Case Study for Advanced Tastes Holding
Advanced Tastes is a premier food and beverage (F&B) brand based in Saudi Arabia, managing internationally renowned franchises such as Cipriani, Bagatelle, MNKY HSE, Sumosan, Santini, and more. Known for delivering exceptional dining experiences, Advanced Tastes operates across multiple locations with high customer service standards, requiring advanced technological solutions to manage complex operations, including sales, customer satisfaction, human resources, payroll, and legal matters.
To streamline its operations, Advanced Tastes sought an integrated, industry-specific solution that would unify their systems, automate their processes, and provide management with real-time data insights. Their existing setup included Revel as their Point of Sale (POS) system, Oracle NetSuite for accounting, and Sevenroom for managing guest reservations and feedback. However, the lack of integration between these systems created data silos, resulting in inefficiencies and limited managerial visibility.
In this case study we will be talking about Manpower Management System with Books integration
System Overview:
Our solution for Advanced Tastes involved connecting multiple systems using Zoho Creator as the integration platform. We seamlessly linked Revel (POS) with Oracle NetSuite (accounting), allowing sales data to flow in real-time from their restaurants directly into their financial system. Furthermore, data from Sevenroom was incorporated to give the management a consolidated dashboard view that covered critical metrics, including sales performance, guest satisfaction scores, and manpower costs.
In addition to the POS and accounting integration, Zoho People was implemented to manage Advanced Tastes’ HR needs, including employee self-service and HR process automation. We also developed a custom Saudi-based payroll system using Zoho Creator, designed specifically to comply with local payroll regulations such as GOSI.
Further custom-built applications were developed on Zoho Creator, including a maintenance ticketing system to manage operational issues across franchises, a centralized management dashboard for real-time performance tracking, a legal case management system, and a financial request management system.
Executive Summary:
Advanced Tastes faced several operational challenges due to the use of disparate systems for managing POS, accounting, guest feedback, HR, and payroll. This lack of integration led to inefficiencies, including manual data entry, inconsistent reporting, and delays in managerial decision-making. Moreover, the company needed a payroll system that complied with Saudi Arabian labor laws and enabled automated payroll processing for over 1000 employees across different locations.
We developed a comprehensive solution that connected their existing systems using Zoho Creator and Zoho People, streamlining operations, automating processes, and providing management with a unified platform for real-time decision-making. The solution addressed their operational pain points while ensuring compliance with local regulations, improving HR operations, and giving management visibility into key metrics through customized dashboards.
Problem Statement:
Advanced Tastes experienced several challenges related to the fragmentation of its operations:
- Data Silos: Sales data from the Revel POS system was not integrated with Oracle NetSuite, resulting in manual data transfer and reconciliation delays.
- Limited Managerial Insights: There was no consolidated platform to view key performance indicators (KPIs) such as sales, guest satisfaction, and manpower costs across multiple franchises.
- HR and Payroll Challenges: The company struggled with payroll management and compliance with Saudi labor regulations, requiring a system that could automate payroll and integrate with GOSI for local compliance.
- Operational Inefficiencies: Maintenance requests and operational issues were managed manually, leading to slow response times and inefficiencies in managing resources across various franchises.
- Legal and Financial Processes: The absence of a unified system for legal case management and financial requests created bottlenecks, making it difficult for management to monitor and address issues efficiently.
5. Evaluation:
We conducted a thorough evaluation of Advanced Tastes’ current systems and their specific operational requirements. The need for real-time integration between POS, accounting, and guest feedback systems was critical. We also identified the necessity of automating HR processes, payroll management, and operational workflows to enhance efficiency and compliance.
Zoho Creator was chosen for its ability to serve as an integration platform, offering flexibility and customization. The platform allowed us to develop custom applications that addressed Advanced Tastes’ unique needs, including payroll compliance with Saudi regulations and operational workflows such as maintenance management. Zoho People was selected for HRMS and employee self-service, providing a comprehensive solution for HR operations.
6. Proposed Solution:
Our proposed solution for Advanced Tastes involved developing a comprehensive, integrated system using Zoho Creator and Zoho People to address their fragmented operations, streamline workflows, and provide real-time insights. The solution was designed to tackle the specific challenges in sales, accounting, HR, payroll, maintenance management, legal case tracking, and financial requests. Each component of the solution played a critical role in enhancing operational efficiency and providing management with the necessary tools to make informed decisions. Below are the detailed components of the solution:
1. Integration of Revel POS with Oracle NetSuite:
Challenge:
Advanced Tastes was using Revel POS for managing in-store sales transactions, while Oracle NetSuite handled accounting. However, the lack of integration between these systems resulted in data fragmentation, manual data entry, and the potential for errors. The accounting team had to manually reconcile POS data with financial records, which was time-consuming and prone to inaccuracies.
Solution:
We developed a custom integration using Zoho Creator to seamlessly connect Revel POS with Oracle NetSuite. This integration automated the transfer of sales data from the POS system to the accounting platform in real-time. Each transaction processed at the restaurant was automatically synced with Oracle NetSuite, ensuring that revenue and sales data were accurately reflected in the financial system. This eliminated the need for manual data entry, reduced errors, and provided a single source of truth for financial data.
Impact:
The integration provided real-time financial visibility, improved accuracy in reporting, and significantly reduced the time spent on reconciliation tasks. Management could now access up-to-date sales and financial data to make informed decisions faster.
2. Sevenroom Data Integration and Accumulated Dashboard:
Challenge:
Advanced Tastes used Sevenroom, a guest reservation and feedback management system, to handle bookings and customer feedback. However, the data from Sevenroom was siloed, and there was no integration with sales or manpower data. This limited management’s ability to evaluate guest satisfaction in relation to operational performance and costs.
Solution:
We built a custom dashboard on Zoho Creator that consolidated data from Sevenroom, Revel POS, and manpower costs from Zoho People. This accumulated dashboard allowed Advanced Tastes’ management to view key performance indicators (KPIs) in real-time, such as:
- Sales performance across individual outlets.
- Guest satisfaction scores based on feedback from Sevenroom.
- Manpower costs, including salaries and overtime.
This integration provided management with a comprehensive view of operations and allowed them to monitor the correlation between guest satisfaction, sales performance, and labor costs.
Impact:
The dashboard empowered management with real-time insights, enabling them to quickly identify trends, optimize staffing levels, and improve guest service. By viewing guest satisfaction alongside operational data, Advanced Tastes could make data-driven decisions to enhance both customer experiences and profitability.
3. Zoho People for HRMS and Employee Self-Service:
Challenge:
With over 1,000 employees across various franchises, Advanced Tastes faced challenges in managing HR tasks, including attendance, leave requests, performance management, and payroll processing. The existing manual HR processes were inefficient, leading to delays and increased administrative workload.
Solution:
We implemented Zoho People, a comprehensive HRMS platform, to streamline HR operations. Zoho People provided a centralized system for managing employee data, attendance tracking, performance management, and leave management. Key features included:
- Employee Self-Service Portal: Employees could submit leave requests, view payslips, and update personal information through the self-service portal, reducing the administrative burden on HR.
- Performance Management: Managers could set goals, conduct appraisals, and track employee performance, improving employee engagement and productivity.
- Automated Leave and Attendance Management: Attendance records were automatically linked to the payroll system, ensuring accurate salary calculations.
Impact:
By automating HR processes, Zoho People improved operational efficiency, reduced administrative overhead, and enhanced employee satisfaction. The self-service portal empowered employees, while HR teams could focus on strategic tasks instead of routine administrative work.
4. Custom Saudi-Based Payroll System:
Challenge:
Advanced Tastes needed a payroll system that complied with Saudi labor laws, including the General Organization for Social Insurance (GOSI) requirements. Their previous payroll process was manual, making it difficult to handle large payroll volumes and ensuring compliance with local regulations.
Solution:
We developed a custom Saudi-based payroll system on Zoho Creator, designed to automate payroll calculations while ensuring full compliance with local labor laws. The system automatically calculated:
- Salaries based on attendance and overtime data from Zoho People.
- Deductions for GOSI, taxes, and other contributions required by Saudi regulations.
- Bonuses and Allowances such as housing, transportation, and performance-based incentives.
The payroll system was fully integrated with Zoho People, allowing seamless data flow from attendance tracking to payroll processing. The system also generated detailed payroll reports, ensuring transparency and easy auditing.
Impact:
The custom payroll system ensured timely and accurate salary payments while maintaining full compliance with local regulations. The automation of payroll processes reduced manual errors and improved payroll efficiency, enabling the HR and finance teams to focus on more strategic initiatives.
5. Maintenance Ticketing System:
Challenge:
Maintenance issues across multiple franchise locations were managed manually, resulting in delayed responses, missed tasks, and lack of accountability. There was no centralized system to track maintenance requests and ensure they were resolved in a timely manner.
Solution:
We developed a maintenance ticketing system on Zoho Creator to manage and track all maintenance requests across the various franchises. The system allowed:
- Franchise Managers to submit maintenance requests through an easy-to-use interface.
- Automatic Ticket Assignment to the appropriate maintenance teams based on the issue type and location.
- Tracking and Escalation of maintenance tasks, ensuring accountability and timely resolution.
The system provided management with reports on the frequency and types of maintenance issues, allowing them to identify recurring problems and take proactive measures.
Impact:
The maintenance ticketing system improved operational efficiency by ensuring that maintenance issues were resolved promptly. It also provided greater accountability, as management could track the progress of each ticket and ensure that tasks were completed on time. This reduced downtime and improved the overall functioning of each franchise.
6. Centralized Management Dashboard:
Challenge:
The management team at Advanced Tastes had to rely on multiple systems to gather information related to sales, guest satisfaction, manpower costs, and operational performance. The lack of a unified platform made it difficult to obtain a comprehensive, real-time view of the company’s overall performance.
Solution:
We developed a centralized management dashboard on Zoho Creator that consolidated data from Revel POS, Sevenroom, Zoho People, and the custom payroll system. The dashboard provided real-time visibility into key business metrics, such as:
- Sales performance across all franchise locations.
- Guest satisfaction levels based on feedback data from Sevenroom.
- Manpower costs and productivity insights.
- Financial performance data from Oracle NetSuite.
The dashboard was accessible to senior management, allowing them to monitor individual franchise performance and overall company health in real-time.
Impact:
The centralized dashboard provided leadership with the tools they needed to make faster, data-driven decisions. It enabled them to identify trends, optimize staffing and resources, and quickly address underperforming areas, ultimately improving the company’s operational efficiency and profitability.
7. Legal Case Management System:
Challenge:
Managing legal cases, such as disputes or regulatory compliance issues, was handled manually, making it difficult to track case progress and ensure timely resolution.
Solution:
We developed a legal case management system on Zoho Creator that allowed the legal team to:
- Track all ongoing legal cases by assigning unique case IDs.
- Store relevant documents and communications related to each case.
- Set deadlines and task assignments to ensure timely follow-up and resolution.
- Monitor case progress through a user-friendly interface, with notifications for upcoming deadlines.
Impact:
The legal case management system provided transparency and control over legal matters, ensuring that no deadlines were missed and that all cases were handled efficiently. Management could monitor the status of each case and ensure that all tasks were completed on time.
8. Financial Request Management System:
Challenge:
Handling financial requests for budget approvals, investments, and expense reimbursements was managed manually, causing delays and lack of transparency in the approval process.
Solution:
We developed a financial request management system on Zoho Creator. The system allowed:
- Employees to submit financial requests such as budget approvals or expense reimbursements.
- Automated routing of requests to the appropriate managers for approval.
- Tracking of request status, ensuring that financial decisions were made based on up-to-date information.
The system also provided management with an overview of all pending and approved financial requests, improving transparency and accountability.
Impact:
The financial request management system streamlined the approval process, reduced bottlenecks, and ensured that financial requests were handled efficiently. Management could monitor financial requests in real-time, improving decision-making and budget allocation.
Overall Impact:
The proposed solution, built on Zoho Creator and Zoho People, provided Advanced Tastes with a unified platform to manage their sales, accounting, HR, payroll, operations, legal matters, and financial requests. By automating processes and integrating their key business systems, Advanced Tastes was able to reduce operational inefficiencies, ensure compliance with local regulations, and gain real-time insights to drive business growth and profitability.
7. Implementation:
The implementation was carried out in carefully planned phases to ensure minimal disruption to daily operations:
- Phase 1: Integration of Revel POS and Oracle NetSuite was completed, ensuring that sales data flowed seamlessly into the accounting system.
- Phase 2: The accumulated dashboard for management was developed, providing real-time insights into sales, guest satisfaction, and manpower costs.
- Phase 3: Zoho People was implemented for HRMS and employee self-service, streamlining HR operations and improving employee satisfaction.
- Phase 4: Custom applications, including the Saudi-based payroll system, maintenance ticketing, legal case management, and financial request management systems, were developed and rolled out.
8. Results:
The integration and automation solution delivered the following results for Advanced Tastes:
- Real-Time Financial Accuracy: The integration of Revel POS and Oracle NetSuite ensured accurate, real-time financial data, improving financial reporting and decision-making.
- Enhanced Operational Efficiency: The maintenance ticketing system reduced response times and improved resource allocation, ensuring faster resolution of operational issues.
- Compliance with Saudi Regulations: The custom-built payroll system ensured full compliance with Saudi labor laws, reducing the risk of non-compliance penalties and ensuring timely payroll processing.
- Improved HR Processes: Zoho People streamlined HR operations, making it easier for employees to manage their own HR-related tasks while giving HR greater visibility and control.
- Better Managerial Control: The centralized management dashboard provided leadership with real-time insights into key metrics, including sales performance, guest satisfaction, and manpower costs, enabling data-driven decision-making.
- Streamlined Legal and Financial Management: The legal case and financial request management systems improved oversight and reduced bottlenecks, allowing management to track and resolve issues more effectively.
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Company Background:
Advanced Tastes is a leading F&B company in Saudi Arabia, recognized for operating prestigious international franchises. Their commitment to excellence in customer service and operational efficiency has positioned them as a leader in the local dining scene. Through their collaboration with our team, they have implemented cutting-edge technological solutions that have improved their operations, ensuring continued success and growth in the competitive F&B industry.
