June, 2003
Two Needs, Two Solutions
By Judy Liberson, Contributing Editor
Managing a restaurant's in-and-out workflow requires a process far more sophisticated than a paper checklist on a clipboard. For hotels with multiple food and beverage venues, it can be a never-ending challenge. Knowing what one has on hand, how it is selling, and what is available for purchase are critical components of an efficient operation. An emphasis on freshness requires a constant flow of products, which, in turn, requires careful monitoring of continually fluctuating prices. Fortunately, there are numerous software options available to help streamline the process.
San Francisco-based Eatec introduced in 1985 a system that interfaces information among a range of foodservice outlets. Over the years, the product has been enhanced to help hotels integrate all of their F&B operations. The tracking software links multiple operations in real time, enabling F&B departments to reduce food costs. The latest version, EatecNetX, uses historical data to forecast projections. Among other functions, the software helps users track food cost percentages, actual purchasing costs, and automatically adjusted data. (The company claims that with this software, restaurants can reduce food costs by 4 to 6 percent, and increase overall revenue by 0.5 to 1 percent.)
In late April, Eatec further enhanced EatecNetX with a Microsoft 64-bit platform designed to make the system "faster and more scalable than ever before," says president Peter Marguglio. The company, which promises system users a 30 to 50 percent reduction in transaction time, also offers on-site training, and encourages users to roll out the software in phases, such as starting with the inventory component and then adding recipes.
Because the product features a centralized database, multiple restaurant sites can input information and requests. Specifically, users may create forecasts, list requisitions, manage recipes, and oversee all inventory production. Data easily interfaces with the property's POS and financial systems. Chefs use the software to enter requisitions and create production worksheets. Perhaps the greatest benefit, though, is an overall improvement in productivity, in turn resulting in reduced labor costs.
At least, this has been the experience at Loews's Universal Orlando resorts. According to food and beverage cost controller T. Michael Cullen, Loews recognized the need for a multi-tasked system of this nature when it opened the Portofino Bay Hotel. Cullen calls EatecNetX a "seamless, paperless transition [that allows staff to] sit in front of a computer and create a requisition order."
In addition to labor-saving benefits, Cullen credits the program with enabling the properties to automate their bidding process. "The Eatec system automatically updates every item in the system in less than five minutes," he says. Prior to the investment, Loews had two clerks working several days to input every bid. "The use of an automated control system has significantly improved our ability to control F&B costs," Cullen adds, noting that he hopes to have the banquet and catering modules operational by year's end.
According to Eatec spokesperson Leslie Pullen, the catering management component is fully integrated with the other modules and offers the additional benefit of producing reports to analyze sales, events, production requirements, and customers. "Users can manage food and beverage inventory and provide accurate worksheets to the kitchen for an event," she says...
Reprinted with permission from Lodging magazine.
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