Meet Zehnder’s of Frankenmuth:
Zehnder’s of Frankenmuth started as a small family restaurant known for its chicken dinners and famous neon sign and has grown over the years to become not only an award-winning bakery, but also the world’s largest family restaurant, an 18-hole championship golf course and a 50,000 square foot hotel and waterpark located in Frankenmuth, Michigan.
They specialize in a wide range of products. These products include cakes, bread, tortes, donuts, danishes, and an array of gluten-free items. The Bakery operates in a competitive market and recognized the need for improved operational efficiency.
Choosing FlexiBake:
Before embracing FlexiBake, Zehnder’s of Frankenmuth grappled with the critical issue of aligning food costs. The need for better ingredient cost tracking and automatic inventory updates during purchasing and receiving became apparent.
Their choice to invest in FlexiBake was influenced by an impactful encounter at a trade show. “We were impressed with several different people at the trade show in Vegas. FlexiBake was the system that we felt was going to be a good fit for us and you took the time to go through everything.” In a market inundated with various software solutions, FlexiBake distinguishes itself by showing a genuine interest in understanding the unique requirements of bakeries and the baking industry. For Zehnder’s, the ability to mold the ERP to their specific needs set FlexiBake apart.
Implementing FlexiBake:
Zehnder’s of Frankenmuth embarked on the implementation journey by starting with online data collection, followed by an on-site audit of their unique processes. Afterwards, the team had a series of online training classes and an on-site go live visit to launch FlexiBake. This phased approach ensured a smooth transition, allowing the bakery to adapt to the system’s capabilities incrementally.
FlexiBake prompted the bakery to formalize their recipes. Ensuring consistency and product quality, a critical factor in the competitive bakery market. As well as significantly improving their costing and organizational processes, this addressed the primary concern that had motivated the ERP implementation.
While change can be challenging, the bakery staff adapted to FlexiBake with the aid of user manuals, cheat sheets and dedicated support from the FlexiBake ERP team. Zehnder’s of Frankenmuth praised FlexiBake’s exceptional support and availability “You’ve been amazing. You’ve been there to help anytime we need anything. The support team has been great.”
The Results:
Zehnder’s of Frankenmuth began with the cloud-based corporate package and seamlessly transitioned to the enterprise package during the implementation process to accommodate multiple locations, demonstrating FlexiBake’s scalability. The decision to opt for cloud-based deployment simplified access and support, allowing for easier system recovery and access from various devices. As well it addressed concerns about data security and backup, ensuring data accessibility even in case of system failure.
FlexiBake played a crucial role in getting product costing in line. The impact on costing has been instrumental in achieving better financial management, enhancing profitability, and ultimately helping Zehnder’s of Frankenmuth flourish.
When asked what advice they would offer to other bakery owners considering FlexiBake to enhance their bakery operations, they said: “Just try to take it slow. Don’t overwhelm yourself and do it one step at a time. The whole process could be quite overwhelming if you tried to do it all at once. To look back now at everything we’ve gotten done in the last few months. it’s pretty amazing.”