Ordering specialty coffee for your hospitality outlet can be a tricky proposition, especially when dealing with ebbs and flows in business that seem random. I have had countless conversations with both owners and hospitality managers who have difficulty anticipating who will be visiting their outlet each day. Holidays, school and extracurricular schedules, and even the weather all significantly impact who walks through the door. Optimizing your coffee supply can be frustrating at times.
Here are a few pointers to help you streamline your supply as best as possible:
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Find a supplier with a quick, reactive supply chain. It can be frustrating to work with a supplier that takes weeks to fulfill orders. This not only makes it difficult to anticipate volumes but also leads to large spikes in your cash flow. We encourage our wholesale customers to place regular, weekly orders rather than one or two large orders per month.
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Create a par level for your supplies to expedite the ordering process. The great thing about coffee is that it's easy to take a quick inventory. A 5-pound bag is hard to miss!
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Order 110% to 120% of your anticipated volume. This will give you ample runway in the event of a busier day or two than anticipated. Any excess coffee inventory can be rolled over to the next week, especially if the bags are sealed; freshness will not be negatively impacted.
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Choose a roaster partner that roasts, packs, and ships on the same day. Long lead times can be extremely frustrating, but our model maximizes freshness and helps maintain proper inventory levels. This model also aids when unplanned spikes in business occur. Our Florida customers receive coffee the very next day.
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Consider scheduled, regular deliveries. This eliminates the need to remember to order regularly, and changes to alter, skip, or advance orders are easy to accommodate.
All in all, inventory management can be a challenge, but with a little planning and creative solutions within your supply chain, avoiding the worst-case scenario of running out of coffee can be easily prevented. If you'd like help optimizing your coffee supply, please contact us for a free supply chain assessment.
