A FileMaker ERP for catering is at the heart of Lolli Group’s new project for Boxing Catering: a custom business management system built to connect customers, suppliers, products, sales, purchasing, inventory, documents and operational control in one environment.
The project is currently under development. We are not simply replacing a few screens. We are analysing how the company works, consolidating its existing data structure and building a clearer, more consistent system that can evolve with the business.
Project at a glance
Lolli Group is developing a FileMaker ERP for catering with Claris FileMaker and WebDirect. The system brings together contact management, sales, purchasing, products, inventory, PDF documents and role-based access in a single operational platform.
About Boxing Catering
Boxing Catering is a Milan-based company specialising in catering for corporate and private events. Its services combine food quality, flexibility and practical organisation, covering everything from office lunches and coffee breaks to openings, backstage hospitality and complete banqueting services.
The company offers different formats for different events. Its Smart formula provides food boxes and tableware for a self-managed buffet, while its Classic formula includes a complete catering service with prepared dishes, equipment and staff. That variety makes accurate, connected and easily accessible operational information especially important.
A bespoke catering company does not simply manage orders. It coordinates customers, people, venues, products, suppliers, costs, deliveries and activities that can change significantly from one event to the next.
Why a FileMaker ERP for catering is a better fit
Standard software may cover individual functions, but it often forces a business to divide its work between spreadsheets, separate applications, documents and manual procedures. In catering, this fragmentation can make it difficult to understand the current status of a job or determine which information is accurate and up to date.
A custom FileMaker ERP for catering can instead be modelled around the company’s actual procedures. The objective of the Boxing Catering project is to create a central source of operational data from which each authorised user can access the information required for their role and current task.
The value is not technology for its own sake. It lies in reducing repetitive steps, duplicate data and manual searches. Information should be entered once, connected to the correct entities and reused throughout the workflows that follow.
What Lolli Group is developing for Boxing Catering
Our work begins with an analysis of the existing application and its data. Before introducing new functions, we examine relationships, layouts, calculations, documents and operational paths. This allows us to preserve reliable behaviour while modernising the areas that need improvement.
1. Unified and clearer contact records
The redesigned contact area brings information about customers, suppliers, resources and other contacts into one coherent view. Tax information, addresses, contacts, payment terms and administrative details are organised into recognisable sections, without forcing users to search for the same organisation in several disconnected archives.
From each contact record, authorised users can reach related products, sales, purchases and documents while retaining the context of the selected person or company.
2. Quotations, sales and invoices
The sales cycle is being reorganised to make quotations, sales documents and invoices easier to consult. Financial information is presented with consistent formatting and verifiable totals, while links between each customer and its documents make it possible to reconstruct the commercial history without manual cross-referencing.
The interface helps operators distinguish between operational areas and work on the correct records. Sensitive actions are designed with explicit controls instead of relying on ambiguous buttons or hidden assumptions.
3. Purchasing and supplier management
Purchase orders, delivery notes and supplier invoices are brought into the same architecture. Users can consult these documents from the relevant supplier record, compare connected information and reduce the fragmentation caused by separate archives.
The management of supplier products also includes structured lists and PDF outputs. This makes it easier to review or share information in a consistent format without rebuilding the document manually each time.
4. Products, menus and inventory
For a catering company, products and availability are not isolated data. They affect planning, purchasing and the ability to prepare suitable proposals for customers. The new ERP connects these areas to the wider system and makes them accessible through a clearer operational menu.
Particular attention is being given to data quality and performance. An inventory system must remain useful and responsive as its history grows, rather than becoming an obstacle to day-to-day work.
5. Documents and PDFs generated by the ERP
The project includes a review of printing and PDF-generation procedures. The objective is to create documents with consistent names, readable layouts and information taken directly from the correct records, reducing the need to retype data in external applications.
Every critical process must be verified through to its final output. A script completing without an error is not enough: the PDF must actually be created, contain the expected information and be suitable for the person who receives it.
An interface designed around real work
Modernisation also concerns the user experience. We are creating a consistent visual hierarchy, with sections, fields, buttons and related-data tables that follow the same design language. The new main menu separates Contacts, Sales, Purchasing, Products and Menus, Inventory and Administration into recognisable operational areas.
Layouts are checked both during development and with real records. This allows us to verify more than appearance: we also test readability, alignment, portal rows, number formats, button behaviour and navigation quality.
FileMaker Pro and WebDirect access
The FileMaker ERP for catering is based on Claris FileMaker and is being prepared for different access methods. Authorised users can work with FileMaker Pro, while compatible workflows can also be made available through a web browser with FileMaker WebDirect.
The interface can respond to the client being used. Menus and toolbars, for example, may behave differently in FileMaker Pro and WebDirect without restricting full-access accounts during development and maintenance.
Individual accounts and privilege sets limit functions and information according to each user’s role. Before the final production release, the system must be tested in every intended client environment and prepared for the controlled transition from the trial environment to the customer’s operational infrastructure.
Performance, continuity and controlled migration
Modernising an existing business application requires more care than creating a standalone demonstration. Active data, relationships and procedures must be protected, and every change must be testable and recoverable.
For this reason, development and structural work use controlled copies, backups, consistency checks and validation before release. Migration is not considered complete until the real workflow has been tested in the intended clients and users have confirmed that the required functions work in practice.
Why Lolli Group uses Claris FileMaker
FileMaker combines a relational database, application logic, interfaces, documents and integrations within a flexible platform. It is particularly effective when a company’s competitive advantage depends on procedures that generic business software cannot represent accurately.
The platform also supports incremental evolution. Once the operational foundation is stable, new modules, automation and integrations can be introduced without rebuilding the entire application.
For more information about this approach, read our guide to custom FileMaker ERP systems and our article about inventory management with FileMaker.
A project built with the customer, not only for the customer
The new FileMaker ERP for catering is still evolving. Its technical architecture is being developed alongside the validation of Boxing Catering’s day-to-day requirements. This distinction matters: a function may be technically correct, but it becomes genuinely effective only when users test it in their own work and confirm that the workflow meets their operational needs.
The Lolli Group method therefore combines analysis, development, testing with real data and direct customer feedback. The objective is not to deliver a collection of screens, but a reliable and understandable system that can support Boxing Catering over time.
Frequently asked questions about catering ERP systems
What is a catering ERP?
A FileMaker ERP for catering is a business management system that connects customers, suppliers, products, quotations, sales, purchasing, inventory, documents and operational activities within one data platform.
Why choose a custom ERP instead of standard software?
A custom ERP follows the company’s real procedures, reduces duplicate work and can evolve when services, roles and organisational requirements change. It is especially valuable when generic modules cannot represent the business accurately.
Is the Boxing Catering ERP already complete?
No. The project is currently in development and validation. Several areas have been analysed and reorganised, but the final release will require complete testing in the intended client environments and operational acceptance by the customer.
Can FileMaker be used through a web browser?
Yes. Compatible functions can be delivered through Claris FileMaker WebDirect. Browser behaviour is tested separately from FileMaker Pro because the interface, permissions and navigation must work correctly in both environments.
Can a FileMaker ERP be extended in the future?
Yes. A well-designed solution can incorporate additional modules, APIs, automation, reports and external services while retaining a central data model and protecting validated workflows.
Do you need a custom ERP for your business?
If your organisation still depends on spreadsheets, separate applications or manual processes, Lolli Group can analyse the existing workflow and evaluate whether a FileMaker ERP for catering or another custom solution is the right fit.
Contact Lolli Group to tell us about your project and request an initial assessment.