The sole purpose of meal prep business software is to provide customers with some of the best meal prep services on the market. Providing a great customer experience goes far beyond creative recipes and the best meals for meal prep connoisseurs. Instead, automation and user-friendly interfaces can attract customers and keep them coming back to your site. So, whether you're just learning how to start a meal prep business or are trying to enhance your brand, software solutions should do the trick!
7 Meal Prep Business Software Solutions
There are several meal prep business software solutions that you can onboard for maximum profits and simple operations. Read on to learn about seven of them!
1. Inventory Management Software
Unless you opt for private label meal prep services, you’ll need to source many ingredients from several suppliers. The easiest and most cost-effective way to do this is by using an inventory management platform. With full access to wholesale directories, you can take your time browsing through various catalogs. You can even purchase wholesale meal prep containers through such a platform .
Once you start regularly acquiring inventory, the software will automatically update you when inventory levels are running low. Between demand planning features and the ability to keep a close eye on the inventory turnover rate, inventory management tools can help you save a fortune. After all, it helps you avoid food spoilage and overspending on excessive quantities.
2. Order Management Software
Once customers place an order for a box of meal kits, a tool that seamlessly tracks orders is essential. First, the order will process, where it will be packaged and assigned a tracking number. Then, the package will move along whichever meal prep shipping method you chose in the early stages of starting the meal prep business.
Order management software will grant you access to the entire cycle of moving products through the supply chain, all the way to the customer’s doorstep. From the software’s dashboard, you can view the order status, issue refunds, and process cancellations. Typically, order management software can integrate with eCommerce solutions, which we’ll cover below.
3. eCommerce Integrations
Nurture direct to consumer (D2C) sales with a digital storefront built for your business. The user experience that people have with your website and mobile app is crucial for long-term customer retention. So, ensure that your eCommerce tools integrate seamlessly with the inventory and order management features you use.
Did you know that BlueCart offers inventory tracking, order management, and eCommerce software solutions? Schedule a demo with us to learn all about the industry’s leading platform for food and beverage professionals!
4. Route Optimization Solutions
When shipping perishables in temperature-controlled packages, it’s vital that consumers receive their products as fast as possible. By using delivery routing software, businesses will be able to select the quickest routes for each shipment. Even when numerous packages are being shipped, route planning software has the ability to map out paths and group nearby addresses in clusters. As a result, delivery drivers can make the most of their time by not having to backtrack. In fact, the best software for route planning utilizes AI to update routes–even when drivers are in transit.
5. Recipe Costing Software
Meal prep businesses revolve around the concepts of sufficient servings and organization. So, it makes perfect sense to utilize some kind of recipe costing software. In doing so, you can create recipes and determine how much each one will cost to prepare. Then, you can set prices backed by accurate metrics.
Accidentally pricing meals too low can cause a meal prep business to turn upside down. In other words, the business might not be as profitable as you’d like it to be, if at all. And for brands with rotating menu types, you can probably tell already just how important recipe costing is for success.
6. Marketing Automation Software
Marketing efforts can take up a lot of time. However, a thorough and diverse marketing mix is essential for promoting a meal prep business. To optimize your time wisely, implement marketing automation software. Paid advertisements can be set up for a specific period of time, ensuring that you remain within your budget. Meanwhile, marketing automation software also makes it easy to schedule social media posts in advance. While you cater to daily operations, all of your promotional efforts can roll out without having to lift a finger.
As your meal prep business grows, you might have to hire someone to be in contact with influencers, PR agencies, and so on. But in the meantime, there are numerous tasks that software can automate.
7. Customer Relationship Management (CRM) Software
Any business that caters to customizable products must use a CRM system. Complete access to a CRM platform will let you view various customer data metrics. From dietary preferences to order history, CRM systems showcase it all. From there, you’ll have the right information to develop targeted marketing campaigns and tailored communications. Plus, the ability to access each customer’s history will assist in offering stellar customer service.
Frequently Asked Questions About Meal Prep Business Software
Meal prep business software is a necessity to stay afloat in the modern food and beverage industry. Most, if not all operations are automated, making it extremely difficult to remain competitive when handling daily tasks manually. Review the FAQ section below for additional insight on the topic.
Is Meal Prep Business Software Necessary?
If you want to streamline meal prep business operations as much as possible, then yes, software solutions are necessary. The primary goal of onboarding software solutions is to simplify recurring tasks, allowing you to do more in less time. So, there will likely be a point when the need for automated solutions will be so evident that onboarding such tools will be inevitable.
Is Meal Prep Business Software Expensive?
Whether meal prep business software will suit your budget is entirely dependent on the provider’s rates. While some SaaS providers have reasonable and all-inclusive packages, others nickel and dime every feature a business decides to use. For budgeting reasons among many others, it’s vital that you consider which investments your business can afford for the long-term.
How Can I Find Customers for a Meal Prep Business?
An entrepreneur or new business owner can find potential customers for a meal prep business by conducting market research. This process should be the foundation of your meal prep business plan anyway, as it’s vital to identify your target market before developing products and subscription tiers. A few easy ways to find an ideal customer profile is to analyze user-generated content on social media from competing brands, research web traffic trends, and find gaps in the current market.
Is It Hard to Run a Meal Prep Business Without Software?
Yes, it can be a challenge to run a meal prep business without onboarding any kind of software. Between keeping sufficient inventory on hand and shipping perishables, there are numerous working parts to such a business. Without the right software in place, operations can get a bit chaotic pretty quickly.
Which Type of Software Is Most Important for Meal Prep Businesses?
The most important software solution for meal prep businesses is probably an inventory management platform. Meal prep businesses have a high inventory rate. Plus, it’s not uncommon for menus to rotate on a weekly or bi-weekly basis. So, it’s absolutely critical to have a system that lets you regularly stock up on ingredients.
Software Solutions That Solve Every Problem
Finding an all-inclusive software solution will likely be your best bet, not just for simplicity’s sake but for your wallet. Then, a business model that typically requires a significant amount of manual labor can be put on autopilot. As a result, you’ll be able to make the most of your time, team, and resources.