Ordering from Suppliers: Finding a problem worth solving

Words by Jonny Mckenzie - Founder and Cocktail Maker at Bustle

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, Bustle 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?

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