As you are preparing to begin the onboarding process to invite your supply chain members to join FoodLogiQ Connect, we wanted to share some suggestions to consider regarding supplier outreach.
Identify Primary Contact
You can only invite one person from a supplier or distributor business to receive the initial invitation to join your FoodLogiQ Connect Community. Keep in mind that once this person joins, they will be able to invite other users from their business. If this primary FoodLogiQ user is not readily apparent to you, we suggest that you reach out to your suppliers and ask for them to assign a dedicated person to receive the invite. If you choose to send this communication, we suggest that you send this request out to your suppliers at least two weeks prior to sending out your invitations from FoodLogiQ Connect in order to allow them time to respond.
Introduce the Program and Send Pre-Invitation Communication
We recommend that you send an introduction letter via email to your vendors to communicate your program goals and why you are asking them to join FoodLogiQ Connect to participate in your community.
Although some of your suppliers may already be set up in FoodLogiQ Connect through their participation in other customer communities, for others, this may be their first time hearing about FoodLogiQ and navigating the system. Additionally, although suppliers may already be familiar with FoodLogiQ Connect, they will need some background and understanding regarding your expectations for them regarding your program in Connect.
This communication is best when delivered from a known sender rather than via the invitation link sent from FoodLogiQ.
Here’s an example letter that you can use as a starting point:
Hello Supplier,
As a part of our continued effort to enhance food safety across the entire {COMPANY NAME} supply chain, we will be introducing a new Supplier Community website that will allow us to trace the flow of products from suppliers through the supply chain based on the GS1 US Foodservice Standards. Using FoodLogiQ Connect, the new Supplier Community will serve as a portal for suppliers to share important business information, quality assurance documents, and materials with {COMPANY NAME}’s Supply Chain team. FoodLogiQ will also host {COMPANY NAME}’s new Traceability and Food Quality Reporting system.
The {COMPANY NAME} Supplier Community will allow us to create a complete view of how our food, ingredients and other items move from fields and facilities to our restaurants, giving us a deeper understanding and better visibility into our entire supply chain.
In the coming week, you will be receiving an email from FoodLogiQ Connect to join the {COMPANY NAME} Supplier Community. Please follow the link in the email to accept the invitation and set up your account. Upon account creation there are a number of steps that will be need to be taken to reach our program’s goal. Additional details around these steps will be provided once the invites have been sent. Our goal is to have all suppliers participating in the program in {TIME FRAME}.
We value your partnership as we work together and thank you in advance for your participation.
Thanks,
Joe
Your Favorite Restaurant Owner
Host a Program Kickoff Webinar
Consider hosting a supplier onboarding webinar to introduce the program, explain your program objectives, and expectations for their participation (ie. deadlines) as well as provide them with an opportunity to ask questions. You may also choose to give them a live demonstration of the onboarding process within a test account. To get this setup, you may want to refer to our Preview Supplier Onboarding Experience article.
Communications Post-Acceptance
You may also want to consider the messaging that will be presented to your suppliers once they accept their invitations to join your Community. Visit the Supplier Onboarding Dashboard article for more details.