Using a paper-based ordering system presented challenges for King’s Seafood Company. They needed a powerful and efficient order fulfillment solution that would improve the ordering process, eliminate waste, reduce errors and allow managers to get down to the business of running a very busy restaurant.

Visual Identity Group was working with King’s Seafood Company on the design for the new King’s Fish House restaurant web site (www.kingsfishhouse. com) and management approached the team to develop a custom application that would streamline their ordering procedures.

Visual Identity Group researched and identified, during the discovery process, all of the existing business rules by monitoring how King’s Seafood Distribution was doing business both from the restaurant (location) perspective, as well as from the distribution side (administrative offices). By understanding all the steps required from both business units, a custom application was designed that satisfies the restaurant manager’s need to place and change orders, as well as the distribution arm’s ability to manage, fulfill, invoice, deliver and report on each business day’s activities.

Visual Identity Group delivered a custom web-based application that gave King's Seafood Distribution the ability to automate each and every aspect of the ordering process for their 17 restaurant locations.

Features for the restaurant location ordering include:

• On Hand Worksheet - Itemizes all available product with average weekly usage data going back eight weeks
• Order Page - Lists all available products by restaurant location and allows for on-hand product input and suggested order calculation based on average weekly usage data.
• Save and Submit Function - in real time for home office review and approval.
• Invoice review and printing

Features for the home-office management include:

• Ability to program infinite amount of product - by restaurant and availability
• Accept and Edit orders - communicate product availability and exchange product
• Print Labels for all items ordered
• Apply credits for product not delivered
• Calculate portion and total pieces based on orders for fish mongers in plant
• Robust reporting capabilities
• Export Invoices and reports to Excel for integration into existing accounting program

Since the launch of the new KSD Application, productivity has increased and the days of antiquated, error-filled orders are long gone.

"The beauty of the new application is that our ROI can be measured by reading the reports," states Matt Stein, Chief Seafood Officer of King's Seafood Company.

"Now we have documented orders, one-touch label printing and the ability to gauge what we need in advance. With all of the reports we can generate, we have acute knowledge that we can analyze to be more productive and profitable."