Reduce, increase profit! Invite you to "Lean the whole store", reduce the chance of losing money, negative profit.

It is well known that to make a restaurant business profitable and grow, Cost management is the key Because restaurants have many details that can be a point of cash flow leakage, if they can be managed, that restaurant has a very high chance of making a profit. One system that has been adapted to manage restaurant costs is "Lean". Big and small restaurant brands that use "Lean" have seen good results, not only in terms of cost management, but also in terms of employee efficiency and the delivery of impressive service to customers. Let’s take a look at how “Lean” can produce these results, and why restaurants should embrace “Lean”.

“Lean” is a system for increasing efficiency, reducing waste, creating opportunities to make a profit. “Lean”, if translated according to the adjective, means “thin.” If compared to the human body shape, “Lean” means creating proportion. When proportionate, it leads to agility, alertness, vigor, good physical fitness, resulting in high efficiency in doing various activities, better quality, better health, cheerfulness, etc. Cutting back to the restaurant, in the process of various activities that take place in the restaurant each day, there are many parts that cause loss or waste. When talking about this word, many people will focus on the ingredients, but in reality…

Waste can occur in every activity in a restaurant, and waste is a major factor affecting cost, quality, and efficiency. The application of the "Lean" system in a restaurant is to eliminate or reduce the loss that occurs in every activity of the restaurant in order to change it back into added value for the restaurant. A common example is peeling garlic and onions. The operator may think that buying onions and garlic without the skin is cheaper than peeled ones, ready to use, at 5-10 baht per kilogram, which will save money. But if you try to calculate that... The shop lost at least one employee to peel garlic and onions, which took two hours to complete. Suppose that an employee earns 20 baht per hour, which is 40 baht lost. If the store changes to buying ready-to-use products that are 5-10 baht more expensive per kilogram, but does not have to spend employees to unpack them, the employees can do other work that creates more added value for the store. Which way will save more costs?

“Lean” the killer 7 wastes in restaurants. How to implement the system

“Lean” To use it in a restaurant, first you need to get to know it. 7 Wastes The villains first will then give rise to the thought process of how to find a way. “Lean” how

1.Overproduction It is a loss that occurs from overproduction, resulting in leftovers, such as a large amount of food per dish, vegetables arranged in a dish that exceeds customer demand, or a buffet line that produces a large amount of food near closing time, resulting in leftover food. This is all investment money that is thrown away. We must find a solution. “Lean” Reduce waste, such as analyzing the causes of food left over each day to set a goal to reduce the amount of waste. 2.Transport Transportation losses are common in SME restaurants. Sometimes the sauce runs out and the kids go out to buy some. Sometimes the fish sauce runs out and the kids go out to buy some. Every trip, whether to the market or to buy things at a store, incurs expenses. Even when employees travel from one station to another in the store, time is lost. If entrepreneurs can manage to reduce travel expenses, it will help reduce costs, such as changing from buying things yourself to using a delivery service, planning each purchase to make it worthwhile.

3.Movement It is a loss from movement, often caused by a problem with the layout of the store that does not consider the impact of lost time during work, such as placing the freezer and refrigerator in a different spot from the cutting board or slicer, causing employees to waste time walking back and forth, or the station for preparing equipment on tables being in the back of the store, requiring employees to spend more time clearing tables. If you can plan and manage it, “Lean” This part can be done, for example, by arranging the kitchen layout so that employees move out of their work positions as little as possible, or by arranging equipment preparation stations at certain points in the storefront, which will greatly reduce the loss of this part. Employees will be less tired and productivity will improve.

4.Over processing The loss that occurs from working in multiple steps or doing unnecessary repetition, such as buying raw materials to cut and decorate yourself, or wasting time on simmering soup, thinking of recipes for various sauces, when you can't. “Lean” This can be done by purchasing processed ingredients or using ready-made sauces as a starting point to develop a sauce recipe, which will help reduce losses in this part without reducing productivity. 5.Waiting It is a loss due to customers waiting, which is seen regularly. This loss causes the restaurant to turn tables more slowly, accepting fewer customers, reducing the risk of losing sales, and may also cause customers to become dissatisfied. You can manage the loss by letting customers order in advance or using a queue reservation system for customers to choose to reserve tables and place orders so that the restaurant can plan production. The payment can be changed to use QR Code, reducing the time it takes to receive money and give change, etc. 6.Inventory Losses from storing raw materials often occur in stores that do not have a stock management system. Whatever they buy, they just put it in the freezer, grab it and use it conveniently, and when it's time, they just buy more to replenish their daily supply, without knowing how much stock is left, what's close to expiring, or if anything's rotten in the freezer. It's a loss that has a very high impact on costs. Guidelines “Lean” This section You must set up a stock system for receiving and withdrawing goods according to the FIFO-LIFO principle. Check stock regularly, preferably every day, to know how much is left and how much to buy to replenish. This will help reduce losses.

7.Defects Losses resulting from production, such as receiving the wrong order, serving the wrong table, the kitchen making the wrong menu, food tasting off, customers who can't eat it and ask for a refund, can reduce losses by creating work standards and arranging employee training, which will reduce this type of loss and increase work efficiency. In summary, “Lean” It is a process of management, improvement, and loss reduction in every step of work activities to achieve results that increase work efficiency, deliver the highest value and satisfaction to customers, and help stores reduce costs, both in terms of expenses and time spent on poor quality work. Click to read other articles. You can get it here.