Software firm Cybake has published a new white paper designed to help retail bakers and food-to-go operators maximise sales and reduce waste.
Titled ‘Making the move to a digital production planning tool’, the white paper is aimed at operations directors who have responsibility for in-store food production as well as those involved in continuous improvement, digital transformation, or information technology.
It draws on the experiences of businesses that have implemented such tools as well as retail bakery experts. The paper, according to Cybake, is intended to help operators navigate the switch from paper-based or Excel-driven planning tools, including what to expect from one, how best to implement it, and the potential rewards of doing so (see below case study from Cooplands Bakery).
Cybake also explores the potential barriers along the way, including resistance from store managers.
“Despite the sophisticated technologies used by food retailers, many still rely on largely paper-based spreadsheet systems to organize in-store food production,” said Cybake operations director and white paper author Martin Coyle, adding that it provides useful insight for anyone looking to deploy a more efficient digital planning tool to “drive sales and improve product availability in their stores”.
“There is often a desire to get to grips with this part of the retail mix, especially as bakery and other freshly made foods provide such a valuable halo effect. Difficulties over development, staff compliance or priorities, however, often impede progress,” Coyle noted.
Case study: how Cooplands boosted its sandwich trade
Cooplands installed the Cybake ISB software to plan and manage in-store sandwich production across its entire retail estate. Sandwiches account for around 30% of the bakery chain’s sales, and prior to the adoption of a digital planning tool, Cooplands’ head office said it had ‘little control’ over what or how many sandwiches each store made.
“Previously, it was pen and paper. We’d go into shops and a manager would have forecasted an order based on last week’s sales. So, we would have 156 managers producing a forecasted order. Then you might have an area manager that disagreed, so they would go in and change it. Then you might get a regional manager that went in and disagreed again and changed it again,” explained Carole Hay, central operations manager, Cooplands Bakery UK. “Now, Cybake has centralised orders and we encourage area managers really not to touch the system.”
The business trialled the tool in five control shops to get some analysis before it was rolled out to the rest of the estate. As a result, sales of the Cooplands ‘grab and go’ range have increased by 15%.
Cooplands is now exploring how to use Cybake to automate its shops’ orders from third parties to replenish sundries like cans of drinks and other items such as packaging materials.
“If it’s not already in Cybake, we’re looking at moving it into Cybake,” says Carole. “We couldn’t manage the business without it now.”
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