The power of ERP system through the lens of a restaurant chain
About the Client
Udupi Bhavan is a leading restaurant chain in Kerala. Specialized in South Indian cuisine, the restaurant offers North Indian and Chinese delicacies. The restaurateur believes in serving quality food at an affordable price to its customers.
Challenges faced by the Client
Initially when the client began operating in Kochi, kitchen orders were not an issue. However, after expanding its operations to multiple branches, kitchen management and order taking became complex. The KOT (Kitchen ordering ticket) records showed a mismatch when compared with the inventory records.
Secondly, although the top line of the company rose after expansion, monitoring multiple branches became complex. The restaurateur had to toggle between the branches to keep track of sales, payrolls and staff.
Thirdly, inventory management became huge problem. The restaurants sub-departments spanned separate area in the Kitchen for South Indian cuisine, Juices, Sweets and Chinese. Different branches had varying levels of sales and inventory wastage soared.
Finally, the client had to contact multiple vendors in case of technological issues.
Although Udupi Bhavan’s customer base grew and expansion seemed logical it had to resolve the challenges it faced. It was during the time that they approached d’Katia Technologies to help tackle the challenges that the restaurant faced.
Our Solution
d’Katia leveraged its expertise in ERP solutions to offer a single platform for the restaurant to track all its branches. The system allows tracking from the head-office and on the move through smartphones. The ERP includes tools mobile order taking, KOT tracker, accounts, HR management, inventory management, purchase, central kitchen management and vehicle management system. Additionally, d’Katia provides services such as CCTV camera installation, system supply & integration, network support and cabling.
Impact to the Client
The addition of KOT functionality in the ERP systems reduced the complexities that arise during order taking. It also improved communicating the orders to the kitchen staff. Earlier although the customer was charged for what he/she ate, the KOT systems was not fool proof. An update to the KOT systems automatically reflects on the billing and inventory systems, thereby curtailing inflated purchase receipts for the client.
The ERP solutions turned out to be a centralized platform to keep track of the business across all its branches. Inventory wastage reduced and the management of the restaurant business became less complex. The client no longer needed to contact multiple vendors in case of a technological failure and d’Katia’s 24*7 support made problem resolution simpler.
Additional Benefits
The access control system helped prevent unauthorized access to key departments in the restaurant and brought about a sense of ownership among staff members. The access control system made work delegation effective and enhanced employee monitoring.
During the implementation stage, d’Katia assigned its staff to transfer knowledge to the staff members in the restaurant. Through the knowledge transfer sessions, the staff members were educated on how to use the system and the functional aspect of the system. This proved to be effective for the restaurant, as staff members could easily resolve minor issues immediately.
Conclusion
d’Katia’s expertise as a restaurant technology consultant has helped restaurants in India and abroad upgrade from paper based legacy systems to a digital platform. This technological upgrade helped clients including Udupi Bhavan solve their existing issues, lower internal theft & enhance end-to-end business monitoring.