At Siskiyou Farm Co., we’re all about connecting agriculture and food producers with local markets. Thanks to Local Line, we’ve streamlined our approach to supplier management and boosted our efficiency, allowing us to focus more on growth and less on the nitty-gritty.
In this article, I will share tips and tricks we’ve collected while onboarding and managing suppliers at our food hub, Siskiyou Farm Co.
We’re really proud of the supportive and collaborative environment we’ve built for our supplier, starting with a thorough onboarding process to ensure everyone is on the same page from the get-go.
Every potential supplier starts by diving into our Producer’s Guide. Our Guide covers not just what we expect from them but also what they can expect from us, including product requirements, regulations, operations, and more.
➡️ Check out our Producer's Guide for reference!
Next, we require all suppliers to collect key documents for compliance and smooth operations. While we provide guidance, it is ultimately the responsibility of each suppliers to understand and adhere to all applicable local, state, and federal regulations concerning their products:
Agreeing to our Producer’s Guide is a big part of joining our network. It’s about committing to keep inventory up-to-date and deliveries on time.
This is where suppliers tell us all about their operations and products. It’s the final check before they officially join our community.
Once we’ve got the application, we set up a dedicated folder for each supplier to keep things organized in one place for record-keeping and compliance. This allows us to quickly be able to refer back to specific suppliers documentation.
After everything checks out, we invite them to set up on Local Line, where they can create their account, manage their details, and connect payment methods.
With Local Line, you can add two types of suppliers: connected and managed. With a managed supplier, your farm or food hub has full control of your supplier's products and inventory. The supplier doesn't need to have a Local Line account.
With a connected supplier, you invite a supplier to create an account and manage their listing. Connected suppliers control their own products, pricing, and inventory. For Siskiyou, we use connected suppliers. Learn more about the difference here.
We contact the supplier using their preferred method—be it phone, email, or Zoom—to outline the next steps. We ask for emailed copies of all necessary documents, certifications, licenses, and permits to complete their supplier folder, which is essential for compliance and record keeping.
Suppliers then have two options: they can either upload their product information and manage their listings themselves, which most of our suppliers prefer, or they can choose to have our team assist them through the process. This flexibility allows suppliers to proceed in a way that best suits their capabilities and comfort level.
Essential to any organization, SOPs are not just recommendations; they are necessary. As James Clear puts it, “You do not rise to the level of your goals. You fall to the level of your systems.”
At Siskiyou Farm Co., we have developed comprehensive SOPs that detail the purpose and scope of each procedure, specify the teams involved, and list necessary tools and resources. Our SOPs provide a clear schedule and outline steps to follow daily, ensuring smooth operations. They include oversight responsibilities, troubleshooting guidelines, quality checks, and sections on things to watch for and avoid to prevent miscommunication and ensure efficiency. This documentation helps maintain a record of all activities, changes, and updates for continuous improvement.
At Siskiyou Farm Co., we've come to appreciate the comprehensive suite of features that Local Line offers when it comes to managing our suppliers and streamlining operations. Here are our top exported documents and how we use them:
➡️ Curious to see a week in the life of a food hub manager? Here is Siskiyou Farm Co’s weekly schedule.
One of the standout features of Local Line is their exceptional support team. The quality of customer service was a major selling point for us. Having used Local Line for two years now, their excellence has held true, which is a testament to the company and what they bring to the table.
Whether it’s helping with uploading products, setting prices, removing items from price lists, or guiding suppliers through the backend of their storefronts, Local Line’s team is always available to assist. This support is not just a service; it's a game changer that makes managing our suppliers feel like a collaborative effort.
To streamline our operations, we maintain a master schedule and a comprehensive filing system for supplier compliance and record keeping. Integration with Zapier automates many of our routine tasks, such as managing storefront operations and sending timely reminders via SlickText.
For us at Siskiyou Farm Co., Local Line has made selling online and managing suppliers easier than ever. It's streamlined our operations, allowing us to focus more on growth and less on the complexities of daily tasks.
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