The Bistro Group is a leading name and pioneer in the casual dining sector in the Philippines. For the last two decades, The Bistro Group has brought to the Philippines renowned international food and beverage brands like Bulgogi Brothers, Modern Shanghai, TGI Fridays, Italiannis, Fish & Co. and Tonkatsu. The company also created its own brand, Krazy Garlic, a specialty restaurant that celebrates the flavors of garlic and spices around the world. A collection of popular restaurants and a people-focused philosophy are at the basis of The Bistro Group of Companies’ success.
Business case
Before implementing the LS Retail software solution, The Bistro Group used three different POS systems (Restaurant Manager, Aloha and Resto) and three different accounting systems, all of which were standalone. The disparate systems made tasks more complex, lengthy and error-prone. Reconciling transactions was a nightmare. Reporting was difficult and time-consuming: several people worked just on creating reports. As the POS was disconnected from the accounting system and the inventory, it was very difficult to monitor any wastage and pilferage. The system also lacked essential security. Some employees were able to manipulate data, giving management erroneous information that led to losses. To drive growth, the management needed an efficient, integrated system that would enable them to make sound and timely decisions. The Bistro Group hired a well-known auditing firm to study the different systems available in the market. After considering several solutions, the firm recommended LS Retail software. The system fitted perfectly the company’s business processes and operations. The analysis also indicated LS Retail software as the most functionality-rich and cost-effective option available on the market.
Solution
The main challenge during implementation was user acceptance. Staff had been using the old system for 19 years, and notwithstanding the problems and limitations of the old software, it was difficult for them to embrace the new solution. The management, together with LS Retail implementation partner Performance Advantage Systems International, Inc. (PASI), had to work to convince staff of the benefits of the new system. With the LS Retail software solution, the workload would decrease and generation of sales reports would be faster, enabling employees to receive their sales incentives sooner. LS Retail software was deployed across 10 brands of the Group. Each brand is treated as a different company by the Group. Having multi-company functionality, LS Retail software can efficiently manage the different entities as well as the different menus for each brand.
Benefits
The Bistro Group is very satisfied with the improvements the LS Retail software solution has delivered. By using just one platform, the company has standardized its processes across the different concepts they manage. The Group can also finally comply with government regulations easily. The Bistro Group now enjoys a unified view over its diverse business from a single platform, from POS to finance and supply chain – all in LS Retail software.
With the implementation of the LS Retail software solution, The Bistro Group has been able to reduce manpower size, saving the company over 1.2 million pesos (or USD 26,000) per month.
Before LS Retail software, it took two months to generate reports. Now, the team is able to submit reports in less than 10 days.
