Ordering from Suppliers: Finding a problem worth solving
Words by Jonny Mckenzie - Founder and Cocktail Maker at posBoss
Since opening the Drunken Octopus in Wellington, and being surrounded by talented suppliers and operators, we found ourselves in a number of discussions about the communication between the two.
It’s no surprise that a common day in Hospo follows no structure, which makes finding the right time for suppliers to call or for operators to get time for their business admin, more than a little tricky.
We decided to spend a little time interviewing both suppliers and operators about this challenge to see what we could do to help.
From the Suppliers
First up, we lined up a number of interviews with a broad range of suppliers who are fundamentally a one-stop-shop for their supplying operation (eg: sellers, order takers and bookkeepers all in one). We looked for a range of suppliers who offer craft beer, wine, coffee and even a wholesaler. We ended up with an incredible group of individuals, including: Andy @ Behemoth Brewing, Francois @ Flight Coffee, Adrian @ Five Senses Coffee, Andy @ AllPress Coffee, Erin @ Innocent Packaging, & Sam @ Wag & Co.
After cornering these guys for a coffee and asking them some questions, we learnt about a range of different challenges they face on a weekly basis. In summary:
getting orders in before courier cutoff times
explaining why some orders don’t arrive the next day
playing phone tag with the operators
sending the single item that was missed on the initial order
chasing payment
chasing couriers
juggling the many ways in which operators place orders: Txt, Pxt, voicemail, email, Facebook messenger, Instagram, phone, online portals and the occasional shout from a drive-by.
Like for our operators, the average day for a supplier is also full of unforeseen challenges.
From the Operators
Next, we hosted a number of interviews with owner/operators of hospo establishments to understand the frustrations & processes from their side (making sure we understood the full picture). Hosting these interviews was definitely like a trip down memory lane for myself (when I was juggling my 4 operations). The amazing operators we interviewed included: Brent @ The Lincoln, Aaron @ Night Flower, Colin @ The Malthouse, & Jason @ Hats & Tatts.
Some common challenges faced were the number of times you forget to check that one last item or the day simply disappears and you miss the cutoff time - resulting in having to work out other supply options.
After hearing this I recalled a multitude of times I’ve had to catch a cab or drive to the shop to pick up extra stock; a solution to a problem that is costly and time consuming. The alternative, of course, is running out of stock and looking unorganised to the customer.
Key notes from the Operator interviews:
Uncommon items being forgotten
Slow-moving items being missed
Comms between team about stock usage not happening - resulting in items not being ordered
Missing key cutoff times during the week - especially leading into big weekend events
Unexpected events occurring, resulting in orders not being placed
New staff learning the ropes and missing items or not knowing who to order from for best pricing
The Outcome
As a result of the interviews we confirmed there’s a problem here that could do with a little help. We know our customers are all super busy getting through a day - and the less hurdles they have to face, the better.
Ordering stock seems so simple & yet on average it takes up 3-4 hrs a week if it goes to plan. If not… it depends how far you have to drive & what the extra costs will be.
We’re currently making changes on our Dashboard that show our operators how they are tracking for the day at a quick glance (on any device with an internet connection). We thought we could look to add a simple reminder list…
When adding a supplier you capture delivery days, cutoff times, ordering details and frequency. From this, posBoss provide you a reminder list of what’s due that day - Let’s see if we can reduce the number of times you miss a cutoff time… Gotta start somewhere, right?