Boosting productivity and profit in a conducive team setting

The catering industry is well known for its fast-paced, high-pressure environment, not to mention its ongoing challenges around staff retention. Yet it is always the calm and efficient kitchens with a strong team morale that are the most productive and therefore the most profitable. Creating a thriving, productive workplace is of course no mean feat; it relies heavily on building a happy, conducive team culture, which in turn requires an open and agile mindset, more streamlined processes and fit for purpose technology to automate those time-intensive and mundane tasks that only add to an already stressful environment.

Automated procurement technology like Zupa’s Caternet, streamlines the purchasing process by automating time-consuming tasks such as supplier management, order placement, inventory and stock taking, as well as speeding up menu creation and invoice processing which alleviates pressure on staff.  By leaning on technology, catering businesses will also free up more of their people’s time, saving resource and reducing the likelihood of human error. Improving the overall efficiency and operational dynamics of the kitchen must be at the top of the agenda for businesses looking to reduce costs and boost profit.

Here are five ways that Caternet’s procure-to-pay platform can help create a more productive and conducive working environment for catering businesses:

1. Saving time: By automating the procurement process, catering businesses can save time that would otherwise be spent on manual tasks such as comparing prices, placing orders, and processing invoices. This time can then be redirected towards more strategic and creative activities, such as menu planning, customer experience, and business growth development – essentially allowing people to do the jobs they love, which can only be a positive step for staff loyalty and retention.

2. Reducing costs: Caternet can also help catering businesses to save money through live price comparison across a wider supplier network, identify a variety of cost-saving opportunities, and negotiate better deals. By optimising otherwise complex and time-draining purchasing decisions, businesses can not only reduce their overall procurement costs, they can also improve their bottom line to boot.

3. Boost accuracy: Human error is one of the most common and expensive issues in the manual procurement process. Making mistakes when ordering items, duplicating payments and missing special discounts are only part of the problem – whether that leads to wasted ingredients or over-ordering on items already in stock, these errors or oversights can be very costly to businesses. Automated procurement technology eliminates these errors by ensuring that orders are placed correctly, invoices are processed accurately, and payments are made on time.

4. Complete visibility: Caternet also provides catering teams with real-time visibility or what we like to call a ‘single source of truth’ into their purchasing activities, enabling them to track orders, monitor their spending, and identify any patterns or trends. This granular level of visibility allows businesses to make more informed decisions, elevate their procurement processes, and better manage their supply chain.

5. Compliance: Catering businesses must comply with various regulations and standards when purchasing ingredients and supplies. Caternet ensures organisations are compliant by centralising purchasing data, managing allergens and nutritional data and generating audit trails. This alleviates the whole compliance process, freeing up more time for the team while reducing the risk of non-compliance.

Essentially, creating a more productive and conducive working environment by saving time and resources, reducing errors, improving accuracy, enhancing visibility, and streamlining compliance has to be a priority. By making the link between productivity, profitability and procurement technology, catering businesses can enhance their procurement processes, drive greater efficiency within their teams, and achieve sustainable growth in today's competitive marketplace.

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