Why centralised automated reporting and analytics is crucial for large caterers

Contract caterers with many sites often struggle to maintain efficient reporting and analytics without being overwhelmed by manual administration. The benefits of implementing a centralised and automated reporting and analytics solution are immense, even game-changing.

In this article, we explore how these solutions can boost revenue, enhance guest loyalty, and bring people back to the office and company canteen. It's time to get your ducks in a row, and embrace the future of efficient operations.

Streamlined reporting: From hundreds of manual hours to automation 

One of the primary objectives for enterprise contract caterers is to automate their reporting processes, particularly in accounting and invoicing. Currently, many caterers extract reports and manually input data into various systems, a time-consuming and error-prone process.

By implementing a centralised transaction system with open APIs, all manual tasks can be eliminated. From the moment a transaction occurs from the canteen [from POS, self-service kiosk, app or vending machine], data is automatically processed into the integrated ecosystem, making the entire accounting and invoicing workflow efficient, no matter the complexity in meal programs, subscriptions and other subsidies.

Standardised reporting formats

For those who still need to extract reports, having standardised formats is great. It simplifies data aggregation and ensures consistency, allowing for easy comparison across different sites. 

Comprehensive analytics for site and client performance

A centralised account management solution provides a holistic view of how each site and client is performing. It allows caterers to analyse the impact of their actions on turnover and client satisfaction — apples to apples, not apples to oranges.

For example, if a caterer decides to offer a discount on a particular menu item, they can easily assess its effectiveness across various site concepts.

This kind of analysis can reveal whether initiatives work well universally or only in specific contexts. Initiatives like:

• Certain meal programs

• Promotions

• Client-specific subsidies

• Self-checkout solutions

Additionally, with +100 sites, the ability to compare performance across different brands in one platform is invaluable. Whether it’s evaluating the performance of a brand with multiple canteens across the country, or comparing environmental impact metrics between canteens — centralised analytics makes it all possible.

Standardised data paired with a BI solution

Tools like Power BI are already in use by enterprise caterers, but they often face the challenge of pulling data from multiple systems and standardising it for analysis. This process is labour-intensive and can lead to inconsistencies.

By integrating a system that feeds standardised data directly into Power BI, caterers can significantly reduce the effort required to build models and generate statistics. This integration ensures that all transaction data — what was sold where and when, order value, sales channel, account details — is automatically inputted, enabling precise and timely analytics.

Driving business strategies with analytics

Centralised analytics also empowers caterers to test and implement various strategies. For instance, they can analyse the impact of offering a discount on early and late lunches to see if it affects operational efficiency, sales and overall canteen flow. They can also explore the effectiveness of loyalty programs, like offering every 10th lunch for free, and adjust their approach based on data-driven insights.

Moreover, analytics can support broader business goals, such as encouraging more people to work at the office and thereby visit the canteen. By offering targeted discounts, like 5% off on Mondays, caterers can incentivise office lunches, and increase sales and foot traffic.

Conclusion

The move towards centralised and automated reporting and analytics is a game-changer for enterprise contract caterers. It streamlines operations, enhances data accuracy, and provides insights that drive strategic decisions.

Schedule a demo with the Pej sales team to discover how our solution can help your business thrive in a competitive market. We would love to show you what Pej can do for your business.