Siigur Restaurants’ secret to running a successful business is EDI

Running a successful restaurant group is no small feat, especially when dealing with hundreds of monthly supplier invoices and purchase orders. Manual procurement was becoming an overwhelming challenge for Siigur Restaurants, which is managing seven high-end restaurants across Estonia. That’s when they chose Telema EDI Buyer product to streamline operations and save time.

Buried in administrative tasks

Before implementing Telema EDI Buyer, all 7 restaurants placed orders via phone and email, receiving invoices on paper or via email. Furthermore, each restaurant had around four employees involved in the procurement process. Each of Siigur Restaurants had approximately 150 orders monthly, each containing 2 to 30 product lines. The ordering frequency is constantly growing.

“We found ourselves buried in administrative tasks,” recalls Mattias Põld, the CEO of Siigur Restaurants. “The amount of orders was growing, and the paperwork was piling up. It was time to find a solution that would make our processes smoother and faster.”

As the restaurant group grew, the team needed a faster, paperless solution to minimize manual input and improve efficiency.

Search for functionality and security

Siigur Restaurants began their search for an EDI solution by researching online, and Telema quickly emerged as the top choice. Telema’s network included most of Siigur’s suppliers, and they were ready to optimize processes and exchange documents with the restaurants. CompuCash, being a certified partner for Telema, made the implementation process quick, easy, and cost-effective.

“Our main focus was on the functionality, good user experience, and security,” Põld noted. The final selection process involved key decision-makers from the company’s accounting and development team, and top management.

Smooth adaption

Once the decision was made, Siigur Restaurants worked with Telema to integrate EDI Buyer. The implementation experience varied across teams:

1. Bars and front-of-house staff adapted to the system in just a week. They were already familiar with CompuCash systems, and nothing major changed.
2. The kitchen staff took a bit longer to get used to it, with full adoption taking around a month.

“The process overall was smooth. It took some time for the kitchen to adjust, but once they did, the benefits were undeniable,” the CEO assured.

Over €27,000 saved annually

The impact of the EDI solution was immediate and measurable. For the restaurants’ group, Telema EDI Buyer has saved 175+ hours each month, translating to more than €27,300 saved annually.

“We no longer waste time manually entering invoices or chasing down order confirmations. The whole process is now significantly faster and more transparent.”

Focusing on more important things than purchase invoice entry, Siigur Restaurants is opening two more restaurants this year. One will be located in Tallinn, but the other will open in Finland, taking the business across borders.

More time to run a great restaurant

Any restaurant dealing with a high volume of supplier orders and invoices should consider adopting EDI. When asked how Põld would describe Telema in three words, he responds: ”Fast, secure, and reliable,” adding that they would definitely recommend using EDI to others in the Horeca sector.

“EDI has transformed the way we work,” Põld comments, “It has eliminated inefficiencies and allowed us to focus more on running great restaurants rather than drowning in paperwork and calls.”

And what’s next for Siigur Restaurants? Focusing on expanding in and out of Estonia, and adopting EDI in their new places.

For restaurateurs still relying on manual procurement, it’s time to rethink their processes. If Siigur Restaurants can save thousands of euros and hundreds of hours yearly with EDI, imagine what it could do for your business.

Siigur Restaurants

With a 2024 turnover of €7.3 million and a team of 120 employees, the company stands as a leader in Estonia’s fine dining scene. The restaurants use CompuCash as a point-of-sale system and Standard Books business software. Under the direction of Head Chef Tõnis Siigur—one of the pioneers of Estonian fine dining with over 30 years of experience—its restaurants, including NOA, Tuljak, and Paju Villa, set the standard for excellence.

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