“Sign up or lose out”

Buying group managing director urges manufacturers not to ignore software

If you don’t use Erudus you risk losing business – that’s the warning from one foodservice buying group to manufacturers.

The stark message comes from Caterforce Managing Director Nick Redford, who is calling on suppliers to make sure they’re signed up to the product specification software and share product updates.

Erudus enables manufacturers to quickly communicate changes to ingredients and allergen information with more than 100 wholesale subscribers. And all it takes is the click of a button.

Redford’s Caterforce members place a high value on the information they gain from Erudus, meaning that the negative impact of not appearing on the system can be large for brands.

“Erudus is used by 117 wholesalers and 85,000 caterers,” he said. “It’s a no brainer that manufacturers should also be using it.

“Many suppliers still use the likes of Microsoft Excel and Word to provide updates to product data. This can have big consequences for wholesalers and caterers. For example, it increases the risk of human error and an end user being supplied with incorrect allergen information.

“In addition, this manual process is a massive time burden. In Erudus, the manufacturer updates the product once and it’s communicated to wholesalers and caterers instantly.

“It’s time for all suppliers to see the bigger picture and work with the rest of the industry. It could be the difference between supplying a wholesaler and not.”

Erudus is going from strength to strength and announced a partnership with Nielsen Brandbank earlier this year, as well as launching integration partnerships with Lady Lodge Systems’ apps and SwiftCloud’s mobile-ordering app.

That growth is having an impact on its current subscribers, with SushiSushi one of a number of brands to sign up.

And according to founder and Managing Director, Stuart Turner, it’s been an important addition to SushiSushi’s armoury.

“We were impressed by the features and made the decision to integrate it into our existing processes,” said Turner. “We’ve been using Erudus for one year now and it’s fantastic.

“It adds credibility to our brand. It has allowed us to break through the glass ceiling to deal with large organisations and add significant clients to our growing customer list.

“Being a part of Erudus proves you are not a fly-by-night operation. It also shows potential customers you are capable of successfully handling big clients, for example those with multiple sites.”

allergens Caterforce Erudus ingredients insight Nick Redford SushiSushi