Restaurants are realizing that technology tools can boost their operational speed, allow more work to process with less hands on the floor, and provide them real-time data capture. Something as simple has a unit that allows customers to order what they want from the table translates into faster orders, higher consumption, 100 percent data capture of demand for trend analysis later on, and translation to supply demand that is far more accurate for the restaurant.
In turn, restaurants can streamline their supply ordering to just what they see is actually being consumed, and they can turn around and translate the same information into electronic ordering to receptive suppliers. No surprise, the same businesses will then expect suppliers to be able to accept their electronic data and translate it into inventory fulfillment very quickly.
It’s About the Data
Suppliers need to anticipate how restaurants are generating their information, what format it will come in, and how that data will be expected to be used for order fulfillment. Whether it be a digital manifest or a barcode or q-code data package, restaurants’ expectations will increase that suppliers get with the program and provide data transfer options versus traditional order lists.
To both accommodate and build long-term relationships suppliers should also think about what platforms they will have that can accommodate clients as well as gently lock them into unique data relationships. Doing so then keeps such clients with a supplier longer, making it harder to simply walk away and find a competitor providing the same data relationship. This does mean extending out data network resources with restaurants and building the infrastructure to supports such relationships, making them value-added elements to the food provider’s operations.
A New Order is Coming
The days of sitting in the dark for a phone order or waiting for a paper or simple email order are over. Restaurants are going into technology-enabled, leveraging modern systems, like Prime cloud ERP software, and suppliers need to both anticipate and leverage such tools to their strategic advantage for long-term viability. Otherwise, someone else is going to build that bridge first and take away those clients.
Get more ideas on how Prime Food Service Software can help you keep pace with the demands of the restaurants to which you supply food. Watch our demo webinar on-demand!