EP Business in Hospitality Issue 49 - April 2014

MIKE DAY OPINION
The changing landscape of
technology in contract catering
Improvements made in systems can greatly
I have enjoyed working in the hospitality sector
for more than 40 years, starting out in hotels
then moving across to outside event catering,
private leisure centres and latterly contract
catering. Throughout my career I have always
been surprised at the perception that the
contract catering sector lacks innovation and flair.
From my experience, both as an operator and more
recently at IndiCater delivering IT solutions to
the sector, contract caterers are not only dynamic
thinkers but also strive for the most cost-effective
and efficient ways of running their businesses
while standing out from the crowd. As the contract
caterers’ operating landscape itself has evolved,
from managing straightforward food-service needs
into providers of a complex and broad range of soft
FM services, they have
had to drive out change
continually to stay ahead
of the game.
Technology has played
a significant role in
reshaping how the sector
manages both its backof-house
management
processes as well as
providing contemporary
online tools to enhance
“Contract caterers
have had to work
and innovate harder
than other hospitality
sectors ”
the overall customer service experience. In just
over 10 years, the sector has moved from away from
the ‘weekly envelope’ of paperwork, painstakingly
prepared and posted by the unit to head office
for processing, and instead has replaced it with
‘immediate’ online software solutions covering
everything from finance, employment and
purchasing management, right the way through
to client invoicing. The need to achieve excellence
in customer service and thus retain hard won
contracts has also meant contract caterers have
looked creatively at ways in which customer-facing
software tools can help drive business.
In many respects contract caterers have had to
work and innovate harder than other hospitality
sectors, running multiple sites with differing and
often complex contractual arrangements,
while keeping happy the needs of a diverse
audience of clients, customers and company
shareholders.
You don’t have to look far to see the dynamic
ways in which contract caterers have used
technology to bring about change. For instance,
management information systems can be
improved by:
to create theoretical gross profits, closing
stock figures and identify stock loss
an immediate snapshot of both site and
company trading.
Sales and marketing information can be
enhanced by:
alongside meeting room, retail shop and sports
booking processes
surveys linked to promotional
offers and vouchers accessed
via mobiles
to encourage customer loyalty.
technology can help by:
management systems with
better management of production costs, waste
and cooking methods
unit costs from suppliers impact on recipes
stocktaking and ordering.
compliance by:
processes
automatically update staff training records.
The sector is full of change makers with
an appetite for innovation. In this challenging
economic climate we can expect even more
fresh thinking by contract caterers and their
technology partners.
Mike Day is CEO of IndiCater Ltd.
18 | April 2014 | EP