Lebkov & Sons uses data to achieve better business results
Lebkov & Sons is a true family business. Grardie Akkerhuis opened the first location in Leiden in 2002, and today you can enjoy their homemade, fresh, and honest products at six locations. Entrepreneurship runs in the family, because even before she had her VWO diploma, Eva was already involved in the business her father started. And while Grardie is very focused on the big picture, Eva is truly passionate about numbers. She uses data to achieve better business results and wants to inspire other entrepreneurs to do the same. We asked her: why is data-driven management so important?
Sharper purchasing, less waste
“Data gives you so many points of reference to take your business to a higher level,” Eva begins enthusiastically. “It gives us a very simple insight into, for example, the number of tuna salad sandwiches sold per location per day and time. Based on that information, I can calculate exactly how much we need to purchase for each location. Since we started looking at it this way, we can purchase much more accurately, and that makes a big difference—especially with fresh, limited-shelf-life products. In addition, our waste has been reduced by 75%, which aligns well with our goal of keeping our footprint as small as possible.”
What can locations learn from each other?
“By comparing the locations side by side, we can also easily zoom in on the results. What is the average revenue per location? How is it distributed across the days of the week and hours of the day? What is the average revenue per order, what are the bestsellers everywhere, and how can we explain the differences and similarities and learn from them?”
Forecasting and optimizing the assortment
“We also use the data to optimize our assortment. A reporting and analysis tool like DISH BI gives us, for example, at a glance insight into what percentage of total revenue comes from a specific category and into the top 10 revenue generators. Then we look at how much margin those products actually have. And if it turns out that the biggest revenue generators don’t have a good margin, then it’s time to take action.”
We always expand our assortment based on forecasts. For example, we first offer a new sandwich as the “sandwich of the week.” And if the numbers show that it is a bestseller, then we add this product to our assortment. This way, we continuously look for the right balance between sales and margin and optimize our offerings.
Useful information for future locations
“That information about the performance and revenue composition of our different locations can even be used to determine what type of location the next one will be and where it should be. We have different types of locations. One of our locations is more focused on to-go, while another is more focused on on-site enjoyment. If we see in the numbers from Utrecht that 50% of the revenue is generated from coffee, then we can conclude that a similar location could work with less space and a smaller assortment, which means lower costs and faster profitability.”
Prepare at the right moment
“It is also simply practical to have insight into your sales figures. If I know that in Leiden we sell an average of 18 tuna sandwiches on Wednesdays, 90% of which are sold between 12:00 and 14:00, we know exactly when we need to prepare them. That means no waiting time for guests and everything is super fresh.”
Scheduling the right number of staff
“And because I know how sales and busy periods fluctuate over the days, I can always schedule the right number of staff. And if I see that the total number of sales is increasing, that is also a sign to schedule more people to maintain the right level of hospitality, quality, and speed. Especially if good weather is forecast!”
Tracking the results of promotions
“A good Business Intelligence tool like DISH BI makes it easier to view the effect of promotions. If we promote certain juices, we can see the impact at a glance. This allows us to determine whether a discount campaign for UberEats or Deliveroo is worthwhile.”
What would you advise other entrepreneurs who want to work more data-driven?
“Keep it manageable! For example, start by taking a close look at what you sell every day. Are those really the products with good margins, or do you need to adjust your menu? What exactly do you need in stock? Can you purchase more smartly? With insights like these, you can make targeted, important optimizations, and from there you can continue growing your business.
Because I find data very interesting, I started developing Excel files in which we could track our results and, for example, calculate what we need per location. Thanks to the development of DISH BI, it now takes less time to spot trends in the data and act on them. It helps us avoid making decisions based on assumptions and instead base them on facts, because we prefer to grow slowly and steadily rather than too quickly."
About Eva Akkerhuis
Eva is passionate about numbers and the workings of the human brain. After completing VWO, Economics and Society, and a bachelor’s degree in Educational Sciences, she chose the Master’s program Brain & Cognition in Society, which included some programming. She uses her knowledge and the available data to make Lebkov & Sons more efficient, sustainable, and profitable. “The great thing about DISH BI is that it is very adaptive. For example, if I zoom in on revenue per day, all the charts and tables update accordingly. That makes it easy to extract the right information.”
About DISH BI
Lebkov & Sons uses DISH BI to manage the organization in a targeted way. DISH BI is the Business Intelligence tool of the DISH Platform. All data logged in the DISH POS system is presented here in tiles with clear charts, diagrams, and trend lines. DISH offers various standard dashboards, each displaying information about periods, locations, products, and employees. Want to go even deeper? Then you can easily zoom in and the other tiles update accordingly. Every DISH user receives free access to DISH BI Basic.