Field Experience Of The KhedutPay

For any company, it's vital to test the conceptual idea on fields and validate it with the real-time situation. At KhedutPay, we are very much following the same; at the starting of our operation, we had tried 3 cases to understand the customer's behaviour and simulate ideas in the field. We had tested the following cases to understand the cost and various operational and business relations aspect associated with it. This model was applied to the geography with trained human resources, especially for the same. Every model was tested for the month, and the time for the capacity building was done for 15 days. After each testing, feedback of each stack-holder and employee was taken. And after brainstorming, the new systems were developed. And observations were added to the new business model.

Case1 - Vendors to Farmers model

In this model role of KhedutPay was limited as a supply-chain partner to the Farmers and Market. Traditionally, farmers usually approach the nearby market for their demands. Where they have some fixed supplier with whom they got trust-connection. Sometimes for few other new products, they come to the other supplier for their need. This whole so-called market survey operation takes the time and resources of the farmers. Which was a very lengthy and time handling process; after this, all these processes do not ensure the optimal solution. To solve this problem, KheduPay came as a platform where farmers can give miss-call to KhedutPay. The company will assign one telecaller to the individual customer. The KhedutPay Representative call back to the farmer and get their need listed. They ask for farmers' preferences for the vendor if farmer got any particular choice than one delivery executive where assign for that need, who collect interim quotation and share it with the farmer. Suppose the farmer agrees with the order quotation and delivery charge, then the account and supply-chain team process the delivery for the same.

The primary income of this model is associated with the delivery charge and own selected vendors where margin and service charge can be earned.

Further in this model, it was planned to have E-mall at each village, and it is few products. But this model was not attractive due to lack of responses from the customers in the initial stage only. And the asset generation was too high in this model.

Advantage of model

• 1. To gain a large order size is very easy.
• 2. No or little effort is required to convince the customer.
• 3. A service charge from the vendor could be a source of the constant cash flow.

Disadvantage

• No control over the product can lead to the failure of the model.
• Thin or no profit over the delivery of the order.
• Vendors are reluctant to pay a service charge.
• For further expansion, it needs to have huge asset holding, which might never reach breakeven.

Case2 - Service model

This model is mainly centred on the new entering companies. As new markets entering, companies don't have a marketing channel to reach the customer and gain feedback from it. In a traditional chain, getting the entry is challenging. Even for the old firms, it's essential to get feedback from the customer. And despite having this, all variety of the product in market Farmers cannot reach those products.

To fill this gap, KhedutPay enters as a new platform. Where KhedutPay charges some amount to the company for their service. The company provides the marketing material and product to KhedutPay. Then KhedutPay team start promoting that product on the field by various methods. The primary source of income in this model is from the service charge and margin of the product.

Advantage

• 1. All business is in a credit cycle, so it reduces the requirement of the working capital.
• 2. Two-way earning is possible.
• 3. Many good products are there, so the product portfolio could be strong.

Disadvantage

• 1. This model completely omits the preference of the customers.
• 2. From one company all products are not good performing, so it makes complex business relation.
• 3. No unfair mean advantage remains with KhedutPay.
• 4. Overall field team requirement is high, and high skills are required to convince and satisfy the customer.

Case3 - New /Innovative product model

Due to various disadvantages of the model, KhedutPay came up with this third case, and it was tried and tested in the market recently. In this model, one field team is appointed to understand the demands of the farmer based on the real-time situations, and that team escalates those demands to the New product development team (NPD). This team identifies the best product for the problem, and it transfers the target specification to the business development team, which further selects the vendors based on the best deal. Further telemarketing and field team promote this product to the customer and sell happened.

Advantage

• 1. The highest satisfaction of the customer could be achieved.
• 2. Limited but best target product can be added to the portfolio, which improves the sales efficiency.

Disadvantage

• 1. Product development needs enormous efforts.
• 2. Timely responses are required; otherwise, the opportunity could be missed
• 3. Huge expenditure is required on the supply chain.

Summary for Field Experience

The above disadvantages can be avoided by proper planning and organization structure. In case 2 and Case 3, financial feasibility could be achieved so, and it was decided to go with the combined model of both of them. And further to minimize the over-heads by the commission-based salary model. Some base amount is provided, and another amount is offered to employees based on their sales performance.

Plus, a quick response could be achieved through various software applications. When the field team or agronomy team received any question at their end, they upload those questions based on the platform, which senses the change in the pattern of the questions and allows the Business development team to act accordingly

This segregation is done based on geography, crop, season, and any other parameter, which gives the best idea to tele caller and marketing manager to act quickly on the opportunity. The new business model is developed with a highly integrated ERP system that reduces the capacity-building cost and delays in product development and customer reach.

Plus, maintaining the power balance in the market is very important. This market power balance could be achieved through various modes of collaboration with multiple companies and products. Those are discussed below.

Own products Model: for fast-moving low tech high margin product

In this model, KhedutPay will develop its product and market to the customers. In this high margin and sales volume could be achieved. These products involve the fast-moving products of a particular area.

Service model: - For New companies

This model is offered to the new upcoming companies. This company wants to penetrate the market; KhedutPay will charge to them for the promotion of their products and also will get margin on the sales.

Agency model: - For big/old companies and High-tech products

Some-time, it's challenging to develop few products or to beat the current supply chain. By subscribing to those products by taking the agency of those companies, the target could be achieved.

The final design of business

The final business model consists of all advantages of the above cases, and also it includes the diversified market relation and proper economically viable supply chain. The model has a three-layer design. The top layer of this model is Headquarter of KhedutPay; the Middle layer is Cluster level management and field-level management, which is KishaanoPreneures. At the top level, significant business development decisions and expansion will take by the BODs and CEO, and other top-level managers. A dedicated tele-caller team will also operate from HQ.

Updated business model

At middle-level management, cluster offices are designated; those offices will be designed based on supply chain viability and region-specific agro-climatic conditions. Cluster level warehouses are also allocated at this stage which mainly fulfills the requirement of KishaanoPreneurs. At the cluster level, a Kishaan Kendra will establish for the farmers.

Below that level, on the ground, at every five villages, one KishaanoPreneur will appoint on a partnership basis. KishaanoPreneurs will take care of doorstep delivery for their dedicated villages and hold the Micro-inventory at ground level for on-time delivery.