How Zehnder’s of Frankenmuth Set Up Ingredient Cost Tracking

Streamlining operations and scaling a multi-million dollar bakery

# Case study

Still calculating costs and adjusting inventory manually? Most recipes are not formalized?

See how this Michigan bakery implemented FlexiBake ERP software to bring structure, accuracy, and consistency across its operation, opening the door for revenue growth.

Ingredient costs
TRACKED

All recipes
FORMALIZED

Orders cut-offs
SET UP

Contents

THE CHALLENGE

THE SOLUTION

THE RESULTS

THE CHALLENGE

As part of a landmark hospitality business in Frankenmuth with over 150 years of history, Zehnder’s bakery supplies products to its own restaurants and retail locations. Despite the scale of the overall operation, the bakery didn’t have any software in place. Day-to-day processes were managed on paper and spreadsheets, and based on staff knowledge, leaving costs, recipes, and order tracking inconsistent and difficult to manage.

Their Situation

Managed costing manually, lacking real-time accuracy.
Had undocumented recipes, leading to production inconsistencies.
Worked with unorganized product categories, causing missed items.
Missed order cut-off times, unable to fully serve some locations.
Relied on key staff’s knowledge to keep operations running.
Lacked a centralized record for ingredient prices and purchase history.

Client

Zehnder’s

Industry

Bakery

Production Type

Make to Order

Their Products

Breads Cakes Donuts

Location

Frankenmuth, Michigan, USA

Size

<20
Orders per day

5
Routes

100-500
SKUs

Client Since

2023

Getting our food costs in line was number one. We also needed a better way to track ingredients and keep everything organized.

Amy Callison,
Bakery Manager

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THE SOLUTION

Zehnder’s has moved from paper and spreadsheets to an ERP system that keeps costs accurate, recipes documented, products organized, and orders visible across all locations.

Zehnders Flowers uses FlexiBake software to manage their operations

PRODUCT FIT

FlexiBake stood out by tailoring its ERP to Zehnder’s unique needs, delivering a solution that could be molded to fit their operations.

Provided one system to manage costing, recipes, and orders across locations.
Integrated purchasing, receiving, and inventory updates in real time.

IMPLEMENTATION EXPERIENCE

FlexiBake enabled Zehnder’s implementation in stages, and later the client upgraded to the Enterprise plan for multi-location management on the cloud.

Executed phased rollout: online data collection → on-site audit → staff training → scheduled go-live.
Provided detailed documentation and quick guides to support system adoption.

COLLABORATION & SUPPORT

FlexiBake’s team worked closely with Zehnder’s throughout the project, providing responsive assistance during and after go-live.

Delivered hands-on help whenever questions arose, including after-hours responses.
Leveraged cloud hosting to simplify remote support and database access.

Support has been amazing — anytime we need something, even after hours, the team is there and ready to help.

Amy Callison,
Bakery Manager

THE RESULTS

OPERATIONAL
IMPROVEMENTS

Formalized all recipes
to make production consistent across shifts.

Organized product categories
to make recipes easier to find and manage.

Reduced dependency on the human factor
by moving key processes into the system.

Tracked ingredient costs in real time
so purchasing decisions were based on up-to-date data.

Set up order cut-off times
so every location could place and confirm orders on time.

Became consistent on recipe costing
by tying it directly to inventory and packaging.

ADVICE FOR OTHER COMPANIES

Dive in
It can feel overwhelming at first, but the payoff is worth it.

Proceed step by step
Break the process into manageable stages.

Look back at your wins
You’ll be amazed at how far you’ve come.

Need real-time cost tracking and digitized recipes?
See how FlexiBake can help.

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