Issue link: https://industrialmanagement.epubxp.com/i/513969
16 Industrial Management Imagine for a moment how hectic dinnertime can be at your household. Perhaps you have children with different schedules and different tastes, and getting a meal on the table that pleases everyone is next to impos- sible. Imagine your trip to the grocery store each week. How difficult can it sometimes become to figure out what items to choose to please everyone in your home? How can you be sure what quantities to get to feed everyone and prevent any waste at the end of the week? What about preparing your food for the week – is it more efficient to prepare meals in a large batch on the weekends, or spend your time each night cooking for yourself and your family? Now, imagine these same opera- tional questions but on a much larger, more difficult scale – a hospital kitchen. Hospital dietary departments serve many different populations on a daily basis – inpatients, family members, staff members, physicians, casual retail diners and even event catering for hospital departments. Each population has different needs and tastes. Patients want a meal to comfort and heal their bodies. Staff members need quick grab-and-go options for their breaks. And physi- cians may want a more upscale seated meal to enjoy during their off periods. How is it possible to manage all types of hospital dining populations while maintaining quality food, department efficiency and a favorable financial bottom line? Managing a hospital dietary department is a balancing act between quality and efficiency on a daily basis, and it is a perfect case study for how lean principles in hospital management may conflict with what is ultimately best for successful department operation and patient and family satisfaction. When a department faces performance measures that compete for priority, management decisions must be made to optimize resources, time and capital Lean principles in hospital management may conflict with what is ultimately best for successful department operation and patient and family satisfaction. in the best way possible. A few of the key conflicts that face food services are applicable to other departments in not only hospitals but other industries as well. Batch processing versus just-in-time production The main conflict and biggest managerial decision for food service managers to make is the type of food production system to employ in their kitchen. Most large-scale hospital kitchens use a batch processing system, where large quantities of meals are mass produced to serve to all populations in the building. Three to five items are chosen by the chef and prepared each day to serve, and those are the only options offered to all customers and patients that day. One meal may be a basic chicken dish with potatoes and a vegetable, and that meal can be dressed up or down depending on the customer, as patients need less seasonings to ease their stomachs, while physicians and retail customers might want a bit more flavor to please their palate. By pursuing a batch processing system, a manager can ensure that the kitchen is getting economy of scale benefits while decreasing the amount of waste coming from the kitchen from uneaten meals. In addition, it is easier to manage inventory and storage when meals are mass produced rather than custom made, and fewer outdated food items remain at the end of the month. The second option for a production system in a hospital kitchen is made- to-order meals. In this theory of management, customers are given many more options for meals, and they have the freedom to make an individual choice for what they would like to eat that day. Patients can be given a "room service" menu with five to 10 options, and they are able to pick what sounds the best to them rather than being limited to a few options. Retail customers in the cafeteria will be able to choose from different, line- style meals, including possibilities like made-to-order burgers, burritos, salads, sandwiches and even stir fry or fajitas. This style of management creates a higher demand on inventory as it requires carrying more raw materials. The work of creating more varied food options increases the need for more labor and physical space for the kitchen and dining area, but the major benefits are increased prices and customer satisfaction. The just-in-time production and delivery system lends itself to higher sale prices for foods because they are custom made, but customers are willing to pay higher prices when they can choose their options and see them prepared in real time. In addition, customer satisfaction is much higher when everyone has the option of choosing what sounds good to them that day. This production style is becoming more prevalent in hospitals as patient satisfaction scores become a higher priority for executive management teams. Some food service departments are even taking the model further by preparing the meals on patient floors and in patient rooms to ensure the freshest food possible for each customer. Current demand versus future trends A second managerial decision for any type of retail or food manager to make is to serve current demand or to pursue future trends in the industry. In modern America, the biggest example of this culinary decision in action is fried foods. Most hospital cafeterias serve fried options, such as chicken fingers and french fries, because these are easy to prepare, comparatively inexpensive to hold in inventory and to cook, and hold mass appeal to the general public. This being said, the nutritional value of these foods is low compared to fresh, healthier options, and intuitively it seems that hospitals should be serving