Contract Caterer and Facility Management

“The Power to take control with Saffron”

Holroyd Howe – one of Britain’s leading independent contract caterers - has recently adopted the Saffron system from Fretwell-Downing Hospitality (FDH) to help manage and control their ever-expanding client list.

Formed in 1997 by Rick Holroyd and Nick Howe, Holroyd Howe delivers unparalleled food service to the Business, Industry and Independent School markets. Based on authentic high quality ingredients, simple, flavoursome dishes and a flexible management style, they offer a service solution representing exceptional value for money. In 2004 they were awarded “Contract Caterer of the Year” and feature in the 2005 Sunday Times “Top 100 Companies to Work For in the UK”.

With continued expansion, it became evident that investment in the company’s IT infrastructure was required to help develop the business and keep control. Having successfully installed Microsoft Navision as their core financial system, in addition to other IT investment, the search was on for an application that would manage information across their whole organisation – without prohibitive initial investment.

Holroyd Howe approached FDH after considerable research into available solutions. They were aware that FDH’s background was based firmly in the catering sector and that the Saffron module was already proven and working within the catering and hospitality market – factors which indicated a low risk and good return on their potential investment.

“Once upon a time, medium sized contract caterers always had to sell-out because they couldn’t afford the heavyweight IT required to take their business to the next level” explains Rick Holroyd. “With FDHs Saffron module, the IT is much more powerful and considerably cheaper – hence we can grow and grow without hitting an IT pain barrier!”

Charles Mobbs, Managing Director of FDH, picks up the story: “Having discussed the issues faced by Holroyd Howe, we were confident that the Saffron module was the perfect solution. Our team tailored the software so that an effective interface to Navision was provided, and a planned approach to implementation and staff training ensured that the system was progressively made available to Holroyd Howe contract managers on-site.”

By agreeing a software licensing structure based on a ‘cost per site’ the financial benefits were also a huge factor in Holroyd Howe’s decision to adopt Saffron. As an Internet based application which FDH hosts on behalf of Holroyd Howe, there is no need for heavyweight investment in specialist hardware. Any modern PC with an Internet connection can access the comprehensive Saffron database at any time – assuming you have the relevant passwords to log-on via the secure server! This allows flexibility of location as far as Holroyd Howe clients are concerned, and affords flexibility for individual’s work styles where appropriate, as access from any Internet connection is possible.

“We now have a situation where we can access real-time information at any time of the day or night,” comments Roy McGregor, Financial Director of Holroyd Howe. “Saffron integrates perfectly with our other IT software and the ‘add-on’ modules offered by FDH mean that future expansion in the use of Saffron is an exciting option.” Roy sums up the flourishing partnership between Holroyd Howe and FDH: “Saffron is an integral part of the way in which we do our business, and there is now nothing holding our business back from an IT point of view”

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