For over a decade, Pi, Pelican’s eProcurement system, has been the dependable backbone for finance, catering, and operations teams, streamlining their daily tasks. Crafted in-house and fine-tuned through client feedback, Pi stands out for its set of features, robustness, flexibility, and intuitive design.
We caught up with Matt Ferris, our Lead Product & Release Manager, a driving force behind Pi’s evolution since its inception. Matt sheds light on what makes Pi a standout solution and offers a sneak peek into some exciting upcoming developments!
What drives your passion for eProcurement?
My passion for eProcurement is driven by witnessing its growth and impact. When our eProcurement system Pi was first created, it had a modest user base. Now, seeing universities, major hospitals, school groups, and care homes relying on our system daily is truly fantastic.
This widespread adoption shows that we’re doing something right, which is also backed by overwhelmingly positive feedback, particularly regarding the system’s user-friendliness. It’s exciting to see how quickly people understand and use the system with minimal training.
A memorable experience for me happened a few years back during a visit to an NHS Hospital. When I went to visit their offices, I saw five of their team simultaneously placing orders using our ordering platform, Cherry Pi. Seeing the scale of its usage in a major London hospital was incredibly thrilling!
How has Pi evolved?
When Pi was first developed, it replaced an internal legacy system, Central Billing, which provided the ability for users to view their consolidated supplier statements online. Since then, the most significant progress over the last decade has been our continuous efforts to refine the system, ensuring it is exceptionally user-friendly for our clients to help them save even more time in their day-to-day work lives.
What sets Pi apart?
Pi stands out as a comprehensive one-single-platform solution honed over years of client feedback. This input has been instrumental in shaping Pi’s development, resulting in a system that’s not only feature-rich but also profoundly intuitive.
Each module is carefully designed to simplify and enhance efficiency in our clients’ work lives. For instance, our Menu Management Module offers advanced tools tailored to catering teams’ needs, going beyond the basics to boost productivity.
What’s your favourite module?
In terms of aesthetics and ease of use, my favourite is probably the online ordering module, Cherry Pi. Especially now, with the inclusion of product images, it offers a shopping-like experience tailored to our client’s needs for swiftly and efficiently placing orders with multiple suppliers. It’s packed with numerous powerful features.
What’s in store for Pi users?
We’re currently working on several exciting developments, including a highly requested feature allowing users to upload recipes directly from a spreadsheet. This feature will enable users to prepare recipes offline and seamlessly upload them in bulk, saving valuable time, especially for new Pi clients.
Book your Pi demo today!
Want to find out how Pi can revolutionise your catering operation and support your finance and purchasing team? Or are you already a Pi user but eager to explore other features? Call our friendly team to book your free demonstration at hello@pelicanprocurement.co.uk.
