Powering Food Recovery Through Data Automation at Scale
Transforming Starbucks FoodShare with real-time data, automation, and accountability to scale social impact and business value
The Challenge
The Starbucks FoodShare program has always stood for something bigger: bringing meals to communities in need while minimizing food waste. Yet, behind that mission sat significant operational hurdles: too much manual effort, too many fragmented systems, and too little visibility.
The team was managing data from multiple partners in inconsistent formats, often stitching it together manually to generate reports. This meant unclear donation performance, missed opportunities for impact, and an inability to fully capture eligible tax benefits. It also left internal and external teams scrambling to resolve issues via time-consuming emails, with no easy way to identify root causes or track accountability.
The FoodShare team knew their program could do more. They just needed a system that could scale with their vision.
The Opportunity
Starbucks had a clear mandate to expand the reach and efficiency of the FoodShare program while maximizing the business and social value of every donation. As a longtime strategic partner, Point B helped shape the program’s direction from day one. But we had the opportunity to unlock its next phase through smarter data integration, performance visibility, and operational accountability.
The opportunity wasn’t just technical; it was transformational. By automating the right layers of their data ecosystem, we could shift the FoodShare team from reactive troubleshooting to proactive decision-making. The goal was to reduce friction, increase confidence, and amplify the impact of every donated item.
Our Approach
The foundation for success began with a clear understanding of what mattered most: data that could be trusted, easily accessed, and acted upon quickly. With that in mind, the engagement focused on four core capabilities:
Automated data pipelines were established to integrate donation data from external partners in real-time, reducing manual effort and enhancing consistency across sources.
Curated data models integrated internal and external datasets into a single, unified view, making it easier to track key performance indicators, uncover insights, and support day-to-day decisions.
Donation valuation methodology was tailored to reflect region- and time-specific data, improving the precision of impact reporting and maximizing financial benefits through accurate tax capture.
Automated accountability workflows were introduced, triggering “actions-to-take” alerts via email and Teams to help internal and external teams stay aligned and resolve issues quickly.
Dashboards and reports were purpose-built for distinct user groups, enabling teams across the program to get what they needed, when they needed it, without added complexity. Every element of the solution was designed to minimize friction, expedite outcomes, and scale as the program continues to expand.
This platform has been instrumental to the FoodShare program’s success. We spend at least 50% less time finding data and insights.
Sarah Freed
Deliverables
A cloud-based data platform that ingests, integrates, and curates donation and performance data from multiple sources.
Role-specific dashboards and reporting tools designed for ease of use and actionable insights.
A dynamic reporting layer for quick, flexible analysis without added overhead.
Automated communication workflows to streamline accountability and partner follow-up.
Outcomes
With the new platform in place, the FoodShare team isn’t just working differently; they’re working smarter. Here’s what we accomplished:
- 75% increase in store donation participation, driven by improved visibility and partner alignment.
- ~10% reduction in tax liability through more accurate donation valuation and reporting.
- 80% faster fulfillment of ad-hoc data requests.
- 40 hours per month saved by eliminating manual data entry and data wrangling.
- One trusted source of truth replaced fragmented spreadsheets with clarity and consistency.
A culture of proactive problem-solving, enabled by real-time insights and automated accountability tools.
Key Takeaways
At its core, this wasn’t a data project. It was a mission-enabling transformation.
By connecting people, partners, and platforms, Point B helped Starbucks elevate the impact of every donation while saving time, boosting participation, and delivering measurable business value. The result? A FoodShare program that’s more resilient, more responsive, and more ready to grow.
This is what it looks like when purpose meets precision, and progress becomes scalable.
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