It is clear that catering companies play a very important role in the venue space. At the very minimum catering companies now provide F&B services - often on a managed basis, i.e. the venue outsources its F&B - and frequently the caterer also manages sales which attracts new clients and new business for the venue.
NFS Hospitality, providers of technology solutions for hospitality and leisure businesses, including venues and conference centres, have seen a move on the part of these increasingly important catering companies towards the adoption of new technology to improve their growing businesses. And they are seeing that hosted solutions are making an impact on this sector. NFS have deployed their Rendezvous hosted Catering & Events software at many venues; very often on behalf of the catering company and not the venue.
Historically, catering companies have used traditional tools, such as Excel, to manage the three main areas in their business: dealing with customer enquiries, creating operational documentation to send to the kitchen and other departments, and bringing the billing process together. However, browser-based solutions like Rendezvous, which is a hosted solution paid for on a monthly basis, make it possible for catering companies to move towards an integrated system; a solution that can manage event catering at different locations, and centralise operations with software that replaces these previously cumbersome processes.
The hosted solution delivers many benefits:
- Streamlined work processes. Typically they can probably save between half a day and a day of someone's time at venue level, dealing with tasks like creating function sheets and processing data, if they have integrated solutions.
- Timely and accurate billing. Venues can bill their clients in a much more timely manner resulting in improved cashflow, and have much better traceability.
- From a Sales & Marketing point of view, if all customer information from new enquiries is entered at the same time, you have the start of a database that can be used for marketing and generating new business.
- Access to fully integrated event technology without the high cost at venue level, making solutions more affordable for venues and catering companies, who often have limited contracts.
An excellent example of how this technology is being deployed is Peyton & Byrne, the prestigious, London-based caterer which operates cafes and bakeries at high-profile locations such as St Pancras, The National Gallery, Heals and The British Library.
Peyton & Byrne deployed NFS' Rendezvous in 2009 to manage their Catering and Events business, Peyton Events.
The business requires a lot of coordination and often involves distributing details by email or by printed documents - but when event details change, this paper-based system is not efficient or reliable. Sales people based in each location do not always have visibility of what is happening at other venues. Rendezvous provides Peyton & Byrne with a diary management and booking system which makes it easy for staff at independent venues, as well as at Head Office, to update information and be able to provide clients with a better service.
Rendezvous allows the company to optimise revenue by immediately identifying alternate venues when first choice is not available.This ensures that P&B can meet clients' needs, and the sales personnel can then focus on up-selling and using the tools available in Rendezvous to generate future opportunities.
"In the event management sector you have to respond and react quickly," comments Caitriona Peyton of Peyton & Byrne."Having a solution that allows us to provide up-to-date information to our staff at each location, as well as the tools to generate more revenue and control costs, will help us with the long-term growth of our business."
NFS Hospitality offers their clients fully integrated hospitality solutions. Peyton & Byrne use Aloha, their F&B product, at all locations, and so benefit from a client-facing system and a head office corporate event management system in one single, integrated solution. Any financial data in the POS goes directly to the Venue Management System -- very similar to a hotel guest charging the bar bill to his room.
NFS provide a complete range of hospitality solutions for venues and F&B businesses, including EPOS, hosted venue management, and a complete back office to manage stock, labour and cash.
About NFS Hospitality | Whether running a simple, five-bedroom property or a complex, sophisticated resort, NFS have the technology to assist its clients who span multi-site operators, high-end boutique hotels, full-service hotels with sophisticated F&B needs, resorts offering the full range of Banqueting & Events, and hotels with leisure operations, including golf and private members. NFS also provide a comprehensive installation and training package including hardware, networking, user training and, most importantly, a manned 24/7 helpdesk, regarded as the best in the industry today.
www.nfs-hospitality.com
About NFS Hospitality
Whether running a simple, five-bedroom property or a complex, sophisticated resort, NFS have the technology to assist its clients who span multi-site operators, high-end boutique hotels, full-service hotels with sophisticated F&B needs, resorts offering the full range of Banqueting & Events, and hotels with leisure operations, including golf and private members. NFS also provide a comprehensive installation and training package including hardware, networking, user training and, most importantly, a manned 24/7 helpdesk, regarded as the best in the industry today.
