The Company

Established in 1991, Caterforce is one of the largest foodservice buying & marketing consortiums in the UK. They source products from a huge range of leading suppliers and manufacturers to support nine leading independent foodservice wholesalers. From their head office in Macclesfield, Cheshire they provide a central hub for their members supporting both their group buying needs and marketing resource, allowing suppliers to push out a consistent and coherent marketing plan nationwide, with just one point of contact. Buying groups enable members to benefit from economies of scale. A buying groups cumulative buying power means independent regional wholesalers can compete with much larger national wholesalers to deliver the best products for their customers with better terms, pricing and promotions, than they would be able to secure on their own.

When Clare Greensmith joined Caterforce as their Financial Controller in 2020, she knew old processes had to be changed. Little did she realise that the information Enable places at her fingertips would help them make informed decisions so quickly. Today Caterforce has accurate forecasting and information that flows through systems to help buyers and suppliers. This true collaboration is invaluable to the group and helps with cash flow visibility.  Clare Greensmith, Financial Controller, explains why.

The Challenge

Laborious Rebate System

Prior to Enable, rebate management at Caterforce was a manual and time consuming task. All documentation was in spreadsheets and pdfs and there was no real-time information or automated workflows.  

According to Greensmith, "In my role as the Financial Controller at Caterforce, I oversee the management of financial resources, including monitoring and auditing. When I joined in January 2020, one of my initial tasks was to review all rebate agreements and terms. Given that Caterforce was established in the early 90s, it operated on a rather outdated and cumbersome system, necessitating a thorough examination."

Making Sure Every Penny is Accounted For

Greensmith tells us, “In April 2020 when the country shut down, the food service industry, everything went on hold, restaurants closed, one thing that was paramount in all our businesses was cashflow. So, it was making sure that every penny was accounted for. Therefore, it was important to go through the process of making sure suppliers had given the rebates back to us at the right time. This is when I reached out to Enable to see whether there was a slicker way of actually processing all this.”

Consolidation Of Rebate Figures

Consolidating figures in a timely manner posed a significant challenge for Caterforce. Greensmith says, “The entire process relied on spreadsheets and verbal communication, and crucial terms and agreements were often confirmed through emails or retained solely in the trader's memory. This lack of streamlined and organized information flow created inefficiencies in tracking and managing our rebate agreements.”

The Software

Helping in Times of Uncertainty  

Clare joined Caterforce in 2020, just before the pandemic hit, making it a challenging time to start anywhere. During that period, their processes were primarily manual, involving pen and paper, numerous printed terms in PDFs. The pandemic certainly impacted their decision to look for a rebate management system like Enable.

Greensmith says, “Enable's involvement marked a significant turning point, allowing us to streamline our operations. With their assistance, we adopted a more efficient way of working, resulting in improved rebate management for our members and a better return on investment. We wanted more information at our fingertips rather than to go hunting for it. If we had Enable as soon as the pandemic hit, we could have made quicker informed decisions about our rebate programs.”  

Taking the Time to Understand Our Unique Needs  

Greensmith says, “We chose to go with Enable because we were very open and honest with what we wanted, and they were open and honest with what they could do for our business. We wanted to make sure this was highlighted. What we found with Enable is they were very good at understanding this and working through where we needed to be.”

Simplifying To Achieve Optimal Results

Greensmith comments, “Enable went above and beyond for us. They recognised the need for exploration and trial-and-error as we delved into various aspects with the buying group, clarifying our objectives for the system. We initially attempted to utilise every function available, but eventually, we realised the importance of simplifying to achieve optimal results. Ultimately, collaboration and buy-in from everyone, ensuring alignment in understanding, eliminated confusion when dealing with terminologies. This streamlined progress and significantly reduced challenges. Additionally, our cash flow saw improvement through these efforts.”  

Real Time Information

Caterforce aimed to overhaul its processes using Enable, providing both the business and its members with seamless access to vital information for precise forecasting of notable successes. Additionally, the organization organisation sought to monitor the impact of the pandemic on its operations.

According to Greensmith, "With Enable, we can swiftly analyse trend lines and enable buyers to explore 'what-if' scenarios, evaluating the consequences of different actions. Our members now enjoy real-time information, a significant improvement over our outdated system, which provided updates only at month-end, quarter-end or year-end. This means they were essentially operating without current data for about six months of the year."

Improving Rebate Performance

Greensmith says, “As we approach the end of the year, it is evident that we can establish an effective strategy for buyers to achieve their goals. Clear Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) are set for each month, allowing buyers to monitor their progress transparently. This ensures that they are well-informed about their rebate performance and enables them to make informed decisions. Our members are also guided on when to increase or refrain from purchasing—equally crucial aspects of the overall strategy.”

Proactive Engagement with Buyers

Greensmith comments, “In my daily responsibilities, I proactively engage with our information and challenge our buyers: "What actions will you take with the available data? You have a four-week window to negotiate. Here's your comprehensive plan on the page, aligned with the supplier. Can we collaborate effectively to achieve this?" We've observed significant added value through this approach, reflected in our marketing campaigns, which can now be rationalised within the parameters of our agreements.”

Re-shifting Our Focus to Core Suppliers

Greensmith says, “Our members now experience the advantages of receiving financial information promptly. This timely data has a direct impact on expediting the return of their funds and streamlining the distribution process. It also allows us to make informed decisions about when to de-list core suppliers. By redirecting efforts from suppliers yielding no return to focusing on our core suppliers, we ensure a more efficient and effective operation.”