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"RUSH took a holistic approach which encouraged participants to describe what's involved in running their business in Rural NZ. The results enabled us to identify and prioritise what was important to our customers, ultimately leading to what is now known as FarmlandsPRO."
Farmlands Co-operative, serving 80,000 shareholders across New Zealand, engaged RUSH to develop a digital self-service experience addressing the unique challenges faced by rural customers located far from physical stores with significant time constraints. The project addressed modernising traditional in-person agricultural commerce without compromising valued relationships between farmers and Technical Field Sales people.
Beginning with extensive user research and validation in 2023, the project evolved from concept through pilot to full market launch at Fieldays NZ in July 2024, now processing meaningful revenue whilst delivering 2-4 minute tasks in approximately 40 seconds for Technical Field Sales people. FarmlandsPRO now serves as an indispensable management tool, enabling 24/7 ordering, account management, and supply logistics whilst allowing Farmlands staff to focus on providing expert advice rather than processing routine transactions.
Expertise
Research
UX Design
UI Design
Feasibility Validation
Proof of Concept
Minimum Viable Product
Frontend Development
Backend Development
Native Application Development
Cloud / Systems Integration
Quality Assurance & Testing
100
pilot customers for initial validation
40sec
to complete tasks that previously took 2-4 minutes
24/7
order management capability for remote farming operations
RUSH worked alongside Farmlands' complex existing systems and business processes, running concurrent design and development discovery rather than traditional dual-track methodology. This enabled rapid iteration cycles with designers and developers collaborating closely throughout.
The team conducted extensive user research including Kano surveys, stakeholder interviews, and moderated user testing to validate three core areas: Transactions, Inform (making invisible processes visible), and Engage (future recommendation features). The Progressive Web App approach was chosen to address rural connectivity challenges, enabling offline functionality crucial for farmers working in areas with limited internet access.
"I think it is good that all the orders are in one space, it is a lot easier to have all your orders in store, via Technical Field Sales people and online in one place"
FarmlandsPRO integrates directly with Farmlands' existing commerce and customer systems, enabling 24/7 order management across the entire catalogue, sales agreement planning for seed and infrastructure supplies, and streamlined quoting flows connecting shareholders directly with Technical Field Sales people. The platform delivers exclusive shareholder pricing and enables farmers to instantly order replacement supplies whilst in the field, view order history and sales agreements, and access real-time delivery tracking.
The platform has achieved strong initial traction, particularly among the sales team who can interact directly with shareholder accounts, processing meaningful revenue for the cooperative. Efficiency gains allow the sales team to focus on solving on-farm problems rather than processing transactions. Farmlands now positions FarmlandsPRO as their preferred direct channel, continuing independent platform enhancements.
If you are a Farmlands Shareholder you can experience FarmlandsPRO's comprehensive rural supply management through the App Store or Google Play, featuring personalised pricing, offline ordering capabilities, and seamless integration with New Zealand's largest agricultural cooperative network.
