Anshu Raj - We Are Sketching the Sop Process Day by Day for Better Scale and Expansion of the Business (Director Caterspoint Futuristic Foods )

 

Every individual has his or her own distinct style of behaving, reacting to emotions, experiencing things, and viewing the world, but I, too, feel that background is necessary to frame one's perspective.

1. Please tell us something about your early days & career story.

I earned my bachelor's degree in Hotel Management and my master's degree in Culinary Arts. I've now worked in the culinary industry for nine years. 

I worked for well-known companies like ITC and The Oberoi and later served as the COO at startups centered on the food technology industry. When the firm launched in 2014, I joined as a Product and Operational Head. I became the company's COO later that year as a result of my perseverance and hard work.

I got a tonne of knowledge about the market, the products, procurement, the stock market, investors, the user psyche, as well as the micro space of the food business. I learned so much from it, and I'm so glad I did. And at a certain stage, I understood the basic demands of the market that I can meet. That is the reason I'm here today. I am dealing with various challenges every day and learning a lot.

2. Why did you decide to be in the food industry?

I am undeniably a foodie, which has fueled my desire to acquire and expand my culinary expertise. Experimenting with substances is one of my favorite pastimes. It produces a unique output each time and forces me to learn new things. When I talk about my goods, I mean that I am experimenting with ingredients from our culture's past that have been forgotten by the people. Sabudana khichdi, Tapioca kheer, Poha, and Upma have all been combined with fresh tastes and a twist.

I discovered that corporate workplaces are much more used to the Dominos culture and so learned a lot about the business mindset.

It was quite easy for me to learn because Domino is such a well-known brand. I then considered developing a hero category of cold sandwiches for my brand. My concept was a sandwich that was both satisfying and nutritious. Subway already has a significant bandwidth, but at the same time, there is no limit in the market. Later on, a vast category of cold sandwiches became a hero category with surely of the best quality. Both vegetarian and non-vegetarian customers will get satisfying sandwiches at Caterspoint. We delivered bulk orders, and corporate orders in Deloitte, KPMG, PWC, and top other MNCs.

3. What are some of the day-to-day business challenges that you face & how do you overcome them?

When I first wanted to start my own business, I was eager and ready for the challenges. I was conscious of my decision and felt that it would be worthwhile given the outcome.

It comes as no surprise to realize that owning a start-up has a fair amount of duties that call for quick thinking. Additionally, even though it may finally seem like a dream come true, a startup owner first needs to overcome a number of ongoing obstacles while carefully considering every tiny aspect that goes along with the business. Despite the daily obstacles the company experiences, we manage to go beyond them without any trouble.

The first and ongoing difficulty is the persistent search for team enlargement. As a cloud company, our kitchens require a blend of hospitality abilities. Nevertheless, the team is enthusiastic and driven at all times. Startup entrepreneurs are aware of the value of hiring the right people; to succeed in any sector, a company must have a strong team. Putting more of a focus on hiring and training employees helps the business satisfy this requirement and will eventually cost less money.

This frequently begins with finding qualified individuals, which entails not just posting vacant positions online but also creating thorough job descriptions that cover all of the necessary duties and qualifications. Using the interview to the company’s advantage by asking applicants pertinent questions that help to evaluate their knowledge and skills. This gives a clear idea of whether or not the prospect would be a good addition to the team.

Reducing turnover once the right people have been hired and trained is something that should be focused on. I've been adamant about developing a solid team, and ensuring the stability of our human resources is a crucial duty for all of us.

Any startup in the food technology industry should prioritize this. Delivery and lead times are restricted in the beginning because there are no dine-in facilities. First and foremost, it is crucial that orders are prepared properly and delivered on time. Because if the order is delayed, all of the efforts will be for naught. Customers, especially those in the food business, cannot stand waiting. Then, they won't search for the presentation and will give it a lower rating. I'm constantly seeking to improve the customer experience, rating, and review.

Zomato and Swiggy, the two market unicorns, have a strong grasp on the market. It's difficult to compete with well-known companies, therefore constant marketing with well-thought-out plans is necessary. As a result, marketing is highly expensive and difficult to do when starting a business on your own.

Finally, consistency and quality are crucial in the food line, and we undoubtedly have a lot to learn from Mcdonald's. And also we are sketching the SOP process day by day for better scale and expansion of the business.

4. There is a lot of wastage in the food industry, what according to you is the solution to that?

Approximately, two to four percent of waste is common in the food sector. There is high waste demand in North Indian cuisine. Although, Indians have high regard and respect for the food.

Caterspoint is a health brand, and the popularity of healthy eating has spread to everyone. As a result, consumers are becoming more health conscious and making informed decisions about their vegan diets, healthy food choices, and low-calorie diets. Salads, as a category, were desirable as a wholesome meal, so we assembled the format of cuisine. 

Our USP is infusing ingredients with novel tastes and twists. We have a variety of cuisines and have effectively utilized different formulae for our manufacturing. We have always sought products that may be used in several ways.

Since the team often estimates the best-selling things, it really aids me in choosing the proper projection level and, in some ways, prevents waste.

I focused on à la carte production (individual serving preparations). 

It means the meal is ordered individually. So in this category, we serve products generally only on demand, which is also from a health perspective something that is safe and fresh when it is consumed. Our way of sourcing the ingredients is of high quality and storing them properly to retain their quality.

So the outcome is as per the customer's expectation and the team's prediction and planning efforts were successful. In the teething phase of the business, there was roughly 6-7% waste, but lately, order numbers and wise ingredient utilization have reduced the waste to about approximately 2-4%.

5. How do you leverage software and technologies for business efficiency?

We are nearly entirely dependent on the two unicorns ZOMATO & SWIGGY since, as we all know, cloud kitchens are built on online delivery systems. Without a doubt, they designed the app and dashboard effectively for the experiences of the merchant and the customer. Their tech and process have been specified.

We relied on the ZOMATO & SWIGGY technology app and dashboard when we first began the company. And then, after a year, as we worked towards growth, we joined PETPOOJA. And without a doubt, they have the best-chosen technology for the food industry.

Our company has a variety of tasks and procedures. Because Microsoft Excel is user-friendly for the current generation, we are thus dependent on it. Excel is used for about 50% of our work in order to improve forecasting and profitability. In order to improve company planning and ensure error-free work, we have recently been concentrating on the ERP process.

At the moment, this is a curation mode according to our requirements and quicker solutions for the team.

We completely rely on TALLY since it is so user-friendly for the financial procedure. The final point is that since the technology was created by people, our team has successfully cracked the system. Hereby, I'm appreciating my team as they are incredibly effective and have been utilizing the technology wisely. Naturally, this boosts workplace efficiency and encourages group problem-solving.

6. How do you manage your supply chain; discovery of suppliers and inventory management?

Every organization's supply chain is its foundation, and we have a skilled supply chain team that has prior experience working with reputable Indian and international hospitality companies, to manage an efficient supply chain. We used the highest-quality goods and the freshest ingredients from the top suppliers to provide our clients with the greatest experience. We defined product specifications for every item of perishable and other raw materials.

At Caterspoint, we have a rigorous quality control system in place, and the procurement team makes sure that products are sourced in accordance with specifications, without sacrificing quality, and at the lowest possible negotiated prices. My central warehouse SCM team maintains the stocks, thoroughly inspects the items received in accordance with authorized brand criteria, and prepares and implements the logistics delivery so that the product arrives at the appropriate outlets on time.

In order to incorporate new items into the system and also cut costs without compromising product quality, our procurement team is always looking for new suppliers, studying new products, and doing market research. Prior to integrating a vendor into the system, we totally adhere to the procurement process, which entails data gathering, expenditure analysis, market research, negotiation, and contracting. We routinely examine the premises of both new and old suppliers, rigorously adhering to FSSAI regulations. In order to keep the suppliers for a longer amount of time, we always develop positive and strong relationships with them.

Our central warehouse SCM team manages the inventory of raw materials and packaging items. The warehouse keeps adequate stock, maintains par stock levels, and updates it on a regular basis to avoid stock-outs. In order to conserve money and increase cash flow, the SCM team also keeps an eye on product issuance patterns to prevent building up big amounts in the warehouse.

7. Which is your favorite book and why?

My personal hero, Mr. Steve Jobs, is a great source of inspiration for me. I respect and believe in him. His quotes encourage me to maintain my confidence and motivation at all times. I read his statements on the days when I'm feeling down and worn out, and it gives me the energy to work really hard. I thus owe it to him as a fan to read his autobiography, STEVE JOBS, which was authored by Walter Isaacson at Jobs's request.

Interviewed By - Aarya Gode