Caterers are under growing pressure to not only provide nutritious meals but also maximise their trading performance and profitability, so extracting every ounce of efficiency from existing resources is important.
Andrew Pond of Civica pointed out that technology, far from being a drain on finances, offered a powerful tool to achieve this, turning data into actionable insights and streamlining operations for a healthier bottom line.
He suggested that by adopting a Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point (HACCP) approach to cost control, caterers could pinpoint areas of potential leakage or inefficiency throughout the entire supply chain, from initial procurement to the moment a meal is served.
“This isn’t about a single ‘magic button’ solution, but rather a collection of marginal gains across various operational aspects that collectively deliver significant financial benefits.”
The roundtable heard one particularly effective use was in supply chain management.
With catering teams often dealing with hundreds of suppliers and fluctuating prices, technology can act as a vital safeguard against overcharging and missed savings.
Automated systems can track price changes, flag discrepancies in invoices, and ensure that negotiated rates are consistently applied.
Andrew Pond cited an example where such a system had identified an unnoticed price hike, saving a caterer £20,000, a saving that would likely have been missed in a paper-based system spanning many sites.
“Digitising ordering, invoicing, and reporting not only saves on stationery and administrative overheads but also frees up valuable staff time. The savings from eliminating paper can be two to three times the investment in the technology itself, often exceeding the savings achieved through reducing food waste.”
Craig Smith said the key was to empower catering teams to focus on creating tasty, nutritious meals and let technology handle the time-consuming administrative tasks.
Iain Robertson made the point that even where the technology is already in place, its full potential remained untapped.
Glenn Campbell said the challenge lay in leveraging the data generated by these systems, which required moving beyond simply capturing data to analysing it for actionable insights.
Andrew Pond of Civica said integrating supply chain data with patient management systems in hospitals and management information systems in schools created valuable checks and balances.
“The ideal scenario is a system that manages processes automatically, highlighting exceptions that require human intervention, rather than relying on staff to manually oversee every step.”
The roundtable agreed, though, that this required staff training and that technology was only as effective as the people using it.
Julian Fris said to overcome the scenario where processes are followed out of habit rather than understanding, required a shift towards ‘outcome-focused’ training that demonstrated the tangible benefits of using the technology effectively.
Glenn Campbell said that although data on who is eating what and when is readily available through digital systems, translating this data into strategies to encourage more students to opt for school meals often fell within the remit of school leadership.
“Bridging the gap between the catering data and school-wide initiatives is crucial for increasing profitability through higher uptake,” he said.
He said also that that the wealth of data held by individual caterers could be invaluable for informing Government policy and driving sector-wide improvements in efficiency and performance.
“The challenge lies in creating mechanisms for secure and effective data sharing.”
Data - and how to use it
A key challenge lies in ensuring that technology is used to its full potential, according to Glenn Campbell of Cohesion.
He says: “Too often systems are implemented without knowing how to extract the most value from the asset. In schools, for instance, till systems capture valuable data on meal numbers, but a lack of joined-up thinking between caterers and schools can lead to significant revenue leakage from untracked meals and inefficient reporting.
“The core issue isn’t always the technology, but an understanding of its overall capability and how it can be best integrated into existing workflows.”
Stewart Mcluskey echoes this, pointing out that while a cook’s primary role isn’t IT analysis, there’s a need to effectively feedback relevant information to catering teams. The example of a contract caterer holding regular data meetings to analyse operational profitability showcases the potential when teams understand and act upon the data they collect.
The roundtable hears, though, that the barrier often lies in a lack of resources – too few individuals with the skills to interpret the data and translate it into actionable improvements.
Civica’s new Dynamic Menu Planner offers a compelling example of how seemingly simple data can yield powerful insights. It tracks the time a food item sells out, providing caterers with immediate feedback on popular dishes. This allows for agile menu adjustments, better matching supply with demand, reducing waste, and ultimately boosting trading income.
John Cunningham of the Foodservice Equipment Association makes the point that while modern kitchen equipment generates a wealth of information, operators need higher-level analysis – understanding peak usage times, energy efficiency, and potential equipment issues in a user-friendly format.
“The current fragmentation of data across different apps and manufacturer-specific systems presents a challenge, highlighting the need for greater API integration and a unified ‘connected kitchen’ dashboard.”
Julian Fris emphasises that the decision-making process around technology needs to evolve from being transactional and siloed to a more holistic and joined-up approach.
“When all stakeholders – catering, cleaning, healthcare professionals, etc. – collaborate and share insights, the potential for technology to drive efficiency across the entire organisation is significantly enhanced,” he says.
Alistair Dales of ISS agrees, adding: “Developing insightful reports with the right KPIs is crucial, but the speed and access to this data, along with its accuracy, remain key challenges.
“The journey towards fully leveraging data for maximum efficiency is ongoing and requires collaborative effort between caterers and clients to identify the most relevant insights for improvement, from health and safety to turnover and waste management.”
Myles Bremner of Bremner Consulting adds: “Catering staff, whose primary focus is food preparation, need to understand the value and ease of use of technology. The success of a pre-order system in primary schools demonstrates the tangible benefits of user-friendly technology in managing demand and reducing waste, but securing buy-in from schools and parents is essential.”
Ultimately, the effective use and management of technology in school and hospital catering hinges on several key factors: user-friendly interfaces, relevant and easily digestible insights, comprehensive training and ongoing support, and a collaborative approach between caterers, clients, and technology providers.