June, 2003

Web-based system enhances visibility of inventory levels at individual store operations
By Deena M. Amato-McCoy

Boudin Sourdough Bakery & Cafes is no stranger to using technology to manage its inventory and food costs. However, by transitioning to a web-based inventory management system, the chain is gaining a real-time view of each location’s inventory and cost levels.

In operation since 1849, Boudin is the oldest business in San Francisco. The company, which has locations throughout California, sells a variety of products, from its world-famous Sourdough French bread to hearty sandwiches, pastries, pizzas, soups and salads. Similar to its dedication to quality foods, Boudin has a strong commitment to leading-edge technology.

Recently, Boudin decided it was time to replace its current inventory system with a more robust enterprise solution. After evaluating several options, it decided that EatecNetX, the foodservice management solution from Eatec Corp., would satisfy its technical and operational requirements.

EatecNetX is a centralized, scalable, Web-centric and user-friendly foodservice management system that helps companies reduce costs and improve operational efficiencies, resulting in a significant return on investment. EatecNetX’s core features include purchasing and receiving, inventory management, recipe and menu analysis, forecasting, production management and sales analysis functions. In addition, EatecNetX also offers optional catering, manufacturing and retail modules within this integrated solution.

Following is information about some of the features that EatecNetX offers:

• Inventory management — Records and tracks all inventory activity automatically.
• Purchasing — Manages supplier bids, determines what to buy and from whom, and allows for electronic purchasing.
• Receiving — Verifies vendor deliveries without double entry and allows for easy recording of miscellaneous charges, back order items, and items that are received but not invoiced. Also helps to control disbursements.
• Requisitions and transfers — Enables users to create online requisitions.
• Sales forecasting — Allows users to import historical sales data to forecast on a range of days, weeks or months.
• Reports — Contains more than 400 standard reports that can be generated to reflect all applicable data on file, or users can set up filters to select sub-sets of data.

EatecNetX’s enterprise architecture, with a single source of data for an entire chain, provides significant advantages when compared to in-store systems. The required consolidation of information necessary with other systems, with the inherent problems of uploading and downloading data to and from multiple sites, has been entirely eliminated with EatecNetX. The result is the instant, real-time view of performance by store, region, and company, greatly enhancing management’s ability to analyze sales mix and inventory control.

“The benefit of a Web-enabled system is the real-time remote access,” explains Marianne Zakhour, Boudin’s project manager for systems analysis. “Prior to adding EatecNetX, we had to visit each location to decipher any problems with our system.”

Café managers and district managers, who are responsible for understanding sales for multiple locations, are also benefiting from access to real-time data. “Our corporate office used to have to wait 24 hours to view café data. However with real-time access, they can better manage their cafés,” said Zakhour. “From a district manager perspective, remotely accessing the system enables them to view and understand all information and activity without having to travel to specific locations.”

The system has become central to Boudin’s operations. However, EatecNetX is part of a total company solution that includes Boudin’s point-of-sale (POS) and financial systems. EatecNetX accepts sales mix data from the POS, using it to deplete inventory and maintain sales history. In the future, this will be used as a basis for forecasting future demand. Additionally, EatecNetX prepares and exports all data required for Boudin’s accounts payable and general ledger. This integration eliminates any need for duplicate data entry.

Another major advantage for Boudin has been the ease of use and the flexibility of EatecNetX to be configured for specific operations. Of particular importance to Boudin was EatecNetX’s user interface and the ability to control access levels for each user.

While it is too early to impart specific results, Zakhour expects the system’s reporting functionality to enhance the service in individual locations by allowing store managers to focus on customer service instead of running reports in the back of the house. “We want our managers up front serving customers, not tied up in the back room doing paperwork,” she explains. “Ultimately, the system is supporting easier, more accurate data collection. By providing a limited, quicker data entry method that can be accessed remotely, we hope to have more accurate inventory counts and to better manage our food costs.”

Looking ahead, Zakhour plans to begin training users on the application’s analytical and forecasting tools. Boudin is also exploring how to connect its suppliers to the inventory management system to streamline incoming product orders and billing. “Instead of relying on telephones and fax machines, we could interface with our vendors for ordering and billing,” she adds. “We are testing this with one vendor and we have another waiting in the wings as well.”

Currently, Boudin is integrating EatecNetX in two locations a week and Zakhour expects the chain’s 26 cafés to be live by June 2003.

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