What is the main criteria for choosing your restaurant/hotel suppliers?

What is the main criteria for choosing your restaurant/hotel suppliers?

The first and foremost quality I look for  in a restaurant supplier is his/her Fair Business Mindedness

Are they in business (especially being the supplier to hotels/restaurants) just to make money? Or are they here in the noble business of feeding  an accommodating people. Feeding people requires big heartedness and a mindset that is conscious of the factors could harm  even kill the customer and is willing to have fool proof methods / processes  in place to avoid any mishap!

Food like it provides energy to humans and keeps them alive , it can take lives if it is contaminated. Therefore the suppliers must ensure proper  procurement with specifications , clean storage and  timely and appropriate distribution.

In other words I shall look for the required management acumen and the business philosophy of the supplier in question! Is the supplier wishing to build a sound business and strategic  partnership or is he /she looking for a transaction only just to make money!

Hotel ( restaurants )Industry is known as hospitality Industry. The suppliers and the industry together cater to the needs of the people. Feel good  and satisfaction factors are  extremely important and if the supplied material is of inferior quality then the hotels fail to rise to the expectation of the customers resulting in loss of business and good will and brand image.

While the above factors are extremely important, I shall also look for the following before qualifying a supplier to be on the suppliers list

1.    Does the supplier have the financial muscle, infrastructure and trained personnel in place

2.    Does he have a list of certified sub-suppliers with him

3.    Does he have product specifications that are on par with international standards

4.    Is he maintaining proper storage /  cold storage  facility

5.    Does he have a HACCP certification

6.    Is he able to provide documentary proof for eg test reports etc for the quality of the products being supplied

7.    Do they have the ability to provide just in time inventory

8.    Does the supplier maintain an adequate fleet of appropriate transport  vehicles so as to supply goods in fresh  condition.

9.    Do they  practice incoming and outgoing quality inspections

10.Does the supplier provided food hygiene and handling training to his staff?

11.Do they ensure that the right quality and quantity of contracted good s are supplied

12.Do they audit their supplier and maintain adequate records to provide documentary proof

13.Readiness  to undergo audit from the buying hotel side

14.Have they adopted FIFO principles and continuously and consistently practice the adopted principles    

15.Suppliers ability to keep promises and ease of doing business with them

16.Find out How long the supplier is in business and ask for his list of primary customers  

17.Investigate suppliers financial stability and ask for bank references

18.Previous experience and past performance with the product/service to be purchased.

19.Relative level of sophistication of the quality system, including meeting regulatory requirements or mandated quality system registration (for example, ISO9001, QS-9000).

20.Ability to meet current and potential capacity requirements, and do so on the desired delivery schedule.

21.Technical support availability and willingness to participate as a partner in developing and optimizing design and a long-term relationship.

22.Total cost of dealing with the supplier (including material cost, communications methods, inventory requirements and incoming verification required).

23.The supplier's track record for business-performance improvement

24.Total cost assessment.

25.Visits to the supplier by management and/or the selection team.

26.Confirmation of quality system status either by on-site assessment, a written survey or request for a certificate of quality system registration.

27.Discussions with other customers served by the supplier. Review of databases or industry sources for the product line and supplier.

28.etc

1- Quality

2- Price

3- Leading (Deleivery) time

4- Term of payment

5- Services

The combanition of the above criteria influence the decesion.

I think from my work history we MUST apply the below2 concepts :-

1) Long Payments Terms with best Quality.

2) Can accept the financial company changes in any time and not restricted on payments on time as we all Pass by hard times sometimes.

I agree with the previous answers but sometimes we will be directed to another issue , I was in a remote area and many times my decision was made   according to supplier ability to provide items