@article{Altan:799,
      recid = {799},
      author = {Altan, Michel and Demen Meier, Christine},
      title = {An investigation in purchasing practices of small F&B  operators},
      journal = {Journal of research in hospitality management},
      address = {2014-12},
      number = {ARTICLE},
      abstract = {The food and beverage (F&B) purchasing function is  operating in a rapidly changing environment, whereby  professionalisation and efficiency become key. This paper  aims to identify generic skills that are most important for  small F&B operators when it comes down to purchasing and  supply management. Factors facilitating as well as  hindering purchasing maturity are discussed. The focus lies  on six single-site independent restaurants in the UK,  supported by the presentation of the findings from in-depth  interviews with the owners or managers. In this  methodological context, the skills of buyers in small F&B  operations are described through a 7-dimensional conceptual  framework including: procurement planning, the structural  organisation of the purchasing function, the process  organisation, human resource systems, controlling  structures, relations with supplier and finally  sustainability. The study of these activities provides  clear insights into the purchasing function developed by  F&B operators, paving the way to the development of  maturity grids outlining families of skills required in  this specific sector of activity. Such tools can help  operators developing a structured purchasing function in  order to improve efficiency of processes as well as the  evaluation of-and relationship with suppliers.},
      url = {http://arodes.hes-so.ch/record/799},
      doi = {https://doi.org/0.2989/RHM.2014.4.1&2.5.1251},
}