Catering events often involve the individual meal choices and dietary requirements of many different guests. There’s a lot that can go wrong. It would take just an inaccurate seating plan, a change in guest numbers, or a miscalculation on the part of one of the suppliers for disaster to occur; a disaster that could seriously affect your business reputation! And we’re not only talking about one event here. What if you plan to be handling 20 weddings per month for the foreseeable future?
The secret to retaining control over the way your event is being run is by maintaining excellent communication with your clients, your venue, and your suppliers in the run up to the big day. If there are any last minute changes to the numbers of people attending, the level of disability access required, or the food requirements, you need to be in a position to inform the necessary suppliers of the changes quickly. This should help you avoid both client and supplier confrontation – a definite obstacle to event success (not to mention an obstacle to the good reviews you’ll need to take your business further.)
EDI is very effective at keeping all parties informed of any updates to event arrangements in real time. It’s also a great way to keep on top of any changes to the invoicing that need to be made. In short, EDI can single-handedly save the day from errors or unforeseen obstacles. If you want to get ahead in your industry; an industry where EDI is the norm, you need this tool on your side. Here are the 3 top ways in which EDI can take care of your business for you:
- Communication: It will keep everyone up to date with any last minute changes. The guest who forgot to mention they’re gluten intolerant until the last minute will be eternally grateful.
- Adjustments: It’s quite often the case that suppliers will need to work together to prepare for a change of plan. If a guest breaks his or her leg before the event, this can throw out an entire seating plan, which will affect table settings and possibly also the order in which the food will be served. You’ll need to work out the best way in which to accommodate the changes, whilst causing only minimal disruption.
- Payments: You’ll want to bill for any extra costs incurred, as will affected suppliers. Making changes to the bill quickly, with explanation notes, will help you avoid unpleasant pay disputes down the line. You’ll have a record of the changes made, when they were made, and the reason why.
If you run an event, catering or hospitality business and you’d like to have an informal chat with someone about how much time, money and hassle EDI can save you, then why not get in touch? We might be able to halve your workload by the end of the day!
