The capability of the supply chain is often the least understood aspect of restaurant businesses, yet its impact on smooth running operations is significant. Our specialism is in setting up and leading the procurement and supply chain activity to support the overall business strategy and to organise resources to provide a robust, reliable, and cost effective supply chain. Detailed below are the specific services we provide.
Understanding the business strategy, and defining and implementing the supply chain strategy to support it.
The procurement and supply chain activity should support the needs and ambitions of the business. Whether the focus is on menu innovation, seasonality and frequent menu changes, all day dining, cost and margin management or speed of service (or as is often the case, all of these), then the business should have a supply base capable of supporting these objectives. This creates a number of questions: how many suppliers do we need in each category? Which suppliers? How do we manage and measure cost and service with our suppliers?
The support we provide is to work with the existing team to understand the business, its strategy and future plans and prioritise these into areas of focus for the supply chain. This should include meeting the key stakeholders to understand their perspectives and needs, and reviewing all aspects of the existing supply chain.
Reviewing the existing supply chain (processes, supply contracts and agreements, team and structure, and supplier relationship management) and developing a plan to deliver improved supply chain performance.
It is not unusual that as a business grows from 1 or 2 sites, to tens or even hundreds, then the supply chain feels the pressure. Suppliers may no longer have enough capacity to meet your growing demand, new categories of product might be needed, and new geographies serviced.
We can help meet these challenges through our extensive knowledge of the food manufacturing and non-food industries. We can meet and review existing suppliers, research and introduce potential suppliers, renegotiate new or exit existing contracts and implement logistics and distribution channels to provide the service the business needs.
Leading or supporting the implementation of a supply chain improvement plan.
The restaurant and foodservice sector is fast moving. Customer expectations, competitor activity, new concepts and menu innovation are changing more quickly than ever. Keeping up with these is one of the main challenges for your business. Having sufficient time to review and implement a performance improvement programme in the supply chain is often a significant challenge.
We can help by running a programme for you, ensuring plenty of collaboration with the existing teams, but allowing them sufficient time and space to run the business today. We can be an outsourced solution for your business, or brought into work alongside the existing team.
Carrying out a category review or tendering exercise.
Sometimes there is a particular category of spend which requires a thorough review. This might be a high value area of direct spend on food or drink, or a supporting area of supplies and services, or even the distribution set up.
We can lead or support your business through a category review process, helping you to find products and suppliers, run a tendering exercise, shortlist and select suppliers, negotiate and write contracts. We can also write reports and presentations which may be needed for internal stakeholders consultation or information.
Integrating good governance and corporate social responsibility into the supply chain activity.
In today’s world a responsible supply chain is just as important as a reliable one. Provenance, health and nutrition, animal welfare, sustainable production methods and traceability and visibility of the supply chain are all critical to protect and enhance your business.
We can help your business to identify which of these are a significant challenge to you, and identify area of good governance and corporate social responsibility to address them.
Interim management of the supply chain function, and/or supporting the existing team through a period of change.
A restaurant or foodservice business will, quite rightly, focus its own resources on operations and customer service. The procurement and supply chain team will often be under resourced or inexperienced to manage the change that may be required.
We can provide an interim resource or additional pair of hands to support your business through a challenging period. We can work with your team on site as needed, or provide remote support.