P.F. Chang’s has renewed its partnership with supply chain software provider ArrowStream as the restaurant operator looks to strengthen visibility and resilience across its supply chain.
The agreement, announced in a Sept. 17 press release, extends a collaboration that began in 2019. Under the renewed partnership, P.F. Chang’s will continue using ArrowStream’s contract management, inventory management and price audit platforms.
ArrowStream’s contract management system enables P.F. Chang’s to centralize purchasing agreements and maintain greater control over spending throughout its distribution network. The platform also supports closed-loop communication between the restaurant brand, its distributors and supplier partners, according to ArrowStream.
The company also relies on ArrowStream’s inventory management platform to provide real-time visibility into product availability and distributor stock levels. The goal is to limit disruptions in product flows and reduce the risk of stockouts.
At the same time, P.F. Chang’s uses ArrowStream’s price audit platform to automate price verification, billing and invoice reconciliation. The system helps the restaurant operator identify and recover overcharges while keeping costs under control.
“Having total transparency into our contracts, pricing audits, and inventory pipeline allows our team to make proactive, data-backed decisions that safeguard our margins and keep our restaurants running smoothly,” Taylor Frendahl, senior director of supply chain at P.F. Chang’s, said in the release. “Extending this partnership was a natural choice as we continue raising the bar on supply chain performance.”
P.F. Chang’s is not alone in turning to technology and new operating processes to protect supply and inventory performance while dealing with higher food costs.
Panda Express, for example, is using software to manage supplier and distribution spending while also forecasting demand for ingredients. The company has also highlighted the potential of artificial intelligence to improve supply chain performance.
“I think that’s where technology and AI are really going to help every business,” Roland Ornelas, chief supply chain officer at Panda Restaurant Group, told Supply Chain Dive earlier this year. “It’s seeing how supply chain data, marketing data and operational data can all come together.”
Elsewhere in the restaurant industry, Starbucks is testing a 24-hour operating model aimed at improving product replenishment. The initiative follows the company’s decision to scrap an AI-powered inventory management tool after employees described it as “unreliable.”
