Power Platform Delivers 30% Productivity Gains for Ag Retail Operations
For agricultural retailers, technology at the point of sale has a direct impact on relationships with local growers. Long wait times or inaccurate data can slow down business during already packed days in the growing season. One North Dakota-based agricultural cooperative, with multiple retail sites supporting grain and agronomy sales, found its outdated mobile application no longer meeting the needs of staff or the growers they serve.
Partnering with Stoneridge Software, the organization reimagined its retail transactions using Microsoft Power Platform tools, delivering a faster, smarter, and more reliable experience for both employees and growers.
Business Challenges: Outdated mobile app slowed service, limited functionality, and frustrated staff and growers
The cooperative’s previous mobile application had become a bottleneck. Staff relied on it for managing sales, product pickups, and returns, but performance issues created delays and frustration. The tool also lacked functionality that would have simplified customer interactions, created compliance risks, and added unnecessary manual work.
Key challenges included:
- Slow performance caused lines and wait times at pickup and return.
- Limited search functionality required exact matches for customers or products.
- No visibility into containers checked out and returned by growers.
- Cumbersome updates with each device needing manual adjustments.
- Outdated local data that risked missing or inaccurate information.
- No support for Restricted Use Product (RUP) licenses, leaving staff to manually verify grower eligibility for regulated products.
- Lack of Custom Application and Work Order tracking, making it harder to manage field services performed by licensed employees.
Together, these issues slowed down operations, created compliance challenges, and reduced confidence in the accuracy of both front-line transactions and back-office processes. With a new ERP implementation already underway, leadership recognized the need to invest in a more reliable, future-ready system.
Recommended Solution: Power Platform Canvas App delivers speed, real-time data, and flexibility across retail sites
Stoneridge Software partnered with the cooperative to design a replacement mobile application that not only addressed the shortcomings of the old system but also supported the way retail and agronomy operations truly work. Built on Microsoft Power Platform, the new solution was designed to be reliable, efficient, and easy to maintain, with safeguards to ensure compliance and billing integrity.
Solution highlights included:
- Power Apps Canvas App running on tablets across all retail sites.
- Real-time data via Dataverse ensuring transactions were always accurate.
- Dual Write integration with Dynamics 365 Finance & Operations and Levridge.
- Power Automate flows to instantly create and update sales documents.
- RUP license enforcement preventing growers from receiving regulated products unless a valid license is on file.
- Custom Application & Work Order tracking for field services performed by licensed staff.
- Built-in error safeguards that allow a grower to leave with a correct Bill of Lading even if an order line fails in the ERP, while notifying office staff to resolve the issue before billing.
- Self-managed updates so the IT team could make and deploy changes without vendor dependency.
The app allows staff at more than six sites to enter orders, returns, and transfers while generating printed bills of lading on the spot. Stoneridge also trained the cooperative’s technical team, enabling them to manage and expand the solution in the future.
“Our goal was to give their team a tool that worked at the speed of their business and that they could maintain long term,” says Jeff Wedul, Principal Developer at Stoneridge Software.
Results: Transactions in seconds, automation of manual tasks, and greater confidence in technology
The new Power Platform application delivered improvements that staff and growers noticed right away. Transactions that once caused delays now process in seconds, and automation has removed many manual steps. Real-time data ensures both retail staff and back-office teams always have accurate information, while new safeguards give the organization confidence that compliance and billing integrity are protected. Any if any adjustments are needed, the IT team is empowered with direct control over the system.
Key outcomes included:
- 30% increase in productivity as transactions move faster.
- 10 manual processes eliminated through automation.
- Reliable real-time data for billing, inventory, and sales.
- Container tracking that provides visibility into items checked out and returned.
- Streamlined billing with accurate, up-to-date order details.
- RUP license verification built into the system.
- Custom Application and Work Order tracking to manage field services accurately.
- Improved grower experience with shorter wait times and accurate documentation.
- Greater flexibility and control for the IT team to maintain and expand the app.
More than just a replacement for outdated technology, the project established a scalable platform that positions the cooperative for future growth, backed by the strength of Microsoft’s ecosystem and Stoneridge’s expertise.
Technologies Used
- Microsoft Power Platform
- Power Apps Canvas App
- Power Automate
- Dataverse
- Dual Write
- Dynamics 365 Finance & Operations
- Levridge Ag Solution
