1. Audit your current state
Before evaluating alternatives, document what you have. Pull 90 days of invoices from your current supplier. Note delivery cadence, pack sizes, GST-inclusive unit pricing, late deliveries, substitutions, and any quality issues. This baseline is what every alternative gets compared against.
- Pull 90 days of invoices (Xero or your POS export will do)
- Compute total spend per category
- Note delivery cadence (Mon/Wed/Fri vs daily) and minimum-order thresholds
- List the top 20 SKUs by volume and the top 5 by spend
- Document any quality / substitution / lateness incidents (memory or Slack archaeology)
2. Define what 'better' looks like
Switching for a 3% price improvement on commodity items rarely pays back the operational cost. The wins come from delivery flexibility, pack-size match, lower minimum orders, or quality consistency. Pick 2-3 specific goals before evaluating.
- Lower minimum-order threshold (e.g. $300 → $150) so you can order more frequently
- Better pack-size match (no more buying 5kg of an ingredient you use 1kg of)
- Earlier delivery window (6am vs 8am) so morning service starts on time
- Better produce quality / freshness / origin
3. Parallel-run for two weeks
Don't cut over cold. Order from your shortlisted alternative for 2 weeks alongside the incumbent. Compare delivery punctuality, pack accuracy, quality, and team feedback. The chef and the kitchen porter will both have opinions worth listening to.
4. Cutover with a fallback
When you commit, give the new supplier a 30-day fallback window with the incumbent on standby. Notify your incumbent in writing (you may have an account-level termination clause you forgot about). Coordinate the first month's order schedule personally — don't delegate.
5. Debrief at 30 days
Run a 20-minute debrief with the kitchen team and the new supplier's account manager. Cover what's working, what's not, and lock in any remaining adjustments. The first 30 days set the relationship pattern for the next 12 months.