McLane and North Star Enable Electronic Food Orders for Restaurant Managers Using RTIconnect™

ATLANTA — Two more major foodservice distributors have joined with RTI (Restaurant Technology, Inc.), a leading provider of Web-based restaurant back office systems, to provide electronic ordering to restaurants using RTIconnect software.

McLane Company, Inc., and North Star Foodservice were added this month as new RTI Supply Chain Partners. Their participation allows RTIconnect users to download food order guides from and transmit orders to these distribution centers via the Internet. These vendor interfaces were added at the request of RTI’s customers in the Arby’s® franchise system who use RTIconnect to control food costs in their restaurants.

To simplify the food ordering process, RTIconnect recommends order quantities to the restaurant manager based on forecasted sales, inventory on-hand, inventory in transit, and optional safety factors. The manager can adjust the order if needed, and then send it directly to the distributor through RTIconnect. By accepting order guides directly from the distributors, RTIconnect keeps up with items that have been added, discontinued, repackaged, or have price changes.

“The new McLane and North Star interfaces allow more of our quick-service operators to take advantage of electronic ordering and food inventory control with RTIconnect,” said Greg Waddell, Vice President of Sales & Marketing at RTI.” RTIconnect now interfaces with 20 major foodservice distributors.

RTIconnect Also Adds Accounting, POS, and Payroll Interfaces

Also this month, RTI announced the addition of several other interfaces to RTIconnect. These interfaces enable more office automation for restaurant operators using Great Plains, Paychex, and Cougar Mountain software. A new interface for the Smart Software PunchClock system imports employee time punches, and the addition of a link to the Sharp ERA-550 POS makes RTIconnect compatible with more than 30 different POS systems, including most of the major quick-service POS providers.

“RTI’s recent software enhancements enable more QSR restaurants to take advantage of the flexible interface capabilities of RTIconnect, saving valuable time in posting cash and inventory data into third-party payroll and accounting systems,” said Mr. Waddell. “In addition, the automation reduces errors caused by manual data entry, speeds communication between the restaurant and the company office, and frees up staff time for other tasks.”

About RTI (Restaurant Technology, Inc.)
RTI (www.internetRTI.com) is a leading developer of technology solutions for the quick-service and fast-casual restaurant industries, and is a Microsoft Certified Gold Partner. Today more than 9,000 restaurants across the United States and Canada rely on RTI solutions, including many of today’s best-known restaurant brands. Application of the technologies provided by RTI enables restaurant operators to maximize efficiencies in their administrative and restaurant operations, reduce operating costs, and improve service to guests, which ultimately yield more profitable restaurants. Incorporated in 1985, the company is headquartered in Atlanta, Ga.

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