01 / THE BLUEPRINT
The problem to investigate
Cold storage capacity can be underused at one hour and overbooked at another. Producers need clarity about available slots, fees and the conditions their crop requires.
02 / THE BLUEPRINT
A possible solution
Maintain a transparent booking system for crates, storage duration, pickup times, fee basis and dispute rules. A qualified operator determines which products can share space and appropriate storage conditions.
03 / THE BLUEPRINT
Start without an app
A numbered whiteboard with deposit receipts and a cleaning schedule may be enough for one cooperative cold room.
04 / THE BLUEPRINT
Technology that could help
A lightweight offline-capable calendar can reserve capacity and flag no-shows. Equipment sensors, if introduced, require professionally maintained calibration and alert handling.
05 / THE BLUEPRINT
Your first experiment
- Observe one authorised cold-room's arrivals and departures.
- Agree on crate units, maximum booking time and cancellation terms.
- Test a paper schedule with sample bookings and different producer sizes.
- Review conflicts and actual spoilage accounting before digitising.
06 / THE BLUEPRINT
People, resources and cost drivers
Needs operator consent, electricity, sanitation, safe equipment, insurance and staff support. FAO describes relevant post-harvest approaches: https://agritechobservatory.review.fao.org/en/mapping-affordable-and-transferrable-climate-smart-technologies-for-smallholder-farmers
07 / THE BLUEPRINT
What to validate — and when to stop
Check that bookings correspond to real capacity and that staff can handle outages safely. Stop if digital booking conflicts with food safety or operator decisions.
08 / HYPOTHESIS TO TEST
Potential impact and how to measure it
Track booking utilisation, documented storage costs, no-shows and rejected or spoiled produce; any claimed reduction in losses needs comparable data.
09 / THE BLUEPRINT
Risks and safeguards
Mismanaged temperatures may spoil food; power failure can have serious effects. No app should decide food is safe for sale or override trained operators.
10 / THE BLUEPRINT
Who might pay or maintain it
Cooperatives can charge transparent pay-per-use fees, with clear reserves for cleaning, maintenance, energy and eventual equipment replacement.