September 1, 2010

Talking Makes Cents  

Want to save bucks in your food service program?  Start talking!  Communication is free, and it can help save thousands of dollars each year. Let’s look at just three areas where dialogue among district and site administrators can streamline efforts and lower costs.

Meal Times 
The meal time schedule is customarily set by the site administrator based on a number of factors. The longer the lunch period(s), the higher the food service labor cost to staff those sites.

Change in schedule – If a meal times are changed without discussing it with food services two things can happen. If it is lengthened or changed to a later time, food service labor will go up, but revenue will not. If the lunch period is moved to an earlier time without communicating with food services, the food may not be ready on time, or in the case of schools receiving meals from another kitchen, the food may not be there at all.

Deliveries - To use a single school bus for more than one school route, schools have to coordinate the scheduling of opening and closing times. Districts who deliver meals from central kitchens have limited delivery trucks and drivers. Coordinating lunch times can lead to lower labor and need of less equipment.

Field Trips and Special Events – Too many times the kitchen is not notified classes will be gone for a field trip or there is a special event involving food from an outside source. Lack of communication leads to over production and waste of food.

Human Resources
Staffing/Interviewing –  Advertise positions adequately. Don’t rush through an interview. Ask probing questions and make sure the interviewer knows the correct answers. It is just as important to hire the most qualified people for food services as any other department. Food Services is a business and should be respected as such.

Transferring Employees – During times of layoffs, some districts have been known to transfer clerical or other types of personnel into food services. If these employees are untrained or can’t meet the physical demands of the job, an expensive work comp case is inevitable.

Furlough Days- When evaluating furlough days as an answer to meeeting budget, include the lost revenue from meals not being served on those days in the  total calculations.

Construction 
Avoid Expensive Change Orders - Include Food Services in all stages of kitchen/cafeteria remodeling and construction projects. Common errors that can be avoided include misplacement of electrical outlets, insufficient utilities, wrong sizes of equipment, and even faucets not matching the sinks.

Service During Construction – If school is in session, but the kitchen is not functioning, planning how to serve the students should be a group effort. Often Food Services is told to make it happen and they are forced to purchase or rent temporary storage containers, delivery vehicles, and other equipment. Site team  brainstorming can produce solutions to avoid unnecessary costs.