Catering for all support functions

Transcription

1 Catering for all support functions Elior exploits Sostenuto capabilities across operational functions such as purchasing, supplier management and HR as well as IT.

2 Introduction catering, hospitality and facilities management services across business, concession catering, events and venues from football stadiums to heritage sites. Elior employs 12,000 people across 1,300 venues Elior is one of the largest contract catering groups in the country, employing 12,000 people across 1,300 restaurants, cafes and other outlets. It is part of an international food services giant which offers a vast range of Serving such a vast and varied range of customers and requirements makes for a complex business to manage. Elior s emphasis on quality in its food and customer service sets the bar high for the support functions of each of its operational areas. So much so that a few years ago, all of the UK business s operational helpdesks were brought under the umbrella of a single shared service supported by service management software Sostenuto by Sunrise. A single point of contact Over the years the software has been put to the test for scalability, flexibility and accessibility and passed with flying colours. Since the initial implementation, Sostenuto s user base has grown four-fold, and the process has been seamless. The shared service operation based in Macclesfield allows everyone involved with the group, from suppliers to staff and chefs, to phone a single number with their queries, whether they relate to invoicing issues, staff maternity queries, or quality complaints. Operational project leader Andy Baron is responsible for deploying Sostenuto across these support functions and ensuring that it serves these different business areas as optimally as possible. From day one, we made extensive alterations to Sostenuto to fit our business, says Baron. Over the years the software has been put to the test for scalability, flexibility and accessibility and passed with flying colours. Since the initial implementation, Sostenuto s user base has grown four-fold, and the process has been seamless. Page 2

3 Configuration is straightforward, so you don t have to rely on consultancy for most changes, which helps keep costs down. We have achieved some real quick wins by making small changes, particularly by setting up notifications to keep users informed, continues Baron. Even the more far reaching changes don t require any development skills, although I would recommend consultancy in some cases. Because it is browser based, the software can be deployed with minimal disruption and is accessible from anywhere. Even more importantly, it is a platform which is tried, tested and stable. IT Service Desk and more The event rules and notifications have been spot on. Users who are not constantly logged into Sostenuto because they are busy with their day jobs can receive alerts to let them know that a query has been raised This means that Sostenuto has been deployed to a large number of non-it users, who only use the system on a part-time basis. The event rules and notifications have been spot on for this, says Baron. Users who are not constantly logged into Sostenuto because they are busy with their day jobs can receive alerts to let them know that a query has been raised which they need to respond to. The service desk applies codes to different categories of calls, which means they then get assigned to the correct super-user. IT is an important function within Elior, not just internally, but as part of Elior s event management proposition, however the role of the team extends much further. The IT service desk was the obvious team to take on the extended support enquiries, on the strength of its existing customer service skills, and strong established processes. For service improvement manager Alicia Pennings, the team s function is all about driving a service culture, not just logging incidents, an approach reflected in reports monitoring performance at all levels as well as satisfaction monitoring across the business. Queries concerning a vast range of functions are directed at the central shared service desk, and then get referred to super-users in the relevant departments. Andy Baron Page 3

4 Reports generated from Sostenuto have been invaluable in pulling together the extended support function and providing visibility of the super-users activity for example. An important function is to support the group s insight back office application. This massive in-house application, designed to track sales, stock and order information across the group s 1,300 sites, provides the business with useful financial reporting, offering visibility of performance across all sites and some healthy competition between group sites. Managing purchasing and suppliers We have customised Sostenuto to allow chefs throughout the country to make enquiries regarding invoicing, pricing and delivery. Elior s bread and butter is made up of high volume contracts with venues such as football stadiums and margins can be very tight. The business can only be profitable if at least 97% of the ingredients that go into the meals it sells are sourced through the group s purchasing department. We have had to centralise complex purchasing operations, explains Baron. Although we are working on a large scale, regional requirements have to be taken into account - customers in Cheshire would expect Cheshire cheese on the menu! In this context, managing suppliers effectively is a critical activity for the business s success across all of its brands including names such as Avenance, Digby Trout, Azure and Eliance. Elior have centralised complex purchasing operations We have customised Sostenuto to allow chefs throughout the country to make enquiries regarding invoicing, pricing and delivery, continues Baron. They can also register complaints relating to specific suppliers or the quality of ingredients supplied. Page 4

5 We have adapted the terminology used in the software, so that items refers to ingredients and products actually means meals. Category managers use Sostenuto to manage supplier relationships. Having performance reports available in meetings gives them a lot more leverage. They can proactively perform audits to see how often certain queries are raised, identify trends and spot issues before they spiral out of control. Human Resources Sostenuto provides HR with visibility across all of the divisions of Elior, allowing us to know which areas need the most support. There was previously no system to deal with the group s wide and varied HR enquiries. Because field based HR business partners were receiving many calls directly, coming from everyone from cleaners to divisional directors they were not being tracked or dealt with efficiently. Sostenuto now allows the service desk to monitor and manage all queries relating to absence, CRB (criminal record bureau) checks, disciplinaries and dismissals, holidays and maternity, recruitment and retirement across the whole of the group s 12,000 staff. Sostenuto provides HR with visibility across all of the divisions of Elior, allowing us to know which areas need the most support, says HR advisor Chloe Lander. It enables us to track our projects and demonstrate in which ways our department is supporting the business. Page 5

6 The future As a business, we are delighted with what Sostenuto has allowed us to achieve. Personally, I really enjoy working with Sunrise as a supplier. Their support has been outstanding over the years, which gives us great confidence for the road ahead. Next to come under the umbrella of the shared service will be environmental quality queries from across the group, and developing asset management within Sostenuto also figures high in the priority list, with provision for scanner integration for example. As a business, we are delighted with what Sostenuto has allowed us to achieve, says Baron. Personally, I really enjoy working with Sunrise as a supplier. Their support has been outstanding over the years, which gives us great confidence for the road ahead. Page 6

7 About Sunrise Sunrise was founded in 1994 and is a leading independent provider of IT service management solutions. Our customer base includes over 1,000 blue chip and public sector organisations, including: Sunrise offers a range of software solutions for internal and external facing service management operations. Its products deliver industry verified ITIL processes out of the box with the option of extensive customisation capabilities to meet customers requirements. This flexibility has proved particularly successful in managed service provider environments. This is IT service management software going way beyond the basics that ITIL dictates (Computer Weekly) Contact us Visit our website: us at: welcome@sunrisesoftware.co.uk Or call us on: Page 7