Mr. Grünewald from the bakery Grünewald

1. please introduce your company once.

Our business has existed for over 100 years, since 1883, and today we are running it in the 5th generation. The Grünewald bakery is a pure family business. Besides me, my wife, my sister and my cousin are also in the business. We operate 29 branches and have 230 employees. A sustainable concept is very important to us, because we would like to preserve the business for future generations. When selecting our raw materials, for example, we focus on regionality; our eggs come from the farmer next door, and the coffee also comes from the region. In this way, we create a stable network for ourselves locally.

2. what were the original challenges in your operation?

We always had the challenge that new sellers were very poor at fulfilling the order because they simply lacked the experience of what is demanded, when and in what quantity. It was different with the existing sales people, some had a very good feel for the order, others not at all. Another challenge was that the sales assistants did not always follow my instructions as to which products had to be there by the end and which did not. Personal preferences of the sales assistants had a big influence.

3. with what objective did you approach foodforecast?

Foodforecast simply contacted us back then and presented its exciting solution. I was immediately very open and saw potential. The first thing we did was test foodforecast in one store, and then it was rolled out step by step.

4. what has changed in your company since foodforecast was introduced?

Through foodforecast, we have automated the entire ordering process. The foodforecast software spits out a daily sales forecast for the next day's order. This is much more accurate than what we can forecast based on our own experience. The result is that we have fewer unnecessary returns in the evening. That means we have to throw away less in the evening. At the same time, we also increase our sales of baked goods, of which we had previously ordered too little.

Because foodforecast's artificial intelligence takes over the control, the orders are no longer changed by the personal assessments of the sales staff. I can now control the entire order centrally. Another interesting side effect is that theft is immediately noticed or prevented, because thanks to foodforecast's software I know exactly how much has been ordered, how much has been sold and how much must be left. Discrepancies stand out.

5. what is the greatest added value of the software for you?

The greatest added value for me is transparency. I make a decision about target returns and no longer have to check whether this has been implemented. It's enough for me to go over the orders once a week and then make a manual adjustment if necessary, for example if a large order comes in. The sales staff can concentrate fully on sales and the cash register is no longer blocked by the order process. The currently very high raw material and energy prices are also an important argument for the introduction of foodforecast, because you simply cannot afford unnecessary production.

Do you also communicate the cooperation with foodforecast to your customers? Is further material from our side necessary for this?

No, so far we have not communicated our cooperation with foodforecast to our customers. We have only reported on it when customers have asked about our sustainability concept. However, it would be great if foodforecast could provide appropriate marketing material to communicate the cooperation to the outside world.

7. would you recommend foodforecast to other customers and if so, why?

Yes, I would definitely recommend foodforecast. My experience with foodforecast has been consistently positive and I am very satisfied. I notice that foodforecast is constantly developing. If there are any difficulties, foodforecast is there immediately to help.

8. has your business become more sustainable as a result of foodforecast?

Yes, the operation has become much more sustainable because the unnecessary returns are gone.

9. how have your key figures improved?

Our sales of long-life cookies have increased by 80% in some cases, which is really impressive. Returns have dropped significantly.

10. what is the feedback from employees on the introduction of the software?

In the beginning, the employees were very critical, especially the long-term employees who had many years of experience with the orders. In the beginning, they still intervened, adjusted the orders manually and did not really trust the software. But in the meantime, foodforecast has convinced even our skeptical employees. And for new employees, it's not an issue at all, because they don't know any different.

Do you have any suggestions for improvement? What else would you like to see?

It would be nice if you could reduce the complexity even further. But that's not because of foodforecast, but because of the entire process. We are satisfied and look forward to further cooperation.