Chapter 1- Systems Approach to a Foodservice Organization

Hierarchy

Characteristics of a system that is composed of subsystems of a lower order and a suprasystem of a higher order.

Inputs of the foodservice system are - and - resources, transformed to produce the output. the 4 M's include:

Human and physical resources; Men, Materials, Money, and Minutes

open systems

Organizations that are in continual interaction with the environment.

Environmental Scanning

Search for and acquisition of information.

Strategic management

a systems approach to managing a foodservice operation involves creative, intuitive strategic thinking

Sustainability

ability to meet needs of today without compromising future generations ability to meet needs.

Transformation

action or activity used in changing inputs into outputs.

Plans

all - are internal controls of the system and may be standing or single use.

Memory

all stored information that provided historical records of the system's operations.

Permeability of boundaries

allows the system to be penetrated or affected by the changing of external environment

Limited service (limited menu)

also called quickservice/fastfood, is designed to provide a limited number of food items to a customer in a relatively short period of time

Input

any human, physical, or operational resource required to accomplish objectives of the system

Interface

area where two systems or subsystems come in contact with each other.

Analysis

can assist in making plans avoiding repetition of past mistakes

Environmental threats

can reduce a firm's competitive advantage

System

collection of interrelated parts or sub subsystems unified by design to obtain one or more objectives.

Subsystem

complete system within itself that is part of a larger system.

Model

conceptual simplification of a real situation in which extraneous information is excluded and analysis is simplified .

Menu

considered the most important internal control of a foodservice system.

Dynamic equilibrium

continuous response and adaptation of a system to its internal and external environment. Call also be called "steady state"

External

control consists of local, state, and federal regulations and contracts with outside companies

Internal

control consists of plans including the goals, objectives, standards, policies and procedures

The expanded systems model includes:

control, memory, environmental factors and feedback.

Three bases for strategies for strategic managment:

cost leadership, differentiation, focus

Casual dining restaurant

designated to attract middle-income individuals who enjoy dining out, but do not want the formal atmosphere and high price found in a fine dining restaurant.

Interdependency

each part of the system affects performance of other parts of the system.

Control (this provides standards for evaluation of operation)

ensures that organization is function within legal and regulatory constraints

Hypothesis driven

evaluates creative ideas in a sequential process

Onsite foodservice

food services operations in which sale of food is secondary to the goal of the organization; typically not-for-profit

Commercial onsite

foodservice operations commonly are categorized as either - or - foodservice

Commercial foodservice

foodservice operations in which sale of food is the primary activity and a profit is desired.

Long-term oriented

goes beyond here and now and looks into the future

Country club restaurants

has the challenge of running outlets from snack bars to fine restaurants, individualized customer service occurs regularly.

Greenwash

inaccurate or misleading information distributed by an organization, etc. so as to present an environmentally responsible public image.

Tension

interface between two subsystems within an organization is likely to be characterized by -

Evaluation

involves assessing changes in strategic position and determining if the organization is progressing satisfactorily toward objects

Communication

is the vehicle for transmitting decisions

builds on past and present

learns form the past recognizes constraints of present

Boundaries

limits of a system that set the domain of organizational activity.

Competitive advantages

occurs when a firm is able to create more economic value for consumers than its competitors

Fine Dining Restaurant

often referred to as white tablecloth restaurants, characterized by a high level of attentive table service, expensive-looking furnishing and decor and fine cuisine

Integration

parts are blended together into a unified whole. Leads to synergy.

Entrepreneur

person who creates and assumes risk for a new venture or business.

Feedback (if used it assist the system in adjusting to needed changes such as customer comments)

processes by which a system continually receives information from its internal and external environment

Full-service restaurants

provide waited table service for customers, style and ambiance of full-service restaurants varies greatly from casual to dine dining

Output (this represents achievement of the system's goal)

result of transforming input into achievement of a system's goal.

Equifinality

same or similar output could be achieved by different inputs or varying transformation processes

Opportunistic

tales advantage of unanticipated opportunities

Environmental factors

things outside the system that can impact the operation of the system.

Comprehensive

views organization as part of larger systems

Intent focused

vision for where the organization is/should be going

Synergy

working together can create greater outcomes than working individually.