Getting Oriented: Your Upcoming Harvest Window

• How would you describe your primary harvest delivery window this season, including start and end weeks and peak flow periods?
• Approximately how many bushels do you expect to move into contracted channels during that window? Options: <50,000, 50,000–200,000, 200,000–500,000, >500,000
• Tell me about the typical truck and rail cadence into your site during peak week, and where you see the biggest bottlenecks.
• In the last harvest, which delivery or logistics failures cost you the most in basis or downtime, and what happened?
• Who on your team owns daily nomination decisions, and who signs off on exceptions when capacity is constrained? Options: Plant manager, Logistics manager, Procurement manager, Operations supervisor, Shared responsibility, Other
• Under which circumstances would you divert planned deliveries to a local spot seller during a peak, even if that meant a higher basis cost? Options: Immediate plant outage risk, Credit exposure concerns, Carrier failure, Quality rejection, Other
• Would you cancel contracted volumes or accept partial delivery if peak week flows were 50 percent of forecast? Options: Cancel contracted volumes, Accept partial delivery and supplement on spot, Renegotiate delivery window, Other

Where the Risk Lives: Basis, Credit, and Quality

• If a single basis swing could blow out your margin, which delivery point or week would that be?
• How often do you see basis moves of more than 5 cents at your key origins during harvest week? Options: Almost every harvest week, Several times per harvest, Occasionally, Rarely, Never
• Describe the credit limits your risk team requires for a new counterparty before approving forward exposure, and any common exceptions. Options: No new exposure, <$250k, $250k–$1M, >$1M, Case-by-case
• Which quality parameters at your facility trigger grade discounts that materially change payment or acceptance? Options: Moisture, Test weight, Foreign material, Damage/heat, Protein or oil content, Other
• Tell me which contingency breaks down first when a scheduled delivery fails quality specs or is delayed.
• Who is enabled to approve emergency spot purchases if a delivery default threatens plant operations? Options: Plant manager, Procurement manager, CFO, Risk manager, On-call duty manager, Other
• Would a lack of verified trade references or financial statements from a new seller stop you from moving forward? Options: Yes, we would pause, Maybe, but with tighter limits, No, we can proceed with other mitigations

How Solutions Hold Up in Real Scenarios

• Most buyers assume forwards and basis contracts protect them fully, is that true for your operation? Options: Yes, Partially, No, Unsure
• Walk me through a recent scenario where deferred pricing or minimum pricing changed the outcome for your plant.
• Which combination of contract types have you used most effectively in the past year, forward, basis-only, or deferred pricing? Options: Forward only, Basis-only, Deferred or minimum pricing, Mixed across deliveries, Not used
• List the operational signals you need to see before you feel comfortable locking a multi-month forward position. Options: Carrier confirmations, Sufficient credit approval, Inventory levels, Weather forecast, Basis forecast, Other
• In what format would you prefer sellers to model basis movement and delivery risk when presenting coverage scenarios? Options: Scenario workbook (spreadsheet), Interactive dashboard, Slide summary, Raw data files, Other
• If a proposed solution required a partial prepayment or inventory hold, what approval path would that require inside your organization? Options: Standard procurement approval, CFO sign off, Risk committee approval, Cannot approve, Other

Where Contracts Break Down

• What single contractual term has led you to walk away from a deal in the past? Options: Quality discount schedule, Delivery window rigidity, Payment timing, Credit terms, Other
• Name the clause in your current contracts that causes the most dispute at delivery, for example quality discounts, moisture tolerances, or dock access windows.
• Describe the documentation and sign off required when deferred pricing is used, including who must approve final settlements. Options: Formal settlement worksheet, Dual sign off (procurement and finance), Third party price source required, No special documentation, Other
• Identify the roles within your team that handle grade disputes and what evidence they accept as final.
• Suppose a contract included minimum pricing, what operational changes would you need to make to comply? Options: Increase storage, Change delivery timing, Adjust hedging, Train staff on grading, Would not comply, Other

What's Blocking On-Time Delivery

• When was the last time a delayed delivery threatened operations, and what sequence of events led to it?
• Point to the transport mode that has caused the most headaches recently, truck, shuttle train, or barge. Options: Truck, Shuttle train, Barge, Intermodal mix, Other
• Specify the minimum number of days of forward inventory you require on site to operate without emergency purchases during peak. Options: 0–3 days, 4–7 days, 8–14 days, 15+ days
• Name the person or role who clears access for loaded trucks during peak windows, and how often do exceptions occur?
• Outline your expected escalation path if carriers fail to meet pickup windows and deliveries slip. Options: Plant operations then procurement, Procurement then risk, Direct escalation to carriers, Immediate emergency spot purchase, Other
• When carriers are scarce during harvest peak, which factors drive you to cancel scheduled shipments versus delay them? Options: Plant criticality, Cash flow, Quality concerns, Contract penalties, Other

Alternatives You're Seriously Considering

• Imagine your current approach could stay unchanged, what would have to be true for you to stick with it rather than switch to an outside merchandiser?
• List the alternative sources you are actively evaluating today, for example local single-elevator bids, in-house merchandising, or national grain traders. Options: Local single-elevator bids, In-house merchandising, Regional multi-facility trader, National trader, Spot market purchases, Other
• Has anyone on your team proposed solving coverage or logistics internally rather than using an external counterparty? Options: Yes, and a plan exists, Yes, but only a concept, No one has proposed it, We tried and stopped
• Explain the change required in your current supplier relationship that would prompt you to move to a different seller this season.
• From the options you listed, point to the one that poses the biggest operational risk if selected. Options: Local single-elevator bids, In-house merchandising, Regional multi-facility trader, National trader, Spot market purchases, Other
• Suppose we modeled an outcome where our basis at your delivery beat the incumbent by 3 cents but required a 30 day forward commitment, what would stop you from signing that week?

Readiness: Systems, Data, and Approvals

• What single missing capability would block onboarding you this season? Options: No API or EDI endpoints, Insufficient credit approval, No carrier commitments, Missing permits, Insufficient staff
• Identify the internal systems that must be integrated to exchange nominations, weigh tickets, or settlement data, for example your ERP, scale system, or TMS. Options: ERP, Scale/Weigh system, Transportation management system, Accounting/Settlement system, Email/manual processes, Other
• Do you have APIs, EDI endpoints, or file-exchange processes already available for automated nominations and settlement? Options: Yes, full APIs/EDI, Partial automation available, No, only manual
• Provide the roles responsible for technical integration and for commercial onboarding at your company.
• Is your trade data cleaned and accessible, including historical delivery schedules, quality records, and settlement history? Options: Fully cleaned and accessible, Partially cleaned, Requires work to be usable, Not available
• Flag any regulatory or permit approvals that could delay execution beyond your target delivery window.
• Can your team run manual nominations reliably for up to two weeks while integrations complete? Options: Yes, Yes with extra cost, No

Decision Drivers and Next Steps

• Pinpoint the single outcome that would make you sign this season rather than wait. Options: Better basis at delivery, Guaranteed on-time delivery, Flexible payment terms, Credit limits approved, Other
• Provide the internal approvals that are absolutely required before execution, for example risk committee sign off, CFO approval, or plant manager consent. Options: Risk committee, CFO/Finance, Plant manager, Procurement lead, Legal review, Other
• Estimate the typical time for your credit team to process a new counterparty review, including financial statements and trade references. Options: <1 week, 1–2 weeks, 2–4 weeks, 4+ weeks
• Assuming a successful pilot for one delivery week, what would be required to expand coverage across additional windows within the same season?
• State the person or role that will sign commercial terms if the pilot shows expected savings, and confirm whether they currently have budget authority. Options: Person has budget authority, Person requires additional approval, No clear signer yet, Other

• Solution Experience — Forwards, Basis & Logistics Scenarios

• Confirm the current state and cost
• You confirm the modeled scenarios eliminate the emergency spot purchase exposure you described and quantify the expected avoided cost.
• Run the buyer's forecasted volumes and delivery windows through the scenario engine and deliver three scenario P&L comparisons and basis sensitivity tables before the follow-up session.
• Scenario walkthrough: forwards, basis, and delivery
• You agree that the proposed contract structures and logistics options are operationally feasible within existing credit constraints.
• Provide confirmed forecasted volumes by delivery window, current credit limits and approvals, and any existing quality discount schedules.
• Logistics proof: nominated delivery paths under peak harvest
• Deliver a logistics feasibility memo showing carrier availability, nominated facilities, and transit times for critical delivery windows.
• You agree on the remaining evidence required and timing to advance to Contract & Scope Definition.
• Confirm acceptable basis targets, minimum price floors, and any contract flexibilities required for operational approval.
• Contract fit and credit overlay
• Validate the proposed future state
• Agree next steps and decision criteria

• Solution Experience — Forwards, Basis & Logistics Scenarios
• Solution Experience Deck
• Solution Brief — Forwards, Basis, and Logistics Scenarios

• meeting
• slides
• document

• Publish Daily Posted Origin Bids
• Execute Spot Grain Purchases and Settlement
• Execute Forward Grain Contracts
• Offer Basis Contracts with Deferred Pricing
• Provide Minimum-Price Contract Options
• Provide Verified Credit Documentation and Trade References
• Deliver Grain via Truck, Rail, and Shuttle
• Load Shuttle-Train and River Terminal Shipments
• Carry Inventory for Forward Positions
• Manage Quality Grading and Settlement at Delivery
• Provide Independent Grain Sampling and Lab Reports
• Process Payment and Invoice Settlement per Contract Terms
• Offer Flexible Delivery-Window Contract Structures

Publish Daily Posted Origin Bids

• Which delivery points (e.g., elevator ID, county, or rail siding) do you want included in daily posted origin bids?
• How frequently during harvest do you need posted bids refreshed (select the update cadence)? Options: Once daily (AM), Twice daily (AM/PM), Real-time updates on price change, Other
• List any minimum lot sizes in bushels or truckload thresholds that must be shown on posted bids.
• Are you requiring posted bids to display basis in cents per bushel at each named delivery point? Options: Yes, No
• Specify whether posted bids should show quality tolerances (example: maximum moisture %, minimum test weight lb/bu) and which tolerances apply by crop.
• Indicate the standard validity window for posted bids (for example valid until 5:00 PM local or until truckload sells out). Options: Valid until end of business day, Valid until specific time (enter time), Valid until capacity exhausted, Other

Execute Spot Grain Purchases and Settlement

• When do you require settlement for spot purchases (examples: pay on delivery, net 3 days, net 7 days)? Options: Pay on delivery, Net 3 days, Net 7 days, Net 14 days, Other
• Who will provide the required delivery documentation at spot settlement (scale ticket, signed bill of lading, dock receipt)?
• Do you prefer electronic invoice and settlement remittance (ACH/EDI) or paper invoicing for spot purchases? Options: Electronic (ACH/EDI), Paper invoice and check, Either
• Provide any payment holdback or short-pay tolerances you require for spot deliveries (example: 0.5% cap on moisture overage deductions).
• Select the evidence you require to release payment for spot purchases. Options: Signed scale ticket, Bill of lading, Independent lab report, Electronic delivery confirmation, Other
• Indicate whether spot buy receipts must be tied to a warehouse receipt or immediate offload at the facility. Options: Warehouse receipt required, Immediate offload only, Either accepted

Execute Forward Grain Contracts

• Detail the standard contracted volumes you plan to commit per forward (bushels per contract and number of contracts per delivery window).
• Provide the preferred delivery points and acceptable alternatives for forward contracts (list facility IDs or mileposts if applicable).
• Which pricing mechanics do you require for forwards (fixed price, deferred pricing with pricing window, basis-only contracts)? Options: Fixed price, Deferred pricing (buyer selects price later), Basis-only, Other
• Specify required contractual notices and nomination cutoffs for forwards (for example nomination 48 hours prior to delivery or by 10:00 AM two business days before).
• Identify the contract term length you typically accept for forward coverage (examples: harvest season month, crop year, multi-month block). Options: Single delivery window (monthly), Seasonal (crop year), Rolling months (3-6 months), Other
• State any standard penalties or remedies you require for forward delivery failures (examples: default basis uplift, liquidated damages per bushel).

Offer Basis Contracts with Deferred Pricing

• Describe the deferred pricing triggers you need (examples: pricing window of 5 days, price election at load-out, market-high/low floor mechanisms).
• Define the basis reference for each contract (example: basis quoted as cents under/over Chicago Board of Trade front-month at named elevator).
• Indicate whether basis contracts must include basis protection thresholds (for example cap or collar in cents per bushel). Options: Yes, cap/collar required, No cap/collar, Optional
• Select allowed price election methods for deferred pricing (examples: buyer chooses futures fix, auto-fix on a defined date, or average-of-day). Options: Buyer-selected futures fix, Auto-fix on date, Volume-weighted average price (VWAP), Other
• Indicate logistics dependencies for basis contracts (for example must confirm truck/rail slot before initiating deferred price window). Options: Yes, logistics confirmation required, No
• Estimate how many bushels you expect to place on basis-deferred structures in the upcoming harvest window. Options: Less than 50,000, 50,000-200,000, More than 200,000

Provide Minimum-Price Contract Options

• Would you like minimum-price (floor) contracts with a downside protection and optional upside participation? Options: Yes, No, Need custom structuring
• Which floor mechanics do you prefer (examples: put option equivalent, fixed min price per bushel, or minimum plus basis sharing)? Options: Fixed minimum price per bushel, Minimum plus shared upside, Option-style premium structure, Other
• Specify any premium or fee budget you are willing to accept for minimum-price protection (express as cents per bushel or $ per bushel).
• Choose how settlement will occur when the market is above the minimum (examples: buyer pays market price, seller pays back difference). Options: Buyer pays market price, Seller pays difference to buyer, Net-settlement via invoice
• If you require a phased ramp to meet a minimum annual commitment, describe the ramp schedule and monthly bushel targets.
• Estimate the share of your forward book you want under minimum-price structures this season. Options: 0-10%, 10-30%, 30-60%, 60%+

Provide Verified Credit Documentation and Trade References

• What credit approval threshold in dollars must be in place before you consider delivery exposure (example: $50,000, $250,000)? Options: Under $50,000, $50,000-$250,000, $250,000-$1,000,000, Over $1,000,000
• What documentary evidence will validate counterparty credit approval and limits (examples: signed credit approval letter, two years of audited financial statements, bank reference)? Options: Signed credit approval letter, Audited financial statements (2 years), Bank reference, Trade references (2+)
• Who on your team will own credit verification follow-up and what is the desired turnaround time for receiving trade references?
• Indicate whether you require periodic credit rechecks during the contract term and the cadence (for example monthly during harvest). Options: Monthly, Per delivery, Quarterly, No rechecks
• Identify any specific financial covenants or ratios you require from counterparties (examples: current ratio, debt to equity).
• Specify whether you require trade references to include contact name, phone, and recent volume transacted with the counterparty. Options: Yes, full contact and volume details, Yes, contact only, No preference

Deliver Grain via Truck, Rail, and Shuttle

• Which delivery modes do you need enabled for each delivery point (truck, unit train shuttle, manifest rail)? Options: Truck, Unit train shuttle, Manifest rail, Barge/river
• Where are the primary truck nomination cutoffs at your facilities (example: nominations by 10:00 AM for same-day load)?
• How many days of carrier lead time do you require to secure rail or shuttle windows during peak harvest? Options: Same day, 1-3 days, 4-7 days, More than 7 days
• Identify any delivery constraints at your sites (examples: scale hours, restricted overnight delivery, weighmaster availability).
• Specify whether you need bill of lading to reflect consignor, consignee, and freight prepaid/collect instructions. Options: Yes, full BOL customization, Standard BOL acceptable
• Estimate average truckload size (bushels) and typical unit train capacity you plan to deliver through the season.

Load Shuttle-Train and River Terminal Shipments

• Which shuttle-train loading windows do you need reserved (provide typical day(s) of week or AM/PM windows)?
• Do you require guaranteed shuttle slot reservations vs best-effort scheduling during harvest? Options: Guaranteed slot, Best-effort only, Hybrid
• Provide the required pre-load documentation for shuttle and river terminal shipments (examples: release order, grade report, inspection certificate).
• Identify any loading rate requirements (cars per day, tons per hour) or cutoffs tied to train consist and river barge schedules.
• Specify whether you need on-site loading supervision and who will provide manifests and car numbers at load-out. Options: Yes, supervised loading required, No, unsupervised acceptable
• Indicate tolerance for detentions or demurrage responsibilities and who will be billed under common scenarios.

Carry Inventory for Forward Positions

• How many bushels of inventory are you willing to carry per forward position on average? Options: Under 50,000, 50,000-200,000, 200,000-500,000, 500,000+
• Specify storage cost allocation and whether storage fees are netted monthly or billed upon settlement. Options: Net monthly, Billed at settlement, Included in contract
• Identify required warehouse receipt controls (example: negotiable receipt, non-negotiable, electronic warehouse receipt). Options: Negotiable, Non-negotiable, Electronic receipt (EWRO/other)
• State any maximum hold periods you will accept for inventory tied to forward contracts before automatic liquidation. Options: 30 days, 60 days, 90 days, Custom
• Which party will be responsible for shrinkage, sampling losses, and insurance while inventory is carried? Options: We handle insurance and shrinkage, You handle insurance and shrinkage, Shared per contract
• Provide reporting cadence you require for carried inventory (examples: daily position report, weekly reconciliation). Options: Daily, Weekly, Monthly, On-demand

Manage Quality Grading and Settlement at Delivery

• Which official grade schedule and discount matrix should apply at delivery (state the standard: example maximum moisture %, test weight thresholds, and discount per tenth percent)?
• Specify the primary acceptable grading reference (example: US official grade, plant-specific grade, or dockage rules) for final settlement. Options: US official grade, Plant-specific grade, Seller's grade with tolerance, Other
• Identify who provides the official grade at load-out and whether grade disputes will trigger split-sample testing. Options: Facility grader, Independent sampler, Split-sample on dispute
• How will moisture and test weight tolerances be measured and documented at delivery (examples: hand-held meter, official lab, weighmaster entry)? Options: Hand-held meter, Official lab certificate, Weighmaster entry, Other
• What measurable acceptance criteria will confirm delivered grain meets contracted grade (examples: moisture <= X%, test weight >= Y lb/bu, foreign material <= Z%)?
• Describe the adjustment process and timeline for grade-based discounts to be applied to settlement invoices.

• Commodity Purchase Agreement
• Order Confirmation
• Pricing & Settlement Addendum
• Quality, Testing, and Claims Schedule
• Credit Approval & Exposure Limit Confirmation
• Payment Assurance & Security Agreement
• Mutual Obligations & Delivery Schedule Annex
• Authorized Signatories & Execution Schedule

• Go-live Health Check (weeks 1-4)
• First Measurement Review (weeks 4-10)
• Acceptance Gate Review (around day 90)
• Quarterly Success Review (ongoing operational cadence)

• Confirm next-quarter nomination and carrier assignment windows and circulate calendar invites for critical dates.
• Restate acceptance criteria and numeric targets
• Produce a documented acceptance decision detailing pass/fail status for contracted volume delivered percentage, on-time delivery rate, and basis performance against Contract & Scope Definition targets.
• If any criterion is conditional or failed, agree a remediation plan with clear resolution criteria and dates.
• Publish the acceptance record and designate the signatory or owning buyer contact who recorded the decision.
• Open and assign remediation tickets with resolution criteria tied to the acceptance outcomes.
• Schedule follow-up verification meeting to validate remediation completion if any conditional items exist.
• Review quarterly outcomes versus Contract & Scope Definition targets
• Validate that delivery and settlement metrics remain within acceptable variance of targets recorded in Contract & Scope Definition or document remediation actions where they do not.
• Have a prioritized list of enhancement requests and a clear owner responsible for each item's next-step decision.
• Ensure unresolved operational issues have owners, target resolution dates, and monitoring checkpoints.
• Update the issue tracker with owners and resolution dates for all persistent operational items.
• Publish the prioritized enhancement backlog and schedule the next implementation review.
• Reconfirm success criteria and owners
• All deployment checklist items are confirmed complete or have a remediation plan with owners and dates.
• No critical blockers remain that prevent the collection of meaningful outcome data in the measurement window.
• A one-page go-live health summary is agreed for circulation to stakeholders.
• Publish the go-live health summary with outstanding issues and owners within 48 hours.
• Open remediation tickets for each blocker and set target verification dates before the first measurement meeting.
• Confirm data extracts and sources that will be used for the first measurement meeting.
• Present first measurement against targets
• Determine whether on-time delivery rate, average basis deviation, and payment settlement timeliness are trending toward targets and document any shortfalls.
• Agree a prioritized list of corrective actions with owners and firm dates to reach the acceptance criteria recorded in Contract & Scope Definition.
• Confirm the data sources and cadence for the acceptance-gate evidence pack.
• Produce the measurement pack with data extracts, delivery confirmations, and payment records for the acceptance gate.
• Create remediation tasks for each identified root cause with due dates aligned to the acceptance gate.
• Schedule a mid-point checkpoint if any corrective action exceeds two weeks.
• Publish the acceptance decision document with supporting evidence and remediation plan within 48 hours.
• Surface persistent operational issues and disputes
• Deployment and connectivity validation
• Present outcomes against each criterion
• Root-cause diagnosis for gaps
• Agree corrective actions and timeline
• Early operational signals
• Enhancement request and backlog review
• Document pass/fail per criterion and formal decision
• Open issues and blockers
• Agree remediation plan for any failed or conditional items
• Confirm path to acceptance gate
• Confirm next-quarter operational commitments
• Agree immediate remediation actions