Operations Management

A seven-day-a-week foodservice operation schedules 2 FT cooks, 4 FT salad/dessert preps, 20 hours in the dishroom, and 6 hours clerical support daily. How many FTEs are needed:

Add the total number of hours scheduled daily. Multiply by seven to determine the number of hours in a week. Divide by 40 to get FTEs. One FTE will work 40 hours in one week. 16 hours cooks 32 hours salad/dessert 20 hours dishroom 6 hours clerical 74 hours per day X 7 = 518 hours/week 518 divided by 40 = 12.95

At the state hospital, there are several special units on a central campus. Food is prepared in one location and transported to the units. What type of system is this?

Decentralized meal assembly In decentralized meal assembly, the food products are produced in one location and transported to assembly sites.

Strategic Marketing involves strategic planning. Which of the following is not a part of the strategic planning process: a) developing marketing strategy b) setting market objectives c) establishing strategic business units d) establishing a price for service

Feedback: A, b, and c are all part of strategic marketing. Establishing a price is one of the four elements required for a marketing mix. Source: Spears, 2000. p. 106.

What is required to achieve the best success in marketing a foodservice cafeteria?

Mission Statement

What is the ROI for a computer system that costs $225,000 to purchase and install that is predicted to save 2.5 FTE's at $15/hour plus $20,000/year in food cost?

ROI (Return on Investment) is how long it will take for the computer system to pay for itself. Savings: $20,000 food; 2.5 FTE x $15 x 40 hrs in a week x 52 weeks = $78,000 $20,000 + $78,000 = $98,000/year $225,000 ÷ $98,000 = 2.2959 or 2.30 years

What is the break-even point of Sarah's restaurant given the following data: Fixed costs = $28,000, Variable cost = $60,000, Sales = $100,000?

Rationale: BEP = FC ÷ (1 - (VC ÷ Sales)) BEP = $28,000 ÷ (1 - ($60,000 ÷ $100,000)) BEP = $28,000 ÷ (1 - $0.60) BEP = $28,000 ÷ $0.40 BEP = $70,000

Your restaurant chain has opted to join a purchasing group. What are the advantage of this arrangement?

better prices

Theory Y of management is reflected in which term:

democratic

A severe ice storm hits overnight, power lines are down, and several staff members are not able to drive into work at the hospital where you are the Dietary Manager. You are not able to get there yourself. You would:

direct staff members in the department to the Disaster Plan

The manager is looking at staffing issues. Which would he be least concerned with?

employees' days off

The starting point for menu development is:

entrées

Provide nutritious meals within the federal and state guidelines. This is an example of a:

goal for a school foodservice

A primary duty of the National Labor Relations Board is to:

hold secret ballot elections to determine union representation

Your hospital currently uses the patient one week cycle menu for the cafeteria. Employees are complaining that they are tired of the "same old thing" and want more variety. Administration wants the complaints addressed but they will not willing to spend money. What do you recommend:

introduce a daily special in the cafeteria, leave patient menu as is

If collective bargaining has not been successful, the next step is:

mediation Rationale: The correct order is collective bargaining or negotiation (same thing), then mediation (a third party offers compromises), and then arbitration (a binding decision is made). An injunction forbids a union from picketing or striking. This is basically a court order that forces the union back to work.

Overproduction is:

not desirable and should be controlled Proper forecasting can control overproduction. Routine use of leftovers increases labor cost to salvage them and also increases the risk of foodborne illnesses if not properly handled. The use of leftovers can also have a negative impact on the organization's reputation.

Your administration has elected to use a prime vendor. This is most closely associated with which of the following?

one-stop shopping

When planning a marketing strategy for the hospital cafeteria, who is least likely to be a target market?

patients

The cook needs moist heat to prepare tonight's entrée. Which piece of equipment would he choose?

pressure-less convection steamer

Issuing discount coupons is a means of:

promotion

A Veterans Administration Medical Center is opening its bids. It is required that they be opened:

publicly on the date specified

The general public has an increased interest in mega-doses of vitamins and herbal preparations. How do you answer client questions?

research scientific studies

The manager is evaluating purchasing decisions. Which is the most important and should be considered first?

supplier selection

The most effective way to place a food order is to:

use a written purchase order form

You are nearing the summer months and must plan for vacation coverage on the work schedule. You have a staff of 40; all are entitled to vacation time ranging from one to four weeks depending on seniority. You should:

utilize temporary or leased employees A reasonable effort should be made to grant vacations as employees desire them. Being very rigid can decrease morale. Summertime is usually a good time of year to hire students to cover for vacations. Leased employees from temporary agencies can be found to work in the dishroom, general foodservice, wait staff, secretarial, etc.