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Welcome to our newsletter, this finds us operating under difficult circumstances where food costs are fluctuating considerably and unfortunately in the wrong direction.
During the past few months we have been working hard with suppliers negotiating better terms for our customers and assisting in getting price updates into the system. More details about this are below.
We have continued to expand our business of operations and are pleased to say that we now have in excess of 50 colleges using KitMan to manage their Hospitality and Catering departments. Many of these are using KitMan as a teaching tool with their students and to operate their refectories and restaurant services.
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Stores Refresher Working Party
 Early last year, at our customers forum for education, it was agreed that it will be beneficial to hold a meeting that can be attended by Stores Technician/Stores Administrators. It is always difficult to agree dates and venues to suit everyone, after several attempts this event was organised for Wednesday 29th April 2009. Henley College kindly agreed to host the event, this is a central location for everyone to get to. The event was well attended by representatives from our customers and by our support staff giving everyone the opportunity to ask specific questions about issues they had. A copy of the customers system was available on a secure computer which enables the issues to be demonstrated in a live environment.
Judging from the reactions of people that attended we believe that everyone achieved major benefits from the day and that they will now be getting further benefits from the use of KitMan.
Some of the early comments received are:
Dublin Institute - Stephen Shanley "David, It was great to see you again. I really appreciate your generosity and hospitality. Thank you for all that you and your team did for myself and Gerald.
We feel we gained a great deal from the day."
Colchester Institute - Bridget Ellis "Craig, Lovely to meet you on Wednesday. It was also nice to meet fellow KitMan users and to hear how they were getting on too. Marisa and I found the day very useful and I am now intending to extend the use of KitMan to include Purchase Orders and also to use the Revenue and Purchase Tracking."
A report on the event is attached at the end of this newsletter.
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Product Price Updates
As part of the reporting from KitMan we provide class costs, costs per student etc; obviously the accuracy of these reports depend very much on correct prices being incorporated in KitMan at the time of the order.
During the period of volatile prices it is more important than ever that correct prices are being received. Most customers purchase from local suppliers for fresh produce and we are working closely with many of these suppliers. However in some cases the supplier does not have access to email, which means that it is difficult for Olympus to be involved and it is necessary for the customer to update these prices themselves. If this is the case you should also consider the traceability aspects of the products you are purchasing and whether there is a breach of Health & Safety. We can suggest alternative suppliers where necessary.
In respect of other commodities customers will be purchasing from Regional or National suppliers. Olympus have been working closely with these suppliers to ensure that price updates can be received and input automatically for you in KitMan. Regrettably we are unable to offer this service for customers who use 3663 or H N Nuttall, however 3663 have said that they will send the prices to you, as their customer, and that you can forward it on to us. If this is done we will be happy to incorporate those prices into your system. We have formed a close association with both DBC Foodservice and Brakes, who will not only provide us with prices to input into your system but will also provide favourable prices for yourselves as we have negotiated national prices.
We will be happy to discuss this with you and to make arrangements for one or both of these companies to see you.
We also have excellent working relationships with a number of regional suppliers who can be introduced to yourselves.
To summarise
- correct prices are imperative to the accuracy of reports and to manage the business opportunities ensuring costs remain within budget guidelines
- where difficulty is being experienced either with quality, service or price updaters being received we can recommend alternative suppliers
For a detailed overview of the Price Update Process please Click Here.
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Olympus FoodLink Suppliers
As previously reported Olympus have a network of suppliers whom it works closely with. These suppliers offer quality products, supported by an excellent service and satisfy all aspects of Health & Safety and product traceability. Because of our association they offer attractive prices to our customers.
If any customer is having difficulty with one of its own suppliers we can almost certainly offer an alternative choice of supplier throughout the UK for all commodities.
We have also formed a close association with both DBC Foodservice and Brakes who offer nationally negotiated prices to KitMan users. This also ensures that prices will be automatically incorporated in your version of KitMan ensuring the accuracy of reports.
We are currently in discussion so that there will be special offers on the core products being purchased by our customers creating further cost savings.
Negotiations between ourselves and suppliers is made at senior management and director level. It is important wherever a change of supplier is contemplated by a customer that this is referred to us so that we can assist in a smooth transition to the new supplier and ensure that details are set up correctly in your version of KitMan
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Supplier Management
Olympus have a scheduled routine with suppliers whose prices they are updating for customers; in many instances these are suppliers requested by customers as a local source. Olympus endeavour to work with all suppliers to ensure they offer the service the customer requires. As part of the service we are now categorising suppliers into three groups.
Category A - Preferred suppliers. These suppliers work closely with Olympus sending regular price updates and offering good service and quality to our customers. In these instances we will recommend them to our customers based in the geographical areas of their operation.
Category B - Managed suppliers. These suppliers do not always send price updates through and it is necessary for Olympus to be involved in obtaining these price updates. This, of course, creates additional work for Olympus and at some stage the supplier will removed from this list (hopefully to the Preferred supplier status). There may also be issues about service and quality that have not been resolved to our satisfaction.
Category C - Self Administered suppliers. Prices for these suppliers are administered by the customer, this may be because they only supply one or two items to the customer or the supplier is unable to provide prices to Olympus electronically. The customer can choose to enter any price amendments individually through KitMan or assistance can be given by Olympus in providing a template, which can be completed by the customer in a single operation and sent to Olympus for inclusion into the customers system.
Olympus will liaise with each customer agreeing its schedule of suppliers and where we are administering these. If suppliers are in category C, customers will be offered an alternative from our Preferred supplier list. Alternatively the customer may choose to remain with its current supplier but to administer any amendments themselves. We will be in contact shortly, meanwhile if you wish to speak to us then please contact us at support@kitman.com or telephone 0330 088 1957 opt 1
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Supplier Product Review
Product Review
One of the issues a number of customers face is the large number of products contained in their database. Facilities exist in KitMan for these products to be hidden or deleted (if a product is hidden it is still in the database and can be recreated at any time) thus bringing the listing to a manageable size. In response to User requests we have recently launched the ability to delete unused products or Hide / Discontinue multiple Products.
Simply select the Supplier then click Find Products to find items that can be safely removed. Ensure only the items you want to edit are ticked then select the operation from the dropdown list at the bottom.
Note: If you select 'Include If in the Stock Take' or 'Include if Purchased' the item will be deleted AND removed from any order history.
Product Sort
We have also introduced the ability to sort Product Lists alphabetically for the selected suppliers.
Additional Training
We can also offer a further service whereby a trainer can be on site with a customer and give additional help in reducing and personalising a product listing for customers. Again we will offer this at a concessionary price of £450 plus travelling costs plus vat.
If you are interested in this service then please contact support@kitman.com
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KitMan Expands
Amongst our education customer profile we are pleased to announce success around the UK.
Expansion in Northern Ireland with the introduction of North West Regional College based in Londonderry. Following a restructure of the education system in Northern Ireland this college was formed by the merging of Limavady College and North West Institute.
South West College operates in four campuses in Cookstown, Dungannon, Enniskillen and Omagh. Discussions are at an advanced stage with many other colleges in that country wishing to join KitMan.
This has been mirrored in Eire with Cork Institute joining the network of colleges. Again discussions are taking place with other colleges who wish to join KitMan.
We are pleased to announce that we now have our first customer in Scotland with Aberdeen College. This now means that we have customers throughout 5 countries.
In the north of England we have seen the introduction of Barnsley College in Yorkshire and Blackpool and The Fylde College one of the leading colleges in the North West of England.
The South East of England sees further expansion with the introduction of Croydon College, Lewisham College and Hertford Regional College.
We have extended our operations along the South Coast of England with South Downs College and Chichester College.
 Closer to home we have been joined by Halesowen College, south of Birmingham, and Warwickshire College who operate from six main campuses. Regrettably Warwickshire College suffered a major fire earlier this year in its historical home of Moreton Morrell Hall resulting in a major refurbishment programme and the cancellation of a number of wedding receptions.
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New Customer Services Manager Appointment
 Olympus have prided themselves on the level of service offered to customers and like to feel that we maintain regular contact with them, indeed we want to ensure that everyone is getting the maximum use from KitMan and that it meets all of our customers' expectations.
We have recently invested additional resources into this important area and will be taking a more proactive role in contacting and supporting both our customers and suppliers. Tony Collinge joined the company in September as Customer Services Manager and has settled into this role. Many of you will have already spoken to Tony and we hope that we are satisfying any queries that you may have.
In accordance with our normal business we are happy to provide telephone support to any user who has attended training sessions with us. If a user has difficulties with any aspect of KitMan then please contact us.
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 NHS
Over the past three years Olympus have been working closely with Wrightington, Wigan and Leigh NHS Trust in developing a version of KitMan specifically for the Healthcare market.
We are pleased to report that during this period the Trust consider that they have achieved cost savings of c£100,000 per annum. Indeed during the past three years they have not increased their food expenditure budget.
Olympus have now developed KitMan so that it interfaces direct with Oracle, the Trusts accountancy system thus negating the need for duplicated work. This feature saves the Trust valuable labour time and gives them greater control. Invoice queries from suppliers, which was running at a high level and was a 'headache' for both the accountancy and catering departments is now nonexistent.
Further development now incorporates the facility for patients to order meals at the bedside. This collates into a consolidated listing for each ward and into a master production schedule for the kitchens.
Early assessments are that this element will create further cost savings of c£50,000 per annum in food wastage as meals will no longer be ordered for patients who are being discharged, going to theatre, nil by mouth etc.
The company is now in discussion with a number of trusts around the country and if we can achieve similar cost savings elsewhere then we are satisfied that we are doing our little bit to plough money back into patient healthcare.
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New Development KitMan Menu Module
As part of our ongoing development the team are currently working on the creation of a new menu module. This is currently being tested by a number of customers and should be available for release during the next couple of months. This includes a number of enhanced features making the creation of menus much easier and providing essential details for both chefs and management.
This creates full nutritional information ensuring that our customers are complying with the latest legislation.
Some of the features are:
- Creation of menus - enables A La Carte or Table D'Hote menus to be created in minutes
- Cost/profit analysis - incorporating a sales mix for each dish creates a schedule of costs and anticipated profit for each menu
- Nutritional Information - this is collated for each dish providing all of the necessary analysis for the complete menu. If amendments to dishes are made these will filter through to the analysis sheets
- Printed menus - the chosen dishes will automatically import to a menu template, these can be printed in house or sent to professional printers
- Sequence of dishes - these can be arranged and displayed in any order chosen by the customer. For the commercial customer, the dishes delivering the highest return can be placed in a prominent position
- Dietary information - this is automatically captured from the dishes and an analysis sheet provided.
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Referrals and Sponsorship
The best form of business for a company is by referral from existing customers; we are pleased that a large number of our customers speak highly of our services and we would like to reward such loyalty.
We are introducing a scheme, whereby we will contribute up to 5% from any sale made as a result of a referral from an existing customer. This money will be donated to the customer and may be used as the customer chooses e.g. student awards, sponsorships, purchase of equipment, staff welfare, charity donations. Such payments will be subject to taxation where appropriate but unless the payment is made to an individual this is most unlikely.
We know that cost savings and efficiencies are being achieved by our customers and there are many organisations in hospitality, healthcare or education that can benefit from the use of KitMan.
Should you have any potential customer you wish to recommend to us then please email their contact details to sales@kitman.com whereby we will contact them and arrange to send details without any obligation on their part. In exchange we will forward a cheque or other form of donation to you.
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Stores Refresher Working Party Report
We would like to thank all those who attended the recent Stores Working Party at Henley College Coventry.
One of the main requests was the ability to manage larger product lists in a single step. In response to the requests we were able to develop, launch and train two brand new functions under product management to hide / delete unused products and to organise the product lists alphabetically. Some more information is available here.
The latest prototype features were demonstrated as outlined here.
Most constructive was the feedback session where user's suggestions and criticisms were discussed openly and considered for inclusion in the current development.
Four Breakout Training Sessions were held covering:
- Products and Suppliers - led by Craig Whittaker Operations Manager
- Did you know..? - led by Peter O'Connor Training Manager
- Online Services - led by Andrew Whitting IT Director
- New Users - led by Tony Collinge Customer Services Manager
A detailed report will be circulated shortly and we are already planning follow up sessions on a regional basis and inviting a wider user base next time.
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 SNUPI
We are pleased to announce that we have formed a partnership with SNUPI, who act as a purchasing consortium within the education sector. It is a company limited by guarantee and as such is owned by its members who are universities and colleges.
SNUPI recognise the benefits for its members in using KitMan as a management tool for the whole of their food service operations. As you are aware KitMan provides the vital day to day management information necessary to run a service. This, together with the price advantages available through a SNUPI contract will enable operations to reduce costs and to maximise profitability and efficiency.
We shall continue to offer customers 'the best of both worlds' , the flexibility to purchase major lines through their SNUPI membership whilst continuing to work with local and regional suppliers. As a user of KitMan you have the confidence that all prices through SNUPI will be updated automatically by us and we shall continue to work with you with your local supply network.
Below is an extract from the press release currently being issued by SNUPI.
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PRESS RELEASE
SNUPI Ltd are pleased to announce a partnership with Olympus Associates in offering the KitMan System to all of its members.
SNUPI specialise in the procurement of catering supplies to universities, FE and HE colleges together with local councils providing both a national and regional network of suppliers.
The KitMan System is a food cost control and food service management system providing customers with daily management of food costs and revenues.
Des Collett, SNUPI Principal Executive, says " SNUPI have managed procurement for the education sector for a number of years delivering substantial savings on purchase prices, but this is merely one aspect of costs for a food service. In today's economic climate it is essential that organisations have daily control of their expenditure. KitMan is a valuable management tool, delivering vital management information, enabling organisations to control costs and revenues on a day to day basis ensuring they maximise profitability from each area of their operations.
Part of Olympus' services ensures that customers prices are updated on a continual basis, providing price comparisons between suppliers. In addition to costs and recommended selling prices all recipes contain nutritional data together with covering all aspects of Health & Safety and HACCP; important areas of concern to all members.
We believe the partnership of using SNUPI together with KitMan will provide our members with a unique management system covering the whole of their food and beverage operation, enabling them to utilise the SNUPI contract prices whilst providing them with the flexibility to use local and regional suppliers."
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