Member Article

Excuses for not adhering to allergen laws put to the Sword

The product development director of a specialist IT software company for the foodservice sector is calling for more collaboration, with customers praising its latest innovative move.

Martin Beatty of Sanderson, which has launched an integration partnership with food specification provider Erudus, also warned those in the industry that adopting new technology is essential in order to survive.

Sanderson has linked its Swords system to Erudus, which means its users can instantly access key product specifications including allergen and nutritional information.

Martin said: “We are a customer-led organisation and our wholesale clients want accurate, up-to-date product data because that’s what caterers are looking for.

“We have been able to deliver that for our clients thanks to the integration partnership with Erudus. The feedback has been fantastic, with comments ranging from the quality of the information to the ease of which it’s provided and the fact there is no data maintenance required on their depot system.

“Our users now benefit from their websites and apps being automatically updated with key product specifications. In addition, we have used the data to improve our product search facility, making searching faster and more accurate for searchers.

“One of Erudus’ strengths is its quest to continually improve its platform, and one of the updates to be rolled out shortly will allow for notifications on allergen changes.”

Erudus has more than 90,000 caterers, wholesalers, and manufacturers using its software.

Jon Shayler, chief operating officer at Erudus, said: “We hold information on more than 60,000 products, and our goal is to push this data as far as possible across the industry. Integration partnerships with the likes of Sanderson play a key role.

“We’re thrilled Sanderson Swords’ customers have reacted positively to the collaboration and that they have seen immediate benefit in their day-to-day operations.”

Sanderson Swords is used by more than 120 wholesalers and cash & carry businesses and provides a single, integrated platform to streamline processes, improve visibility of operations, and support business growth.

And Martin added that in a changing wholesale sector it’s imperative that organisations embrace new technology to survive.

He said: “The change is driven by regulation updates, new competition from large retailers, and the influx of the next generation of leadership at both the wholesaler and their customers.

“There is more demand on improved service, increased product range, and reduced lead times – all at competitive pricing.

“It’s impossible for any business, even one the size of Sanderson, to meet all of the demands of the industry by itself, which means it’s really important to develop partnerships with the likes of Erudus. For us and product specifications, Erudus was the ideal partner as they are best placed to create and maintain rich product information of the nature demanded by regulation and our customers.”

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Sam Harris .