Purchasing management: strategies for reducing costs and waste

A purchasing management is more than an operational function; it is a strategic pillar for the success of corporate restaurantess. It has a direct impact on financial efficiency, waste reduction and market competitiveness.

When well structured, it can reduce costs, optimize processes and guarantee the quality of the inputs purchased. With tools such as TecFood and the Approve, managers can transform their operations, modernizing processes and generating positive results.

In this article, we'll explore the concept of purchasing management, its importance for business results and how to technological tools can revolutionize this process, bringing agility and precision to every stage.

What is purchasing management?

Purchasing management is the set of processes and strategies that involve the purchase of goods and services necessary for the operation of a company.

Thus, in the corporate restaurantes, this includes the supplier qualification of fresh food, negotiating the prices of inputs such as meat and vegetables, and planning purchases in line with the menu and stock.

However, more than simply buying, this practice requires planning, data analysis and integration with other areas, such as menu planning and stock.

However, with tools such as TecFood managers can automate tasks, centralize information and access detailed reports for more strategic decisions.

The importance of the purchasing process in company management

The purchasing process is essential to guarantee balance between costs and quality, These aspects are critical to the success of any corporate restaurante.

In this way, an effective management system can reduce costs by up to 2% and garant an average saving of 7%, promoting efficiency and sustainability.

Furthermore, efficiency in the purchasing process has a direct impact on productivity and the satisfaction of end customers.

This is because, by centralizing data, integrating sectors and enabling quick and strategic approvals through apps such as Approve, the tendency is to reduce delays in supply, which increases the efficiency of service.

How to structure the purchasing workflow in catering

The purchasing process in corporate restaurantess is essential to ensure the smooth running of operations in a company. industrial kitchen. However, it goes beyond simply acquiring inputs, ranging from quoting prices to negotiating terms and conditions with qualified suppliers.

The importance of a well-structured workflow

The way in which the purchase order is generated and sent has a direct influence on management efficiency. Each stage of the purchasing cycle plays a crucial role for ensuring financial health and optimize the logistics of a food concessionaire.

In this way, a well-structured workflow becomes the foundation for avoiding financial losses, guaranteeing order assertiveness, reducing costs and increase business credibility.

How to create an efficient workflow

Creating a good workflow means clearly define all the necessary tasks, as in a production line. This not only speeds up the progress of activities, but also reduces the time spent on each stage, optimizing the entire process and boosting operational performance.

Therefore, a good workflow in the purchasing process is essential for catering companies that manage multiple corporate restaurantess.

What's more, this structured model not only optimizes processes, but also guarantees uniform operations and the financial control of Food and Nutrition Units (UANs).

The role of menu planning in workflow

According to Arabelle Menezes, nutritionist and commercial manager at food service specialist Teknisa, understand the purchasing policy of UANs is the starting point.

When centralized, these units gain greater negotiating power due to the volume of purchases and the standardization of procedures, which favors control and efficiency.

O menu planning is the basis for a successful workflow. Based on contractual rules, technical data sheets and estimated quantities of diners, managers are able to predict the consumption required.

According to her, this forecast identifies the raw materials and their exact quantities, guiding the calculation of suggested purchases.

Technology as an ally in control and automation

Regardless of whether there is a central planning office or menus are drawn up locally, purchases must strictly follow the guidelines. contractual and technical specifications of each restaurante.

Therefore, this organization can be facilitated by the use of a purchasing management system, It automates calculations, generates requests and reduces operational errors. That's why software like TecFood, The manager has total control over the ingredients needed, delivery times and the frequency of suppliers.

For example, if a unit needs shrimp for Thursday and the pre-preparation takes two days, the system informs them that the delivery must take place in advance, adjusting to the supplier's logistics.

In addition consolidate the demands of several UANs, The system centralizes information, allowing managers to negotiate with suppliers strategically.

Finally, the Purchasing Portal integrated with TecFood allows suppliers to send quotes directly, and the software automatically suggests the best options based on criteria such as price, time and quality.

This way, once the supplier has been selected, the manager authorizes the purchase and generates the order through the system, which also manages the issue of the invoice and integration with SEFAZ for the recipient's manifestation.

With this, every step is automated, guaranteeing a agile, efficient process aligned with the needs of the operation.

Highlights for optimizing the purchasing workflow:

• Identify real needs based on menus and safety stocks;
• Selecting qualified suppliers, taking into account cost, reliability and speed of service;
• Automate quotations and negotiations with a responsive purchasing portal;
• Evaluate multiple indicators in addition to price, such as deadlines and payment methods;
• Centralize orders to gain bargaining power and consolidate information.

With a well-structured workflow, the collective feeding achieve greater control, efficiency and financial results.

Main steps for a successful purchasing process at uans

To achieve excellence in the collective restaurantes purchasing process, it is essential to focus on strategic steps that guarantee consistent results. Check out the main points for optimizing your purchasing management:

1. identifying the real need to buy:
Accurate consumption forecasting goes beyond menus, per capita and diner estimates. It is therefore crucial to assess current stock and safety stock to avoid waste, unnecessary spending and high costs.

2. Careful selection of suppliers:
Suppliers must be pre-qualified by product category (such as meat, vegetables and dairy products). In addition, each purchase request should have a detailed quotation, which should be analyzed on the basis of reputation, cost, reliability and speed of service.

3. Use of an integrated purchasing portal:
Automating the quotation process with a purchasing portal improves connectivity between buyer and supplier, eliminating rework and speeding up operations.

4. Strategic focus on negotiation:
Prioritize quotations with at least three suppliers for those supplies that have the greatest relevance in terms of value or financial impact within supply or stock management. In addition, negotiating larger batches can guarantee better prices.

5. Sending and approving the purchase order:
After selecting the best option, the purchase needs to be approved. However, this process must take into account indicators such as delivery time, payment method and logistics costs.

6. Invoicing and payment:
Once the purchase order has been sent, the supplier invoices and delivers the supplies. If you have an integrated system, such as TecFood, the invoice will be automatically entered into stock, as will the generation of accounts payable, which optimizes financial management.

How to avoid mistakes and improve purchasing management in corporate restaurantes

Errors in the management of purchasing processes are common in corporate restaurantes, especially in the face of the volume of information and demands involved.

From defining the real needs of each UAN to consolidating data for sending orders, small mistakes can lead to big problems, These include delays, increased costs and loss of efficiency.

Therefore, to avoid these mistakes, it is essential to structure purchase requests precisely, including detailed information on products, quantities, units of measurement and dates of use.

This is because, without this data, the process becomes poorly structured and the manager faces challenges such as:

• Scattered and disorganized information;
• Lack of purchase history and stock control;
• Lack of visibility into spending and processes;
• Inefficiencies in performance measurement and improvement;
• Overloading the team with manual and disconnected tasks.

The impact of errors in purchasing management

In food service sector, In a country where competition is high and costs often rise due to inflation, avoiding these mistakes is not just a matter of efficient management, but of survival.

In this way, without an adequate system, the overload of the UAN routine can compromise the strategic vision of managers, who deal with diverse contracts, intense demands and the need to meet strict budgets.

The solution lies in technology

The good news is that there are technological solutions capable of transforming purchasing management. Today, specialized software helps managers consolidate information, automate processes and reduce errors at every stage. In this way, these systems make it possible:

• Complete visibility of the status of requests and spending metrics;
• Accurate stock control and purchase history;
• Integrated processes, reducing the demand for manual labor;
• Data-based analysis for strategic decision-making.

What's more, with tools that manage budgets and facilitate approvals, In this way, managers gain time to concentrate on strategic activities, guaranteeing the profitability of corporate restaurantess.

5 practical tips for optimizing purchasing processes in restaurantes collectives

1. Plan the budget with a strategic focus

Efficient management begins with a thorough understanding of production process, identifying the factors that have the greatest impact on costs.

Choosing suppliers Based on criteria such as quality, competitive price and a history of reliable deliveries, it is essential to make assertive decisions. For example, opting for a lower-cost but lower-quality input could compromise the final product and lead to future problems.

So how do we overcome these challenges? Using a purchasing management system an effective system that facilitates the study and analysis of suppliers, enabling data-based decisions and optimizing each stage of the process.

2. Efficient control of food purchases: how to avoid losses

A content control over the purchase of inputs is essential to avoid financial and operational problems in corporate restaurantess.

For example, unexpected changes in orders or out-of-budget purchases can generate significant imbalances. As a result, these actions compromise both finances and workflow.

Consequences of these errors include:

• Financial losses;
• Food waste;
• Reduced revenue.

How can these problems be avoided?

With the use of a purchasing management system that integrates the purchasing and menu planning departments, ensuring that the requests are based on reliable data.

In this way, it is possible to accurately calculate the raw materials needed to meet the number of diners on the menu, taking stock into account.

With the ERP TecFood, The process becomes even more efficient:

• Agility: Automatic integration between planning, stock and suppliers;
• Precision: Automatic generation of quotes and orders based on variables such as current stock, delivery time and inflation;
• Results: More assertive budget-based decisions and reduced waste.

In addition, TecFood not only optimizes processes, but also offers shopping suggestions based on elaborate menus, competitive prices and financial metrics.

That's because it still uses advanced algorithms to maximize the efficiency and results of your business.

Therefore, adopting an integrated system like TecFood is crucial to ensure that all sectors of the corporate restaurante are connected, optimizing processes and reducing risks.

3. Strict stock control for assertive purchases

A stock management is not only necessary, but essential for avoiding waste and maintain financial health in the catering sector.

Although buying in bulk may seem advantageous, idle stock means idle money, This is because of the cost of the products and the storage space.

This way, with an intelligent purchasing and stock management system, you can monitor the inflow and outflow of supplies in real time, as well as receiving alerts when items reach critical levels.

So it is possible eliminate excess or missing orders, This allows purchases to be made based on actual consumption and the needs of the restaurantes.

Furthermore, by consolidating stock and purchasing information, managers can identify “what is the real need to buy” e “which is the best buy”, guaranteeing responsible and economical supply.

4. Centralized purchasing: an indispensable strategy

The centralization of purchases is a crucial tactic for the efficient management of restaurantes corporates.

This is because this model makes it possible to consolidate stock information, suppliers and purchasing needs in a single system, facilitating decision-making and eliminating errors caused by scattered data.

Traditional spreadsheets, for example, don't offer real-time collaboration features, limiting control over processes.

This way, with a robust system, you can eliminate these limitations by centralizing all stages of the process in a robust, integrated platform.

Benefits of centralized purchasing include:

• Continuous monitoring of minimum stock and safety;
• Detailed control of costs, shelf life and product movement;
• Traceability, cycle counting and management methods such as PEPS;
• Delivery planning based on distribution maps, transport capacity and optimized routes.

Therefore, these processes are essential for reduce costs and avoid unnecessary losses.

What's more, with systems like TecFood, food concessionaires have access to detailed reports that support strategic decisions, ensuring efficiency and consistent results.

5. Monitor cost management with daily and weekly reports

Monitoring the costs and performance of your corporate restaurantess on a regular basis is essential to ensure financial control and operational efficiency.

In this way, daily and weekly reports provide a comprehensive overview of the cost management in food service, This allows managers to quickly identify areas of revenue loss and adjust strategies as necessary.

Real-time reports are particularly useful, as they offer up-to-date data on sales and purchases, making it possible to quick and informed decisions.

With this continuous monitoring, managers have absolute control over the business, from monitoring expenses to analyzing performance by restaurante.

Adopt a system that automates the generation of these reports, such as TecFood, is a differentiator. It consolidates data from all areas, from planning to inventory, and presents detailed analyses that help reduce costs and maximize results.

Benefits of regular reporting include:

• Identifying waste and areas for cost reduction;
• Improved control over purchases and stock;
• Constant monitoring of income and expenditure by unit;

With automated reports, your food dealership wins agility and efficiency, transforming data into strategic insights to improve results and maintain the profitability of corporate restaurantess.

Costs of inaccuracies in purchasing data and how to resolve them

A data accuracy is an essential pillar for efficient purchasing management in corporate restaurantess.

This is because financial inaccuracies can have a significant impact on profitability, resulting in wasted time and resources, as well as financial risks.

For this reason, standardizing processes is essential to avoid confusion, delays and discrepancies that hinder operations.

Check out the testimonial from Eduardo Vieira, Finance Director at Baked Potato, about the experience of deploying our solutions to manage the chain's branches.

Therefore, adopting a robust purchasing management system, such as the TecFood, is the key to solving these challenges.

Our software allows customization (parameterization) according to the needs of the team and stakeholders, eliminating inconsistencies, increasing precision and optimizing productivity.

Essential features in purchasing management software:

• Analytical and summary reports: They enable detailed and rapid analysis, meeting different management needs;
• Monitoring cost evolution and financial impact: Identify changes in costs over time and make more assertive decisions based on accurate data;
• Comparison tools: Evaluate the financial performance by comparing the standard cost with the planned cost and the estimated values with those actually realized;
• Relevant financial indicators: They include metrics such as percentages of CMV (Cost of Raw Materials Sold) and MDO (Labor), which are essential for strategic control;
• DRO (Statement of Operating Results): It facilitates management analysis by Food and Nutrition Unit (FNU), eliminating dependence on accounting closing;
• Stratification of results: Organize information by company, region, supervisor, branch or suppliers classified on curves A, B and C, ensuring greater clarity in decision-making.

How the purchasing sector can reduce food waste in UANs

A reducing waste food is a shared responsibility throughout the supply chain, including the purchasing sector.

Thus, this care is essential to minimize environmental and social impacts, as well as to preserving financial health of corporate restaurantess.

According to the recently launched Food Waste Index Report 2024 According to the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), Brazil produces around 20 million tons of food waste every year.

These figures not only affect the planet, but also have a major economic impact.

The role of purchasing in reducing waste

Purchasing plays a crucial role by adopting sustainable practices and using real-time data to better plan consumption and stock.

This is because without accurate information on the condition and status of inputs, solving waste problems becomes a challenge. Thus, two factors directly linked to waste are:

Resto-ingestafood returned to the plate or tray. This indicator reflects not only customer preferences, but also possible flaws in the planning of portions, the quality of inputs or the execution of the menu. Thus, acceptable rest-ingesta rates are less than 10% for regular services.

Clean leftovers: are the foods produced but not served, which remain in the vats or pans. Therefore, the control of clean leftovers depends on careful planning, in line with the number of meals served and the expected safety margin.

Practical measures to reduce waste:

• Analysis of waste rates: monitor leftovers and clean leftovers. Rates higher than 10% for healthy groups or 20% for sick groups indicate problems with the menu or the execution of meals;
• Detailed records: document the quantities of leftovers and scraps, using this information to implement corrections in planning and production;
• Awareness policies: promote campaigns to encourage customers to serve adequate portions, avoiding excesses;
• Daily evaluations: control clean leftovers more frequently, adjusting planned quantities based on actual consumption.

TecFood's role in reducing waste

Software such as TecFood makes more efficient waste control by providing detailed data on consumption, stock and planning. In this way, with analytical reports and graphs, managers can quickly identify deviations and implement corrective strategies.

Thus, by integrating these practices and adopting appropriate tools, UANs can implement sustainable and optimized processes, eliminating waste and ensuring the operational efficiency of your corporate restaurantes.

Reducing waste: a global goal

Adopting a good management system is essential in order to contribute to the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) to halve food waste by 2030.

This goal will only be achieved if we implement parameterizable technologies that adjust the procurement process to the specific needs of each restaurante.

What's more, apps that allow you to schedule food choices for the next day help to improving the accuracy of purchases, minimizing leftovers and optimizing resources.

These functionalities, in addition to reducing waste, contribute to the practices of ESG (Environmental, Social and Governance), promoting more sustainable and responsible management in the procurement sector.

Concrete results with TecFood

By integrating a system like TecFood, your food concessionaire gains efficiency, eliminates waste and maximizes results.

This is because with detailed reports and automated processes, managers can ensure accuracy, reduce costs and turning purchasing management into a competitive differentiator.

So make sure your operation is aligned with the future of purchasing management by adopting technological solutions that centralize information and provide total control over costs and processes.

How TecFood avoids errors in purchasing processes

Adopting specific purchasing management software is an essential step in avoiding mistakes that compromise the efficiency and results of your corporate restaurantes. Check out how TecFood can transform your purchasing processes:

• Avoids miscommunication with suppliers: centralizing information eliminates communication problems and ensures clarity at all stages.
• Standardizes purchase requests: goodbye to orders received by e-mail and with no history. TecFood organizes and standardizes requests for greater control.
• Ensures accurate monitoring of stock and purchases: the system helps to avoid failures in stock control and the monitoring of purchases, reducing waste.
• Eliminates decentralized purchases: With total integration between sectors, TecFood ensures that all stages are aligned and centralized.
• Provides meal flow analysis: allows assertive monitoring of consumption and meals provided, optimizing planning.
• Facilitates the control of financial metrics: track expenses with reports and defined objectives, ensuring total control over costs.
• Minimizes manual processes: reduces dependence on unstructured data and eliminates human error, duplicate information and manual errors.

Why choose TecFood?

In addition to preventing errors, TecFood offers data-based analysis, with detailed reports and dynamic graphs to help you make strategic decisions. With it, your purchasing management will be more assertive, integrated and efficient, guaranteeing the success of your corporate restaurante.

TecFood shopping portal

The process of purchasing raw materials for the production of meals, especially in the food service sector, can be significantly optimized by using the use of technology which simplify and automate communication between buyers and suppliers.

Thus, the Purchasing Portal, TecFood is an essential tool for modernizing and streamlining these operations.

Benefits of the Purchasing Portal in food service

A Procurement Portal on the web eliminates the need for manual methods, such as e-mails or phone calls, which time-consuming and are prone to errors.

Thus, using this technology, managers can quote prices, monitor the status of orders and even negotiate with suppliers in an integrated way with the backoffice.

Advantages for buyers:

• Real-time monitoring of the status of purchase requests;
• Faster and more practical trading directly on the platform;
• Automated generation of purchase authorizations, reducing rework.

Easy for suppliers:

• Simplified order management using mobile devices such as cell phones and tablets;
• More agile and practical control, strengthening the relationship between supplier and buyer.

Why choose the TecFood Purchasing Portal?

With the TecFood Purchasing Portal, your company gains a robust solution for:

• Reduce errors in purchase requests: The system standardizes processes, avoiding inconsistencies;
• Optimize team time: Automation and integration make the process faster and more efficient;
• Strengthen partnerships: Direct, centralized communication improves relationships with suppliers.

By adopting the TecFood Purchasing Portal, your food concessionaire will transform purchasing management into a integrated, productive and innovative process. Take advantage of technology to modernize your operations and ensure greater efficiency in the food service sector.

App approve: mobility and efficiency in approving purchases

Approve is a mobile application designed for optimize the management of supply authorizations (AFs) that exceed the budget set by your company.

With it, important decisions about expenses that exceed financial planning can be taken in an agile and controlled manner, directly from your mobile device.

Approve's main benefits:

• Control and transparency: Approve ensures that all over-budget spending is rigorously monitored and approved based on predefined criteria. In this way, the application avoids decisions outside of financial policy, promoting greater security and organization.
• Agility in approvals: Thanks to real-time notifications and direct access via mobile, approvers can make decisions quickly and efficiently, regardless of where they are.
• Budget always under control: Integration with the budgeting solution guarantees a clear view of financial deviations. With this, the company can act preventively to align spending with its COGS (Cost of Raw Materials Sold) targets, avoiding unwanted surprises.

How does Approve work?

The process begins with budgeting in TecFood's Operational Management module. It is in this module that the approval levels and those responsible for releasing supply authorizations are defined.

Thus, when a supply authorization exceeds the limit set in the budget, Approve kicks in.

At that moment, the system sends an e-mail notification to the person responsible for approval, informing them that there is a pending issue to be assessed.

Although releases are carried out directly through the app, initial notification is exclusively by e-mail, ensuring that approvers are informed effectively.

In addition, Approve offers a a practical and agile way to analyze purchase orders and make the best decision, always based on the criteria defined by the company.

Therefore, its main function is to simplify the spending approval process, making it more efficient and in line with financial planning.

It is worth remembering that Approve is integrated with TecFood, This is especially true of the Operational Management module, which is essential for creating the budget and setting approval levels.

Conclusion

To achieve excellence in purchasing management in corporate restaurantes, it is essential to review processes, analyze suppliers and negotiate the best prices, always maintaining a holistic view of the workflow.

With TecFood, your company has the best corporate food management software in Latin America, including the exclusive Purchasing Portal and the Approve app.

Together, they offer total control, cost reduction and waste minimization, guaranteeing positive results for your revenue.

If you want to transform the purchasing management of your corporate restaurante, book an appointment with our consultants and find out about Teknisa's complete solutions.

Discover how TecFood and Approve can reduce costs, minimize waste and optimize every stage of the process, guaranteeing positive results for your business.