Success Story
Austrian Red Cross, Salzburg Regional Association
Seven kitchens, one system: How the Red Cross Salzburg brings order to everyday kitchen life with necta
The Red Cross Salzburg operates seven producing kitchens at various locations and provides residents in the Red Cross residential homes and external customers with breakfast, lunch and dinner every day.
Around 24,000 meals are prepared at lunchtime alone in one month, a considerable logistical achievement that requires planning reliability, transparency and efficiency. With the introduction of necta, everyday kitchen life has been fundamentally modernized, from controlling the use of goods and allergen labelling to automated order and billing processes.
Initial situation
Before the introduction of necta, the kitchen managers of the Red Cross Salzburg faced a number of organizational challenges:
No standardized recipes or quantities: The use of goods was difficult to track and could only be determined – if at all – with considerable effort and manual rework on a monthly basis.
The manual recording of allergen information proved to be time-consuming and prone to input errors.
Economic evaluations were only possible afterwards based on supplier invoices.
Inventory management based on paper documents and Excel spreadsheets led to inefficient processes and made traceability difficult.
"It was important for us to introduce an inventory management system that makes the use of goods transparent on a weekly basis and automatically stores the allergens in the dishes."
Bernhard HaasKitchen Coordinator at the Red Cross Salzburg (Master Chef, Dietetically Trained Cook, Hygiene Manager TÜV®)
Goals & Decision Basis
The main goal was clearly defined:
- Uniform menu layout for all locations
- Correct and automated allergen labelling
- Transparency in the use of goods
In addition, a system should be introduced that enables price comparisons between suppliers and significantly simplifies the daily work in the kitchens.
Project progress
For the implementation, a project team of five to six people was initially formed. Due to cases of illness and fluctuation in the team, two employees were ultimately able to successfully complete the project.
Together with the necta project manager, basic products were created, suppliers connected and external customers integrated.
Results & Benefits
The introduction of necta brought numerous measurable improvements:
- Time savings on orders: Supplier comparisons are carried out automatically, with around 30 minutes less effort per order.
- Complete order processing via necta: Incorrect or forgotten orders are a thing of the past, as are short trips to individual or wholesale dealers.
- Delivery note reconciliation and complaint process directly in the system: planned at all locations in the future.
- Automated invoice transfer to accounting saves 3–4 hours per month.
- Simplified inventory thanks to stored prices and stock levels – up to 3 hours of time savings per half-year.
User feedback
As in many companies, there were initial reservations. Bernhard Haas himself conducted training courses with the teams at the various locations. After a short time, the attitude changed:
The kitchen managers now appreciate that with necta they can not only cook, but also take on administrative responsibility more efficiently.
"Today, some employees say to me: 'I couldn't imagine it without necta anymore.'"
Bernhard HaasKitchen Coordinator at the Red Cross Salzburg (Master Chef, Dietetically Trained Cook, Hygiene Manager TÜV®)
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Technical insight
Connection to accounting: technical interface in progress to automatically transfer invoices to the accounting software.
mynecta is already being used successfully for external customers, significantly simplifying communication and order processes.
Outlook
The focus at the Red Cross in Salzburg will be on:
- Controlling and evaluations with reliable key figures
- Revision of the food descriptions for more appealing menu texts
- Continuous maintenance of the system as a "living tool"
“necta has helped us to set up our kitchens in a more structured, digital and economical way, a major step towards the future,” summarizes Bernhard Haas.
Company
Austrian Red Cross, Salzburg Regional Association
Industry
Healthcare, communal catering
Location
Salzburg, Austria
Areas of application
Care facilities, resident catering