“SCI built our database, came out to implement it and trained our staff. I felt as though I was lead through this entire process, not simply trained.”

-Sean DoonanDirector of Food & Beverage

Food & Beverage Management System

CASE STUDY: YAKAMA NATION LEGENDS CASINOEstablishing & Managing Inventory & Purchasing Procedures

Background Located in the state of Washington, Legends Casino is owned and operated by the Yakama Nation. Established in May 1998, the casino currently employs over 600 people, of which 60% of those employees are enrolled tribal members of the Yakama Nation. In addition to the 70,000 square foot gaming space, Legends offers the exceptional Mountain View buffet, known for its unique variety of International cuisine. Other dining outlets include Sunset Strips, Dauber’s Deli and Lucky Shots Espresso Bar for those wanting a light, quick meal. Sean Doonan, Director of Food & Beverage for Legends is responsible for maintaining an efficient and profitable food service operation while providing a quality experience for every guest.

The Catalyst: Protecting AssetsDoonan began his search for an inventory control system, viewing it as an opportunity to protect the assets of the casino and establish controls over their food cost. “Most people don’t seriously consider food, beverage and supplies as assets,” states Doonan. He understood how tighter inventory controls and accurate reporting information would not only deter theft, but establish new processes that would save the casino a significant amount of time and money. At the top of the casino’s to-do list was implement purchasing and receiving controls immediately and improve the end of month inven-tory counting. By implementing an inventory control system, they would have the adequate tools and information available to accomplish those goals.

The Solution: The FOOD-TRAK System for Purchasing ControlAfter evaluating several food and beverage systems, Legends selected the FOOD-TRAK® Food & Beverage Manage-ment System, developed by System Concepts, Inc. (SCI) and purchased the software in November 2004. FOOD-TRAK possessed every component they required from a software system. The staff was also impressed by its ease of use, reasonable price and expertise of the SCI staff. Prior to acquiring FOOD-TRAK, the purchasing and accounting depart-ments used paper based forms and inventory was tracked using paper forms and spreadsheets. With the help of SCI, Legends implemented the software in less than 90 days, was immediately able to establish strong purchasing and receiving processes.

The Plan: Improve Procedures and Control InventoryLegends decided to go with a centralized deployment of the software through Microsoft’s Terminal Services, making the program easily accessible to staff members in purchasing, receiving, accounting and food and beverage departments. In order to accomplish their initial goal, Legends began utilizing FOOD-TRAK’s Purchase Order function in order to formalize their receiving practices and improve the tracking of goods. Once the receiving department started using purchase orders to receive shipments (instead of invoices as they had done previously), they noticed that the vendors were padding the orders. “The vendor was shipping us more than we had originally ordered and we were accepting those deliveries. Now we receive off our purchase orders and only accept the amount ordered,” says Doonan. The next step was to segregate their inventory as much as possible and implement a requisition process to move those goods. Since they don’t have a central warehouse, they made small improvements by moving dry goods and frozen items to separate storage areas. Doonan believes “the more inventory you can store centrally the greater control you have over that stock.”

The Results: Return on Investment / Control InventoryOnce new purchasing and receiving procedures were in place, the Legends staff no longer had to spend countless hours performing manual data entry. FOOD-TRAK’s ability to code invoices according to general ledger account has saved them more than 2 hours a day by replacing the previous procedure of manually coding each invoice. The ability to quickly and easily track items has enabled Legends to identify spikes in inventory costs and identify which items are contributing to the increase, therefore enabling them to make the necessary adjustments to correct the problem. Recently, Doonan was reviewing his financials and noticed a substantial increase in cleaning costs. He closely examined his FOOD-TRAK usage report and tracked the issue back to floor cleaner. Doonan addressed the problem immediately and re-trained the staff on using the proper ratio dilution for this cleaner in order to prevent this issue in the future. Prior to FOOD-TRAK, it would take at least half the day to investigate a problem, obtain reports and all other necessary information from others to narrow the problem to floor cleaner. Having information easily accessible and at your fingertips is one of the biggest benefits Legends has had since the implementation of the FOOD-TRAK. “The system is worth every penny we’ve spent” states Doonan.

With Tribal members accounting for 77% of the casino’s staff, the organization values and promotes staff training, using the F&B department as a training program for entry level employees. “Even though our staff may be inexperienced, we get them involved with the system,” says Executive Chef Ron Moore. “Something as simple as observing the cost of the food they’ve just requisitioned and will be working with really raises consciousness and reduces sloppy work and improper food handling practices. We want them to take this seriously because in most operations there are several food cost points to be saved in the production phase. With food and fuel prices rising, you do what you can to capture those lost production points. Creating awareness that it’s important to properly use food is critical.”

The SCI Advantage: Customized Implementation and Training Legends adopted SCI’s “Train the Trainer” approach during the initial project. They chose a select group of individuals to train directly with SCI. As the system expanded and new users were introduced to the software, those select individu-als would carry out the training methods to the new users. Legends greatly appreciated SCI’s expertise throughout the implementation phase. “SCI built our database, came out to implement it and trained our staff. I felt as though I was lead through this entire process, not simply trained,” states Doonan. In additional to in-house training, the F&B depart-ment budgets for additional training every year. “With the high turnover rate in our business, ongoing training is a must,” admits Doonan. He sends particular staff members to SCI’s training seminar throughout the year. By sending them to FOOD-TRAK’s corporate office, he claims, “they are away from their normal environment and have the opportunity to learn in a classroom, rub elbows with other users, and receive expert trainingon the entire system.” Doonan has also benefitted from various articles and publications written by Bill Schwartz, President of SCI, relating to tighter controls within casino environments and uses them as supplemental training tools for the F&B staff.

About Yakama Legends CasinoOpen 365 days a year, Legends Casino is nestled in the heart of Washington’s famous wine country and is the premier gaming and entertainment destination. With the hottest gaming action around, Legends Casino features over 1,200 of the newest slot machines, craps, roulette and a keno lounge and large poker room. Legends Casino is the perfect spot to experience fun and excitement. For more information, please visit http://www.legendscasino.com.

About System Concepts, Inc.System Concepts, Inc. (SCI) is the developer of the FOOD-TRAK® System and is one of the world's first companies to specialize in the field of food and beverage management automation. The Company provides software and consulting services designed to help all types and sizes of food service operations maximize food and beverage profits. SCI utilizes a project approach, incorporating a diverse set of documented steps and procedures customized for each client to help ensure success. Headquartered in Scottsdale Arizona, the company has more than 10,000 clients in over 18 countries. For more information, visit www.foodtrak.com.

FOOD-TRAK is a registered trademark and a registered service mark of System Concepts, Inc.

Copyright © 2007 System Concepts, Inc. All Rights ReservedSystem Concepts, Inc. 15900 North 78th Street, Scottsdale AZ 85260

Voice: (480) 951-8011 FAX: (480) 951-2807 Web: www.foodtrak.com Email: ftsales@foodtrak.com

“Our corporate culture embraces training and we use the FOOD-TRAK system to build employee skill sets.”

-Ron MooreExecutive Chef