Digital ERP for foodservice: CSB System highlights cost and time savings

04 Sep 2018 --- CSB-System’s bespoke Enterprise resource planning (ERP) system can contribute to the successful growth of foodservice suppliers, according to the company, due to how it fully-integrates industry-specific software, from CSB, to replace stand-alone solutions. This overhaul is said to streamline processes that ensure more reliable and immediate data, effective scenario planning which can save costs and a higher level of automation with minimizes throughput times.

CSB-System cites a case study to exemplify their point: the Sander Group. The company is a leader in the production and supply of convenience products to restaurants, hotels, healthcare facilities, canteens and schools. In the past 18 years, the company has grown tenfold, with sales increasing from 25 million marks to 80 million euros.

“Over the years, production planning posed some major challenges also for CSB,” explains Jens Sander, Sander Group Managing Director.  “Today we have achieved a level that gives us a head-start over other companies.”

In production and inventory, for example, duplication of data entry has now been eliminated. Data from goods receiving, in the warehouse, production and stocktaking is captured on scanners or at CSB-Racks (special industrial PCs). As well as being more efficient, this ensures higher process quality and information that is more reliable because all data immediately goes to the ERP system.

The CSB-Racks are also used for batch processing of raw materials, providing precise on-screen instructions for ingredients and cooking processes to ensure that only correct products are transferred to the packaging machines. The software also documents every work step and inventory posting so that the entire creation process can be traced via a batch number.

This high level of transparency is equally beneficial in production planning wherein its fresh produce factory, Sander produces around 2,500 menu components in 12 product categories.  Key challenges are the short shelf-life of many of the products, the fact that recipe ingredients are often produced separately in different departments before being combined, and the need to be able to respond quickly to ad hoc orders each day.

The production planning system from CSB, therefore, combines efficient scenario planning with very flexible response mechanisms. In the case of short-term orders or unscheduled machine downtime, plans can be modified quickly, while the effects of the variation from the original plans on all other resources remain manageable.

The CSB system has also enabled telephone sales to go paperless, with all customer information and contact details available in the system and displayed on-screen, saving salespeople up to 60 minutes each day in manual inputting and checking.