Bäckerei Düsmann - craft bakery from Gronau

Please introduce your company.

We are a classic craft bakery with nine specialty shops and deep roots in the region. Our company was founded in 1938 in Gronau — to this day we are a real family business, which I run together with my sister and mother. Our branch network is deliberately regional and closely knit. In addition, we operate a branch in the Netherlands and are also active in the catering business.

What challenges did your company originally face?

The biggest construction site was clearly order optimization. In the past, this entire process was up to me personally — it was extremely time-consuming and, to be honest, very complex. The database was difficult; much was based on gut feeling rather than reliable figures. Maintaining regular orders was particularly complex and prone to errors.

What was your goal when you came to foodforecast?

I had already been actively looking for AI solutions specifically for bakeries. It was clear to me that things could not continue as before in the long term. Foodforecast then showed us a solution for exactly these challenges — that was the decisive point for me.

What has changed in your company since the introduction of foodforecast?

A whole lot. Our order quantities are much better suited to actual demand today. Of course, there were a few implementation challenges at the beginning — that's part of it. We now have very reliable forecasts, can react more quickly and order adjustments have become much easier. Campaigns, product range changes or special events can also be planned in a much more relaxed way today.

What is the biggest added value of the software for you?

Automation, of course. In most cases, our employees directly accept the AI's order suggestion. This relieves the team enormously and creates more time for sales and customers. At the same time, the significant reduction in returns is a key added value for me personally — that was also our original motivation. Producing goods that end up in the trash not only costs resources, but also cash.

Are there any special features in your production that foodforecast covers?

Yes, definitely. Our bakery mainly produces during the day, which is rather unusual. That means: I need the figures for the day after tomorrow at 6 o'clock in the morning. At 12 noon, the order figures for the day after tomorrow are printed out — i.e. one day ahead of many bakeries with night production. Foodforecast's multi-day article forecasts work extremely well for this special feature in particular.

Do you also communicate the cooperation with foodforecast to your customers?

Yes. We haven't actively done this yet. However, a local newspaper reached out to us: A journalist had picked up the topic of using AI by chance while buying rolls in one of our branches and then published a very nice article in the regional press. This is how the collaboration became public knowledge.

Would you recommend foodforecast?

Yes, definitely. We are very satisfied and see the added value in black and white in our figures.

Has foodforecast made your business more sustainable?

Definitely We have significantly less food waste today than in the past — this is a major benefit both ecologically and economically. It is great to see that we are setting up our company not only economically, but also in terms of sustainability for future generations.

How did your key figures develop?

Our returns — i.e. food waste — have fallen by 35%, which I find very impressive. The degree of automation is around 90%. Our employees generally accept foodforecast's order suggestions in full. Only when it comes to cakes and two-day items, do we specifically look at it again.
Special times such as Christmas or New Year are naturally more demanding — but thanks to foodforecast, we also get a much better grip on these phases.

What was the feedback from employees about the introduction?

Very positive in principle. It was of course unusual at the beginning, and especially in the start-up phase, there was also skepticism among some experienced salespeople. In the meantime, however, this has leveled off very well. Foodforecast shows our employees its added value every day — and ultimately everyone benefits from it. Our high level of automation speaks for itself here: There are hardly any manual adjustments to the AI's order suggestions anymore.

Do you have any suggestions for improvement or wishes for the future?

Looking back, I wouldn't convert all branches at the same time next time. A little more headwind from Foodforecast might have prevented me from doing so — and wouldn't have been bad at all in retrospect.

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