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Business Systems
Transformation For Menucorp


By streamlining workflows and enhancing efficiency, you can unlock your business’s true potential and drive growth.

In this case study, we will see the complete process on how OE Partners have helped Menucorp to attain a business transofrmation.

The Business Challenge: Business Systems Transformation for Menucorp

MenuCorp is a leading designer and manufacturer of menu covers for restaurants, cafes, and hotels. They excel and thrive in both Australian and international markets. Each item is crafted in the company’s Melbourne factory, utilising materials sourced from across the globe. Beyond menu covers, MenuCorp offers a diverse range of business products, including presentation folders, boxes, folios, product catalogues, hotel guest room items, training manuals, and general stationery. Seeking to drive business systems transformation, owner Joe Ritorto enlisted expert assistance to review processes and uncover opportunities for improvement.

The Approach

OE Partners carried out three key areas of analysis: product value and volume study, value stream mapping and team focus interviews and workshops. We then involved the entire business team  in reviewing the operation and pinpointing key areas for improvement.

The Results: A Complete Business System Transformation

The team achieved significant improvements in workflows, systems management, administration and removing production bottlenecks. By applying business systems transformation, we are able to achieve the following:

  • Processes are now quantifiable
  • Staff are more accountable for their work and efficiencies have been achieved.

The bottom line will improve as all changes are implemented.

Process improvement has a knock-on effect, leading to business systems transformation

Joe Ritorto has long been keen on studying and incorporating sound management skills in his business ventures. Like many small business owners, he was working heavily in his business but realised he needed to devote time to working on the business.

“I believed we could achieve improvements in areas such as workflows, our systems, doing more analysis of the type of work we do, and identifying possible bottlenecks that could be removed. And I thought an experienced pair of outside eyes would help identify potential improvements,” Joe says.

When OE Partners came on board, he focused on three main areas:

Product value and volume study

A top-down business analysis involved a review of 12 months of sales data to identify the areas of the business (by department, product line and customer spend) which were generating profit. The goal was to identify the priority business areas and to discontinue non-profitable areas.

Value Stream Mapping Analysis

A whole of business operations map set out the big picture. Which showed how the business operates as a whole and identifying the key areas which set the pace of the operation.

Team member focus interview and workshops

We held one-on-one focus interviews with key stakeholders. In those interviews, we identified the operational problems, frustrations and blockers, and generated discussions about possible solutions. After that, we workshopped overall ideas for business system transformation, then listed key priorities for immediate action.

“Using Lean principles, we focused on 5S & workplace organisation, continuous improvement thinking, KPIs, visual management, active scoreboarding and standardised production times for all processes and targets,” Damien says.

“We introduced a quality check gates system, where all necessary information and steps must be 100% complete before moving on to the next process.”

We created the rules on how to handle rework and scrap parts. And we did this to dramatically reduce workplace clutter and gain more space for manufacturing. Production processes were standardised, particularly in the FolderCorp range, to reduce variations.

“OE Partners assisted in highlighting the principles of improvement and how these could be implemented, which is not always easy to do,” Joe says. “And when a third party comes in and is talking the same language as you are, it gives an extra level of credentials to the whole exercise with staff.”

The main business benefits include quantifiable processes, more accountability and greater efficiencies.

Business Systems Transformation For Menucorp

“When you start that process, it tends to have a knock-on effect. The learning leading you to improve another process, and then another. Everyone now has more confidence in each person’s contribution to the whole exercise,” he says.

“I expect the bottom line to improve over time as we implement all the changes. The major benefit to date has been seeing ways in which we can standardise our products and begin the process of bulk preparation, rather than starting new jobs from scratch each time.”

“OE Partners valuable experience, strong work ethic and confidence generated a lot of respect from our staff. Personally, they gave me a fresh perspective on the business, encouraged me to revisit some good management theories and enabled me to see how we could bring about significant improvements in the business.”

Joe Ritorto, Owner, MenuCorp