Foodservice System Model and Quality of Service - Essay Example

FOODSERVICE SYSTEM MODEL AND QUALITY OF SERVICE Student’s name; Tutor; Institution; Date; Foodservice system model is applied in a number of institutions around the world including schools, hospitals and hotel chains. Foodservice directors mostly inherit a system from their predecessors and apply a little change to suit their style of management. In this study, we will use a school foodservice model as the case study for purposes of understanding. A number of schools in America use the central food production model that has been in use for years. Uncertainty within the financial market has pushed organizations costs up forming a change in foodservice model. Foodservice directors have to cut on operation cost to meet customers demand and in the same time address quality issues within the organization. Changes to the central food production model, should be done with considerable care, taking into consideration alternative models to offer quality service to consumers. Foodservice models are unique from a number of productions. The uniqueness are as follows food demands are high at specified times of the day, which are breakfast, lunchtime, and dinner. These are referred to as peak times within the foodservice industry. Off-peak times, the service records low demands that are manageable by a small staff. Foodservice directors, warn of variation on demands of food during different times of the year, competitive events and preference (Food Safety and HACCP, 2008). Schools should brace up to modify their production activity during the different seasons of the year. The production of food is labour intensive and requires both skilled and unskilled labour to realize the service objectives, within a school set up. Food is perishable and requires proper handling before and after purchase. The daily change in menus, cause a change in food production, which makes production expensive and is likely to interfere with the quality of service delivery to customers. Quality service delivery is determined with a centralized foodservice model, which centralizes all operations of the model in efforts to concentrate efforts, food storage, and planning, within one area of operation and distribution. This approach reduces labour cost and meets customers demand within the stipulated time (Gregoire, 2009, pp. 45-50). These operations are within the service industry, which is a extremely delicate sector that needs more care in planning, and execution of operation to meet customers’ expectation for business continuity in the region. Quality service delivery will determine the success of the foodservice model in a school set up. A number of operators are in favour of a centralized foodservice model than the other models, which is because it offers quality service delivery to customers through a ready, prepared system, which curbs the production time and delivery of food to customers. This approach reduces food production time, through storage of already produce food, which makes it easy to service customers within a short time on lacing the order. This improves service delivery to customers through a faster delivery of service. A number of clients have unique demands, which can be met through the combination of different food models, to improve on service total quality management to the customers. Quality assessment and total quality management are determined from the initial food production system that follows a food flow process. The quality of service within a foodservice model is determined, on the nature of food flow within the service. Centralized foodservice model follows the following food flow process, which is a ten-chain process from procurement to food service at the table. It starts with menu planning, purchasing, receiving, and storage, preparing, cooking, holding, serving, cooling, and finally heating. This food flow model, facilities for a better quality assessment process within the service sector with easy. Constant monitoring and evaluation of the process will see to it that customers receive the best service and quality food within a short time. It is, therefore, of interest to all foodservice directors to master the food flow process, which will determine the quality of service and product to the customer in terms of food nutrition and a wide variety to choose from the menu. Centralized food productions require the addition of a transportation cost to the overall food production process. This is because all services are controlled and determined within a centralized location and distributed to a number of outlets within the school. In centralized food production, purchasing is down from the low continuum scale. Ingredients and receipt are purchased for the production of food from a central kitchen (Foodservice Systems, 2009). This contributes the quality service delivery to customers, through production of freshly produced foods and high nutrients value. This approach maximizes on food masses to produce in efforts to reduce, the cost of production without compromising the quality of service delivery to customers. Conventional foodservice model, advocated for the production of food from satellite kitchens, the result was disastrous on the quality of food and service to customers (Kirwan, 2011, pp. 67). Production of food from a central location assures customers on the quality of food being served from the foodservice model outlets or satellite kitchens. This will offer customers confident on a foodservice provider within the school system, unlike a convectional foodservice which numerous quality challenges (Gregoire, 2009, pp. 72-75). Food prepared from one kitchen, entails the best preparation method by the best chefs, the model can have at that time handle it. This entails quality food production and service to customers. Food menu is easily varied through a centralized process than a conventional method. The food is freshly prepared, and hence the model accommodates for all forms of food menus required by customers. This is an easy step in the determination of the quality and service to customers. The system employs a limited number of qualified personnel to prepare the food. Unlike a convectional foodservice, model, which has numerous satellite kitchens around the school, with different staffs? This compromises the quality of food from on the outlet to the other depending on employs qualification (Gustafsson; Öström, 2006, pp. 84-85). Assessment of food quality and service delivery is best done through a common production system that offers all service providers a chance to show case their capability. The major undoing in a convectional foodservice model is the variation in food and service delivery. Employees skills tend to differ from one kitchen to the other. These variations lead to ought to right different in quality and service delivery throughout satellite kitchens. These shortcomings are not realized within the convectional foodservice model (Wen-hwa, 2009, pp. 141) Variation on service delivery is reduced through concentration of quality service delivery to one coordinated area and safe guides customer’s interests. The cost of purchase and production determines the quality of service delivery to customers. Centralized foodservice offers a chance for the purchase of bulk products within the market. This lowers the cost of production and hence low production and supply cost (Food Safety and HACCP, 2008). The market has become dynamic and needs appropriate actions and techniques to meet customers’ expectations. Low production cost facilitates a better service delivery through employment of qualified personnel to handle customer related issues and services. Centralized system requires specialized transport and facilities to store, move, and deliver the food to its satellite kitchens (Yongmei ; Jixia, 2006, pp. 140-145). This service is actualized within the airline industry. Discussion on quality service delivery to customers cannot be discussed without addressing personnel related concerns, which includes motivation and terms of service. Employees within the foodservice industry need better remuneration, to keep up with the changes in the industry. Motivation of employees through monetary or appraisal will facilitate better service delivery to customers (Foodservice Systems, 2009). Employee skills also determine the service customers will receive. Foodservice models are labour intensive and in need of both skilled and unskilled personnel to handle different service within the model. For effective customer service, only skilled employees should be allowed to relate directly with customers by portraying only desirable characters of the service. It is through of importance to note, that only qualified employees should be employed to offer quality service to customers within all foodservice models. Centralized foodservice model has a specialized ingredient preparation room, which facilitate in the improvement of the menu and ingredients to be used in different recipe. This enables customers subjected to this foodservice get value for their money (Gustafsson; Öström, 2006, pp. 84-85). The recipe can be changed repeatedly depending on customers’ requirements. This initiative makes the service stand out from the rest. Centralized foodservice model apply heavy mechanization in its production process within the kitchens. This approach enables high production rate within the service to offer a faster production rate that is efficient and of high quality to consumers. Mechanization enables production and delivery of food and service within customer stipulate time (Kyungjoo ; Minyoung, 2011, pp. 140-142 ). This offers quality customer service within the foodservice sector, which is becoming challenging with the entry of more players in the sector with new service models to replace existing models. Centralized foodservice has 10 food flow stages that apply quality controls starting with microbiological quality controls, aesthetic and nutrition quality. Each step of production within the service under does through the above-mentioned controlled qualities to offer better saves and products to consumers of the product from the service. Quality food is free from microbial contamination, which can be hazardous to the client base and affect service reputation. Food and recipe aesthetic value must be determined at each stage. This will make sure that all foods including fruits and vegetable show their original colour and are of normal size, before moving to the next stage within the food flow chain. Quality service entails the provision of high quality services and goods. Quality controls applied within the centralized foodservice as gone a long way in the promotion of better service and products to customers. The planning, purchasing and preparation process consider food nutritional values (Food Safety and HACCP, 2008). A highly nutrition menu is a sign of quality within the service industry. The labour force within the sector shapes quality service to customers and consumers in the foodservice industry. Skilled labour will do to their best to prove their capability to deliver on the best as required by his mandate. The mode of preparation, storage and delivery will determine on service quality. Mechanization should be used to make timely production within the service. Quality controls carried out at each stage, need further improvement to allow application of a broader quality control. Centralization foodservice model, offers quality service to customers around the world. Reference; Food Safety and HACCP, 2008 A Guide to Centralized Foodservice Systems, retrieved from http://nfsmi.org/documentlibraryfiles/PDF/20080212033456.pdf on 18th April 2012. Foodservice Systems, 2009, A Guide to Centralized Foodservice Systems, retrieved from http://nfsmi.org/documentlibraryfiles/PDF/20080212032530.pdf on 18th April, 2012, Gregoire, M. B., 2009, Foodservice Organizations: A Managerial and Systems Approach, 7 edu., London; Prentice Hall, Gustafsson, I; Öström, Å; Johansson, J, 2006, The Five Aspects Meal Model: a tool for developing meal services in restaurants. Vol. 17 (Is.. 2), p84-93, 10p, Kirwan, M. J., 2011, Food and Beverage Packaging Technology, New York; John Wiley & Sons, Kyungjoo K.; Minyoung K, 2011, Assessment of foodservice quality and identification of improvement strategies using hospital foodservice quality model, (e-journal), vol,. 2, accesed through http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2867228/ on 18th April, 2012, WEN-HWA KO, 2009, Foodservice Satisfaction for Work-Sector Meals: A Model Based on Food Variety, Sensory Feeling, and Quality Perception, Journal of Culinary Science & Technology, Vol. 7 (Iss. 2/3), p132-151, 20p, Yongmei L ; Jixia, Y, 2006, Server Emotional Experiences and Affective Service Delivery: Mechanisms Linking Climate for Service and Customer Outcomes. Journal of Foodservice Business Research, Vol. 9 Issue 2/3, p127-150, 24p, Read More