the idea that complex organizations are made up of interdependent parts that interact in ways to achieve goals
Classification of Foodservices
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(restaurants, supermarkets, convenience stores, delis, snack bars, and other commercial retail food establishments)
Noncommercial
(business, educational, governmental or institutional organizations that operate their own foodservice)
Military
Foodservice Operations
All organizations have a mission
To achieve the mission statement, objectives must be developed
history of systems theory
The human relations movement found that social and psychological factors were important measures of employee satisfaction.
The systems theory emerged in the 60’s and 70’s and put emphasis on the organization’s relationship with its environment.
Some
basics of systems theory
System
Subsystems
Systems
Theory
Some
key systems definitions
Inputs
– resources such as money, material, time, information required by a system.
Operations
– the work performed to transform inputs into outputs.
Transformation
– the process required to change inputs into outputs.
Outputs
– finished products and services of an organization
Equifinality –
the same outputs may be achieved from different inputs or transformational
processes.
Feedback
– information on how operations worked or failed or how they should be changed
to restore equilibrium.
Controls
– the self-imposed plans and legal documents that impact the organization’s
function
Benefits of systems thinking
More
effective problem solving
More
effective communication
More
effective planning
More
effective organizational development
Types
of Foodservice Systems
Conventional – raw foods are purchased,
prepared on site, and served soon after preparation.
Advantages
-Quality control
-Menu flexibility
-Less freezer storage required
-Conventional
Disadvantages
-Stressful workday
-Difficulty in scheduling workers
Rationale
-Foods may be procured with limited
amounts of processing
Conventional system demands skilled labor
Ready-prepared (cook/chill or
cook/freeze) – foods are prepared on-site, then chilled or frozen and stored
for
reheating at a later time.
Advantages
-Reduction of “peaks and valleys” of
workloads
Reduction in labor cost
-Improved quality and quantity control
Disadvantages
-Need
for large cold storage and freezer units
-Need
for costly rethermalization
equipment in some cases
Rationale
-Reduced
labor expenses
-Decreased
need for skilled labor
-Volume
food procurement may decrease food costs
Commissary – a central production kitchen
or food factory with centralized food purchasing and delivery to off-site
facilities for final preparations.
Advantages
-Large volume food purchasing reduces
costs
-Effective and consistent quality control
Disadvantages
-Many critical points where contamination
of food can occur
Specialized equipment and trucks are
needed for food safety
-High cost of equipment and equipment
maintenance
Rationale
-Accommodates remote service areas
Assembly/serve – also known as the “kitchenless
kitchen,” fully prepared foods are purchased, stored, assembled, heated, and
served
Advantages
-Labor savings
-Lower procurement costs
-Minimal equipment and space requirements
Assemble/Serve
Disadvantages
-Limited availability of desired menu
items
-High cost of prepared foods
-Additional freezer space requirements
-Concern over recycling or disposing of
packaging materials
Rationale
-Assuming a lack of skilled labor and an
available supply of highly processed foods, this system can be successful.
Today’s foodservice managers should view
their organization as a system composed of
various elements.
The arrangement of subsystems,
procurement, food preparation, delivery and service, and
sanitation into
varying ways is the basis for grouping foodservices into types of systems.
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