At some stage of development, all restaurant projects come to standardization. Typically, this happens when:
The company expands, the number of projects grows, there are more and more disruptions, and there is less and less time;
There are no agreements between managers, employees act differently in similar situations, and reports are unique each time;
Franchising appears in the plans.
Obviously, in the first two cases, the company loses profits, and in the third, it under-receives. How can standardization affect the improvement of company processes?
Standardization is a process that not only triggers the emergence of standards, but also makes the rules become part of the company and are fully implemented. The result of the process should be not just written guidelines but such systems which are convenient and effective for the company.
The algorithm itself looks simple enough at first glance:
Development of standards;
Implementation;
Improvement.
But let’s understand it in detail.
- Form a working group and set goals.
If you write the standards yourself and just “let the team down” from above, the probability that they will gather dust in the offices is close to 100%. In the end, no one will be guided by these documents.
In order to start the process of describing the standards, you need to assemble a key team. It should include the top of the company – professionals who understand the basic blocks of the kitchen and bar.
For the entire work process to be coordinated, and all of these tops were able to agree and do a common thing, it is important to determine the head of the working group. This person will moderate the meetings and organize the process.
- Draw up a tree and branches (skeleton) of standards.
To build strong kitchen and bar production management systems, we recommend working in four areas – Taste, Order, People, and Economy.
- Conduct an analysis of current rules and standards.
The company may already have partially prescribed guidelines. It is important to evaluate them and set the appropriate status.
Existing standards that need to be improved – take them to work. Documents that are missing – create them.
Determine priorities for development and improvement.
Weak processes whose failures cause the company to lose the most revenue should be prioritized.
- Determine timelines and responsibilities.
Your working group should have a common Action plan, in which each participant will be predetermined concrete tasks and deadlines with statuses.
Consistency and reflection are important in the process of creating standards. Start implementing formalization by following these steps, and you can start a continuous process of improving the company’s performance.
