Fast-growing, “better chicken” franchise to utilize ArrowStream’s OnDemand technology to power its supply chain
ArrowStream, Inc. (“ArrowStream”), a supply chain innovator that combines expertise in data science and analytics to improve how supply chains perform, today announced that Slim Chickens, the Arkansas-based restaurant company franchise brand known for its fresh, hand-breaded chicken tenders, Buffalo wings and house dipping sauces, licensed ArrowStream’s market-leading OnDemand software to better manage food spend, inventory, and auditing with its suppliers and distributors.
The team at Slim Chickens, like many emerging chains, understood that they needed a supply chain technology to keep pace with their growth model. As the chain approached 70+ units, Slim Chickens was challenged with the increasing data requirements to enable its supply chain, purchasing and distribution team. With a lean team and three distribution companies supplying their restaurants, Slim Chickens sought a simple-to-use technology that would provide consolidated visibility into product inventory, contracts and pricing across its supply network. By selecting ArrowStream, Slim Chickens can take on new opportunities in its growing business while maintaining a small internal team.
“The OnDemand guided analytics is a perfect solution for Slim Chickens,” said Pat Fries, Vice President of Supply Chain at Slim Chickens. “With this software, we are able to quickly move beyond managing data and instead focus on adding value to our growing brand. ArrowStream not only provides us with a market- leading technology, but with the industry and process expertise we need to enhance our team’s ability to drive better purchasing, inventory, food safety and product quality decisions. They are a partner that we will be able to grow with as we further expand into new territories, and within the communities we serve.”
Slim Chickens is the latest restaurant brand to partner with ArrowStream, joining a portfolio of customers that includes Smashburger, Hooters, FOCUS Brands, Shake Shack and Craftworks just to name a few. OnDemand empowers restaurant chains to quickly identify price variance savings opportunities and proactively address the most pressing threats in their supply chains by centralizing inventory, contract and quality assurance information. OnDemand’s streamlined interface eliminates the need for traditional data mining by bringing specific challenges to the forefront and by cleansing, merging and mapping restaurant data that enables immediate action to be taken. Restaurant supply chain and purchasing departments have a single source of truth with OnDemand, leading them to make better tactical and strategic decisions.
“We appreciate that Slim Chickens had the vision to deploy a solution like OnDemand,” said Jeff Dorr, Chief Customer Officer, ArrowStream. “This is an emerging brand with an innovative supply chain team that understands how information can be one of their competitive advantages. In this day and age, information is everything in how you run your business. We are seeing that it is an expectation of brands like Slim Chickens – having clean, normalized data in a guided exception-based solution is not a nice-to-have anymore. It is a must-have.”
Slim Chickens opened in 2003 in Fayetteville, Arkansas, with a focus on culinary excellence in a fast-casual setting. Guests can always expect fresh chicken tenders and wings cooked to order and served with house dipping sauces made from scratch. With more than 60 locations today and a fanatical following in 11 states, the eternally cool brand is an emerging national franchise leading the “better chicken” segment and intends to grow nationwide to a footprint of 600 restaurants over the next decade. Southern hospitality is not just for the South; everyone, everywhere can appreciate honest food and socializing with friends and neighbors. To learn more about the brand, visit slimchickens.com.
Headquartered in Chicago, Ill., ArrowStream is the first company to develop innovative solutions that address both inbound logistics and supply chain management, optimizing powerful data to provide unprecedented levels of transparency, control, and actionable insight. ArrowStream has been serving the food industry for over 17 years, combining proven supply chain expertise with data science and analytics to help clients rethink and optimize their supply chains. Industry leaders nationwide trust ArrowStream to proactively manage their supply chains, dealing with issues well in advance of impact. For more information on ArrowStream, please visit arrowstream.com.
