Independent bakeries reduce food waste with MyFoodOffice

Lang knows all about hard work in the bakery industry. “I was born into a family-run bakery. I remember baking rolls even before I went to school. I took bakery courses in upper secondary school,” says Lang.

“Then I attended the London School of Economics and saw my family’s business in a different light. If they’d had the technology, they could have earned more and worked fewer hours.”

This is what Lang wants for today’s bakers. “The younger generation understands that they need to digitalise to stay competitive and scale up,” he adds.

MyFoodOffice professionalises bakery operations with a Software as a Service solution. The solution increases efficiency in small and medium-sized bakeries – from food declaration and product portfolio management to costing and order management.

“We speak the baker’s language. Our software digitalises all aspects of bakery operations, even for those who aren’t tech savvy,” says Lang.

Accuracy is a hallmark of the solution, enabling bakers to update their product information with minimal effort and reduce human error. It also provides third-party integration, which allows the free flow of data between systems such as a web shop point-of-sale (POS) system and invoicing and accounting systems.

MyFoodOffice is flexible and modular as well. “We work with each customer based on their capacity and goals. One customer could be struggling to organise their sales and orders. Another may lack control of their food data. We solve their most pressing problems first; then they can add more functionality over time,” Lang explains.

The solution promotes public health and safety by ensuring that bakery goods are labelled accurately and that ingredients are traceable. Meanwhile, bakeries can be confident that they are complying with food regulations.

“Consumers can make healthy choices based on accurate labelling. On the flip side, an allergic reaction to nuts from poor labelling can result in tragedy,” Lang points out.

Moreover, the solution reduces waste in the bakery industry. When operations are digitalised, bakeries are less likely to over-order and over-produce, which are common problems. This means that less food ends up in the rubbish bin while bakeries improve their bottom line.

Digitalisation also saves bakeries time and money. Many customers report that they have reduced their labour costs by one full-time staff member. “Some bakers tell us that they don’t have to work on Sundays anymore. We even received a bottle of champagne from one grateful bakery,” he says.

Since its creation some 10 000 years ago, bread has become a dietary staple around the world. Today most bread consumed in industrialised countries is provided by commercial bakers. Europe alone has over 190 000 bakeries staffed by over 2 million employees. “There will always be a market for solutions that increase bakery efficiency,” says Lang.

Founded in 2017, MyFoodOffice has grown quickly to serve numerous bakeries in Norway. Recognised as a comprehensive solution in the bakery industry, MyFoodOffice has recently entered the Italian market. “We are on a journey to expand internationally,” Lang concludes.