EXO Puts Sushi Business On A Roll
Koshi Sushi started in 1998 when its present owners saw an opportunity to tap into a growing market for healthy convenience food. A successful manufacturing and distribution business, Koshi Sushi supplies packaged sushi products to cafes, restaurants and hotels across Victoria, Canberra and New South Wales. Although they have no retail outlets, Koshi Sushi is one of the largest sushi makers in Melbourne, using a semi-automated production system capable of producing over 20,000 pieces of sushi daily. Koshi Sushi employs more than 30 staff and has a customer base of around 400 active accounts.
Integration a top priority
When Koshi Sushi’s present owners took over in 2009, it was using two business systems: a basic MYOB accounting package and a piece of proprietary software developed for the company, which consolidated the daily orders so production staff would know how much of each product they had to make. “We had an Access database in the background to get our bill of materials based on all the ingredients,” explains Managing Director, Terry Riadis. “From its information we could tell how much rice we had to cook and the other ingredients we had to prepare, then how to package them for each customer. “Double entry of data became a major concern for us as our sales doubled and then doubled again. The orders had to be keyed into the proprietary software and then again into MYOB so we could do our invoicing. The workload and the risk of errors were getting too high. Also, I couldn’t get the reports I needed to make key decisions. It took me hours of manual spreadsheet work to get the KPIs I wanted to measure. That’s when I decided to look for a system that could integrate invoicing, accounting and production.” “It took me hours of manual spreadsheet work to get the KPIs I wanted to measure.”
Solution
Choosing MYOB Exo
“At the time I went looking for an integrated system, I didn’t know Exo existed,” Terry continues. “It was by chance that our accountant mentioned it to me, so I contacted Acacia Consulting Services and asked them to do a demonstration. We found that what Exo can do is great value for money compared to other packages on offer.
“When I met Acacia I was impressed by their commercial acumen and technical knowledge,” Terry adds. “With their experience of implementing Exo across other businesses, they were able to come up with some very relevant suggestions.”
Customisations bring greater efficiency
That experience became especially important as Koshi Sushi required some customisations to meet its specific needs. Exo was adapted to consolidate all the information on ingredients, items and products, and to better manage delivery runs.
“We adapted Exo, so they had Order Templates for each customer for each specific day,” explains John Semmens, Acacia’s Technical Director. “They can also easily modify those templates to accommodate last-minute changes in orders, and then generate production reports that show the ingredients they need to fill the day’s orders. The daily orders are tagged with delivery runs, and the drivers get reports showing them where to go. They know exactly what they need on the day. “Combining Exo’s flexibility and sophistication with our experience of customers who have recurring orders, we feel we can offer the service, production and manufacturing sectors a range of options to deliver major benefits.”
Koshi Sushi also purchased MYOB Exo Employer Service, enabling the direct posting of payroll details to the General Ledger – eliminating another error risk.
“Koshi Sushi clearly identified the system issues they believed were holding back the growth of their business,” says Acacia’s Managing Director, Dianne Semmens. “They challenged us to present a solution that would fit their needs and budget, and everyone involved is very satisfied with the outcome.”
“What Exo can do is great value for money compared to other packages on offer.”
Outcome
Everything in one place Koshi Sushi now has all its information in one database, which has halved entry time, and with it the risk of errors. Exo gives production staff the information they need to fill their orders, eliminating the need for manual calculations.
From Terry’s point of view, those hours spent manipulating spreadsheets to monitor business performance are history.
“I can instantly get information to help me measure and control certain KPIs and control financial performance better,” he says. “I can measure on a daily, weekly or monthly basis. This visibility has improved our productivity.
“MYOB Exo helps us reduce waste and labour expenses, and so keep our prices competitive. For the future we’re planning to add new product lines, and we’re confident we have a flexible, fully integrated business to handle further growth.
“MYOB Exo is a one-stop shop.”
“MYOB Exo helps us reduce waste and labour expenses, and so keep our prices competitive.”
Before
- Double entry brought heavy workload and risk of errors.
- Getting reports was a time-consuming process.
- Lack of visibility hampered decision-making.
After
- Double entry eliminated, halving administration work.
- All data now available on the spot from one place.
- Flexibility gained in filling regular orders and last-minute changes.
- Reports easy to generate, providing visibility of KPIs across the business.
- Better control of costs means prices stay competitive
We provide tailored, site-specific solutions to ensure you see immediate and tangible benefits in your business by automating your processes and integrating your systems.
If you are interested in finding out more about how Acacia can help your food manufacturing business, please contact us.
