SMS manages contracts and agreements that control the costs and distribution of food, packaging, chemicals, smallwares, foodservice equipment, furnishings, fixtures and other products and services required in the operation of our member’s restaurants.
SMS offers depth of expertise to our members including:
- Hedging commodities that contribute to the cost of finishing goods
- Supplier sourcing, strategies, negotiations, and relationships
- Optimizing freight from suppliers to distributors
- Distribution strategies, negotiations, and service excellence
- Product movement visibility and reporting to assist all stakeholders
- Enabling corporate brand teams to successfully execute limited time offers
Services include:
- Promotion Management
- Ancillary Programs
- Commodities
- Equipment
- Procurement
- Protein
- Distribution & Logistics
Promotion Management
SMS forecasts increased sales and improves the efficiency and performance of promotions. Promotions can have significant hidden costs if poorly planned or mismanaged. We eliminate mismatches between the demands of promotional marketing and the supply chain, enabling corporate brand teams to successfully execute limited time offers.
Ancillary Programs
Our Goal
The Ancillary Services Program offers the franchisees in our system the opportunity to reduce costs or add value by participating in some or all of the programs that we offer.
The opportunities range from safety shoes to utilities, and there are numerous cost-saving programs to be found here!
How to Participate
The programs are easy to participate in — simply contact the vendors listed and tell them that you are a Popeyes or a Cinnabon franchisee. They will assist you in taking advantage of the savings offered by our national or regional account programs, although every program may not be available everywhere.
Suggestions for new programs are always welcome. Please contact Pat Walker at pwalker@smscooperative.com and let her know what should be added to this list!
Commodities
The Commodities Department at SMS is responsible for managing spend in grain, oils and soft futures. These commodities are some of the major components in finished products at the manufacturing process or for use directly at store level. Our goal is provide a steady cost of goods during erratic market conditions while maintaining competitive price points. We develop a strategic plan with set targets that are reviewed and updated weekly, and we have a proven track record for keeping costs at or below market value using this process. This translates directly into a lower cost of goods for our members and protects your bottom line profit.
Current Commodities
- Tallow
- Corn
- Soy Meal
- Soy Bean Oil
- Winter Wheat
- Spring Wheat
Equipment
The SMS Equipment division is responsible for executing the equipment supply strategies of our member brands. We constantly reviews supplier contracts and work closely with the approved manufacturers to ensure that our members get the best pricing and service available on their equipment, smallwares, furniture and design packages. We work closely with the brand teams, challenging our vendors to provide our membership with the highest quality products at the most competitive prices in the QSR Industry.
We contract with Kitchen Equipment Suppliers who specialize in National Chains and have the ability to service the continental US and have the capabilities to ship to our International members. This ensures our members will get their restaurants open more quickly and with less down time. The goal for the SMS Equipment Division is to improve quality and to make continuous process improvements to give our franchise partners a competitive advantage.
Procurement
Our Mission:
To Supply our Members with the Right Quality, at the Right Time, at the Right Price
The SMS Procurement division is responsible for sourcing and managing all non-protein categories. The team is comprised of foodservice professionals that are both experienced and well versed in current market conditions. We perform a competitive analysis and bidding process for every product used in our restaurants. This helps us to provide the best products at competitive prices to our members, while ensuring needed products are always available to use.
Planning is the key to effective purchasing. Each year we start with developing an annual cost reduction plan based on spend by category. Our access to real time spend data is crucial, allowing us track the volume of product moving through the system and where product is going. This data lets SMS leverage our volume when negotiating with our vendor partners, as well as helping to minimize freight cost impact of delivered product to each distribution center. The SMS data system also allows us to analyze information quickly and plan for any potential price increases by looking for offsets in other areas to minimize the cost impact to our members. Effective negotiations and strategic vendor relationships enable us to effectively purchase on behalf of our franchise partners.
Procurement Categories
- Sugar and Sweeteners
- Beverages
- Cleaning supplies and Chemicals
- Condiments
- Confection and Desserts
- Dairy
- Oils and Dressings
- Fresh Produce
- Grains, Dough’s and Batter
- Packaging
- Seasonings and Flavorings
Protein
The SMS Protein department is responsible for the sourcing and distribution of protein products to the Popeyes system. Our ultimate goal is to bring outstanding service and supply at a fair price. We work mainly with the poultry and seafood industry to stay current with trends and changes throughout their respective industries. We review contracts and distribution lanes constantly to ensure our members get the best pricing and service available.
Distribution & Logistics
We are here to serve you, and our only goal is to make you more successful.
It is the responsibility of the SMS Distribution & Logistics Department to insure a continuous and uninterrupted supply of product and distribution services to our Franchisees and Brand patrons. In addition to normal day-to-day replenishment, the SMS Distribution & Logistics Department also manages the logistics of limited time offers (LTO’s) as well as the logistics of new products for testing.
Always mindful of the fact that “Service” is literally a part of the SMS corporate name, the SMS Distribution & Logistics Department performs a number of service support functions to our Franchisees and Brand patrons. While addressing the ordinary distribution service issues, the department also deals with extraordinary challenges such as hurricanes, blizzards, and other catastrophic events.
The SMS distribution team executes against the distribution strategies of our brand partners, creating opportunities for geographical growth and supply consistency at economic costs. The logistics manages and supports the flow of products from manufacturers to distributors, as well as our geographically centered redistribution facilities, allowing for the lowest possible freight costs possible in our system. Additionally, the SMS Distribution & Logistics Department routinely audits distributor invoices to insure the accuracy of prices charged and when an over charge is discovered, vigorously follows-up with distributors on the reparation of monies owed to operators.