Kudler Fine Foods Case Study

Kudler Fine Foods Information System

Kudler Fine Foods (KFF), located in La Jolla, California, was founded in 1998 by Kathy Kudler. KFF is a provider of high-end gourmet foods and wines from around the world and local markets. They strive to provide only the freshest and highest quality products available to their customers, (Kudler Fine Foods, 2009). Because of the success and interest generated by the first location Kathy has since opened two more California locations; Del Mar in 2000 and Encinitas in 2003. "Each store has approximately 8,000 s.f. of retail space located in a fashionable shopping center," (Kudler Fine Foods, 2009). As Kudler Fine Foods continues to grow, their needs change and develop continuously, especially where the company's technology and information systems are concerned.

Information systems (IS) are "the entire infrastructure, organization, personnel, and components that collect, process, store, transmit, display, disseminate, and act on information," (TheFreeDictionary.com, 2011). In today's electronic age businesses are utilizing hardware and software to more effectively manage and control data and information. Technology definitely has replaced the pen and paper. The use of IS in a retail-based business allows the business to focus more on the customers and their shopping experience.

While implementing an IS can be extremely expensive the amount of time and personnel it frees up can be a huge asset to the company. Some of the benefits of running an IS are: increased productivity, increased efficiency and increased accuracy, (Goessl, 2011). Information Systems can increase productivity by reducing the amount of time that personnel spend entering, tracking, and managing data. As the IS handles this information, personnel are free to focus their attention on tasks that are more relevant to increasing their productivity and the profitability of the business. An IS also increases the efficiency and accuracy of the business and its employees by streamlining various processes, such as payroll, ordering, tracking inventory and reducing the number of errors during data manipulation and management. The benefits enjoyed by a business implementing an IS can far outweigh the initial startup costs of the IS.

KFF currently utilizes a database structure to maintain relevant information concerning customers, inventory, items, orders, stores, and tender (Kudler Fine Foods, 2009). Although their current method of dealing with