Last Friday (June 28), FOODIVAL held a seminar to advocate digitalization in the F&B industry in collaboration with VGather - F&B Management Platform and Storellet - Membership Management System for the first time. The event primarily targeted F&B industry clients, aiming to share with the industry how to inject new energy into their traditional operational flows with systems and automation. The seminar helped the participants to understand how digitalization can help streamline both frontend and backend workflows as well as to improve operational efficiency. Moreover, with proper systems, restaurants can not only enhance marketing effectiveness, but also strengthen cost control ability which is beneficial for increasing revenue and reduce expenses in the long run. The seminar was divided into three sessions. The first part featured Project Manager from VGather who introduced their comprehensive F&B digital management solution. This one-stop solution covers self-service ordering systems, cloud-based digital menu, POS system and more,  addressing all the common and daily operational challenges faced by frontline staff and improving the operational efficiency as well as customer experience. In the second part, Assistant Project Manager from FOODIVAL illustrated how the system can effectively streamline backend procurement workflows and inventory management with authentic client case studies.  FOODIVAL team also discussed how integrating the system with a POS system can enhance a restaurant's data analytical capabilities, including in-depth analysis on cost of each dish and  menu, for identifying the best strategies to improve their profitability. The last session featured Assistant General Manager from Storellet who shared with the audience how to build a comprehensive membership management system for their restaurants in order to stimulate consumer spending, recurring consumption habits and boost marketing effectiveness. The event received an overwhelmingly positive response. FOODIVAL looks forward to our continued collaboration with various business partners to organize more exciting events in the near future with an aim to share the latest industry insights and assist the F&B industry in implementing digital transformation with a dedicated ecosystem of F&B management systems. Missed the event? No problem! FOODIVAL offers free one-on-one system consultations and demonstrations. If your restaurant is facing challenges related to procurement, inventory or cost control, don’t hesitate to reach us for further discussion on your tailored digital transformation solutions!

The recent Malaysia International Food & Beverage Trade Show (MIFB) brought together stakeholders from across the industry to explore and connect new business opportunities. As a leading F&B business event in Malaysia, MIFB provided FOODIVAL an ideal opportunity to directly engage with food and beverage operators. This event marked a significant breakthrough for FOODIVAL as it was the first time FOODIVAL ventured into overseas markets beyond its domestic presence in Hong Kong. F&B operators in Malaysia often need to manage businesses across the country’s vast territories. FOODIVAL can help tackle various operational challenges encountered in cross-regional management, fostering a sustainable business development. During the show, we met with F&B owners and managers to understand key challenges like rising costs and obscured inventory visibility across locations. At our booth, FOODIVAL demonstrated how our integrated solutions address these issues by streamlining procurement, inventory and order management processes end-to-end. Attendees observed how our system delivers enhanced cost control and productivity gains. Our complimentary gelato station proved to be a crowd-pleasing and popular destination among the trade show attendees. As operators eagerly sampled the refreshing treats, provided the perfect opportunity for us to engage them and demonstrate FOODIVAL's capabilities and values in solving procurement and inventory pain points surrounding restaurant operations. We also participated in speaking sessions on topics including optimizing costs, minimizing waste, and streamlining procurement workflows. This allowed us to share valuable insights with fellow exhibitors and visitors. The high-quality connections formed at MIFB will help advance our mission of empowering F&B businesses through technology-enabled supply chain management from procurement to profitability. We thank all who engaged with us and look forward to exploring new platforms that will help us forge even stronger connections with both the local and international markets. See you soon!

FOODIVAL is well aware of the complexity and diversity of procurement management in the Food & Beverage (F&B) industry. Different types of restaurants may adopt different procurement models, such as direct procurement by restaurants, central procurement, or even a hybrid model, to meet daily operational needs. As such, it is vital for the F&B industry to take the comprehensiveness of a procurement system into account when considering digital transformation. If the system is not comprehensive and user-friendly enough to meet a restaurant’s needs, there is a high chance that employees will be less willing to learn and use the new system which may cause them to revert to the old and familiar way of manual working, or even leave the system idle, ultimately wasting resources invested in digitalization.  Yet, FOODIVAL is designed to tackle the above pain point. With its comprehensive functionalities, FOODIVAL provides a wide range of features that can easily cater to F&B’s daily operations and flexibly adapt to various procurement models.  With just one system, restaurants can centralize the procurement and inventory management tasks across different outlets and departments to simplify the entire workflow, reduce human errors and improve work efficiency. This article will introduce the key features of FOODIVAL in terms of central procurement, covering order management, "reconciliation" (verifying documents), supplier management and more - you surely don’t want to miss it! Centralized Management of Purchase Requisition form Different Outlets In addition to inventory monitoring, the central procurement department often needs to manage the procurement work by integrating and processing the purchase requisitions (PRs) from different outlets. Without the help of a system, the department has to collect and integrate the orders, including the types and quantities of ingredients required by each outlet, through traditional channels such as emails and WhatsApp manually. If the number of outlets and the types of ingredients grow, the department has to spend considerable time and resources to handle the entire order collection and procurement process, which may eventually lead to placing “wrong orders” to suppliers due to human errors. With FOODIVAL, the central procurement department can replace all the manual processing by system automation.  The system can directly receive and automatically integrate the PRs from different outlets. The PRs approved by the central procurement department will be sent to different suppliers via WhatsApp, e-fax or emails seamlessly, reducing human errors. The departments can also modify the PRs based on the inventory levels while the outlets can check the modifications through the system to improve communications between backend and frontline. Keep Track of Delivery Documents Anytime FOODIVAL incorporates a document upload function which allows outlets to upload relevant delivery documents, such as delivery notes and product photos, during the good-receiving process. Since all data will be uploaded to FOODIVAL’s back-end system in real-time, the Central Procurement Department can access the information in the system at any time, strengthening its management of the procurement activities and status of different outlets and improving management efficiency. "Reconciliation" (Verifying Documents) Unlike the conventional manual operations performed by most restaurants, the Central Procurement Department no longer needs to spend considerable time and resources on collecting procurement-related documents from different outlets and manually verifying all the documents for payment settlement after implementing FOODIVAL. By having direct access to all the necessary documents in the system, the Central Procurement Department can now efficiently review and reconcile the procurement documents across all outlets, including purchase orders, supplier invoices and more, for reconciliation purposes without relying heavily on the outlet managers to provide the information manually and regularly which helps prevent overdue payment due to cumbersome and time-consuming reconciliation process.  Supplier Management The Central Procurement Department can centralize supplier management through FOODIVAL. Supplier information including but not limited to supplier name, delivery schedule, cut-off time for orders, can be well organized and recorded in the system to strengthen supplier management. Moreover, the Central Procurement Department can collect feedback and comments on suppliers’ products and services from frontline users which can serve as a reference for reviewing the quality of suppliers and improving the overall procurement strategy.  Price Comparison Incorporating a suppliers’ price comparison feature, FOODIVAL allows users to compare prices of similar products across different suppliers in a tabular format, accelerating the overall procurement process.    If you would like to know more about FOODIVA’s latest functions and features, please visit our blogs or contact us here .

FOODIVAL is a procurement and management system tailored for the Food & Beverage (F&B) Industry with an aim to handle procurement orders in a centralized and digital manner, eliminating the need for error-prone manual operations and strengthening the control of food cost. Taking the major challenges faced by the F&B industry into account, FOODIVAL has developed a series of practical functions with a handy user interface catering to F&B’s daily needs and operations which further enhances user experience. In this article, we will share a series of unique features for facilitating procurement order placing, hoping to provide you with helpful references for selecting the right procurement solution for your restaurants!  Customized Digital Procurement Order (PO) Unifying and standardizing the format of PO, FOODIVAL not only effectively reduces the risk for human errors and confusions that can be arised from written orders, but also  strictly regulates the supplier lists and ingredients that can be purchased by the frontline staff. Additionally, to enhance the user experience, FOODIVAL offers a flexibility for users to display the ingredients list in either text or visual format, depending on their preferences and needs. Furthermore, the system is equipped with a powerful search engine and filter function which significantly accelerates the entire order placing process. Users also have the convenience of easily modifying the PO template at the backend system, allowing them to adjust it for their specific daily operations and requirements.  2. Multi Order Placing Channels The system streamlines the procurement process by consolidating PO from multiple outlets and facilitating order placing with suppliers through various channels including WhatsApp, email, or efax. This feature ensures the establishment of precise procurement records, where all transactions are easily traceable. Additionally, it provides significant benefits to the central procurement department by enabling efficient monitoring of order status and procurement costs for each outlet. This, in turn, enhances the data analysis process, making it more convenient than ever before. 3. Alert for Minimum Order Quantity By incorporating an alert function for minimum order quantity (MOQ), FOODIVAL will immediately notify the users by highlighting the item in red if the submitted order quantity for a product does not meet its MOQ requirement. Users can therefore review and revise the orders before sending them to the suppliers. This function significantly reduces the risk of placing incorrect orders and thereby minimizing the time and resources required for clarifying and revising wrong orders with the suppliers which further accelerate procurement efficiency. 4. Alert for Abnormal Orders When the submitted order quantity of a product greatly deviates from previous orders based on procurement history, FOODIVAL will promptly notify the users and ask for confirmation to proceed the order to prevent over purchasing and avoid incurring additional costs. 5. Special Remarks In order to facilitate the communications between the central procurement department and the frontline staff, FOODIVAL incorporates a remark function which provides flexibility and convenience for the backend staff to add and revise points to note for the frontlines. The remarks can serve as an at-a-glance reminder for the frontline staff which provide them with information regarding the suppliers, such as cut-off time, rest days, special delivery arrangement etc., further enhancing procurement efficiency.  6. Placing Orders via Mobile With FOODIVAL, users can place orders and pick up orders directly through mobile with a user-friendly interface where different icons represent different functions. Key features include outstanding task alerts, photo taking, document uploading and calendar view, assisting users in handling daily procurement tasks in a comprehensive manner. If you would like to know more about FOODIVA’s latest functions and features, please visit our blogs or contact us here .

As a highly efficient procurement and inventory management system, FOODIVAL can fully meet the daily operational needs of the F&B industry. In addition to the comprehensive order management functions mentioned in Chapter 1, FOODIVAL is also equipped with a series of  useful functions that can boost the efficiency of your good-receiving process, fundamentally solving the common obstacles that many restaurants may encounter in their workflows, such as unreadable hand-written amendments on the delivery documents and difficulty in tracking delivery status. With FOODIVAL, users can now handle various work related to the good-receiving process through their mobile phones or tablets anytime and anywhere on the go with ease, making their work more flexible and efficient. Document Upload In order to prevent delivery documents or receipts from missing, FOODIVAL has incorporated document-uploading and photo-taking features into the system. Users can take a picture of the documents or upload the documents directly to the system to ensure all relevant documents are well organized and documented. This practice helps build up a more reliable procurement database and allows the Central Procurement Department to keep track of the procurement and delivery status of different outlets, strengthening central control over the frontlines. Moreover, FOODIVAL encourages its users to leverage this feature to record any problematic products being delivered for future follow up with the vendors. Partial Receipt In general, the frequency and quantity of purchase in F&B industry tend to be higher when compared to other industries as restaurants have to guarantee the freshness and variety of the ingredients and dishes to meet with customers’ expectations. There may even  be sudden purchase or last-minute cancellation of orders in certain scenarios due to the dynamic nature of F&B industry. Therefore, it is not surprising that wrong delivery or partial delivery of goods is more frequent, which may lead to messy and incomplete delivery records. To tackle the problems, FOODIVAL has introduced the “partial receipt“ function which allows users to record part of the delivered orders in the system without the need for immediately changing the entire order status to “completed”. In this case, the order status will remain as “incomplete” and the system will continue to remind the users to follow up with the outstanding orders from time to time to avoid any missing delivery.     Catch Weight (Record the Weight) Unlike the conventional procurement process for office, procurement for F&B industry is relatively complicated which involves the use of multiple units of measurement for the same product when  placing the orders and receiving the goods. For instance, a user may originally place an order specifying the unit of measurement as "pieces," but when recording the actual delivery, they may record the received quantities using the unit "kg" instead. This discrepancy between the ordered and received units, can be considered as one of the biggest challenges for the F&B industry, which can create confusion and complications in maintaining accurate delivery records and calculating the actual procurement costs. FOODIVAL has therefore launched the “Catch Weight” function to enable its users to record the actual received units and quantity in the system, facilitating the reconciliation process executed by the Procurement Department and avoiding any discrepancy between purchase orders and delivery notes. This arrangement significantly enhanced the accuracy of procurement cost calculation.  Record Quantity of Freebies  FOODIVAL can cater for the scenario in which vendors offer freebies to the restaurants. Users can conveniently record the number of freebies received in the system to prevent affecting the calculation of the actual procurement cost, further ensuring the accuracy in the financial records.  Supplier Rating  In order to strengthen supplier management, FOODIVAL provides a supplier rating system. Users can leave comments or rate the suppliers during the good-receiving process. The comments and marks can serve as important references for evaluating supplier quality.  If you would like to know more about FOODIVA’s latest functions and features, please visit our blogs or contact us here .

Undoubtedly, the year 2023 proved to be a crucial period for global economic recovery. Both prominent global F&B brands and local restaurants embarked on promotional campaigns through various channels, including both online and offline platforms, in a concerted effort to enhance their exposure and reach. It is crucial for the F&B industry to expand their customer base by providing unique dining experiences, exceptional customer services and memorable dishes that captivate the market’s interest. As we step into 2024, the competition in F&B industry is expected to be increasingly fierce. To differentiate themselves, restaurants have to understand the needs of the consumers and stay attuned to the evolving trends so as to improve their offerings accordingly. Yet, predicting market’s demands is no easy task. Restaurants not only need to invest significant resources in market research but also require business and market acumen to seize opportunities. For those without the necessary resources, they can take reference from professional research organizations that conduct extensive studies in the field. In light of this, FOODIVAL has compiled a comprehensive overview of the 2024 F&B trends from various international institutions, and selected five major trends to share with you, aiming to help you gain a deeper understanding of consumer needs and preferences for improving your competitiveness, ultimately, setting you apart from your competitors in the industry! 5 F&B Trend Forecast  1. Adoption of New Technologies in Operation and Customer Experience As we are aware, the integration of technology is a prevailing trend across various industries. It is anticipated that in 2024, an increasing number of restaurants will embrace different technologies and systems to streamline their existing operational processes, enhance efficiency, and provide novel experiences for their customers. For instance, in the domain of procurement management, more and more chain restaurants have implemented procurement and inventory management systems to consolidate the business foundation for future expansion . These systems effectively handle a wide range of cumbersome procurement and inventory tasks, replacing labor-intensive and time-consuming manual work. This shift allows businesses to optimize their operations, minimize errors, and focus on delivering exceptional dining experiences to their customers. Meanwhile, since the pandemic, consumers have placed greater importance on the convenience of their dining experiences. They seek simpler and faster ways to enhance the quality of their daily dining. That’s why they are more receptive to integrating new technologies into their everyday dining routines. One of the most prevalent examples is the widespread adoption of pre-cooked meal kits. Businesses have been trying to preserve the nutritional value of the meal while reducing cooking time with advanced technologies. Many prominent foreign brands have already taken the lead in utilizing technologies in their products and services. For instance, Nestlé's DiGiorno is testing an automated vending machine that can prepare frozen pizzas in just 3 minutes. Hellmann's, one of the most popular mayonnaise brands in the UK, has launched a mobile app called “Fridge Night” to help citizens effectively utilize leftovers, reduce waste, and save expenses. In the United States, some fast-food chains are using AI chatbots to allow their customers to place voice orders from their cars, simplifying the ordering process and reducing waiting time. 2. Avoiding Ultra Processed Food "Ultra-processed food" has become a global buzzword and a widely recognized term associated with harmful food. It will not only fuel intense discussions within society about highly processed, over-processed, or ultra-processed foods but also raise the awareness of consumers on ingredient composition, nutritional value, and production methods. According to the online interview with 1200 Chinese respondents aged between 50 to 65 conducted by Mintel,  A global market intelligence and research agency, approximately 80% of the respondents believed that consuming less processed food is an effective way to improve health. This indicates that more and more consumers, especially middle-aged people, are eager to delve into the processing process and relevant regulations, to understand how it may affect their health. They will pay more attention to reading nutrition labels on packages so as to evaluate the naturalness and quality of the food, as a reference when considering whether to make a purchase.  Therefore, restaurants need to be particularly mindful when selecting ingredients. The sharing of information about food sources and the handling process can be helpful to catch the attention of the consumers if the restaurants emphasize the nutritional value, freshness, and positive environmental impact of their menu. For example, some restaurants make a conscious effort to source local ingredients and sustainable seafood (those caught or farmed with sustainable practices) to reduce carbon emissions and minimize environmental harm. In Thailand, the food company Doi Kham introduced ice cream bars that can be sold at room temperature, allowing consumers to refrigerate them at home. This innovation aims to save the energy consumption required for transportation. 3. Concern for Healthy Aging As mentioned earlier, the discussion surrounding the impact of ultra-processed food on health will become a hot topic. It will also raise awareness among consumers about healthy aging, particularly among Generation X (individuals aged between 45 and 59, born between 1965 and 1979) who are entering their senior years and facing various physical changes and health issues. According to Mintel, over 60% of seniors in Thailand rely on their children to purchase their daily food. Therefore, for the families with senior members, there is a particular interest in food and beverage, dietary therapy,  and supplements which promote health. The F&B industry can therefore pay extra attention to address the needs of different age groups, especially middle-aged consumers, when developing recipes and products that cater to their nutritional, mental, and emotional health needs, such as products aimed at improving cardiovascular health or addressing other specific health concerns. 4. Buckwheat Craze The global discussion on health and sustainable development has led to increased attention on certain ingredients, and "buckwheat" is one of them. In fact, the Whole Foods Market's Ambassador of Food Culture has even declared 2024 as the "Year of Buckwheat" . Buckwheat is no longer limited to making soba noodles and pancakes; it is now appearing in various dishes and beverages. In New York City, buckwheat has become a popular ingredient paired with hot chocolate and curry dishes. Some restaurants incorporate buckwheat into Indian tea or use it with vanilla spices to create unique beverages. As global awareness of green eating, nutritional quality, and sustainable development continues to grow, buckwheat has become a preferred ingredient for many consumers. In addition to its high fiber content, which helps prevent vascular aging and improve constipation, buckwheat can also act as green manure, increasing the organic matter in the soil. It is particularly suitable for planting during fallow periods, aiding in soil restoration. Additionally, buckwheat has weed-suppressing properties, which contribute to environmental sustainability. 5. The Snacks and Meal-flavored Beverage Hype In addition to the nutritional value of food, professional consumer and market research agencies such as WGSN also predicted that 2024 will witness interesting food trends, including the emergence of meal-flavored beverages and the popularity of snacks. The rise of meal-flavored beverages is closely related to advancements in food technology. Restaurants can use the latest technology to mimic the flavors of different dishes and create beverages with richer and more complex tastes. Examples include salad-flavored cocktails and Thai beef drinks. Furthermore, it is expected that in 2024, consumers will be more interested in different types of snacks and may even consider them as alternatives to traditional meals. Snacks often have a more refined presentation and offer greater creative possibilities compared to traditional meals. Additionally, snacks are typically smaller in size, allowing consumers to taste multiple flavors at once to satisfy their taste buds. This trend also presents an opportunity for restaurants to create innovative snacks that blend different culinary styles, providing customers with a fresh and unprecedented dining experience. All in all, restaurants should prioritize the quality and nutritional value of ingredients, and leverage innovative elements in their menu and customer experience to stay ahead of the hot trends in F&B industry in 2024. By continuously innovating and improving, restaurants can meet consumers' expectations for high-quality, healthy, creative, and unique dining experiences, which are crucial for maintaining and enhancing their competitiveness in the fiercely competitive F&B market. If you would like to know more about how FOODIVAL (restaurant procurement and inventory management system) can help improve your restaurant’s operational efficiency and cost control, please contact us here

Starting from April 22 this year, the first phase of the Product Eco-Responsibility (Amendment) Bill 2023 (hereinafter referred to as “the Amendment Bill”) will be officially implemented. In the first phase, the government prohibits restaurants from selling and providing takeaway customers with expanded polystyrene (EPS) and four types of disposable plastic tableware, such as stirrers, straws, knives and forks. Moreover, the provision of all nine types of disposable plastic tableware to dine-in customers will also be prohibited. By then, both citizens and restaurants will need to embrace a "plastic-free" lifestyle and adapt to the inconveniences brought by the policy during the transition period. For restaurants, choosing suitable eco-friendly utensils and containers as alternatives is indeed a major challenge. Since most eco-friendly utensils have higher production costs with lower heat and water resistance, many restaurants that serve hot meals (including soups and fried dishes), such as Cha Chaan Teng (Hong Kong-style restaurants), Chinese restaurants, and soup noodle restaurants, find it difficult to find suitable containers. An unsuitable container may easily cause food spillage or result in deformation which not only affects the taste and quality of the food but also the reputation of the restaurant. On the other hand, F&B selling pre-packaged or takeaway food and beverages, such as bubble tea and street food, may also need to re-evaluate whether their current packaging meets the requirements of the Amendment Bill. It is therefore crucial for the F&B industry to pay attention to the latest news announced by the Government and keep abreast of the global green packaging trends in order to choose the most suitable "plastic-free" solution for their businesses. What are the Hot Design Directions of Eco-packaging? Due to frequent natural disasters and pandemic, there has been a global rise in environmental awareness. Consumers are increasingly concerned about environmental conservation and sustainable development. Innova Market Insights further indicates that consumer attitudes have shifted from focusing on "personal health" to conserving "the health of the planet" since the outbreak of COVID-19 in 2022. When environmental conservation has become a universal value, it is of high importance for all walks of life, particularly industries consuming a vast amount of plastic packaging and tableware, to swiftly react to the global trend. Adopting eco-friendly design is indeed an effective way to address the issue. FOODIVAL has therefore gathered the latest green packaging and material trends for you to formulate better strategies on packaging! 1.Adoption of Minimalism and Reduction of Redundant Packaging More and more brands in the market are abandoning luxurious and intricate packaging designs in favor of simplicity. This includes reducing unnecessary patterns, prints, colors, and layers on the packaging, opting for simpler and minimal color combinations and single-material packaging instead of composite packaging materials to enhance recyclability. In addition to its eco-friendly nature, minimalist packaging also presents a sense of elegance, transcendence and dedication which may help establish a more unique brand image. It also reduces carbon emission by saving materials and reducing production time and costs. Furthermore, technology advancement can enhance the functionality and environmental benefits of packaging. In Taiwan, Coca-Cola introduced the first label-free bottled water called "bonaqua". They utilized laser engraving technology to imprint nutrition information directly onto the transparent bottle, while the barcode is printed on the bottle cap, reducing the need for plastic labels. Some companies also used QR Code on packaging to replace physical users’ manuals and promotional leaflets for reducing paper and energy consumption even further. 2. Adoption of Eco-friendly Materials Due to its nature, plastic materials can take an estimated 400-500 years or more to decompose naturally. The plastic packaging only adds to the burden of landfills, which is inconsistent with the principles of sustainable development. Addressing this issue, many companies have been investing additional resources in researching and adopting biodegradable packaging materials. These materials are expected to become the mainstream in the market, significantly alleviating the severe environmental impact caused by plastic products, in the future. The Kraft Heinz Company (Heinz), a well-known ketchup manufacturer that accounts for 30% of the global market, officially announced in 2022 that it will cooperate with Pulpex, a recycled packaging company, to jointly develop recyclable paper ketchup bottles. The process will utilize 100% recycled paper pulp, which has the dual benefit of being recyclable and reusable, as well as suitable for composting. What are the hot popular eco-friendly packaging and utensil materials on the market? Paper Paper is one of the most commonly used eco-friendly materials for making food containers. However, paper food containers often consist of a thin layer of plastic film to achieve water and oil resistance which makes the recycling process more complex due to the removal process of the film.  Moreover, there are concerns that these containers may release plasticizers which are harmful to human. Yet, advancements in food technology have significantly improved the safety of paper containers. Based in Sweden, the multinational food packaging and processing company, Tetra Pak, has utilized FSC-certified papers and adopted plant-based polyethylene (PE) film with "Bonsucro Certification" for their new packaging design. This transformation guaranteed 100% recyclability. In Taiwan, the first plant-based packaging with recycled “biopastic” has been developed by Tetra Pak Taiwan and I-Mei Foods by adopting FSC-certified papers and PE components with "Bonsucro Certification". The Nippon Design Center in Japan also introduced the concept of "Easily Disposable Lunch Box" which is made from a single material. Consumers can simply fold the box along the creases and dispose of it after consuming the meal without the need for sorting, making recycling even more convenient. The lunch box is divided into two parts, a lid and main body, with the body being folded from a single sheet of paper, which minimizes risk of leakage of liquids. Although the inner layer does not consist of a coating, the special paper material used in the lunch box is still resistant to water and oil. Plant Fibre Plant fibre containers are primarily made from natural and plant fibre. The production process will not release any harmful substances and the containers can naturally decompose which makes them eco-friendly and aligned with the universal principle of sustainability. Furthermore, plant fibre has a higher density which is excellent for storing food due to higher heat and cold resistance when compared to traditional paper containers, allowing easy maintenance of food temperature and prevention of food leakage. In general, plant fibre containers can withstand temperatures ranging from -20°C to 120°C. They can therefore be directly heated in a microwave and stored in a freezer. However, if the temperature and humidity of the food are too high, there is a possibility that the container may soften or deform as water vapor may be trapped inside the container due to its high density nature. Therefore, it may not be an ideal option for containing soup or soup noodles. (Photo Source：Taipei Walker) Non-toxic and Sustainable Plastic With technology advancement and increasing awareness on sustainability, many companies have allocated extra resources to develop new eco-friendly materials, and from that, “Tritan” emerged. Tritan is an non-toxic and eco-friendly plastic that is 100% recyclable which has been certified by FDA and passed other tests in Japan, Canada and Europe. It is also proven to be harmless to human. What's even more special is that Tritan is more heat, wear and shock - resistant than other eco-friendly materials. Not only can it be reused, it can also be applied in making food utensils, water containers and baby products. The only disadvantage is that the cost of Tritan is higher than other traditional materials, making it difficult to be widely used in the F&B industry in the short run. McDonald's in France is one of the first chain fast food restaurants that introduced Tritan. In response to the local government requirements that restaurants with more than 20 seats must provide customers with reusable and washable food utensils and containers to replace disposable products, McDonald's in France decided to make a new series of eco-friendly tableware and containers from Tritan. During the production process, McDonald's specially added small ventilation holes on the fries box to prevent the situation where the fries become soft due to water vapor, thereby retaining the original flavour and quality of the food and hence enhancing customer satisfaction. Eco-friendly tableware has been developing rapidly. Restaurants can choose suitable tableware according to their operational needs and budget. Despite its higher costs,  eco-friendly tableware are beneficial to environmental conservation and social sustainability. When implementing the Amendment Bill, the HKSAR Government can consider enhancing the support for the F&B industry, such as financial assistance or subsidy in the transitional period, to ease their operating difficulty and prevent restaurants from passing on the extra costs to consumers. Furthermore, it is beneficial for the HKSAR Government to take forward the promotion and reward schemes in order to raise the environmental awareness of the citizens and enhance the recognition of the policy. Last November, the third “Plastic Free Takeaway, Use Reusable Tableware” Campaign was rolled out by the HKSAR Government. Customers can receive stamps for takeaway orders by opting out disposable cutlery at participating eateries with “Plastic-free Rewards” mobile APP. After collecting certain numbers of stamps, customers can redeem complimentary offers or gifts provided by eateries or GREEN$ for redeeming daily necessities. The scheme not only encourages the public to bring their own tableware, but also reduces the cost of purchasing eco-friendly disposable tableware for restaurants in the long run. I believe that through the collective efforts of all sectors of society, Hong Kong will be able to realize its green vision of becoming a healthy, livable and sustainable city in the near future. If you would like to know more about how FOODIVAL (restaurant procurement and inventory management system) can help improve your restaurant’s operational efficiency and cost control, please contact us here.

On January 24th, Foodival hosted a seminar aimed at empowering F&B businesses with effective marketing strategies and cost optimization techniques. The event featured two expert speakers who shared practical insights and valuable tips with an engaged audience, covering a range of topics to help attendees enhance their restaurant businesses. The seminar kicked off with a presentation by F&B Marketing strategist, Marcus Teoh. Teoh delved into various aspects of effective marketing, providing attendees with actionable strategies to turn connections and followers into loyal customers and advocates. He emphasized the power of the "food taster" strategy, which involves offering free samples or trials to generate interest and build trust among potential customers. Teoh highlighted that a positive experience with a free sample can create a personal connection, leading to customer loyalty and positive word-of-mouth marketing. He also stressed the importance of planting brands into customers' minds through consistent branding and messaging across different touchpoints. Teoh further discussed the value of collaborating with influential individuals, such as Key Opinion Leaders (KOLs) and community leaders, to expand the reach and impact of marketing efforts. Leveraging the credibility and influence of these individuals can help businesses gain exposure and attract a broader audience. Teoh also emphasized the significance of online reviews, particularly Google reviews, as a powerful tool for generating awareness and building trust. He highlighted the importance of actively managing and responding to reviews to maintain a positive online reputation. To provide a strategic framework, Teoh introduced the AIA marketing principle—Awareness, Interest, and Action. He explained that creating awareness requires utilizing social media platforms effectively and encouraging word-of-mouth marketing by initially inviting friends and family to experience the offering and share their positive experiences. Teoh stressed the importance of market research to better understand the target audience for different types of restaurants and the specific food they provide. By understanding customer preferences and needs, businesses can tailor their marketing efforts to generate interest and engagement. Finally, Teoh emphasized that the focus should be on providing value to customers rather than solely considering revenue and profits. A dozen satisfied customers who become advocates can have a significant impact on promoting a restaurant. The second part of the seminar featured Cheah Weoi Ping, the Country Manager of Foodival, who provided valuable insights into cost optimization and operational efficiency. Cheah introduced Foodival, a procurement and inventory system designed specifically for the F&B industry. He explained how Foodival streamlines and systemizes operations, ultimately helping businesses cut down on food costs. Ping discussed the challenges of managing costs when the costs of goods sold increase faster than sales growth. He showcased how Foodival's features and functionalities enable businesses to effectively manage these cost fluctuations. By leveraging the system's capabilities, such as analyzing purchase data and identifying cost-saving opportunities, F&B businesses can optimize their operations and increase profitability. Furthermore, Cheah highlighted the importance of preventing unmatched-payment to suppliers. He demonstrated how Foodival's catchweight tracking feature ensures accurate measurements and prevents financial losses due to discrepancies in weight-based purchases. By closely monitoring supplier performance and comparing it against monthly sales, businesses can make informed decisions and maintain a healthy contribution margin. One of the key benefits emphasized by Cheah was the time-saving aspect of Foodival. He explained that front-line staff, who traditionally spend a significant amount of time on procurement activities, can benefit from the system's streamlined processes. With Foodival, what used to take hours can now be accomplished within minutes, freeing up valuable time for staff to focus on other critical aspects of their roles. Following the insightful presentations, attendees enjoyed a round of refreshments and had the opportunity to engage in networking sessions with fellow industry professionals, fostering connections and knowledge sharing. Overall, the seminar proved to be a valuable resource for industry professionals seeking to thrive in the competitive F&B landscape. By implementing the strategies discussed by Marcus Teoh and leveraging the cost optimization features of Foodival, businesses can enhance their marketing effectiveness, drive customer engagement, and increase profitability.

憑著專為餐飲業而設的貼心功能和專業的客戶服務，FOODIVAL 成功於上年「衝出香港」，進軍海外市場，在新加坡獲得首位連鎖港式餐廳客戶。為進一步向海外客戶推廣餐飲業的數碼轉型策略，FOODIVAL 聯同國際知名網絡營銷專家 Marcus Teoh 於上星期三 （1月24日）在馬來西亞吉隆坡舉辦了一場「餐飲業創新營商」講座，為 FOODIVAL 拓展海外餐飲市場打響「頭炮」！活動吸引超過 30 多家企業參與，反應熱烈，反映海外市場對提高餐廳管理效能的解決方案之需求。 是次講座主要分為兩部分。先由網絡營銷專家 Marcus Teoh 為參加者介紹一系列餐飲業推廣策略。Marcus 深入探討何謂有效營銷，並在各個層面為參加者提供可行的建議，協助餐廳將人脈和網絡追隨者轉化成忠實顧客。他特別強調了「試食者」策略的重要性，即為潛在顧客提供免費的產品樣本或餐飲體驗，從而激發他們的興趣，並建立互信關係。Marcus 更指出「試食者」策略有助品牌與潛在顧客建立獨特的連結和情感，從而培養客戶忠誠度，更有利於實施正面的「口碑營銷」策略。透過在不同的接觸點上保持一致的品牌形象和資訊，餐廳能夠將品牌植入客戶心中。 Marcus 進一步討論與具影響力人士合作的價值，包括關鍵意見領袖（KOL）和社區領袖等，從而擴大品牌和口碑營銷的影響範圍。適當地運用這些人士的影響力不但可以幫助餐廳增加曝光率，更可以擴大客戶群。 Marcus 還強調了網上評論對餐廳建立口碑和提升知名度的重要性，而 Google 是餐廳必須學會好好運用的重要營銷工具 。積極管理和正面回應顧客的評論有助餐廳維持良好的品牌聲譽，從而吸引更多新客戶。 此外，Marcus 更為參加者提供更具體的策略框架，介紹了「AIA」 網絡營銷原則 - 意識（Awareness）、興趣（Interest）和行動（Action）。他指出創建「意識」的方法包括有效利用社交平台，鼓勵口碑營銷等，並建議餐廳從個人社交圈為中心開展推廣，邀請朋友和家人分享他們的正面體驗和感受，從而建立口碑，擴大餐廳的知名度和客源。餐廳也可以透過市場調查去了解不同類型的餐廳的主要受眾群，以及他們所提供的特定餐飲體驗。通過深入地了解顧客的喜好和需求，餐廳可以量身定制其營銷策略，提升品牌吸引力。最後，Marcus 建議餐廳應該將重點放在為顧客提供價值上，而不僅僅考慮餐廳的收入和利潤。因爲只有讓顧客感到滿意，才能使他們成為你的忠實「回頭客」，甚至成爲你口碑營銷策略中的重要一員。 講座第二部分由 FOODIVAL 的區域經理 (馬來西亞) Weoi Ping 介紹 FOODIVAL 餐廳採購及庫存管理系統的獨有功能如何協助餐廳有效地簡化營運流程、控制食材成本以及提升整體利潤。Weoi Ping 特別强調餐廳應該留意過度支付供應商的問題，並即場展示 FOODIVAL 的「抄碼」功能。「抄碼」功能協助餐廳準確地記錄收貨時食材的實際重量，避免因重量不符而導致食材成本增加的情況。餐廳更可以通過系統評估供應商的表現，並比較每月的銷售和採購成本，從而改善採購及營銷策略，提升利潤。 此外，Weoi Ping 也分享了 FOODIVAL 系統的最大優點之一 - 節省時間。在沒有系統的情況下，前線員工需花費大量時間處理餐廳採購工作，包括整合訂單、管理庫存水平、與供應商往來溝通等。在引入 FOODIVAL 後，以往需要花費數小時的才能完成的工作現在只需幾分鐘即可，大大節省工作時間，提升效率，讓員工能夠專注更關鍵的管理或客戶服務工作。為了讓參加者更具體地了解 FOODIVAL 的操作和好處，Weoi Ping 更預先準備了現有客戶的成功個案分析，並即場示範餐廳在使用系統前後的日常採購和計算損益的情況，充分展示 FOODIVAL 如何將繁複的人手作業和數據分析工作自動化。 分享會結束後，FOODIVAL 準備了精緻茶點供參加者享用。期間，更有不少餐廳向我們的講者提問，更有部分表示有興趣預約更深入的系統咨詢。鑒於是次活動的評價十分正面，參加者可以透過 Marcus 和 Weoi Ping 所分享的數碼策略和系統功能改善其營銷及管理效能，長遠有助提升利潤。未來，我們將會繼續與不同的夥伴合作，為海外的客戶帶來更多驚喜！

許多企業在面對市場上各式各樣的採購和庫存管理系統時，往往認爲挑選一套合適的系統是一項非常艱鉅的任務，尤其是餐飲業者。由於餐飲業的營運有別於一般業務性質，不是所有採購和庫存管理系統都能夠切合他們的實際需要。如果選擇了一套不合適的系統，不但難以簡化原有的流程，甚至有機會增加員工的負擔，使他們需要同時兼顧原有人手作業和複雜的系統操作。事實上，我們有不少餐飲客戶亦曾表示傳統的 ERP 系統界面設計較複雜，主要供後台同事處理行政使用，未能滿足前線工作所需。與此同時，由於前線員工一般年紀較大，餐廳需為他們提供較長的系統培訓時間，亦有不少員工表示抗拒，甚至拒絕使用，無助提升營運效率之餘，白白浪費了投放在系統上的資源。然而，專為餐飲業而設的採購和庫存管理系統正正能夠解決上述痛點，改善餐飲業困境。究竟餐飲業的採購和庫存管理系統有什麽特別之處呢？本文將為大家詳細介紹，以供大家在選擇系統時參考。 專為餐飲業而設的採購和庫存管理系統的設計特色 有別於一般 ERP 系統，專為餐飲業量身打造的採購和庫存管理系統能夠理解餐廳在日常營運中的需求，爲此開發了針對性的貼心功能，能協助他們處理一般 ERP 無法解決的繁瑣流程。同時，考慮到餐飲業的性質，例如前線員工年紀較大及流失率較高，開發人員在設計系統界面時亦會考慮到系統操作的易用性和便利性，務求減少培訓時間，讓任何員工都能夠在短時間内輕易掌握。 簡單操作界面 餐飲業的採購和庫存管理系統應具備簡單易用的操作界面，並支援手機或平板電腦操作，以便工作繁忙的前線員工隨時隨地使用。這樣的設計確保了系統的便利性，使餐廳員工能夠兼顧樓面工作的同時，輕鬆地處理各種採購和庫存管理工作。以 FOODIVAL 採購和庫存管理系統爲例，系統除了支援手機或平板電腦操作外，更特別以圖示方式顯示，並設有數字提示待完成事項，所有工作一目了然。 支援手機下單及收貨 餐飲業出名工作量大，前線員工需要同時兼顧樓面及各種行政工作，未必能抽出時間使用電腦下單補貨及輸入收貨資料。因此，能夠支援手機或平板電腦操作的系統尤其重要。餐廳無需購入額外的電子器材，員工可直接使用自己的手機隨時隨地下單和收貨，非常便捷。員工經電子點心紙下單後，系統會自動創建採購單並記錄在案，系統更可直接轉跳至 WhatsApp 對話或群組發送訂單資料，方便員工與供應商溝通跟進。在收貨時，員工也可直接使用手機記錄收貨資料及數量，並拍攝貨品及單據，直接上傳至系統中，方便中央採購即時了解及查閲各分店的收貨情況。當遇到數量不足或供應商贈送免費貨品的情況，餐廳也可在收貨界面記錄在案，方便分批收貨及日後計算採購成本。 單位轉換 餐廳需要妥善管理食材的採購和庫存才能有效控制成本，但一般的 ERP 系統往往無法有效地處理食材在不同單位之間的轉換問題，例如食材購入時的單位與收貨或存倉的單位並不相同。因此，餐廳需要選擇一套可以自動換算不同單位的系統。 而 FOODIVAL 正正具備多單位兼容功能，可以輕鬆應對同一食材使用不同單位記錄的情況。用戶可以預先在後台設置不同單位的換算方法，例如一箱等於 10 個、一包等於 5kg 等，方便餐廳可以在不同的情況和需要下換算不同的單位以有效地管理庫存及計算採購成本。 「抄碼」功能 當系統已配備單位換算功能，餐廳需留意的是該系統的實際操作是否能夠配合餐廳的日常營運和工作流程。例如在收貨時，餐廳經常需要進行「抄碼」工序，即時記錄實際的收貨重量和單位，方便日後更準確地計算採購成本。FOODIVAL 深明餐飲業的需要，特別在收貨界面中配備「抄碼」功能，讓員工可以更簡單和更快捷地處理繁瑣的單位換算問題。 電子食譜功能 另一個需要留意的重要功能便是電子食譜。故名思義，電子食譜協助餐廳將現有的食譜資料數碼化。餐廳可以預先把每道菜式所需的食材和用量輸入系統，系統不但可以根據菜式的材料和份量自動計算需要訂購的食材總量，更可連接 POS 系統，直接提取銷售數據，並按食譜和銷售數據自動扣減倉存數量，自動化食材倉存管理。餐廳也可透過系統整合及分析食譜、採購和倉存數據，計算每間分店的理想及實際食材成本，有助餐廳更有效地監察成本，甚至針對性地改善食譜配方及採購策略，從而提升利潤。 中央廚房及半成品生產 近年來，越來越多的餐廳開始設立中央廚房來集中生產，務求降低營運成本。有見及此，一套全面的採購和庫存管理系統不單要滿足分店及中央採購部門的運作，也需要考慮到中央廚房的需求。FOODIVAL 具備中央廚房模組，協助中央廚房整合各分店的訂單，並設一鍵分貨及匯出執貨單和送貨單，加快出貨流程。此外，中央廚房模組兼備庫存管理功能，提供主動式庫存水平及食材到期提示，減少出現食材不足、過多甚至報廢的情況，節省成本。同時，系統除了可以處理一般製成品外，更可管理半成品的食譜、生產和庫存，如自家製醬料，全方位照顧餐廳在採購和庫存管理上的一切需要。 總括而言，餐廳在選擇採購和庫存管理時，不但需要考慮系統界面的易用性，更需留意系統的功能是否全面，能否切合不同餐廳的日常營運所需，例如「抄碼」、單位自動換算、中央廚房等，才可以令員工有效地簡化整個工作流程，將繁複的餐飲業採購和庫存管理自動化，取代部分人手工序，提升整體工作效率。 如欲了解更多有關餐廳採購及庫存管理系統 (Restaurant Procurement and Inventory Management System) ，以提升營運效率及降低食材成本，請按此與聯絡我們!

隨著全球環保意識覺醒，世界各地積極推動環境保育政策。香港政府早在本年3月向立法會提交《2023年產品環保責任(修訂)條例草案》(「走塑」條例），管制即棄膠餐具和其他塑膠產品的製造、銷售或分發。立法會於上月恢復二讀辯論，並三讀通過草案。草案原定於 2025 年正式實施，但由於疫情下市民傾向「叫外賣」，使即棄餐具和餐盒的用量大增，政府因此希望加快「減塑」甚至「走塑」步伐，將計劃提早至明年 4 月 22 日（即世地球日）實行。 餐飲業每日需要使用大量塑膠產品處理外賣訂單，篩選及改用環保餐具無疑是一大挑戰。面對政府「走塑」在即，餐飲業是否已準備就緒呢？而政府又該如何協助業界順利過渡，避免利民之政反成擾民之策呢？ 「走塑」條例是什麽？ 「走塑」措施將分兩階段管制九類即棄膠餐具，包括發泡膠餐具、飲管、攪拌棒、進食用具、碟、杯、杯蓋、食物容器及食物容器蓋。首階段會在草案通過 6 個月後開始實施，，條例將全面禁止餐飲處所向堂食顧客提供任何即棄膠餐具，並禁止銷售和向外賣顧客提供其中五類，包括發泡膠餐具、飲管、攪拌棒、進食用具 （包括刀、叉、匙和碟）。而在第二階段中，政府建議全面禁止在本地銷售即棄膠餐具和禁止餐飲處所向堂食及外賣顧客提供任何即棄膠產品，包括杯、杯蓋、食物容器及容器蓋。如違反相關規定，最高可處罰款 10 萬元。執法人員可向零售商或餐飲業處所負責人，發出定額罰款通知書，罰款額約為 2,000 元。 餐飲業準備好迎接「走塑」新時代嗎？ 眾所周知，大部分餐廳都會為外賣顧客提供一次性塑膠餐具，有些甚至在堂食時也提供一次性餐具。以一份外賣平均配有五至六件即棄餐具，並估計一小時可以賣出 20 份外賣來計算，餐廳每小時平均可以派出過百件即棄餐具。此外，根據環保署公布的「2021年香港固體廢物監察報告」，廢塑膠佔都市固體廢物的第二大成分，2021 年於堆填區的廢塑膠棄置量為每日 2,331 公噸（佔都市固體廢物的 21%），較 2020 年的棄置量增加 0.8% 。增幅估計是受疫情影響，市民大衆叫外賣的次數大增，並沒有下降的趨勢。雖然草案早於今年3月首讀，政府已向市民預告本港即將禁止即棄膠餐具，希望社會可以提前做好準備。然而，許多餐廳似乎並沒有積極回應政策和提前做好準備工作。較早前，有記者於午膳時間到旺角花園街及通菜街一帶進行觀察，發現所有食肆均採用塑膠飲管，其中更有 4 間食肆為堂食客人提供即棄膠餐具，只有有 10 間食肆提供木製餐具。記者即場訪問了一些餐廳負責人，有負責人指雖然已收到食環署通知有，但並不會在正式實施前在營運上作出改變，主要因爲更換餐具的成本過於高昂，可能是現時的 1.5 至 2 倍，希望「能晚一天是一天」。同時，負責人也指出許多餐廳都難以聘請洗碗工，而小店也因面積及成本問題難以添置洗碗機，因此即棄膠餐工具為較理想的選擇。記者甚至發現有小食店負責人並沒有聽過「走塑」政策的消息，並表示「我們從沒提交過諮詢意見，自然不會提前做什麼，到時要罰款先算」。由此可見，不少餐廳也因爲「走塑」成本高昂，或因政府宣傳和支援工作不足而拒絕提前準備，甚至以消極的態度「 到時要罰款先算」來應對。 政府如何協助餐飲業順利「走塑」？ 要改變市民和業界的習慣，實行全港「走塑」並不是一件易事。如果操之過急，不但會對市民日常生活造成困擾，更會影響業界營運，減慢餐飲業復甦，甚至對經濟造成負面影響。政府不但需要做好宣傳工作，更需為市民和業界提供完善的配套和支援，避免造成不必要的混亂，協助他們順利過渡，一同邁進「走塑」新時代。 與供應商合作 協助餐廳篩選環保 由於不少餐廳都表示難以找到可完全替代塑餐盒的環保容器，政府因此應充當主導者角色，為業界制定清晰的「走塑」餐具指南和篩選合適的供應商，如舉辦大型的環保餐具及包裝展覽，為餐廳提供即場配對的機會，讓業界有更多渠道尋找合適的供應商。同時，政府可與環保團體合作，為願意向業界提供可重用環保餐具租借服務的供應商提供補貼，讓他們可以以更親民的價格租借可重用餐具給餐廳，為業界減低「走塑」成本壓力。現時，政府已推出了綠色餐具平台，上載了合資格產品和供應商名單供業界選擇，而該平台僅是「白名單」，餐廳同樣可以自行選擇符合要求但並未上榜的供應商。更重要的是，政府需在政策正式實施前加強宣傳力度，透過線上及線下宣傳，如設立網上平台、製作電視廣告、定期於各區派發宣傳單張給業界等，確保大型餐飲品牌以至獨立小店也可掌握到最新的資訊及執法時間表，做好「走塑」準備。 寬限期彈性執法 長期以來，餐飲業和市民習慣使用一次性塑膠餐具和餐盒，要改變這種習慣並不是一時半刻可完全實現。加上，市面較難找到既獲政府認可又符合本地飲食需求的可降解餐盒，尤其環保容器在耐水性和耐熱性不足，未夠滿足部分餐廳的要求。例如中式餐廳經常提供熱湯和鑊氣小炒，假如使用的環保容器耐水性和耐熱性不足，湯水和菜式中很容易浸入「紙味」，影響口感，甚至出現容器融化，湯水和菜汁溢出的情況，影響客人和餐廳聲譽。無容置疑，政策在實施初期將會為大家帶來一定程度的不便，更會加重業界負擔，亦不排除部分餐廳會將採購成本轉嫁消費者，最終對市民日常生活和整體經濟構成一定影響。有見及此，政府在執法時可以給予一定的寬限，並設下寬限期，允許較大程度彈性的執法，例如先給予口頭警告給初犯的餐廳，避免在政策實行初期雷厲風行，減低社會和業界的不滿和不便，讓大家有足夠的時間習慣，順利過渡。 完善配套 培育市民環保意識 除了為條例制定清晰的框架及分擔業界負擔，政府也需從根本出發，透過不同類型的活動和渠道，包括宣傳廣告、社交媒體、公眾講座和工作坊等培育市民的環保意識，教育市民使用可重用餐具和餐盒的重要性，令更多市民願意接受方案。與此同時，政客將會雙管齊下，在明年 4 月落實都市固體廢物收費（垃圾徵費），届時，市民須購買指定尺寸膠袋及標籤以包妥垃圾方可棄置，違例者最高罰款 50,000 元。相信不少市民會因爲害怕罰款或承擔更高的家居垃圾徵費而盡量減少使用即棄餐具，從而減少製造垃圾。除了宣傳教育及徵費，政府也可與業界合作，提供經濟誘恩，大力推動回收計劃，例如為自備可重複使用餐具和餐盒的外賣顧客提供優惠折扣或積分以換獎勵。此外，政府也需要完善綠色生活的配套，為市民提供更便利的設施，如在公共場所和辦公區域提供洗滌設施和儲存空間，方便市民清洗和攜帶可重複使用餐具和餐盒，甚至可擴大這些設施的數量和覆蓋範圍，鼓勵市民自備餐具和餐盒。 推動餐飲數碼轉型 由於環保餐具價格昂貴，業界來年的營運成本預期增加，相信餐廳免費派發即棄餐具的習慣將不復見。相反，業界將會更謹慎地選擇環保餐具供應商，並會更重視餐具的存貨水平和報廢率。然而，餐飲業出名工作量大和人手短缺，前線需要兼顧繁重的樓面和行政工作，單靠人手處理難以有效地管理庫存和採購工作。餐廳因此可以考慮引入專為餐飲業而設的採購及庫存管理系統，例如 FOODIVAL，以加强供應商管理及建立更可靠的庫存管理，有效控制庫存水平和採購成本: 供應商資料管理界面及評分系統 系統可以整合所有供應商資料，包括名稱、聯絡電話、送貨車期、截單時間、產品價格等外，可以即時比較不同供應商提供類似產品的價格，方便餐廳篩選合適供應商。餐廳在下單時亦可看到不同的送貨備註，掌握最新的供應商資訊。系統更特設供應商評分系統，餐廳可在收貨時加入評分或評語，方便中央採購部日後評估供應商質素，作爲選擇優質可靠夥伴的重要參考。如果餐廳的規模較大，中央可透過系統規範餐廳可使用的供應商及購買的種類，避免出現未經審批的供應商及管理混亂的情況，同時掌握各分店的最新採購狀況。 庫存水平及過期提示 餐廳可按需要在系統中為每一種餐具預先設定「最低庫存量」或「最高庫存量」，當系統發現某餐具的存貨已低於安全數量便會自動發出通知，提示員工及時補貨。餐廳因此可以更輕易維持足以應付1至2個月營運的庫存水平，當遇到突發的運輸延遲或缺貨問題等，也有足夠時間與供應商進行溝通及安排。從此無需再單靠估算入貨，減少庫存不足或過量的問題，更有效控制成本。如部分環保餐具有保存期限，系統可按餐具的入庫日子計算其有效期限，發出「即將過期提示」提醒餐廳及時使用該批次貨品，避免因過期而導致浪費問題，減低額外成本，確保存貨品質。 此外，系統也可簡化餐廳的整個採購流程，減少人手工作，提升效率，長遠更可以幫助餐廳減少食材報廢及分析菜式成本，改善食譜，減低營運成本。 政府凝聚各界實踐環保政策 共同打造綠色香港 無可否認，政府在實踐環保政策和打造綠色香港方面需要扮演領導者的關鍵角色，凝聚各界，並得到各方的廣泛參與和合作，才可以建立一個宜居及可持續發展的社會，實現綠色和零碳香港的願景。 如欲了解更多有關餐廳採購及庫存管理系統 (Inventory and Procurement Management System) ，以加强供應商管理、提升營運效率及降低食材成本，請按此與聯絡我們!

香港經歷了 3 年的疫情打擊及移民潮影響，各行各業的人手短缺情況越趨嚴重，當中包括餐飲業、零售業、旅遊業等。根據政府統計處在 5 月公布的《綜合住戶統計調查按季統計報告》，本港 2023 年第一季的勞動人口數目約有 377 萬，較去年第四季減少逾 2 萬人，與去年同期比較更銳減近 3 萬人。而面對嚴峻的「人手荒」，本地經濟恢復不似預期，不但基建放緩，公共服務及旅遊款待質素等也受到影響，使香港的競爭力和吸引力下降。而隨著勞動人口不斷減少，失業率持續下降，本地的人力市場發展空間相當有限，政府因此在 9 月公佈實施「補充勞工優化計劃」，希望透過輸入外勞補充低技術、工資偏低或本身欠缺吸引力的行業的人手。而在新計劃中，「侍應生」也納入放寬工種，因此不少餐飲集團都表示有興趣參與計劃。輸入外勞的確可解企業燃眉之急，但社會中都有不少反對聲音: 有的擔心計劃會影響本地工人生計；有的擔心大量外勞到港將推高劏房租金，令基層人士生活更困難等。究竟，輸入外勞真的可以解決香港勞動力不足嗎？此舉又會否對市場造成其他負面影響呢？是否可以完全解決餐飲業長久以來的人手短缺問題呢？human resource management 什麽是「補充勞工優化計劃」？ 為紓緩不同行業人手短缺的問題，香港特區政府實施勞工優化計劃（前稱「補充勞工計劃」）以允許僱主確實未能在本地聘得合適人手時，從香港特區以外地區輸入技術員級別或以下的勞工。計劃放寬 26 個工種輸入外勞，當中包括香港零售業及餐飲業較難聘請的「售貨員」及「侍應生」。優化計劃在 9 月 4 日起接受申請，經計劃輸入的勞工的僱傭合約會以 24 個月為限。然而，僱主必須就每宗申請的空缺進行四星期本地招聘，優先聘請合適的本地工人填補空缺。勞工處會同時為有關空缺進行就業選配，轉介本地求職者予僱主進行面試。經全面評估各項因素，包括勞顧會委員所提供的意見和理據後，勞工處會決定批准或拒絕有關輸入勞工的申請。 輸入外勞真的可以解決餐飲業人手短缺問題嗎？ 儘管輸入外勞可為餐飲業以至其他人手緊絀的行業提供即時性的人手補充，但外勞普遍屬於短暫性的勞動力，並較容易受到外圍因素影響，例如全球經濟環境、疫情等，因此存在一定程度的不穩定性。以下我們將討論勞工優化計劃將面對的幾個主要問題和限制： 產生依賴 由於輸入外勞可為長期缺乏大量人手的僱主提供及時的協助，部分僱主可能會出現每每以輸入外勞解決人手問題的傾向，甚至以消極的態度進行本地招聘，導致對外勞出現一定程度上的依賴。與此同時，社會長期依賴輸入外勞有機會妨礙業界及政府對有關導致本地勞動力不足問題之根本的討論和反思，導致政策只側重如何最快解決燃眉之急。此外，外勞的供應存在不穩定性，數量會隨國際勞工政策、經濟狀況、國際交通和勞工市場變化等因素影響。例如在全球疫情爆發期間，國際貿易及交通受阻，直接影響外勞的輸入，導致人手短缺問題再次出現，無法從根本解決問題。 提高人力成本但受衆範圍有限 為保障外勞在港工作的福利，外勞計劃規定僱主在輸入外勞時須按「標準僱傭合約」受聘員工，規定其薪酬不得少於本地員工擔任相類職位的每月中位工資外，需要為其提供住宿。雖然可以從工資扣除，但通常會按標準合約計算就該期間應支付給輸入勞工的工資（不包括超時工作工資）的百分之十。假如餐廳需聘請大量外勞，他們需預先為員工安排及承擔大部分的住宿費用，人力成本有機會因而上升。因此，在面對較高昂的人力成本，不難預期只有較大型的餐飲集團會有興趣及經濟能力參與是次計劃。而對中小企業，如餐飲「小店」而言，是次計劃可能並沒有實際幫助。 窒礙釋放本地中年及婦女勞動力 社會上有一些團體和專家對大量引入外勞表示擔憂，認爲這可能會打擊本地基層勞動力，特別是那些需要兼顧家庭的婦女和中年人士，使他們難以重新投入社會工作。勞聯副主席及勞顧會勞方委員譚金蓮小姐指出，一些婦女反映她們在求職方面遇到困難，譚小姐形容本地勞動市場的情況是「有人唔用，唔係有工無人」。這些婦女大多因爲年紀較大或需要照顧家庭和子女，難以找到適合及可以遷就自己時間的工作，她們通常傾向尋找較低技術或要求較少的工作，以提升就業機會。然而，輸入低技術外勞可能會加劇競爭壓力，使本地基層的勞動力更難以釋放。 如何從根本改善餐飲業人手短缺問題？ 為解決本地勞動力不足和各行各業人手短缺的問題，政府和業界在商討和制定政策時，需要將重點放在討論「為何餐廳業難以招聘人才？」，並根據問題的主要原因制定相關政策，從多方面對症下藥，而不是只依賴單一和短期的折衷解決方案。 改善福利待遇及人才發展 餐飲業「難請人」的主要因素在於行業的待遇差、工時長、工作量大等。許多員工更需「身兼多職」，處理包括派籌、帶位、下單、送餐、結賬、清潔等樓面工作，同時還需要安排食材採購、庫存管理和人力資源等行政管理工作。這使得許多人，特別是年輕人望而卻步。此外，繁重的工作所得到的薪資和福利並不具吸引力，而且晉升機會有限，整體吸引力較低。雖然一些僱主表示已提高工資，但效果有限。有工聯會人士曾質疑資方是否真的改善勞方薪酬，並表示加薪幅度有限，不足以改善整體待遇。根據政府統計處，餐飲業在 2019 年至 2022 年間的每月工資中位數變化情況中，中式酒樓菜館工資升幅最高，但也只有700元；快餐店則只有500元的升幅。目前兩者的月薪中位數分別為15,700及10,500，吸引力不足。因此，業業界必須重新檢視員工福利，提供更公平和合理的薪資和福利，以改變求職者對餐飲業的觀感。提高薪酬福利只是基本步，更重要的是培育和發展人才。業界可與政府合作，加强員工在職培訓，甚至提供不同的餐飲管理課程，為低技術員工提供學習機會，讓更多求職者看到在業界晉升和向上流動的空間，從而鼓勵更多人投身餐飲業。 加强就業配對及支援 政府可與業界積極溝通和合作發掘本地勞動力，改善勞工力不足情況。除網上招聘外，政府與業界可定期在各區舉辦招聘會，為本地求職者提供更多直接的企業配對及面試機會。實體招聘會對於低技術人士、需照顧家的婦女、中年人士或基層勞工而言可能更吸引，因為他們可能不太熟悉或不習慣使用網上招聘平台和流程。相反，實體招聘會提供了一個面對面的機會，讓求職者能夠直接與招聘公司的代表或招聘人員交流，這種互動可幫助低技術人士更好地理解職位要求，提出問題並展示自己的技能和經驗。此外，實體招聘會還可以為求職者提供實際的建議，幫助求職者更好地裝備自己。 改善配套 鼓勵市民就業 除了為本地求職者提供更多元化及更容易觸及的求職平台，政府也應該考慮改善支援家庭的配套，讓更多勞動力得以釋放。有本港議員曾指出，香港勞動人口參與率只有58.1%，低於鄰近的台灣（59.1%）、韓國（62.67%）和澳門（68.5%），而當中女性勞動參與率更只有 52.8％，比「男權主義」盛行的韓國的 53.3％為低。低勞動參與率的原因很大程度上是因爲本港的工作環境及文化彈性和家庭友善度不足。這些問題其實可以透過政府與企業携手合作，推出不同的政策或優惠鼓勵企業推出更彈性的工作模式，例如彈性工作時間、4天工作制、容許員工帶孩子上班等家庭友善政策。與此同時，政府自身也需要增加家庭支援和兒童託管服務，讓更多受家庭因素影響的婦女可以重投崗位，為社會作出貢獻。勞聯副主席及勞顧會勞方委員譚金蓮小姐也建議政府鼓勵僱主改善排更，將一份全職分拆成不同的更份，從而配合婦女可外出工作的時間，或給予交通津貼等，令婦女願意到一些離家較遠的地方工作，刺激本地勞動力。 數碼轉型 歸根究底，如果業界希望改善人手短缺的情況，必須從工作環境入手，扭轉一般求職者對餐飲業的固有印象。餐廳可根據業務需要，考慮引入不同的數碼轉型方案，將部分繁瑣的人手工作流程自動化。員工便不用再身兼數職，處理樓面各項事務、庫存、食材採購、甚至排更調配人手等工作，減輕員工負擔，減少人爲錯誤。在前台方面，餐廳也可考慮各式顧客自助服務系統，包括自助點餐及取票輪候系統，減少員工處理與排隊輪候及點餐有關的工作，專心處理其他重要事務。較大型的餐廳甚至可考慮使用送餐機械人及機械臂進一步減少員工的體力勞動及重複性工作。另一方面，後台系統可加强行政工作的管理，例如人力資源管理系統，協助餐廳編制更公平及多樣化的更制，或處理人手調配安排，讓上班時間和地點更靈活，員工自然享有更充裕的私人時間休息或照顧家庭。此外，透過採購及庫存管理系統，餐廳可處理繁複的食材採購及倉存管理事務。眾所周知，餐廳每日需要製作大量菜式，採購工作自然十分繁重，從管理多個供應商、比較價格、處理訂單、收貨以至管理庫存等，員工負擔甚大。而採購及庫存管理系統不但協助餐廳整合供應商及「點心紙」資料，統一發送訂單，減少「錯單」，更有異常訂單及未完成工作提示，防止「漏單」。系統也設有低庫存提示、食材即將到期提示等，可根據食譜及 POS 銷售數據按「先進先出」原則扣減食材存貨數量，讓餐廳掌握更準確的庫存水平，大大減少繁複的人手記錄及計算工作，提升餐廳的食材成本分析能力，有助業務長遠穩定發展。 總結而言，餐飲業面臨的人力資源挑戰不僅僅是勞動力供應不足的問題，還涉及工作環境、待遇、彈性工作時間以及家庭支援政策等多個因素。這些因素都對招聘和留住人才產生重大影響，因此解決這些挑戰需要從多方面考慮並制定相應的政策和策略。而這有賴政府和業界的通力合作，透過改善工作環境和提供家庭友善的福利等措施來吸引和留住人才。重點在於反思問題的根本原因，並制定相應的長期、綜合性政策，以提升餐飲業的人才招聘和管理效率。 如欲了解更多有關餐廳採購及庫存管理系統 (Inventory and Procurement Management System) ，以提升營運效率及降低食材成本，請按此與聯絡我們!