Operations Professional Pathways
Executive Update
Time Is Of The Essence In Food Production Using Time Standards to Increase Efficiency By Chef Cyndie Story, PhD, RDN, SNS, CC
If you don’t have time to do it right, when will you have time to do it over? John Wooden Staffing shortages are an ongoing concern for school foodservice orga- nizations all over the country. So directors are always on the look-out for ways to solve this problem. One solution is to maximize the effectiveness of the staff already on your team. However, you can’t make improvements in staff productivity until you understand what they currently do, how they do it, and how long it takes to complete each task. That’s what’s known as time standards development, or work measurement. Developing Time Standards Back in the 1880s, Frank Gilbreth developed the method of time/motion studies that he used for measuring production efficiency. Frank Gilbreth worked as a bricklayer, and he noticed that each worker had a different way of laying bricks. Some methods were more efficient than others. He began to analyze the different work methods, and determined the best way to improve efficiency in the process. From this moment on Frank became the pioneer in motion and time studies and he went on to revolutionize the construction industry with his data-driven efficiencies. 1 This technique was very successful then, and is still being used today. According to the Web site, AccountingTools.com, simply put, “Work measurement is the calculation of the time required to complete a job.” 2 Analysts observe employees doing their work, and analyze “a task, its size, the method used in its performance, and its efficiency. The objective is to determine the workload in an operation, the time that is required, and the number of workers needed to perform the work efficiently.” 3 The Benefits of Time Standards Work measurement can be extremely effective. If you understand your organization’s work processes better, you can refine them where they present problems, you can find ways to increase staff productivity, and reduce labor costs. And by observing work processes, you can arrive at a fair standard which everyone can strive for. It’s important to keep in mind, however, that as with any system, you may encounter variables, depend- ing on the staff assigned to a task, the equipment that is being used, and the size of a kitchen. Time standards are critical when developing a work schedule, either for an individual, or for an entire professional category. The important thing is that standards can increase labor efficiency, support food production, and save time.
Time Standards In Action Take a look at the following time standards developed for an individual foodservice worker. With information like this, you can make more informed decisions, draw up your labor schedules, and calculate your labor costs for different jobs. For example, if you decide you want a particular task to be completed in half the time, you would have to assign two people to it, rather than just one.
Task: Rinse, wedge, bag and seal apple wedges using a sectionizer Portions: 138 Time: 30 minutes
Task: Assemble cheeseburgers (put cooked meat, and a slice of cheese on each bun) Portions: 84 Time: 20 minutes
Task: Prepare PBJ sandwiches (peanut butter/jelly not mixed) Portions: 100 Time: 25 minutes
Task: Pack bag lunches (including a sandwich, fruit, vegetable, cookie, and napkin)
Task: Add 30 slices of pepperoni to a 16-inch pizza Portion: 1 pie Time: 30 seconds
Portions: 100 bags Time: 20 minutes
Source: Chef Cyndie and the K-12 Team, “School Food & Nutrition Service Management,” 2014.
1 “Time and Motion Studies: Strategies and Tools to Improve Efficiency,” Volan Technology, 2022. https://volantechnology.com/blog/time-and-motion-studies-guide Accessed: July 27, 2022. 2 “What is Work Measurement?”, AccountingTools.com , May 24, 2022. www.accountingtools.com/articles/work-measurement Accessed: July 27, 2022. 3 “Work Measurement,” Encyclopedia.com www.encyclopedia.com/finance/finance-and-accounting-magazines/work-measurement Accessed: July 27, 2022.
Chef Cyndie Story heads up the K-12 Culinary Team, a consulting business specializing in streamlining and optimizing school meal systems. She has over 30 years of experience in training and educating school nutrition staff in a range of operational skills. In 2018, she received the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics School Nutrition Services Award of Excellence.
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