Reference Use Cases

Workflow

2 - Registration

Registration is the process of collecting standard information of a target group. For this use case, buyers and sellers working across the agricultural value chain, will be required to complete a registration process in order to fully access the Digital Marketplace (via app download and/or web browser). The user needs to complete a registration form with their identifiable information - this could include the person's citizen ID information, phone umber, age, gender, occupation etc.,). The purpose is to collect and authenticate the data identity and information of the intended Marketplace user. Once the intended user's identity data has been verified, they will then receive notification (via sms, e-mail and/or messaging system) confirming their registration with a first-time user ID and password to create a personalized profile on the Marketplace platform. Users can browse Marketplace with or without being logged in. If they want to sell and/or buy goods on the platform, then they must login with a valid account.

Workflows

Data Collection and Reporting for capturing responses provided during the registration process
Identification and Registration allows users to register themselves in the Marketplace in order to access the platform and its services. A built-in GPS in the users' main device i.e. mobile phone, automatically captures the user's location data so as to provide location based services

Building Blocks

Consent

Digital Registries

Registration

3 - Data Verification and Validation

As the purpose of the Marketplace is to easily facilitate the buying and selling of products and services in the agriculture value chain, a process is needed to verify and validate the submitted identity registration data. The data is automatically checked against other government databases (eg. ID, tax, land cadastre, business registration, etc.) in order to fill in any missing gaps, verify and validate collected information, including authentication of all records. Data checking approaches also vary: sometimes it has full interoperability.

Workflows

Client Case Management for storing and reviewing identification records
Data Analysis and Business Intelligence for cross-referencing and verifying records across multiple registry sources, and reconciling gaps / overlaps

Building Blocks

Consent

4 - User Profile Account

Every user on the Marketplace that registers will be provided with a personalized username and password to create their own detailed account on the platform. However if a country has a national identity scheme/nation ID registry in place, then this information can used for users to log in/access their personalized account on the Marketplace. Once a user has an account, they must be able to log in, change their details, and create profile with their name or business name, upload images, and other relevant information.

Users should be able to select what kind of services they are seeking to access on the Marketplace platform - i.e., the type of products or services they wish to buy and/or sell on the platform and whether they wish to receive agriculture advisory notifications via audio and text messages (on weather forecasts, crop calendars, pest and disease prevention/control, new seeds, inputs and technology, and market pricing alerts). For any users wishing to supply any products or services, they should be able to personalize their profile page to make their business stand out, and input information on products or services for sale, and their set preferred delivery method (pick up and/or delivery). All of this needs to be done in a way that both keeps user data secure and is compliant with a country's legal requirements.

Workflows

Data Collection and Reporting for capturing the personalized profile information of all registerd users on the platform
Financial Services for staging users' account details for payment transfer processing
Identification and Registration for identifying users and linking them to a personalized profile on the Marketplace
Client communication sends users automated notification of harvest schedule, market prices for subscribed products, and weather/natural disaster updates, transaction-based and promotional information from the Marketplace through digital messaging (e.g. SMS, notification, etc.)

Building Blocks

Registration

5 - Listing Pages

The Marketplace needs listing pages - pages on the platform where sellers can display their products for sale and buyers to browse the different options available. Listing information can be sourced from sellers profiles where they can list attributes of goods and services they have for sale - with pictures, descriptions, prices, delivery options etc. Search and discovery tools should be incorporated features on the listing pages to help buyers find what they’re looking for on the Marketplace - buyers should have the ability to search and filter through based on the attributes above as well as use key words, audio function, image search etc, to filter through the Marketplace. A government run Marketplace admin system could be put in place to monitor, change, approve, close, and delete listings if necessary.

Workflows

Data Analysis and Business Intelligence / Decision Support / Data Collection and Reporting to capture, analyze and update all products and services listed on the platform, and ensuring the listing pages are automatically kept up-to-date with any new changes
Client Case Management for tracking products and services listed by Marketplace users on the platform and addressing any customer/ Marketplace users' related issues
Client Case Management for tracking all business transactions

Building Blocks

6 - On-platform Communication

On-platform communication is typically achieved through a messaging tool; a common marketplace feature that allows buyers and sellers to communicate quickly and easily. Buyers might have questions about items before placing an order. Sellers need a way to share updates with buyers after their purchase. Further, once a buyer is interested in buying a specific product, they can search for the product in the Marketplace and find different sellers who are selling the product in different markets, the pricing they are offering and delivery options. Once the buyer finds a seller that meets their pricing and need, they can directly contact the seller, negotiate pricing and share the delivery location with the seller. If the seller agrees to deliver the product at the buyer's location and the pricing is agreed by both parties, then the payment process can be facilitated.

Workflows

Communication to facilitate communication between buyers and sellers via app, web browser, mobile etc
Client case management to address any communication needs between users and schedueling support to coordinate on product or service delivery

Building Blocks

7 - Seller Transaction

A digital Marketplace should incorporate a process to facilitate the payment of goods and services to the seller. To facilitate transactions/payments between buyers and sellers, the platform can have an in-built payment function in the application. Step 7 above tracks the farm products and/or related services listed on the Marketplace and the preferred delivery method by location (pick up and/or delivery). Once the seller agrees to sell to a buyer, and the buyer makes the payment, an SMS or anther direct messaging system is sent to the seller informing them of the remittance being processed. The money could be deposited in to an Escrow Account possibly managed by a financial service provider, which only releases the final remittance to the seller once the physical deliver of a good or service is received b the buyer successfully. Once the physical delivery process has succeeded, the seller then receives the payment in their account.

When filing out their profile with their necessary information and phone number, a process should be put in place for all users to verify their preferred method to receive payment (i.e.via bank account or mobile money), mobil, which will be used to facilitate payment transactions on the platform. Should mobile banking be an agreed transation method, a verification process will be put in place to ensure the mobile number is associated with the user's banking details, and payment transfer can be facilitated via a financial service broker or intermediary embedded as part of the Marketplace platform.

Workflows

Client Case Management for tracking transactions - identifying and authenticating payment transaction between buyers and sellers
Financial Services to facilitate financial transactions between buyers and sellers in order to conclude the buy-sale process
Identification and Registration to identify, register and verify a registered seller's bank and/or mobile banking details is associated to their account
Procurement: buyers and sellers in the Marketplace procure via a Procurement workflow of goods and services by negotiating transactional terms and conditions (e.g. price, delivery time etc.)

Building Blocks

Payments

8 - Buyer Transaction

A digital Marketplace should also provide some kind of process to facilitate payment of the listed goods and services by thee registered buyer. After a user wishing to buy agricultural products or services completes their detailed profile on Marketplace, then based on this data, products and services can be suggested for the user. Once a buyer finds a product or service they wish to proceed with, they can get in touch with the seller to discuss pricing and delivery options. Once an agreement is reached, the buyer selects the payment service - it could be the in-built payment function in the Marketplace application connected to the seller's bank or mobile banking. After the payment successfully processed, the buyer receives an SMS or any direct digital messaging system - transaction confirmation authentication code, which has to be shared with the delivery service provider once they receive the goods.

Workflows

Client Case Management for tracking transactions - identifying and authenticating payment transaction between buyers and sellers
Financial Services to facilitate financial transactions between buyers and sellers in order to conclude the buy-sale process
Identification and Registration to identify, register and verify a registered buyer's bank and/or mobile banking details is associated to their account
Procurement: buyers and sellers in the Marketplace procure via a Procurement workflow of goods and services by negotiating transactional terms and conditions (e.g. price, delivery time etc.)

Building Blocks

Payments

9 - Physcial Delivery of Goods

Physical delivery is the act of sending out and the receiving of goods or services at an arranged place. In this use case, once the seller receives confirmation of payment for their good or service, an invoice is generated with the buyer's name and address. The next step is to coordinate the delivery process of the physical good(s) to the agree location/address of the buyer. The delivery could be done independently by the seller themself or through a logistics service provider (courier company, transporter) etc. I.e. the seller pays the courier company for on-site pick up and the courier company picks up the good and delivers to the buyer. On receipt of purchased good, the buyer provides the authentication code (see step 8) to the delivery service. The code gets authenticated and the seller receives payment in their bank account.

Workflows

Client Case Management for identifying and authenticating the buyer's authentication code
Financial Services to deposit payment into the seller's account once buyer confirms receipt of purchased goods or services
Supply-chain Management: ensuring the physical delivery of the goods and services being transacted in digital Marketplace and monitoring when the actual supply of goods or service happens physically

Building Blocks

Payments

Workflow

10 - Ongoing Case Management

The government entity running the Marketplace platform has a team of case mangers and administers in place to operate the platform and ensure quality assurance. The case managers can address any queries and support needs of of users. This body also supports in monitoring and addressing complaints and grievances submitted by registered users.

Workflows

Client Case Management for tracking all business transactions, and addressing complaints/grievances raised by Marketplace users
Data Collection and Reporting for capturing the personalized profile information of all registered users on the platform

Building Blocks