The Agility Imperative: How and Why Food Service Technology Needs Are Changing

Posted by Brooke Lester on Aug 17, 2021 2:44 PM

The Agility Imperative: How and Why Food Service Technology Needs Are Changing

The global pandemic’s affect was far-reaching and deep. Sit-down restaurants could either no longer accommodate the same number of diners, or they could only sell takeout. Suddenly, the food and beverage companies that sold to this market segment needed to pivot to survive.

To successfully navigate this situation, restaurant suppliers need the right technology – read on to learn more. Are You Ready to integrate?

Are you ready to integrate?

The Spring of 2020: A Seismic Shift for the Restaurant Supply Industry

In the spring of 2020, a deadly virus swept across the globe. Suddenly, it was no longer safe to do simple, everyday things like dine-in restaurants. As restaurants closed their doors or moved to a takeout model, restaurant suppliers had to act quickly to survive.

Many suppliers sold directly to consumers or grocery stores. It was a major transition, one that not every supplier could complete successfully. Companies that had undergone a digital transformation were better-positioned to handle the shift.

The Digital Transformation in the Restaurant Supply Industry

The phrase “digital transformation” gets thrown around quite a bit (usually inaccurately). Here’s what a digital transformation means: you use technology to improve your business’ reach and performance radically. Implementing a solution doesn’t automatically ensure a digital transformation – the technology you implement has to make significant positive changes in your business.

What does a digital transformation look like for the restaurant supply industry? It will depend on an individual business’ needs. Some companies might need to meet new partner requirements, while others need to improve their supply chain management. A third use case involves B2B eCommerce.

“A digital transformation looks different for each business in the restaurant supply industry.”

The following sections will explore how B2B integration helps companies adapt to these changing times.

Using a tablet

Meeting New Partner Requirements

Restaurant suppliers who are now selling to grocery stores might have to adapt to new partner requirements. Some trading partners won’t work with a business if it can’t transmit information electronically.

B2B integration brings all of your information into one place, eliminating the need for manual processes. It enables you to work with trading partners with stringent requirements.

Improved Supply Chain Management

The global pandemic shed light on a major supply chain management problem: a lack of visibility into the supply chain. Suddenly, long-time customers canceled orders, and some suppliers had trouble meeting customer demand.

B2B integration boosts supply chain visibility by bringing all of your information into one place. It also integrates with emerging technology streams such as IoT, which give you more information about your shipments.

B2B Ecommerce

During the pandemic, restaurant suppliers began selling their products to grocery stores. To do that, they needed to engage in B2B eCommerce – selling goods through e-procurement hubs and online marketplaces.

B2B eCommerce requires B2B integration so that companies can connect to systems of records such as order fulfillment systems and sell their goods electronically.

“B2B eCommerce requires B2B integration solutions for electronic information transmission.”

For restaurant suppliers, the last year has created significant challenges. B2B integration can help overcome those challenges. Integrate. Then Dominate.

Integrate. Then dominate.