At part of our class project at the Austin Center for Design, we researched about the food management process at a local supermarket in Austin, Texas. In the process, we learned a lot about the current processes, as well as ideal processes suggested by our research participants. We synthesized the idea and proposed a few design solutions.

1. Research report on prepared food
management process in supermarkets
Ruby Ku & Julia Moisand
Austin Center for Design
19 OCT 2010
Tuesday, October 26, 2010

2. Research Report 2
Tuesday, October 26, 2010

3. Research Report
Presentation overview
‣ Methodology
‣ Our findings
‣ Our recommendations
‣ Conclusion
3
Tuesday, October 26, 2010

4. Research Report
Methodology
4
Tuesday, October 26, 2010

5. Research Report
Goals
5
‣ Understand current food management process around prepared food at
a local supermarket in Austin, Texas:
- forecasting
- delivering
- storing
- cooking & preparing
- shelfing
- disposing
‣ Understand the supermarket policies and Texas standards
‣ Understand processes at a competitor supermarket
‣ Customers needs
Tuesday, October 26, 2010

6. Research Report 6
Research Methodology
‣ 4 participants at local supermarket:
- Front of House manager
- Prepared food team lead
- Prepared food team staff
‣ 2 participants at competitor supermarket:
- Deli manager
- Deli counter manager
‣ 2 research methods:
- observation
- co-creation
Tuesday, October 26, 2010

7. Research Report 7
Interviewing with management
‣ Manager of the prepared food team
‣ What we did:
- «a day in the life»
- 3 hours during opening shift
- 1 hour during closing shift
- tour of the store
- forecast software
- kitchen organization
Tuesday, October 26, 2010

8. Research Report 8
Interview with staff
Prime: journaling exercise to record their current job responsibilities
Tuesday, October 26, 2010

9. Research Report 9
Interview with staff
Dream: collaging exercise to describe their current and ideal experience
Tuesday, October 26, 2010

10. Research Report 10
Interview with staff
Create: sketching exercise to make the ideal come true
Tuesday, October 26, 2010

11. Research Report
Our findings
11
Tuesday, October 26, 2010

12. Research Report 12
Storage for
Produce Dpt
Cooler for
Produce Dpt
Storage
Chef’s
case
Cooler for Chef’s
case
PREPLESS area:
-salads
- sandwich
- dinner for 2
- dips
- juices
- dressings
8 people
Receiving area
from 12 different
vendors
Check point 1
Bell rings when delivery
Check point 2
trash dumper
Chef case counter (60 meals)
Recycling
compressors
for boxes
Bread
for FoodBank &
3 churches
Computer 1
Access to Cbord:
- forecast
- reports
- production sheet
KITCHEN
Chef’s case team, cook:
- beans
- pasta
- chicken
- quesadillas
Chef’s prepared food team
Cooler and storage for Chef’s
prepared food Dish
washer
The
«Line»
(for the
café)
Café counter
Grab n’go
shelf
(20 meals)
Café
Customer
entrance 1
Customer
entrance 2
Customer
entrance 3
Central Market
| Physical model
| 11 OCT 2010 | Drawn by Julia Moisand & Ruby Ku
IDSE101 Research Project
- salmon
- eggplants
- meet
salad
bar
soups
14 people
52 people
Computer 2
Access to Cbord:
- forecast
- reports
- production sheet
(3 shifts)
Tuesday, October 26, 2010

13. Research Report 13
Storage for
Produce Dpt
Cooler for
Produce Dpt
Storage
Chef’s
case
Cooler for Chef’s
case
PREPLESS area:
-salads
- sandwich
- dinner for 2
- dips
- juices
- dressings
8 people
Receiving area
from 12 different
vendors
Check point 1
Bell rings when delivery
Check point 2
trash dumper
Chef case counter (60 meals)
Recycling
compressors
for boxes
Bread
for FoodBank &
3 churches
Computer 1
Access to Cbord:
- forecast
- reports
- production sheet
KITCHEN
Chef’s case team, cook:
- beans
- pasta
- chicken
- quesadillas
Chef’s prepared food team
Cooler and storage for Chef’s
prepared food Dish
washer
The
«Line»
(for the
café)
Café counter
Grab n’go
shelf
(20 meals)
Café
Customer
entrance 1
Customer
entrance 2
Customer
entrance 3
Central Market
| Physical model
| 11 OCT 2010 | Drawn by Julia Moisand & Ruby Ku
IDSE101 Research Project
- salmon
- eggplants
- meet
salad
bar
soups
14 people
52 people
Computer 2
Access to Cbord:
- forecast
- reports
- production sheet
(3 shifts)
Lack of space behind chef case:
«It is hard to move behind the case,
so many people use it »
Physical distance:
«The manager sees numbers,
I see physicals»
Lack of space: «The cooler is so small,
in a little hallway, we are bumping to
each other»
Bad organization:
«We miss something because it is badly
organized. We should have brought it to
the chef case, instead we shrink it»
Tuesday, October 26, 2010

14. Research Report 14
Central Market
| Flow model
| 11 OCT 2010 | Drawn by Julia Moisand & Ruby Ku
IDSE101 Research Project
Café
(only 1 day in the store)
CHEF’S PREPARED FOOD TEAM
Demos
CHEF’S TEAMPREPLESS TEAM
20.000 recipes
CBORD
DAVID
FOH Manager
JON
Executive Chef
GARY
Team leader
10 other Managers from different Dpt
FORECAST
...
Tuesday, October 26, 2010

15. Research Report 15
Central Market
| Flow model
| 11 OCT 2010 | Drawn by Julia Moisand & Ruby Ku
IDSE101 Research Project
Café
(only 1 day in the store)
CHEF’S PREPARED FOOD TEAM
Demos
CHEF’S TEAMPREPLESS TEAM
20.000 recipes
CBORD
DAVID
FOH Manager
JON
Executive Chef
GARY
Team leader
10 other Managers from different Dpt
FORECAST
...
Worflow breakdown:
Forecast streamline:
No flow to report interactions between staff customers
that can influence a new forecast:
Staff workaround to avoid shrink:
Tuesday, October 26, 2010

16. Research Report 16
Central Market
| Cultural model
| 11 OCT 2010 | Drawn by Julia Moisand & Ruby Ku
IDSE101 Research Project
FOH and Order
Management (Forecast process)
Chef’s case
team leader
(Gary)
organization
of the cooler/kitchen
Sales
Central Market (CM)
Policies
Customers
Chef’s case partners
(Carissa and Laura)
Chef’s team
Equipment
Tuesday, October 26, 2010

17. Research Report 17
Central Market
| Cultural model
| 11 OCT 2010 | Drawn by Julia Moisand & Ruby Ku
IDSE101 Research Project
FOH and Order
Management (Forecast process)
Chef’s case
team leader
(Gary)
organization
of the cooler/kitchen
Sales
Central Market (CM)
Policies
Customers
Chef’s case partners
(Carissa and Laura)
Chef’s team
Equipment
Weekly safety inspection:
Central Market policies:
Tuesday, October 26, 2010

18. Research Report 18
Central Market
| Cultural model
| 11 OCT 2010 | Drawn by Julia Moisand & Ruby Ku
IDSE101 Research Project
FOH and Order
Management (Forecast process)
Chef’s case
team leader
(Gary)
organization
of the cooler/kitchen
Sales
Central Market (CM)
Policies
Customers
Chef’s case partners
(Carissa and Laura)
Chef’s team
Equipment
Lack of collective organization:
Staff workaround:
Tuesday, October 26, 2010

19. Research Report 19
Central Market
| Cultural model
| 11 OCT 2010 | Drawn by Julia Moisand & Ruby Ku
IDSE101 Research Project
FOH and Order
Management (Forecast process)
Chef’s case
team leader
(Gary)
organization
of the cooler/kitchen
Sales
Central Market (CM)
Policies
Customers
Chef’s case partners
(Carissa and Laura)
Chef’s team
Equipment
Lack of support:
Lack of staff management:
Staff responsibility:
Role distribution:
Staff accountability:
Tuesday, October 26, 2010

20. Research Report
Key findings
‣ Strong policies
‣ Lack of space and organization in the kitchen
and cooler
‣ Forecast is only based on sales and not on customers
needs and special requests
‣ Lack of communication and support between staff
All of the above are potential causes to waste.
20
Tuesday, October 26, 2010

21. Research Report
Our recommendations
21
Tuesday, October 26, 2010

22. Research Report
Your competitor:
Focus is on reuse of food leftover.
22
Tuesday, October 26, 2010

23. Research Report
You:
Focus should be on prevention of food leftover.
23
Tuesday, October 26, 2010

24. Research Report 24
Better forecast
Better communication
x SHRINK h SALES
Forecast
1) Transparency
2) Linked to customers
needs
Planning
Consistency
1) Staff training
2) Staff accountability
3) Staff organization
Preparing
Education
1) Demos to customers
2) Personal chef
3) Report needs
Serving / Selling
Office Kitchen Store
Activities
People
Locations
Steps
David
Management
Different cooks, Laura, Carissa
Chef case and chef team
Gary
Chef case team leader
Andrew
Customer
Central Market
| Concept model
| 17 OCT 2010 | Drawn by Julia Moisand & Ruby Ku
IDSE101 Research Project
Tuesday, October 26, 2010

25. Research Report
Design ideas
25
1. FoodCast. Waste not, Want not
Mobile application for customers
to order prepared food
2. Staff Voice
Application to report staff observations & needs
3. New labelling and physical organization system
for the kitchen and cooler
4. Redesign of forecasting software
Tuesday, October 26, 2010

26. Research Report
FoodCast: waste not, want not
26
Score!
Uh oh.. no food
at home...
Wait..there’s
FoodCast!
It’s like healthy
drive-thru!
Tuesday, October 26, 2010

27. Research Report 27
FoodCast: waste not, want not
Tuesday, October 26, 2010

28. Research Report
FoodCast: waste not, want not
Dashboard for manager to make better forecast
28
Tuesday, October 26, 2010

29. Research Report
For a forecast also based on customers needs
and customers special requests
29
FoodCast: waste not, want not
Tuesday, October 26, 2010

30. Research Report 30
Staff voice
Making forecast
in the office
Tuesday, October 26, 2010

31. Research Report 31
Staff voice
Tuesday, October 26, 2010

32. Research Report
For a better communication:
‣ between chef case team and management
‣ between shifts
‣ between cooks
32
Staff voice
Tuesday, October 26, 2010

33. Research Report 33
Better forecast
Better communication
x SHRINK h SALES
Forecast
1) Transparency
2) Linked to customers
needs
Planning
Consistency
1) Staff training
2) Staff accountability
3) Staff organization
Preparing
Education
1) Demos to customers
2) Personal chef case
3) Report needs
Serving / Selling
Office Kitchen Store
Activities
People
Locations
Steps
David
Management
Different cooks, Laura, Carissa
Chef case and chef team
Gary
Chef case team leader
Andrew
Customer
Staff Voice FoodCast.Design solutions
Central Market
| Concept model
| 17 OCT 2010 | Drawn by Julia Moisand & Ruby Ku
IDSE101 Research Project
Tuesday, October 26, 2010

34. Research Report
Conclusion
34
Tuesday, October 26, 2010

35. Research Report
Get started: quick fixes
Organization:
‣ Better labels for containers in the chefcase
‣ No double parking in the cooler
Communication:
‣ Clipboard for staff to communicate between shifts
and between cooks
‣ Message board for staff to communicate to manager
35
Tuesday, October 26, 2010

36. Research Report
‣ Customers feedback
36
Get started: quick fixes
Tuesday, October 26, 2010

37. Research Report
Better forecast + better communication =
SHRINK SALES
37
Tuesday, October 26, 2010

38. Research Report
thank you!
38
Tuesday, October 26, 2010