“Thanks to FoodLogiQ, we now have full visibility into our supply chain. For a company like Red Lobster, that is essential.” — Red Lobster Total Quality and Food Safety Specialist Alyscia Ingram.
In the world of restaurant supply chain, we all crave visibility, data accessibility, and traceability; without that valuable insight, it’s extremely difficult to make informed business decisions. On the other hand, when you have a clear, big-picture view of your suppliers and processes, you can save time and money while delivering on your brand promise to customers.
Red Lobster has that same desire for supply chain transparency. So in 2018, the company’s Total Quality and Food Safety team scrapped their antiquated data management system and embraced new technology opportunities to streamline their supplier management processes. That’s no small feat for an organization with more than 700 restaurants and 170 suppliers worldwide.
“We were having a number of technical issues with our previous system, and when we asked suppliers for their feedback, we learned that they were frustrated as well. It was a very cumbersome tool to maintain on a regular basis,” says Dr. Dennis Price, Director of Total Quality and Food Safety for Red Lobster. “In FoodLogiQ, we found a company that could help us quickly get suppliers approved in the Red Lobster system for current products they are already supplying, as well as new products going forward.”
Red Lobster’s Total Quality and Food Safety and Procurement teams worked together to determine which of their suppliers should participate in a FoodLogiQ soft launch before a larger rollout of the platform to all Red Lobster suppliers. Participants met with Dr. Price and the FoodLogiQ Customer Success team to discuss logistics and expectations.
“FoodLogiQ did an excellent presentation for those soft launch suppliers, providing a comprehensive overview of our new platform,” Dr. Price explains. “Their team showed suppliers step-by-step how to join Connect, giving them a clear and concise onboarding workflow via their state-of-the-art supplier dashboard and a customized ‘Supplier To-Do’ list. It was a very successful kick-off.”
Red Lobster’s Total Quality and Food Safety Specialist Alyscia Ingram manages the company’s community of FoodLogiQ users and says she’s excited about the power and the flexibility the platform offers.
“FoodLogiQ Connect is simple, easy to use, and so straightforward; I really appreciate that. Some of our suppliers were already using the Connect platform (with other food companies), and they breezed through implementation. I can’t wait for the rest to onboard.”
Ingram is now focused on working with Red Lobster’s inspector teams to use FoodLogiQ Connect’s mobile functionality.
“We have an international presence with inspector teams traveling to China, India, Vietnam, Chile, Canada, and many other supplier locations,” says Ingram. “Thanks to FoodLogiQ, we now have full visibility into our supply chain. For a company like Red Lobster, that is essential.”