Hutterite Colonies are communities that have been living in a communal way for four and a half centuries, located in rural areas across Alberta, Saskatchewan, and Manitoba. Their primary industries and activities are focused on agriculture and manufacturing.
There are approximately 380 colonies in Western Canada with a total population of approximately 55,000 individuals. Most colonies are equipped with the latest machinery and systems to help in daily management.
With a history of almost 300 years in various agricultural, farming, and manufacturing industries, the Hutterian Brethren group’s goal is to become trusted trade partners to both domestic and international corporations.
The Colonies Unite App is designed as a dynamic, interactive platform, with just-in-time possibilities for vendors to schedule online meetings with one colony, a group, or all colonies at the same time. Features such as Fresh Farmers Market and Commodity trade, enable Colonies to have lower supply costs by aligning their needs with the efficiency and accuracy in farm management, orders, and payments. With this type of business management, they gain a competitive advantage over the rest of the market suppliers for the same goods.
The benefits of this online portal are tremendous for both vendors and suppliers, giving them clarity and efficiency in the supply/demand process with more direct access and communication with the Hutterite Colonies.
The main features are Marketplace, Trade, and Administration which offer users functionalities such as registering their shop, buying and selling goods or services, trading items with the public, or between colonies. There are supporting features such as Profile directory for searching through all colonies, profiles, and activities or Management for tracking and managing farm activities.
Prior to the app development, all the communication and the entire Colony business had been done manually. After the app has been launched and the connection has been established, the Colonies’ production blossomed even more. The app also created many opportunities for Colonies in remote locations and gave them an equal chance to participate in programs and services, something that those Colonies haven’t had before.