TNS Catering, Multi-Site
“It was also critical that our central head office team were able to maintain the systems across the country on a remote basis, control the purchase, setup and maintenance of hardware and software, and have a clear view of what payments being received." Darren Atton, regional support manager
National contract caterer TNS Catering Management operates catering services across the business & industry, education, and healthcare sectors from Cornwall to Scotland. Tabology hospitality EPOS is installed across a large majority of the estate, providing much-needed operational consistency in a diverse business that is growing at an exponential rate.
As TNS takes on new contracts and new sites come on-stream, the Tabology system is installed to replace the broad range of systems that are in place. “We implemented Tabology around two years ago, and now use it across nearly all of our B&I contracts” explains Darren Atton, regional support manager with TNS.
The business is chef-led, with a focus on freshly prepared meals and locally sourced produce, so TNS was looking for a system which would support the chef managers at each site, without affecting their freedom to tailor the menu to the client requirements at each site.
Darren says: “Previously, we didn’t have a single, dedicated EPOS system across the business, but instead found ourselves using a wide range of legacy products which we’d inherited as we took on new clients. It could be anything from a standalone till with a card machine running separately, to an EPOS from one of the big brands, or some other system, often requiring manual data entry.
“We wanted a system that was consistent across the business, critically that was easy to use and train staff to operate, and which could generate all the sales reporting we needed for growing client expectations in this area.” Using Tabology’s back office sales reporting function, chef managers can not only generate reports that show how the site is performing, but also demonstrate how different dishes and menu styles have performed at other sites, in order to present customers with new options.
“Our operations teams also have client meetings once a month to go through the contract and P&L,” says Darren, “and they use the Tabology system to present data and trends to clients in a clear, graphical format. That’s a very welcome function for them, where previously they would have had to create documents and graphs manually, which was far more time-consuming and open to error.” The operations team, with responsibility across a range of sites regionally, can also access site performance and daily/weekly sales figures on the move, using a tablet or laptop.
“It was also critical that our central head office team were able to maintain the systems across the country on a remote basis, control the purchase, setup and maintenance of hardware and software, and have a clear view of what payments being received into the bank account related to what location. All of this was made easy with the Tabology multi-site dashboard and its integrated payments.”
Front of house, most TNS sites operate a canteen style counter service, with cash and card payments taken at the till point, using Tabology’s tablet-style touchscreen interface. “Accessing the system via a tablet really appeals to our staff, because everyone is now used to using tablet and touchscreen devices. Making that transition from keyboard-based systems to the Tabology EPOS has definitely streamlined our business, and improved the pace of service, and the familiar iOS gestures used within the app make it intuitive to use.”
“Some locations require a pre-order and pre-payment solution, and when the operations team enquired, they were pleased to learn that this functionality is also included within the Tabology system, meaning that we can offer our clients this without the added complication or expense of an additional system.”
With staff logging into the system using their own PIN codes “it’s also useful having traceability of who’s been using the tills, from a security point of view,” says Darren.
The ease with which individual items or entire menus can be updated using the Tabology system also delivers significant benefits for TNS. “Menus are all led by our chefs locally, so are all very different.” Chefs present weekly menus to the customer and can use the Tabology system to input each product with costings to enable the system to calculate the expected GP if required.
“It’s easy to add new menu items across a few sites, or just at a single site,” says Darren. “I advise the chef managers to have their admin back office system logged on to their tablet, so they can literally edit it, changing a price adding a product, at the till. You don’t have to go into the office and get onto the computer to make menu changes. In that respect, for our style of business, it’s a very powerful tool.”
In terms of support. “I’ve spoken to the Tabology support team several times, and they are always very helpful, and quick to respond. The online support and service is excellent, and response to the support chat is usually very quick.”
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