How a Kitchen Management System Can Help Solve the Food Waste Dilemma
Food waste is a major, and growing, concern throughout the world. For restaurant operators, it is a concern due to its impact on the bottom line, in addition to the environment. So what steps can fast casual restaurant operators take to make a difference and reverse this growing problem? Ryan Hildebrand, a product manager for SICOM Systems Inc. recommends the use of a kitchen management system (KMS), explaining that it can help solve the food waste dilemma in the following ways:
- Estimate Production Needs – A KMS uses historical and current information from a restaurant’s point of sale system to produce projections for preparation and production, thereby reducing waste from overproduction and eliminating the dissatisfaction that results from underproduction.
- Instruct Staff on Managing Resources – A KMS can be employed to provide staff with intuitive directives on how much food to cook, prepare, and thaw. It can also define and deliver customized automated reminders for tasks.
- Automate Food Storage – The KMS should integrate with your restaurant’s product holding units (PHUs) in order to automate temperature and hold times. This feature allows for the appropriate amount of food to be prepared at precisely the right time, which reduces the potential for food waste.
- Identify Issues With Product Holding Units – Since the KMS is integrated with the PHU, it is able to monitor PHU performance, alerting crew members and vendors of outages, which helps to prevent unnecessary spoilage.
- Offer Immediate Data on Kitchen Operations – The real-time insights that a KMS provides help restaurant crews to understand the current state of their kitchen performance.
For more details, read the article in full at Fast Casual.