Jul 19, 2024
Hugo Walker
This is a very natural question that deserves a bit of exploration…
We all know that some superb off-the-shelf eCommerce platforms are out there, like Shopify, Magento and WooCommerce — so why would you as a food manufacturer choose Mezze over one of these big names?
Mezze is specifically designed for the Food Manufacturing industry
We have spent almost 10 years in the Food Manufacturing industry, getting down to the nuts and bolts of our clients' business processes. (These include bakeries, dairies, ingredients, Food to Go and more.) As you know, Food Manufacturing is unique, with its own rules and quirks.
Off-the-shelf systems are built with a B2C mindset only. While they can offer plenty of flexibility in terms of functionality, they tend to be stubborn and difficult to shape to the needs of Food Manufacturing business logic, without significant compromises.
Moreover, customising off-the-shelf platforms like Shopify or Magento is extremely expensive. Both in terms of the initial setup and the ongoing costs from the platform. Mezze, designed specifically for Food Manufacturing requirements, costs less and offers considerable ROI.
It will take time to gather requirements and spec what you need when customising an off-the-shelf solution. This is risky and typically results in deadlines getting pushed back, incurring added costs. Moreover, you'll likely have to work with people not familiar with the Food Manufacturing industry. Conversely, Mezze already has the features needed (see below).
Custom solutions require maintenance which you'll usually have to pay for. Sometimes, suppliers will tie you into a contract and some suppliers will not necessarily be available when you urgently need them.
Mezze fits into your existing workflows and processes, without those compromises. It saves time, rather than adding yet more admin for your team. It automates tasks and it reduces the number of mistakes made by both customers and Customer Service team members.
Crucially, with Mezze, we don’t have to assume that the customer already knows all the ins and outs of your business logic. Mezze can provide a seamless digital experience for your customers that eliminates the frustrations of using software that doesn't quite fit your processes.
Mezze has unique features to help your Food Manufacturing business
In 2024, your B2B customers have high expectations. They want an Amazon-like experience — 24/7 access to service their accounts, without the need for phone calls or emails. They want to be able to view orders, make amendments, view product info, download invoices, request credits and more.
In fact, a striking 67% of customers would prefer self-serve over traditional customer support channels (HubSpot Blog).
Here are a few examples of the functionality standard with Mezze that won't work with off-the-shelf eCommerce platforms like Shopify or Magento:
Date-led ordering
Order amendments
Cut off and lead time management
Standing orders / Lists
Crediting
Price codes / Lists
Tiered pricing
Product tags (e.g. Vegan, gluten-free, allergen warnings, etc.)
Promotions
Customers can manage multiple delivery points from a single account
...plus much more.
Mezze is not just eCommerce, it's also a Customer Service tool
In order to reduce the Customer Service burden, Mezze has developed tools to support your team. Of course, you don’t want to remove all contact with your customers, but it certainly helps to minimise the number of calls that should be serviced through a modern, online portal.
Here are a few examples of the Customer Service tools available:
Error handling
There are lots of things that can go wrong with a customer’s order. Maybe one of your sites has run out of bacon, perhaps a delivery van has broken down or a customer’s account has been frozen due to non-payment. If the platform is intelligent enough to understand these "errors" then it can handle them automatically, or at least give Customer Services the heads-up in time.
Notifications (automated and manual)
Mezze has an integrated notifications system so that users can be instantly informed about anything important.
The platform itself sends automated notifications to both customers and Customer Service team members on key events. Consider how many support emails and calls your team sends and receives every day — now imagine if Mezze could prevent the vast majority of them and how much time and money that would save.
Mezze has saved us over £100K in Customer Service recruitment
— Tiffin Sandwiches
Mezze will even automatically add notes to order history so that Customer Service agents have less to log in manually.
Manual notifications can also be sent by Customer Service team members. They can send alerts about anything directly to specific users, customer groups or types of customer. This means that communication stays in one place and customers know where to find what they need without having to use up Customer Service time.
Crediting
Being able to automatically provide credits for delivery mistakes or damaged products saves time for customers and staff. Customers can put a request through Mezze and a credit is provided automatically up to a threshold you can choose. If the request is larger then it will be forwarded to a Customer Service agent to make the decision.
Self-serve
A huge benefit that Mezze brings is the ability for customers to self-serve. It's more convenient — and much less of a burden for your team — if customers can get access to invoice downloads, product info, order history, etc. whenever they like.
This is especially true since the global pandemic. Regardless of age or tech savvyness, people are not only used to ordering online (think Tesco or Amazon) but actually prefer it.
Mezze's deep integration with your ERP brings further benefits
It doesn't matter how outdated and clunky your ERP is, Mezze can integrate with it — to some degree. That integration will unlock numerous benefits and insight, saving you time and money.
If you'd like to discuss how your food manufacturing business could optimise resources and boost revenue, contact us today.
