5 Functions of Management in Food Service

V. Premala Priyadharsini

1 Introduction

Management is an art of effective utilization of resources carefully structured with constructive plan of action towards achievement of a definite goal. It is a concept which is practiced by individual at different levels of hierarchical position.

Every challenges and solution to a problem yields itself in the birth of a new management principles or concepts. Though there are no readymade templates for management principles (or) concepts as it keeps varying from institution to institution/ establish, the past experience of an individual or an establishment can serve as an excellent guidelines for the success of any business.

2 Objectives

The learner will gain knowledge on various functions of management.
The learner will understand the different tools of management and its importance in managing a food service institution.

3 Overview of the chapter

3.1Functional components of management/ Role of management

Hospitality industry with its wide range of products like star category of hotels, road side eateries etc however big or small, functions effectively when a manager makes employees to work harmoniously to achieve common goals.

Generally there are six important functions that call for effective management of food service.

They are planning, organizing, directing, co- coordinating, controlling and evaluation. Recently two more function namely staffing and representing have also been included. Planning and organizing needs an in-depth mental framework with minute detailing of activities to be performed, while the rest of the functions calls for more interaction between employees and its actually performance based . In a nutshell the function of management is cyclic in nature. Every manager or an institution, keeps experimenting this cycle either fully or partially to achieve their set goals.

The following sections will highlighted the reader on the basic six management functions in detail.

Planning

Planning simply refers to knowing what to do, why to do, how to do, when to do, where to do and by whom. Though planning literally implies futuristic activities, it is always done based on the past experience or performance of an institution. For example planning a menu for a hotel is purely done based on the popularity of the menu, demand and its revenue generation in the past. Planning involves three steps.

Fig. Steps in Planning

4.1. Step1- Knowledge hunt

The first step in planning is an extensive search of information. Food service personal try to collect as much as information as possible before setting a food service outlet. A knowledge hunt on basic rules and regulations of hospitality industries, policies and building standards, availability o resources, funding agencies and funding policies, man power, food service methods, cuisines, type and size of clientele and volume of business is carried out as a primitive steps of planning. Information gathered enables the food service personnel make smart choice of courses of action to be taken.

4.2. Step 2 – Mapping

The step in planning is mapping of events or simply it refers to development of a blue print. To be precise after knowledge hunt, the food service personnel actually does the following.

4.3. – Target fixing

The third step in planning is target fixing or goal setting. It is very important for the food service personnel to fix target clearly. Since it is the basis for any achievement, target fixing is of three types namely short term targets, medium term target and long term targets.

Short term targets: Targets that are fixed for a shorter duration of time from six months to a year is called short term targets or goals, (ex.) sales of food and beverage. Since food is highly perishable and its cost keeping fluctuating, it is always advisable to set short term targets. Similarly targets that are set for a longer period of duration of five to ten years are known as long term targets.

Planning on infrastructural facilities and purchase of equipment demands a very high investment and hence it requires a long term target setting. Similarly target fixed for duration of one to five years are called medium term targets, (eg.) prediction of gross sales and profit margin, maintenance of financial statement etc. The readers should always keep in mind that a food service institution will have to do all the three types of target fixing for its successful growth. Fig- 3 gives an insight to different types of targets.

On the whole fixing of target for a food service institution should be specific, measurable, attainable, rewarding and timed.

Thus a good planning helps the institution in

Effective time management
Identify futuristic challenges and scopes for improvement.
Enhance better work efficiencies since the objective and organization goals are clearly
specified and communicated
Eliminates confusion or ambiguity
Serves as a guidelines for cost control measures

5. Organizing

Organizing is translation of a plan into specific activities arranged in sequential order for smooth flow of work. Initially organizing involves smart decision on division of activities/task and segregation of skilled persons. For every identified task, employees with specific skills are allotted. Also the duties, responsibilities and their expected outcomes are clearly indicated. To carry out the assigned task, the employees are given the power of authority and delegation. For example in a food and beverage department the service of food in a restaurant is broken down into two activities namely miss-en-place (preparing the environment) and miss-en-scene (preparing the table for service). The above activities are further broken down into various tasks like cleaning the restaurant, checking the ambience of the restaurant, switch on the air conditioner, laying the table, setting the cover and filling the water. To carry out these tasks a skilled trainer or a waiter will be employed and a clear cut list of duties, responsibilities and the authority to perform these tasks are given by the manager.

6.Directing

Directing literally mean assignment of work and performance of actual task. Food service manager uses the following techniques to direct his/her employees towards achievement of common goal / target.

6.1- Instructing

A food service manager normally gives a detailed instruction of activities to be performed for every worked out plans. This is because in a hotel the skills, competency, qualification and level of understanding vary from individual to individual. Thus provision of a simple and easy to understand instruction will enable the employee to know his/her duties, responsibilities and performance outcome. Followed by this the manager also interacts with the employees and clear their doubts and quires. An instructional manual or an instruction charts are normally placed at different points of work area.

6.2.Guiding

Guiding is the process of motivating the employee to meet out desired performance with constructive suggestion. Guiding generally removes the fear of underperformance among the employees.

6.3. Supervising

Supervision generally implies a constant monitoring of task performed by employee. Supervision is carried out in many ways

Watching and complementing employee’s works positively. Words of appreciation like excellent, very good, good and well-done will motivate the employees performance level.
Regular rounds and observations made at the different hours of working and casual conversation on task performed results in better job accomplishment.
The overall performance outcome in terms of sales volume, profit margine and customer feedbacks also serve as good guide for supervision.

6.4. Teaching

Food Service employees need to be educated to

Organize work efficiently
Conserve energy
Manage time
Keep up deadlines by effective planning and execution.

6.5. Reviewing

Reviewing the total performance of an individual or activity enables the management to

assess the quality of work
identify area of improvement
assess the performance ability of individuals and helps to develop training components.

6.6. Coordinating

Besides directing individuals towards the accomplishment of goals, it is very essential that the activities of all departments in a food service institution needs to be coordinated to enjoy a meaningful success.

When a group of people work together harmoniously towards a common goal they are said to be coordinated. Irrespective of the size of the business and number of departments in a food service outlet it is highly important that the activities need to be interrelated with each other. Larger the organization greater it becomes the extent of co ordination necessary. Coordinating makes an institution efficient, it strengthens the establishment, enhances employee’s loyalty and goodwill, foster teamwork, creates better understanding and establishes a positive work environment. Lack co -ordination among the staffs and the department can lead to poor work efficiency, quality and will ultimately result in customer dissatisfaction. Constant co ordination will also help the management to anticipate and identify problems and can have readymade solutions for various challenges that it face in day to day scenario.

Fig. Importance of coordination in performing the functions of management Source: Catering Management (Mohini Sethi and Surjeet Malhan, 2007)

Normally in a food service institution the front office departments coordinates with the house keeping department and finance department to sell the accommodation. Similarly the food production department coordinates with the departments of sales and purchase, food and beverage and finance department for sales of food and beverages. The rules and regulations of the institution and the commitment of the managers play an important role in coordinating.

7. CONTROLLING

Controlling is the most important function in any management. Even a meticulous planning may not come to reality unless and until it is monitored and controlled properly. Control gives the correct direction to the planned activities. The food service institution faces constant challenges like market fluctuation, natural calamities, environmental changes, staff turn-out and so on which results in poor work efficiency. Therefore, controlling enables the management to identify the factors that affect its overall growth. Thus, it helps in the identifying the threat or problem in a business. Example the common problem which needs proper controlling in a food service institution are men, material, money, time, equipments and performance of a task. Improper usage of resources (materials), pilferage and handling of money by the staffs, poor time management and mishandling of equipment can lead to low profit margin and customer dissatisfaction. Controlling can be practiced by

By measuring the performance outcome of the institution in terms of profit
By identifying the gaps
Comparing the standard and the actual performance
Doing a cause analysis
Fixing the problems through corrective measures
Constant monitoring
Meticulous planning in formulation of budget
Strict supervision
Adoption of appropriate security measures
Constant service and maintenance of equipments and Effective utilization of resources In a nutshell
controlling involves cost control, man power management and resource management.

8. Evaluating

The overall performance outcome of a food service institution is measured by reviewing or evaluating, the set goals that has been achieved. Normally it is the responsibility of the manager and the superior to track the growth of the organization through periodic evaluation. It is always advisable to perform evaluation at a pace interval right from the inception of a food service institution to avoid deviations and errors in work. For an effective utilization of resources, management of the food service on the whole demands the evaluation of the following aspects

8.1. Evaluation of employees

Staff appraisal is the best tool to understand and make use of the fullest potential of an employee. Check list, Production records, Sales records, Profit statement and Rating scales are commonly adopted to evaluate an employee in food service institutions

8.1.1.Check list- using a check list the competency, skills, reliability and efficiency of the staff and his/her contributions to the institution in terms of profit and good will is rated.

8.1.2. Production records- the ability of an employee to use the raw materials effectively and to convert it into a finished product with minimum wastage and maximum profit is rated.

8.1.3. Sales records- the overall sales of the food products prepared and the monthly income derived out of is considered as a good indicator for rating the employee.

8.1.4.Profit statement- profit is the one that gives an overall view on the revenues, costs and expenses of a food service institution over a stipulated period of time (financial year April- March).

8.1.5. Rating scales- the rating scale normally rate the knowledge and level of comprehension, quality of performance, dependability , credibility and reliability, integrity, loyalty and accountability of staff. Evaluation should be unbiased, fair and genuine

9. BENEFITS OF STAFF EVALUATION

Appraisal highlights the area of improvement of an employee
Points out the appropriate training and guidance needed by the employee
It is a good indicator of staff turnover
Educate the employer on the health status and mental fitness of the employee
Will help in effective allotment and redistribution of task amongst employees
It also helps the employers to rewrite job descriptions and job specifications

10. valuation of work condition

The working environment in food service institution also needs to be evaluated to make it management and employee friendly. Thus it involves

Evaluation of equipments- maintenance, working conditions, safety aspects, efficiency of machines, efficiency of cleanliness and maintenance
Evaluation of infrastructure- adequacy of workspace, ventilation, lighting and lift and transportation facilities.

10.1. Evaluation of food product

Evaluation of food product in a food service out is highly essential since it one of the measurement indicators of customers satisfaction and profit margin.

A food product is generally evaluated for

Sensory appeal- sensory evaluation
Quality attributes-objective assessment
Nutritional adequacy-chemical estimation

10.1.1. Sensory evaluation

Using a trained panel of 15-30 members, the prepared food products is evaluated for its sensory attributes for taste, flavor, odor and color against the standard product.

Rating scales help to establish preferences of customers for a dish especially if it is a new recipe. The scale is prepared on the basis of the descriptions indicated in fig 2, below and various samples of the same food are subjected to preference rating.

PRODUCT: DATE:

Fig. 2 Preference rating score sheet Source: Catering Management (MohiniSethi and Surjeet Malhan, 2007)

10.1.2. Objective methods of assessment

Quality of the food product is tested for attribute like consistency, viscosity, strength, volume, crispness, firmness, smoothness and intensity of color with use of standard equipment. The below table enables the reader to have an idea about some of the quality attributes and instruments used for the evaluating the foods.

10.1.2. Objective methods of assessment

10.1.3. Nutritional adequacy

The Nutritional quality of food is tested through chemical estimation for, protein, carbohydrate, fat, vitamin and minerals at regular intervals. The evaluation of food in any food service outlets should be made mandatory to provide a wholesome nutritious product to the customers.

10.2. Benefits of food evaluation

Ensures sales of quality product
Improves customer satisfaction
Create scopes for improvement in sensory qualities for taste, flavor, odour and color
Helps in portion control
Add nutritional benefits
Achieves Quality standards

10.3. Evaluation of profit

Ultimately the profitability of all food service outlets should be evaluated. The profitability is measured in terms of estimating the food cost, labour cost, overhead cost, sales volume and profit margin. Food service institution may not make profit due to the following reasons.

Escalation in food cost
Pilferage of foods
Fluctuation in food price
Poor menu planning
Unskilled labor
Improper supervision at point of purchase, storage , issues, cooking and service
Lack of waste management strategies
Poor portion control
Change in customer’s preference
Poor service Thus sustenance of efficiency is possible only through constant evaluation.

Summary

All the five functions of management are highly interrelated. Manager or a management cannot sustain in the market by merely choosing one or two functions. In fact no one function can operate in isolation or in set manner. Their usage and adoptability varies from institution to institution based on their nature of task and target set. Achievements of set goals are possible only when all the functions are performed at all levels of organization.

Food service institution is of different types. Some runs on a large scale profit margin with more members of personnel (manager) and some institution like motels, carts wheels, canteen and mess are usually manage by the owner themselves. The concept of management is independent irrespective of ownership. Also the management concept of one institution say a motel cannot be blindly adopted for another institution (mess), but still it can serve as a reference tool.

To conclude though it is easy to learn the function of management, only experience, confidence, positive attitude, presence of mind, credibility and decision making makes an individual a good manager.

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Web links

http://www.managementstudyguide.com/management_functions.htm
http://www.managementstudyguide.com/planning_function.htm
http://smallbusiness.chron.com/five-functions-management-leading-56418.html
http://www.toolshero.com/five-functions-of-management
http://extension.osu.edu/~mgtexcel/Function.html
http://www.yourarticlelibrary.com/management/process-of-staffing-function-ofmanagement-10-steps/25730/
http://www.managementstudyguide.com/controlling_function.htm
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