You need catering software when your business grows and manual processes such as quotation management, planning and administration take too much time or cause errors. This usually happens when you have more than 10-15 events per month, when your team expands, or when you notice that your customers have to wait too long for quotations and you lose orders as a result.
What is catering software and why should you use it?
Catering software is a digital solution that brings together all aspects of your catering business in one system. It helps you with quotation management, menu composition, staff planning, customer management and financial administration.
The software acts as a digital assistant that automates repetitive tasks. You can use it to create professional quotes, link ingredients to dishes for automatic purchasing calculations, and generate work lists for your team. This means less paperwork and more clarity.
This offers concrete advantages for party professionals and catering companies:
- Faster quotation creation with a professional look
- Automatic calculation of costs and margins
- Clear planning of personnel and materials
- Better follow-up of customers and quotations
What signs indicate that you need catering software?
There are clear signs that indicate it is time to digitise your business processes. The most important sign is when manual tasks take more time than they yield results.
Specific situations in which catering software is useful:
- You spend more than 2 hours a day preparing quotations.
- Errors regularly occur in price calculations or ingredient lists.
- Customers have to wait a long time for their quotes, causing you to lose orders.
- You have difficulty keeping track of all ongoing projects.
- Double bookings occur due to unclear planning.
- Your team regularly asks for the same information because everything is “in your head.”
Growing administrative burdens are also a clear sign. When you spend more time on paperwork than on the actual catering work, software can help restore this balance.
How do you know if your business is large enough for catering software?
Catering software is not just for large companies. Many small catering companies benefit greatly from digitisation because it helps them appear more professional and work more efficiently.
Practical guidelines by company size:
| Company size | Events per month | When software becomes useful |
|---|---|---|
| Small (1-3 persons) | 5-15 events | In the event of growth or professionalisation |
| Medium (4-10 people) | 15-50 events | Almost always useful |
| Large (10+ persons) | 50+ events | Indispensable for overview |
Indispensable for overview
Large companies need software to prevent chaos and to ensure that all knowledge is not concentrated in one person.
What are the advantages of catering software for your daily work?
The biggest advantages of catering software are time savings and error reduction. Instead of building each quote from scratch, you use templates and automatic calculations.
Concrete benefits for your daily work:
- Faster quotes: From hours to minutes thanks to templates and automatic price calculation
- Fewer errors: Automatic calculations prevent calculation mistakes
- More professional appearance: Attractive, consistent quotations with your own corporate identity
- Better customer communication: All customer data and history in one place
- Clear planning: You can see at a glance what needs to be done and when.
Your team also benefits. Work lists are generated automatically, everyone knows what is expected of them, and there is less confusion about tasks and times.
What problems does catering software solve in your business?
Catering software solves common problems that arise in growing businesses. The main problem it solves is the lack of overview and the resulting chaos.
Specific problems addressed by the software:
- Double bookings: Centralised scheduling prevents your team from being scheduled in two places at once.
- Unclear quotes: Standardised formats make quotes clearer for customers
- Staffing issues: Requesting availability and sharing schedules improves communication
- Financial administration: Automatic invoice creation and links to accounting systems
- Lost customer data: Central database prevents important information from being lost
Another important advantage is that your company becomes less dependent on one person. All information is stored in the system, allowing colleagues to replace each other and giving you peace of mind when you go on holiday.
How do you choose the right moment to purchase catering software?
The right time for catering software is usually sooner than you think. Many entrepreneurs wait too long because they think they are still too small, but software actually helps with growth.
Practical tips for timing:
- Best season: Start during a quieter period so that your team has time to settle in.
- Team preparation: Communicate the benefits and involve your team in the decision
- Preparation: Gather your current customer data and menu lists before you begin.
- Implementation: Plan a few weeks for complete transition
Don’t wait until you have problems, but use software as a growth tool. It’s easier to learn good habits than to change bad ones.
Key considerations when choosing catering software
When choosing catering software, there are a few important points to keep in mind. The software should fit your way of working, not the other way around.
Key considerations:
- Ease of use for you and your team
- Possibility of customisation in quotations and planning
- Links to existing systems such as accounting software
- Good support and training
- Transparent pricing with no hidden costs
The right catering software helps your business grow by streamlining processes and creating a more professional image. It gives you more time to do what you do best: organising fantastic events and keeping your customers happy.
At Catermonkey, we understand these challenges because we come from the industry ourselves. Our software has been developed by and for catering professionals, with all the functionalities you really need in one user-friendly system. Would you like to know more about how we can help you? Feel free to contact us or schedule a brainstorming session.
Plan your brainstorm with Catermonkey!
Do you have questions about catering software or would you like to know how Catermonkey can support your business? We warmly invite you to a no-obligation brainstorming session! Whether you have concrete ideas or are just curious about the possibilities, Catermonkey is happy to work with you to see how our platform can improve your business processes and help you grow.
Plan your brainstorming session with Catermonkey! Click here to schedule an appointment and discover how catering software can take your business to the next level.
