Millum Provides Customers with Increased Insight into Their Own Data for Smarter Purchasing and Better Decision-Making
In the procurement process for hotels, restaurants, and staff restaurants, large amounts of data are generated. However, without proper structure and analysis, much valuable insight can be lost. To meet customers' growing needs, the procurement system Millum has developed the insight platform Millum Insight, which combines various data sources and enriches supplier data within the system to make it more complete. Millum Insight provides procurement departments with a data-driven foundation for better decision-making – from optimizing sustainable purchasing to meeting new reporting requirements. This insight not only enhances control but can also reduce costs, strengthen branding, and create tangible competitive advantages.
The Need to Measure Food and Beverage Purchases in Kilograms
One of the first and most important needs Millum identified among its customers was the ability to measure food and beverage purchases in kilograms. The quality of supplier data varies significantly, but through standardization, structuring, and enrichment, the procurement system has now been able to calculate weight for the majority of transactions processed through the system. Today, weight is calculated for an average of 93% of all food and beverage purchases.
A Foundation for Climate Reporting in Line with New EU Requirements
Another crucial need Millum identified among its procurement customers in the hotel, restaurant, and staff restaurant industry was increased insight into their own climate impact. Starting this year, companies are required to report their climate impact, including Scope 3 emissions from food and beverages, in accordance with the European Sustainability Reporting Standards (ESRS).
To support customers in this process, Millum has strengthened its focus on climate accounting. Climate accounting combines weight calculations of purchases with climate footprint values for different products, providing customers with a precise basis for reporting. These values can be easily accessed through Millum by entering into an agreement with one of its partners, Klimato or RISE.
Insights and Value Customers Gain Through Climate Accounting in Millum Insight:
- Identifying the largest emission drivers – determining which products, suppliers, or departments contribute most to emissions
- Internal benchmarking – comparing departments, product groups, and time periods to track improvements
- Identifying emission reductions – discovering which products can be replaced with low-carbon alternatives
- Supporting corporate climate goals – continuous data helps companies track progress
- Demonstrating a proactive sustainability strategy – strengthening brand reputation and building trust among customers and investors
- Avoiding greenwashing – data-driven reporting ensures credibility in sustainability efforts
The insights customers gain not only provide a solid foundation for climate reporting – they also create valuable opportunities for analysis, sustainability strategies, and reducing environmental impact.
Organic Procurement Insights
For customers setting goals for the share of organic purchases, Millum Insight provides accurate data on both cost and weight. Organic products are automatically identified, but the biggest challenge is excluding items that are not relevant for organic calculations – such as wild-caught fish, game meat, bottled water, and certain alcohol categories.
Millum Insight addresses this challenge by filtering out irrelevant products to ensure calculations are as precise as possible. This makes it easier for customers to:
- Monitor their organic purchasing goals – gain a clear overview of the proportion of organic purchases
- Benchmark against other locations – compare progress with others within the same chain or corporate group
- Make informed decisions – adjust procurement strategies to increase the share of organic products in a cost-effective way
The Future of Millum Insight – From Sustainability to Complete Procurement Insights
Climate accounting and organic accounting are just the beginning of what Millum aims to achieve with Millum Insight. The platform will continue to develop into an even more comprehensive tool that provides customers with a holistic understanding of their procurement – from sustainability and finance to operational efficiency.
Several strategic customer needs are now in focus:
- Price and inflation analysis – helping customers understand price trends for goods and categories over time, identify patterns, and uncover cost-saving opportunities
- Procurement analysis by country of origin – making it easier to track where products actually come from, supporting strategies for locally sourced food, regional value creation, and compliance with certification requirements
- Measuring supplier service levels – giving customers insights into how well suppliers meet their commitments, such as delivery accuracy, availability, and deviations
- Optimizing product mix – analyzing which products can be replaced with more sustainable or cost-effective alternatives without compromising quality or needs
- Consumption patterns and forecasts – providing better insights into purchasing habits, seasonal variations, and consumption trends, enabling smarter planning
The goal is for Millum Insight to become an invaluable decision-making tool for procurement customers in the hotel, restaurant, and staff restaurant industry. With increasingly advanced analytics and insights available, the platform will help customers make better decisions, reduce costs, and operate more sustainably – based on data, not intuition.
