Where can I find the training video for standing appointments?

You can find that training video here.

What are standing appointments?

Standing appointments are default appointment days and times that have been established for agencies and program partners. Your NTFB contact (either your CPR representative or program liaison) should have contacted you already to set up your preferred days and times for your standing appointments. Please note that standing appointments do not change the order deadlines previously established.

Who will be impacted by standing appointments?

Any partner agency or program that places their own orders in Agency Express and receives deliveries will have standing appointments set up. If your site does not place their own orders (such as CSFP sites or school pantry sites), this change will not affect you. There are also some partners that will have standing appointments available for pickups as well. Pickups that do not have standing appointments assigned will now be setup using the scheduler feature within Agency Express. This option can be found under the order options tab.

Why is NTFB implementing standing appointments?

There are several reasons why NTFB is implementing standing appointments. Some of the biggest reasons are:

• To provide clear date and time information in Agency Express for when orders may be scheduled
• To minimize the possibility of placing an order on the incorrect day
• To reduce the number of modify/expedite fees agencies incur from missing the order deadlines
• To streamline the ordering and delivery process for both partners and NTFB operations
• To reduce the number of invoices for partners to review and sign
• To reduce wait times for pickups

When will standing appointments be implemented?

As of June 1, 2022, standing appointments will be live for all partner agencies and programs.

How do I schedule an order for delivery?

You will add items to your shopping list as per usual; that process has not changed. The changes will be apparent when you get to the checkout section. When you select delivery and click on the calendar to select your date, the available dates will show in green instead of yellow, as shown below:

Once the date is selected, please select the time slot. The time slot listed will reflect your actual standing appointment time, unlike the filler time that was previously listed when selecting deliveries. This will allow you to better plan your operations around your delivery times.

Please note that only one order may be scheduled per shipment date. If you need to modify the order at any time, you are welcome to do so if the order is not currently being processed. Please be advised that the ordering deadlines previously established have not changed. If you need to move your order from one standing appointment date to another, you will lose the originally selected standing appointment date and it will not repopulate.

How do I schedule an order for pickup?

You will add items to your shopping list as per usual; that process has not changed. The changes will be apparent when you get to the checkout section. When you select pickup and click on the calendar to select your date, the available dates will show in green. If there are no dates listed and all dates are crossed out, your agency does not have standing appointments set up; instead, you will have to schedule your pickup with the scheduler function. Under “Order Options”, there will now be an option labelled as “Scheduler”; click that option to schedule your pickup. Any existing standing appointments will show listed in green, as seen below:

Once in the scheduler, select “Pickup” and click on the calendar. This will show all dates that are available to schedule a pickup appointment in gold. Select the desired date and move to the time field. When clicking the time, you will now see a multitude of time options. Please select the time slot closest to when you expect to pick up your order. Once all fields are filled out, click “Reserve”. The appointment will now be added to your appointments list, but it will not be highlighted in green, as it is not a recurring appointment like standing appointments are.

At this point, you will now be able to go back into that pickup order and select the day and time you set up in the scheduler.

What do I do if I need help?

If you run into trouble or require assistance in any way, please contact the agency service desk. Some common reasons to put in a ticket are:

• If you need additional deliveries beyond your existing standing appointments
• If you need to change your standing appointment days or times
• If you have questions or issues with ordering