Sun Valley Lodge was seeking a way to automate and streamline their manual processes and discovered that BirchStreet had the perfect solutions for their hotel. They selected the eProcurement module to connect with over 200,000 suppliers, Advance Approvals Workflow to allow for different levels of routing and approval of purchase orders, as well as the Drilldown Checkbook to create line item details and instant business intelligence. In addition, they selected the Accounts Payable (AP) Automation module with three-way matching in order to ensure compliance and proper approvals. The Inventory Control module will also be implemented for automated, efficient and accurate supplies counts and purchasing. Recipe Management helps Food & Beverage and the staff to maintain consistent recipes with complete nutritional data and what-if analysis, but show accurate food costs with up-to-date pricing to control margins with real time data.

BirchStreet is thrilled to help Sun Valley Lodge improve their business processes and provide an end-to-end solution. We welcome Sun Valley Lodge to our impressive list of clients and we look forward to a great partnership.

Grand America elected the BirchStreet eProcurement module to connect with over 200,000 suppliers, Advance Approvals Workflow to allow for different levels of routing and approval of purchase orders, as well as the Drilldown Checkbook to create line item details and instant business intelligence. In addition, they selected the Accounts Payable (AP) Automation module with three-way matching in order to ensure compliance and proper approvals. The Inventory Control module will also be implemented for automated, efficient and accurate supplies counts and purchasing. Finally, Recipe Management will not only help the Grand America to have consistent recipes with complete nutritional data, but most important is that food costs will be accurate with up-to-date pricing, which will help control margins with real time data. Each component – separately and together – will provide solutions, clarity and efficiency to benefit Grand America and their guests.

Grand America was searching to automate predominately manual processes and found that with BirchStreet, they could easily improve their business processes and productivity. BirchStreet is pleased to have demonstrated the assurance and the precise business solutions to Grand America. We welcome Grand America to our impressive list of clients and we look forward to developing the partnership further.

Trump Chicago elected the BirchStreet eProcurement module to connect with over 200,000 suppliers, Advance Approvals Workflow to allow for different levels of routing and approval of purchase orders, as well as the Drilldown Checkbook to create line item details and instant business intelligence. In addition, they selected the Accounts Payable (AP) Automation module with a standard integration into their back office system. The Capital Budget Management module will also help them with planning and tracking budgets for different furniture, fixtures and equipment (FF&E) projects, which includes multiple year views, supplier and general ledger (GL) codes, and enforces brand standards. Each component will provide solutions, clarity and efficiency, which will benefit Trump Chicago and their guests.

BirchStreet is honored to have demonstrated the confidence and the right business solutions for Trump Chicago. We welcome Trump Chicago to our impressive list of clients and looks forward to developing a partnership.

This year we are rolling out the hospitality ourselves with a “watering hole” for those interested in learning more about P2P and how BirchStreet can add value to your business with increased efficiency, visibility and control to your current procedures and processes. Curious about the “watering hole”? Come find us at Booth #443!

We will show you how the puzzle fits together – literally, and make it work to your advantage. We can help analyze your business processes and show you how on demand purchasing or eProcurement works with Accounts Payable, Inventory Control, Recipe Management, Capital Projects and Analytics. The BirchStreet solution, which is on a cloud-based SaaS platform, is seamlessly integrated and completely customizable.

Feel free to contact me if you would like a personal demo before or after the show. Stay tuned for more HITEC news!

At BirchStreet, we’ve done it before. Precisely, that means we have experience. With over 5,000 properties and 70,000 users, and have found solutions for every type of company – even if it meant developing a new configuration option or feature. In fact, that is what makes this business so exciting – “innovation by collaboration.”

Jim O’Quinn, Vice President of Client Services at BirchStreet helped to explain the steps within the implementation process. “First, we examine the current state of the business and procurement processes and compare that to what the future state should be. In this first step, we seek to guide the customer by evaluating the entire business and what makes sense with existing processes. Change management, recommendations, setting expectations and education are all addressed,” explains Jim.

Next, based on the discovery state, a timeline is established, responsibilities are assigned, and processes are reviewed and examined. Development of a customer’s marketplace begins, quality assurance and testing is completed and deployment is activated. Go live! Typically, this process takes 90-120 days.

“What’s important to remember is that BirchStreet seeks to understand, recommend and educate clients on how to improve their business,” emphasizes Jim. The ability to develop, configure and enhance a customer’s business is part of our value proposition and is at the core of our P2P solution.

The future of AAHOA eMarket is bright. The site’s functionality has been improved to run faster and will continue to offer weekly specials at even better prices. More products and services are slated to be implemented in the coming months. Development of mobile compatibility and accessibility will be made available for further ease of use and efficiency in coming months. Finally, a new user-friendly web interface and platform is in the works.

AAHOA eMarket now has over 1,300 members enrolled, including 300 new members this year and several hundred new members at the convention. Not only has the eMarket sales volume for Q1 2013 doubled compared to the total revenue for 2012, but the average order size has grown more than 50% to over $1,000 per order. In addition, the marketplace’s supplier network has increased dramatically, offering members over 100,000 hotel products. There are 27 supplier programs in the marketplace with another 5 in the pipeline for Q2, 2013. Products for all US hotel brands and independents are offered through the AAHOA eMarket except for three US franchisors.

“Using eMarket has actually saved me over 23% on my monthly orders,” said Mr. Atul Patel, a long-time AAHOA member.  BirchStreet’s AAHOA Sales Director Jason Strunka and Mr. Patel compared actual invoices ordering the same products from eMarket and his previous sources, proving an 23% cost reduction, which doesn’t include the time savings of being able to place all of his orders at one time.

“One of the best parts of the convention was being able to reward two AAHOA members and eMarket users with a dream vacation Caribbean Cruise and a 32” flat screen TV,” stated Jason Strunka of BirchStreet Systems. The winners were ecstatic. “Everyone is a winner once they start using eMarket by simply saving money and time.” Congratulations to a successful first year!

When considering P2P, organizations must first assess their current processes, taking into consideration what works well and what doesn’t, then determine the areas that need improvement.  Once objectives have been defined, the organization can begin to shop for the solution that best suits their specific requirements.  Here are several common essential points to keep in mind:

1. Integration – look for the integration of all components and functionality that extends from sourcing products to purchasing to payment.  The more connected the pieces, the more automated and smoothly the process will run.
2. Business process improvements (BPI) – a comprehensive P2P system spans all functionality from hosted sourcing through payment – and should streamline business processes to increase internal compliance with operating standards, efficiency and productivity.
3. Business intelligence (BI) – the right P2P system provides the historical, current and predictive views of business operations through the use of business intelligence.  Having access to all of this data, which can be categorized in any number of ways, leads to better decision making in the long run.
4. P2P supplier technology expertise – ultimately, P2P is a technology solution – therefore, it’s essential for the supplier of your P2P solution to have deep expertise in the modules and services that are integrated into the solution.
5. Software-as-a-service (SaaS) platform – the platform is important.  Some P2P software solutions are delivered on a server-based, client managed platform.  But the gold standard for a P2P solution is SaaS.  As the products expand and improve, selecting a strong leader and a platform that supports growth and compliance goals is essential.
6. Fee or payment model – companies should look for a SaaS-based P2P solution that charges for implementation, annual subscription and integration maintenance.  Be wary of P2P systems with a fee that increases as compliance increases.  Compliance is a core objective, and therefore, businesses should never pay more for higher compliance or usage.
7. Supplier exposure – hosting and connecting all purchasing modules and functionality to your procurement deal with your suppliers is critical. Inventory, Recipe, eProcurement, CapEx and AP Automation must all connect to live pricing from your suppliers in order to provide the optimal value of Procure-to-Pay. P2P solutions must also be able to accommodate non-approved suppliers. This will be discussed further in my next blog.

BirchStreet addresses all of these issues to deliver a comprehensive, flexible P2P system, which helps customers improve their business and supply chain management processes.

We have made many improvements and updates to the eMarket since this time last year. With a mission to bring members and suppliers together for fast, easy shopping, our AAHOA Marketplace director, Jason Strunka, has been hard at work growing and improving the eMarket.  The site has a new interface and is easier to navigate and faster than ever before. The site now has over 100,000 items available at pre-negotiated, reduced prices. We have also added more suppliers – increasing choices and lowering prices. Users can now set up “favorite products folders,” enabling simple re-ordering of frequently purchased products. Also new since last year are our weekly “Hot Deals,” which feature discounts on specially-selected hospitality supplies.

With a focus on bringing more value to members, BirchStreet will be attending more and more of AAHOA’s regional meets across the country. We are extremely pleased to note that our efforts are being noticed – in the past year, we have more than doubled our number of members. Jason and the team will continue to build the eMarket into the premier one-stop shopping destination for AAHOA members by consistently adding new products and suppliers to the lineup – and improving the overall experience.

At this year’s AAHOA National Convention, BirchStreet will be raffling off a Caribbean Cruise (airfare included) and a flat screen television. Please join us – members are encouraged to enroll to learn more and be entered in the drawings at the show.

Hiring a Director of Sales can be a difficult and enduring process in a specialized industry, but Jeff made it a clear and easy decision with his procurement software and hospitality expertise. Not only does his experience bring procure-to-pay skills, and proficiency in SaaS based models for hotels and restaurants, he is dedicated to helping customers in the hotel industry by using a consultative approach.

Jeff has worked on the supply chain side, heading up new business development and special projects for several large distribution companies, including Cintas, Marietta and HD Supply. In addition, his recent experience in Sales for an e-procurement company makes him a perfect fit for us. I always tell people that we have the best team in the business – and Jeff’s joining us is a clear indication of that!

Jeff’s main focus will be working closely with Avendra customers to provide them with the technology and to support them in an account management role. In 2009, BirchStreet and Avendra developed a strategic relationship in order to provide the best P2P technology and the best purchasing services in the hotel industry. We want to make sure that our joint customers are using Avendra and BirchStreet to drive cost effective compliance to their operating procedures to control and manage operating costs. We think that Jeff is the perfect person to drive that initiative.

When asked what drew him to BirchStreet, Jeff notes that, “Having worked for another procure to pay solution, it was a natural progression for me to join the BirchStreet team. And then, when I learned that my main focus would be on the BirchStreet/Avendra relationship, well, my future was written and I jumped at the opportunity. The model brings so much efficiency to these hotel companies, I’m thrilled to be a part of the company that is bringing those benefits to customers.”

Welcome aboard Jeff!

Omni works with hundreds of distributors and manufacturers to procure everything for their entire luxury hotel portfolio.  With distributors constantly changing pricing on goods to reflect market shifts, Jim needed a technology solution to ensure that the hotels received the products and prices that were originally contracted.  In other words, Jim needed to ensure better compliance, and BirchStreet provided the answer – enabling near 20/20 visibility into Omni’s spend – with a guarantee of real-time pricing.

Omni and BirchStreet have worked together to deploy functionality that enables Omni to take a credit from suppliers when products are delivered at a higher price than contracted.  For example, if Omni places an order on a Thursday, the order details, including UOM and pricing, are transmitted from Omni to the distributor and then from the distributor to Omni’s BirchStreet platform. This functionality provides insight and accountability. Even if the distributor’s system updates the price before delivery to Omni, Omni only pays the price given at the time of purchase.

Jim states that this functionality has prevented hundreds of thousands of dollars in discrepancies and overage charges.

In addition to streamlining the procure-to-pay cycle, Omni’s system, and its built-in data warehouse, provides real-time visibility and analytics across all of their properties, as well as top-down control over product choices, brand standards, supplier contract compliance and purchasing procedures and controls.

Now that’s what we call purchasing best practices!