, This is my first harvest delivery
• Which crops make up the majority of your deliveries this season? Options: Corn, Soybeans, Wheat, Mixed feed grains, Other
• Tell me about the last full day you delivered during peak harvest, including arrival time, wait time, and total loads moved.
• On a typical harvest day, how many truck deliveries do you arrange or handle? Options: 1-5 deliveries, 6-10 deliveries, 11-20 deliveries, 20+ deliveries
• Describe the truck or trailer configurations you use most often and any limitations they present.

When the Combine Stops: Turnaround and Bottlenecks

• What's the maximum combine downtime in minutes you will tolerate waiting at an elevator before you change delivery plans? Options: Under 15 minutes, 15-30 minutes, 30-60 minutes, Over 60 minutes
• Walk me through the last time your crew left acres unharvested because of elevator wait time, what happened, and how many acres were affected.
• Where in the receiving sequence do delays most often occur: unloading, scale, drying, or paperwork? Options: Unloading, Scale check/weight, Drying queue, Paperwork/settlement
• About how many minutes did drivers typically spend in line during your last peak week? Options: Under 15 minutes, 15-30 minutes, 30-60 minutes, Over 60 minutes
• If you could reliably see a 30 minute maximum wait during peak harvest, would you route most of your deliveries here? Options: Yes, I would, Maybe with proof, No, not likely

The Cost of Rain and Lost Hours

• When a tight dry-weather window appears, how much of your daily harvest output is exposed to being lost or delayed? Options: Less than 10% of daily output, 10-25%, 25-50%, More than 50%
• Describe the last time wet weather forced you to pause combines, and estimate the hours or yield you lost.
• About how many acres do you typically leave unharvested when a storm is forecast? Options: Under 10 acres, 10-50 acres, 50-200 acres, 200+ acres
• Rank the biggest consequences when harvest pauses, selecting all that apply. Options: Idle labor and machine time, Degraded grain quality, Missed marketing windows, Logistics or trucking issues
• Would preventing the next rain-related harvest delay be sufficient reason to change your delivery plan this season? Options: Yes, No, Maybe

Quality and Settlement: Trust Signals That Matter

• What settlement or scale discrepancy would make you stop delivering to a facility immediately?
• Select the settlement timing that meets your needs: same day, next business day, within 3 business days, or monthly. Options: Same day, Next business day, Within 3 business days, Monthly
• Tell me about any sample disputes you have had, how they were resolved, and who made the final call.
• Specify the moisture and foreign material thresholds that would lead you to reject a load rather than accept it with a discount.
• If a facility provided photographic sampling and immediate electronic scale tickets, would that change your willingness to deliver there? Options: Yes, it would, It would help, No change

Operational Constraints We Must Confirm

• Name the single operational constraint that would prevent you from delivering to a facility during harvest.
• Do your drivers require appointments, 24 hour access, or on-site scale staff? Options: Appointments required, 24 hour access, Scale-house staffed only during business hours, No special requirements
• Select the documents you can provide before a first delivery, multi-select. Options: Proof of insurance, Signed terms, ELD numbers, Driver IDs, None available yet
• Provide your expected weekly delivery volume during peak harvest in bushels.
• Would the absence of driver credentials or insurance proof prior to a first delivery stop a pilot from being scheduled? Options: Yes, No, Unsure

The Alternatives You Are Weighing

• List the realistic alternatives you are actively considering for peak-harvest handling. Options: On-farm storage, Neighboring elevator, Regional elevator with rail access, Aggregator or broker, No change, keep current facility, Other
• For each alternative you named, what condition would need to hold for you to stay with it instead of switching?
• Has anyone on your team proposed solving this with on-farm changes like temporary dryers or rented trucks rather than an outside facility? Options: Yes, No, Under discussion
• Rank the importance of these comparison factors, selecting all that apply. Options: Wait time, Posted cash price, Dryer capacity, Settlement timing, Storage and shrink fees
• Identify the concession from an elevator that would make you stop evaluating other options today.

Acceptance Criteria and Success Signals

• Identify the one performance metric that, if consistently met for a month, would make you shift most of your harvest deliveries here.
• Choose acceptable maximum average wait times during peak: 15 minutes, 30 minutes, 1 hour, 2 hours. Options: 15 minutes, 30 minutes, 1 hour, 2 hours, Other
• Pick the settlement timing that would make you comfortable delivering: same day, next business day, within 3 business days, monthly. Options: Same day, Next business day, Within 3 business days, Monthly
• Specify the maximum shrink percentage you will accept on stored grain before contesting settlement. Options: Under 0.5%, 0.5-1%, 1-2%, Over 2%
• Are you prepared to sign a seasonal delivery agreement if your chosen metrics are met for three consecutive deliveries? Options: Yes, Maybe, No

Decision Timeline and Stakeholders

• Who must approve a change in your primary delivery location and on what grounds could they veto it?
• Who influences your delivery decisions among spouse, farm manager, grain marketing advisor, or lender? Options: Spouse/partner, Farm manager, Grain marketing advisor, Lender, None
• By what date do you need a signed agreement to change delivery plans for this harvest window?
• Can you commit to using this facility for the remainder of the week if your advisor signs off on a short pilot and dryer capacity is guaranteed for your first ten loads? Options: Yes, Needs advisor approval, No
• Pick the preferred communication channel and single contact for coordinating first deliveries: phone, text, app message, or email. Options: Phone, Text message, Mobile app message, Email

Next Steps and Immediate Barriers

• Name the unresolved issue that would make you pause before scheduling a pilot delivery.
• List the current paperwork or contracts you need us to review before you authorize deliveries. Options: Contracts, Proof of insurance, Delivery instructions, Driver credentials, Other
• Estimate the earliest calendar date you could supply a small test load to validate turnaround and settlement workflow.
• Which fees or charges would you want waived or reduced during a pilot: dryer charge, scale fee, storage fee for first 30 days, or sample fee? Options: Dryer charge, Scale fee, Storage fee for first 30 days, Sample fee, None
• Will you prioritize delivering a test load if we can schedule the pilot within your target window and meet your acceptance metrics? Options: Yes, I will prioritize, Maybe, No

• Service Experience Session

• Confirm the current state and its cost
• You confirm the restated current state and the quantified cost of delayed turnaround during peak harvest.
• Provide your recent 7-day peak delivery profile and target truck turnaround times.
• You confirm the demonstrated workflow meets your operational targets for turnaround, quality preservation, and settlement timing.
• Walk a real delivery through the full workflow
• Deliver a modeled peak-harvest throughput plan showing expected truck turnaround and dryer utilization for the provided delivery profile.
• You agree on the specific acceptance criteria and the remaining evidence required to proceed to mutual commitment.
• Show acceptance criteria and fee/settlement implications
• Produce a draft acceptance-criteria document listing measurable thresholds for turnaround, shrink, and settlement timing for review.
• Validate the demonstrated future state
• Provide proposed fee and settlement scenarios tied to the acceptance criteria and delivery profile.
• Agree next evidence and timeline

• Service Experience Session
• Service Experience Deck
• Service Experience Brief

• meeting
• slides
• document

• Harvest Truck Receiving and Unloading
• Scale Weighing and Ticket Issuance
• Moisture Testing and Official Grain Sampling
• High-Throughput Corn Drying
• Grain Blending and Quality Conditioning
• Segregated Storage and Lot Inventory Management
• Daily Cash Bid Posting and Publication
• Harvest Delivery Contract Execution and Intake
• Deferred-Pricing and Stored-Grain Sales Programs
• Electronic Scale Ticket Delivery and Prompt Settlement
• Unit-Train and Barge Loadout
• Truck Loadout for Commercial Shipments
• Shrink, Drying, and Storage Fee Accounting

Harvest Truck Receiving and Unloading

• Which receiving lanes will be used for harvest truck unloading and what peak throughput (bushels per hour) should we plan for each lane?
• Do you prefer scheduled delivery appointments, curbside check-in, or first-come first-served during peak harvest windows? Options: Appointment required, Appointment recommended, First-come first-served
• What truck configurations do your drivers use (e.g., axle count, belly dump, end-dump) that affect dock staging and unloading procedures?
• How many simultaneous trucks unloading during your projected peak hour must we design for (number of trucks)? Options: 1-5, 6-10, 11-20, 20+
• Who is your designated operational contact for driver communications, and what are their preferred contact methods and hours for harvest days?

Scale Weighing and Ticket Issuance

• What scale ticket fields must appear on every ticket for settlement (for example: gross weight, tare weight, net bushels, moisture, grade, timestamp, ticket number)?
• Which tolerances for scale accuracy do you require (pounds or bushels) and do you require periodic weight calibration certificates on file? Options: <= 0.5% (recommended), <= 1.0%, Custom tolerance - specify in notes
• What acceptance criteria will confirm scale ticket accuracy and timestamp integrity for a delivered lot (for example: calibration certificate date, timestamp within X minutes of unload)?
• Do you need automatic printing at the scale, digital delivery of the ticket via mobile/app, or both? Options: Printed ticket only, Digital ticket only, Both printed and digital
• Where should scale tickets be routed for dispute resolution and settlement (email address, accounting inbox, or API endpoint)?

Moisture Testing and Official Grain Sampling

• Which moisture measurement methods do you accept at intake (inline probe, tray meter, lab oven test) and which is the official test for settlement? Options: Inline probe, Tray meter, Official lab oven test, Combination - specify
• What sample protocol should we follow for official lot samples (sample size in pounds or scoops, number of subsamples per truck, composite sampling rules)?
• What defines acceptable variance between field probe moisture and official lab moisture (%) for lot acceptance and pricing adjustments? Options: <= 0.5% moisture, <= 1.0% moisture, Custom variance - specify
• How will you want chain-of-custody and sample retention handled (retain sample for X days, lab certificates, photographed sample bag)? Options: Retain 7 days, Retain 14 days, Retain 30 days, Custom
• Who should receive official moisture and grade lab results (roles or email addresses) for the delivered lot?

High-Throughput Corn Drying

• What dryer capacity must we reserve for your deliveries during peak harvest (bushels per hour) and what percentage of your delivered bushels will require immediate drying? Options: <25%, 25-50%, 51-75%, 75-100%
• Which target moisture percentages do you expect after drying for each crop/lot (e.g., corn to 15.5% for storage, corn to 13.5% for high-quality shipment)?
• How do you prefer drying prioritization when dryer run-time is constrained (first-in-first-out, by contract priority, by premium bid)? Options: FIFO (first-in-first-out), Contract priority, Premium bid priority, By lot age
• Describe any maximum allowable drying temperature or tempering practices required to preserve grade and test weight for your lots.
• What notification cadence and metrics do you need during drying runs (e.g., dryer utilization %, estimated completion time, moisture before/after)?

Grain Blending and Quality Conditioning

• Which blending objectives do you require for each lot (e.g., target test weight, protein, dockage limits, moisture), and what tolerances are acceptable?
• Do you require segregated blending recipes by contract type (cash, forward contract, stored-grain program) and how should lot provenance be tracked? Options: Yes, segregated recipes, No, blended across sources
• What conditioning services do you need (cleaning, aeration, mycotoxin screening) and what acceptance thresholds apply for each service?
• How will you define done for a blending run (for example: final lab certificate showing target parameters within X%)?
• Who will approve blending recipes and final blend release for dispatch (role or email), and what sign-off evidence is required?

Segregated Storage and Lot Inventory Management

• Which storage options do you want for your lots: fully segregated dedicated bin, staged pooled bin with lot tracking, or commingled storage? Options: Dedicated segregated bin, Staged pooled with lot tracking, Commingled storage
• How many named lots or batch identifiers will you need tracked concurrently (provide typical count)? Options: 1-5, 6-20, 21-50, 50+
• What inventory visibility do you require (real-time bin-level bushels, daily snapshot, weekly statement) and which notification endpoints should receive updates? Options: Real-time, Daily snapshot, Weekly statement
• Specify any acceptance thresholds for stored quality monitoring (acceptable grain temperature rise per week, moisture creep % per month) that would trigger conditioning actions.
• Who is responsible for bin sampling for inventory verification and what cadence do you require (daily, weekly, monthly)? Options: Daily, Weekly, Monthly, On-demand

Daily Cash Bid Posting and Publication

• Which channels do you want used to publish daily cash bids (mobile app feed, website, scale-house signage, API to advisors)? Options: Mobile app feed, Website, Scale-house signage, API feed to advisors
• What lead time is required for bid updates to propagate to the chosen channels during market hours (e.g., within X minutes)? Options: Within 5 minutes, Within 15 minutes, Within 60 minutes, End of day only
• Do you require differential bids by delivery window or quality band (for example: premium for <14% moisture or discount for >16%)? Options: Yes, quality bands, Yes, delivery window differentials, No differentials
• How should bid publication handle temporary holds or bid withdrawals during operational disruptions (automatic hold message, manual override)? Options: Automatic hold message, Manual override only, Other
• Who should be notified of published bid changes for reconciliation (roles or emails) and by what method?

Harvest Delivery Contract Execution and Intake

• What contract types will you use at intake (spot cash, harvest delivery contract, deferred pricing contract) and which require signed paperwork before first delivery? Options: Spot cash (no sign), Harvest delivery contract (signed), Deferred pricing (signed)
• Do you require customers to present a signed intake agreement at the scale-house or allow electronic execution prior to delivery? Options: Signed at scale-house, Electronic execution prior to delivery, Either
• What fields must be captured on contract intake (grower ID, tax ID, lot ID, expected bushels, delivery window, marketing advisor)?
• How will you want contract amendments handled after initial intake (online amendment, paper amendment at office, not allowed)? Options: Online amendment, Paper amendment, Not allowed
• Who is authorized to sign or approve intake contracts on your side and how should that authorization be documented?

Deferred-Pricing and Stored-Grain Sales Programs

• Which deferred-pricing program options do you offer (store-and-price-later, basis-only contracts, target-price contracts) and which should be presented at intake? Options: Store-and-price-later, Basis-only, Target-price, Other
• What fees, minimum storage periods, and minimum bushel commitments apply to each stored-grain program and must be displayed during enrollment?
• How will price fixing events be executed for deferred programs (electronic trade confirmation, phone confirmation, signed paper) and what settlement timing applies? Options: Electronic confirmation, Phone confirmation, Signed paper
• What reporting or statements do you expect for stored-grain accounts (monthly position, realized/unrealized P&L, pending price-fix events)? Options: Monthly position, Realized/unrealized P&L, Pending events log, All of the above
• Who will be the account administrator for stored-grain programs and what contact details should receive program notices?

Electronic Scale Ticket Delivery and Prompt Settlement

• Which electronic delivery methods do you require for scale tickets and settlement notices (email PDF, secure portal, API push)? Options: Email PDF, Secure portal, API push
• What is your expected settlement cadence after delivery (same-day, next-business-day, net 7 days) and do you require interim provisional statements? Options: Same-day, Next-business-day, Net 7 days, Custom
• Please indicate the preferred file format and schema for automated ticket delivery or API payloads (CSV, JSON, EDI, or other). Options: CSV, JSON, EDI, Other
• Who should receive settlement notifications and who is authorized to dispute a settlement (roles or emails)?
• How should provisional vs final settlement differences be communicated and reconciled (automated adjustment, manual invoice)? Options: Automated adjustment, Manual invoice, Both

Unit-Train and Barge Loadout

• Which outbound channels will you use for the lot (unit-train, shuttle train, barge, truck) and are there channel-specific quality or moisture targets? Options: Unit-train, Shuttle train, Barge, Truck
• How much lead time (days) do you require for scheduling a unit-train or barge load and who confirms the load date? Options: 1-3 days, 4-7 days, 8-14 days, 14+ days
• What loadout acceptance criteria do you require at the loading point (max moisture, foreign material %, test weight minimum)?
• Who will coordinate railcar or barge delivery windows and what documentation must accompany each load (bill of lading, quality certificate)?
• Do you require holdback sampling or third-party inspection at loadout, and if so, what party performs the inspection? Options: Yes, third-party inspection, Yes, internal inspection, No inspection required

Truck Loadout for Commercial Shipments

• Which procedures do you require for commercial truck loadout (weigh-before-weigh-after, sealed loads, driver ID check)?
• What scheduling window should be offered for customer truck pickups (hourly windows, same-day, next-business-day)? Options: Hourly windows, Same-day, Next-business-day
• What envelope of allowable load tolerances do you accept for commercial shipments (percentage over/under contracted bushels)? Options: +-1%, +-2%, Custom
• Who must sign the bill of lading for truck shipments and what electronic evidence is acceptable for proof of delivery?
• Do you require pre-load sample certificates or pre-shipment lab analysis for certain buyers/channels? Options: Yes, for specific buyers, Yes, for all exports, No

• Master Services Agreement (MSA)
• Storage and Deferred-Pricing Agreement
• Rate and Fee Schedule
• Settlement and Payment Instructions
• Operational Commitments and Delivery Protocols
• Grain Quality, Sampling, and Acceptance Criteria
• Grain Lien and Security Agreement
• Insurance and Liability Addendum

• Go-live Health Check
• First Measurement Review
• Acceptance Gate Decision
• Quarterly Operational Review

• Schedule any operational tests or configuration updates required to validate proposed improvements.
• Restate acceptance criteria and targets
• Produce a documented pass or fail decision for each Operational Scope acceptance criterion.
• Capture a formal acceptance decision with the buyer's named signatory when criteria are met.
• Confirm the incumbent wind-down is complete or has an agreed retention plan, ensuring no unresolved dual-use of old systems.
• Publish the acceptance decision record with evidence for each criterion and the named signatory information.
• List remediation tasks for any conditional or failed criteria, with resolution dates and verification steps.
• Execute the incumbent decommission or read-only retention and produce an archive report confirming data migration and access restrictions.
• Performance dashboard review
• Verify that core operational metrics remain within agreed tolerance for the quarter.
• Reduce the number of high priority open operational issues and commit to resolution dates.
• Agree a limited set of improvements to be completed in the next quarter and the verification method for each.
• Publish the quarterly performance summary with metric trend lines and any agreed remediation timelines.
• Prioritize the open issue backlog and assign resolution windows for all high priority items.
• Re-confirm success criteria and owners
• Confirm that core operational components were deployed and are runnable under harvest conditions.
• Create an agreed list of critical blockers and next steps to remove them within the first 14 days.
• Collect and document sources for baseline metric reporting to be used in the first measurement meeting.
• Publish the go-live validation summary and the list of critical blockers with provisional resolution dates.
• Collect and export baseline operational logs and delivery counts for the first 30 days.
• Implement agreed temporary runbook changes for managing peak queues until permanent fixes are deployed.
• Present first 30 to 60 day metrics
• Determine whether average truck turnaround time and dryer throughput are progressing toward the Operational Scope targets.
• Identify the primary operational root causes for any shortfalls and agree concrete corrective actions with completion dates.
• Confirm data sources and reporting cadence for the acceptance gate evaluation.
• Produce a corrective action plan listing each issue, the remediation steps, and target completion dates.
• Deliver updated metric exports and a 14 day rolling dashboard for truck turnaround and dryer throughput.
• Schedule any required operational tests or dry runs to validate fixes prior to the acceptance gate.
• Deployment and runbook validation
• Open issue backlog and resolution burn-down
• Root cause diagnosis for each gap
• Present outcome data against each criterion
• Agree corrective actions and timelines
• Document pass or fail per criterion and formal acceptance
• Enhancements and process improvements intake
• Early adoption signals and usage patterns
• Confirm timeline to acceptance gate
• Open issues and blockers
• Incumbent wind-down confirmation
• Confirm next quarter actions and checkpoints
• Agree remediation items and resolution timeline for conditional failures
• Immediate remediation actions