Modoru’s automated inventory system for caterers a game-changer

Platform cuts costs and waste by up to 50 per cent

Modoru has rolled out a fully automated inventory system designed to help catering companies cut operational costs by up to 20%, while reducing packaging expenses and single-use waste by as much as 50%.

According to the company, the launch marks a much-needed innovation in catering, streamlining operations and driving sustainability through effective circular economy practices.

Across the catering industry, inventory is still predominantly tracked manually - a process that consumes up to 25% of staff time, introduces error rates as high as 10%, and leaves teams with limited visibility into the movement and utilisation of valuable items.

After years of research, collaboration, and testing, entrepreneur Manni Sidhu and the Modoru team have launched an RFID-powered inventory tracking system that scans hundreds of items in seconds with near-perfect accuracy.

 “Our research showed that inventory management is one of the biggest pain points for catering companies - manual, time-consuming, costly, and growth-limiting,” Sidhu says.

“A solution that optimises inventory operations and reduces costs creates the foundation for scalable inventory management, and circular reusable systems.” 

Globally, the catering industry - comprising some 400,000 operations - struggles with a recycling rate of just 9%, limited sustainability solutions, impending regulation, and an urgent need to optimise inventory management. 

Modoru’s solution tackles both challenges, arriving at a pivotal time for an industry in urgent need of change.

Cape Town caterer Dish Food & Social will be the first to deploy the Modoru system. 

“\After seeing the early tests, we’re confident in the system’s ability to streamline inventory workflows and implement long-term reusable packaging systems that deliver results,” says Andrea Foulkes, CEO of Dish Food & Social.

With pilots commencing in South Africa, and further projects launching in Dubai, the USA, the UK, Singapore and Australia, Modoru’s system is set to transform catering operations worldwide - delivering efficiency, sustainability, and stronger bottom-line results.