Upland was contracted by the B.C. Ministry of Agriculture and Food to conduct a feasibility study to explore the usefulness of the development of an online platform in the form of a smart phone application (app)and/or website to improve efficiencies and connectivity between producers and processors in B.C. Presented as a scheduling service, the app would primarily provide a streamlined method for scheduling animals in for slaughter, as well as an opportunity to serve other needs, such as describing processor profiles, distributing reminders and updates, sending Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) regarding animal drop-off, connecting to cut & wrap services, and/or improving tracking and traceability.

The scope of this report paid a particular focus on the opportunity to pilot a scheduling app in the Thompson-Nicola/North Okanagan region. The region has 13 licensed meat processing operations (10 Abattoirs, 2 Farmgate Plus, and 1 Farmgate). The research conducted for this feasibility study included the following activities:

• Literature review
• Stakeholder interviews
• Scan of other scheduling apps

The final report was presented to the Ministry with a report that included a summary of findings, considerations for a BC scheduling app (geographic reach, management options, estimated costs and return on investment), and recommended next steps.