Client Success Story - Dorothy Lane Markets

In 1948 Calvin Mayne and Frank Sakada opened a fruit stand and grocery store on the corner of Dorothy Lane and Far Hills Avenue in Dayton, Ohio. Today their business is going strong! That's because over the years Dorothy Lane has rolled with the changes, grown, and managed to stay true to its commitment to service—whatever the customers' needs might be!

In the late 1990s supermarket customers began to demand something new: freshly prepared foods. Dorothy Lane was known for an excellent deli, so it was well positioned to expand its services to include "gourmet takeaway." A smart business decision! But managing these new services presented new challenges. That's where CBORD came in.

With CBORD's Foodservice Suite® (FSS), Dorothy Lane planned to automate its takeaway business for optimum efficiency, reducing food costs and streamlining interactions with vendors. And it is.

Management Challenges

What's one of the most demanding aspects of selling gourmet takeaway food? Ask Amy Brinkmoeller, Manager of Information Systems at Dorothy Lane's Washington Square store, and she'll tell you, "cost control!" "Pricing dry goods and groceries is very different from pricing prepared foods," she explained. "As prepared foods become the core of our business, tracking costs is critically important."

With the CBORD system, Dorothy Lane can control costs by closely tracking its inventory. Zero guesswork involved. Not only do they know how many eggs went into that delicious Quiche Lorraine, they now know exactly what it cost them and how much to charge per serving. Brinkmoeller explained, "We had been calculating a 45%–55% margin in our bakery, which we have already realized is inaccurate now that we know true costs related to our raw ingredients."

Purchasing Control

With CBORD's Foodservice Suite, it's easy to streamline and simplify purchasing. Dorothy Lane can vouch for the benefits.

No more missed bills: In its very first vendor transaction under the new system, Dorothy Lane caught $800 in missed billings. "We would not have caught it without FSS," explained Brinkmoeller.

More consistent purchasing between stores: "With implementation, we're also looking to have greater consistency between the different locations and departments," she said. "Right now we have too many vendors. The system's 'Item File' will really help us be more consistent about who we buy from."

Staying on top of price changes: The system automatically updates current prices with vendors, so Dorothy Lane will always be able to buy similar items at the most cost-effective prices. "A couple of summers ago, the price of leaf lettuce skyrocketed. We didn't realize it or react when this was happening," Brinkmoeller explained. "One commodity item had a 3%–4% effect on the department. We see with the CBORD system that it won't happen again."

Looking Ahead

What's in store for the folks at Dorothy Lane? More positive changes with a point-of-sale (POS) interface. Ultimately, they'll be able to track the popularity of their takeaway items right as they're being sold. They'll establish a menu history so they can forecast their future needs and offer their customers the selections they want.

"We're looking to change our POS system storewide," said Brinkmoeller. "Tracking items as they're being sold and comparing that data to forecast numbers is one of our implementation goals."

"For us, treating customers well is more than lip service," Brinkmoeller said. It's not unheard of for store employees to make house calls at 11:00 at night to help customers prepare for dinner parties the following evening. Dorothy Lane knows that CBORD's Foodservice Suite is putting a new spin on their outstanding service, without compromising the exceptional attention to detail that their customers have come to expect.