The National Restaurant Association released its annual survey of more than 1,300 professional chefs - members of the American Culinary Federation (ACF) found that local sourcing of ingredients, such as produce, meats and seafood, and nutrition will be the hottest trends on restaurant menus in 2014. Also, covering the top 10 trends are balanced meals for adults and children, small plates, farm-branded ingredients, and gluten-free / food-allergy conscious meals.
A well-loved and popular Michigan a local restaurant chain and manufacturer that boasts a longstanding tradition amongst generations of customers spanning several decades has benefited from these trends. They are famous for their signature food items, a staunch commitment to great customer service, along with offering a clean and comfortable environment. These are the 3 pillars of what makes a restaurant popular; 1) good food 2) good service 3) good atmosphere. This company is also a successful manufacturer, producing and offering its legendary dishes, including soups, desserts, and baked goods for both wholesale and retail distribution. Headquartered in the Detroit metropolitan area, the company has about 1,000 employees in over 20 full-service restaurants, several manufacturing and distribution centers throughout Michigan and 109 franchises in the U.S.
Like many businesses, they had outgrown their outdated technology infrastructure. For many years the business was hindered by gross inefficiencies throughout its outdated ERP system. The primary reason was due to the cumbersome database, expensive software and support services. In order to accommodate their unique business needs, the software had been heavily customized throughout the years, making the intention of sustaining or changing it, extremely cost prohibitive.
Without support for an overly complex system that employees found difficult and tedious to use, the company realized its technology was putting the company in a perilous position. There was an intricate 30-step process for manipulating data and generating reports. The company needed real time data and information to accurately track their customers, sales, marketing activities and service efforts. The users didn’t like the old system so it wasn’t being adopted. To make matters worse, their antiquated system was draining the use of much-needed cash. In fact, the support fees and the costs of finding IT professionals qualified to work with this ungainly Unix based program made making a switch critically imperative. The TCO (total cost of ownership) no longer was a logical solution. To select the best, most cost-effective new ERP system that would successfully position the business for its future growth and profitability, an evaluation team carefully researched their options. Throughout the selection process, the company worked closely with The TM Group, Michigan’s most experienced Gold Certified Microsoft Dynamics partner. Evaluating systems encompassing all of their needs, the team quickly decided that the robust platform of Microsoft Dynamics GP would be the most effective choice for their needs.
Microsoft Dynamics GP was the right solution for integrated accounting, inventory control and manufacturing. Soon after the implementation was completed, (on budget and on time), this organization began realizing benefits due to the technology’s excellent fit and flexibility, the ease with which users could adapt to the system and the solution’s overall ability to easily integrate with their other business applications, including Microsoft Outlook.
The Microsoft Dynamics GP infrastructure provides employees with the information they need to most effectively manage the business. Nolan Intercompany, for example, provided an excellent solution for consolidating payables information from the company’s ten companies. The TM Group created a custom report for historical aged trial balance and tracking and taxing tips and integration to MenuLink. With the implementation of Smart Lists, individual users can access their own data and solve their own problems without IT support.
The TM Group worked closely with their team supplied vital end-user training that aided in the eagerly accepted, overall team user adoption. The company also realized that one of the most compelling aspects of the Microsoft Dynamics GP solution is having the liberty and self-reliance to plan for the future. Imminent plans for the system will include the implementation of accounts receivables, a migration to a new version of Microsoft Office and new and deeper interfacing between the restaurants and back-office functionalities.
It’s already February! Looking for that perfect solution for your ERP and CRM needs? Now is the time to call The TM Group and put your technology goals in place for 2014. For more information about The TM Group and the customized CRM and ERP business solutions we have provided since 1984, please visit www.tmgroupinc.com or call 888.482.2864 today.
Submitted by The TM Group, a Michigan NetSuite and Microsoft Dynamics Gold Partner.