CFC Food Partners Ltd (CFC) is a rapidly growing foodservice wholesaler servicing cafes, sandwich bars, colleges and hospitals across NE England.
Investment in new technology was prompted by CFC’s wish to modernise and improve efficiency, particularly relating to stock control and telesales, as a foundation for further growth. Existing operations were largely manual and paper-based, with limited, general IT functionality. “We’d been struggling for a while,” says Shawn Giles, MD, CFC. “We realised that a sector specific solution would make life much easier and, if we chose carefully, would scale up to meet our needs as we grew.”
Following a thorough selection process, CFC chose BCP’s Accord foodservice system, impressed with BCP’s pedigree and Accord’s powerful functionality. Shawn Giles: “It was as if the system had been designed especially for us. Its rationale and functionality just mirrored our business model.”
CFC has realised efficiencies across its business as it benefits from a fully integrated IT solution that controls all operations, delivers true visibility, improved reporting and key sales, product and buying information. Particular improvements have come in several areas:
Telesales
Existing Telesales was paper-based. Operators took orders ‘blind’ in terms of stock availability, which could adversely affect service levels. With Accord operators have real-time stock, pricing and other information, at their fingertips so they can react quickly to customers’ requirements and work proactively to increase sales. Shawn Giles: “The results have been excellent. It’s played a key part in helping us to grow the business. Sales have gone up significantly without any increase in staffing levels, which means we’re operating more profitably.”
Replenishment
CFC can now ‘buy better’, balancing orders and stock to minimise both out of stocks and the amount of working capital tied up in stocks.
Stock Management
Stock control had been difficult and service levels challenging. Accord allows CFC to streamline inventory levels, minimise losses from out-of-date products and significantly improve service levels. Shawn Giles: “We now know exactly what’s in stock, where it is in the warehouse, what’s on order and when it’s due in, so we can satisfy orders much more efficiently.”
Operations
Use of human resources is now optimised and logistics much improved as CFC takes advantage of Accord’s more flexible approach to logistics and planning customer deliveries.
Better stock control and more flexible delivery planning have contributed significantly to much improved service levels, now averaging around 98%.
Since the initial implementation CFC has extended use of Accord to another foodservice depot, using Accord’s powerful multi-depot functionality to successfully manage operations at both locations.
Shawn Giles: “Accord is an excellent fit for our business, and is delivering even more functionality than we’d expected. BCP has given us an A* service which we could not fault, always prepared to go that extra mile to satisfy our requirements.”
Tel: 0161 355 3000
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