2. Why Forms and Systems are So
Important
What Areas of Your Business Need
Forms and Systems
Using Forms and Systems Effectively
3. Have been with the
company for 29 years
Currently Oversee
Day to Day
Operations
Strong Emphasis on
Culinary and
Operations
4. Founded in 1980 as a hot
dog stand
Catering spun off into
separate company in 1991
Peak revenue of $17 Million
90 FT & 130 PT Employees
45% Full Service / 35% On
Premise / 20% Delivery
5. Largest event $1.3 Million
Focused on food quality
above all else
Poor facility design
challenges efficiency
Non Chicago address is a
marketing struggle
8. Job Application
Interview Process
New Hire Forms
Training
Direct Deposit
9.
10. Performance Evaluations
Written Warnings
Final Warnings
Terminations
Vacation/Absence
401K
Change of Status
Insurance
11.
12.
13.
14. STAFF
CATERFEE
APPROXIMATE COST SUMMARY
COMMISSIONS FOR VENUES AND PLANNERS
CHANGE ORDER
LINEN/FLOOR PLANS
TABLE SEATING PLAN
COUNTLESS EVENT AND POST EVENT FORMS
27. To download a copy of this presentation, go to:
slideshare.net/CateringChicago
David Sandler
dsandler@cateringbymichaels.com | (847) 966-6555
Editor's Notes
Allow me Introduce myself – I am David Sandler, Executive Vice President of Catering by Michael’s Family of CompaniesWe are out of the Chicagoland Area and been in business for a little over 30 yearsI have been with the company for 29 – started as a server and have had the great pleasure of building this company to what it is todayin my time I have worked every position within the organization but my current primary function is the overseeing of the day to day with emphasis on our operations and culinary departments.Proud to be a longtime active member of Catersource and various other organizations
we specialize in all facets of the catering world from corporate and social drop off to full service fine dining, corporate picnics and also operate an on-premise facility and do some private label wholesale manufacturing.
getting right into this topic as we have such a short time –I simply can not stress how important forms and systems are to any size organization:
Improved Communication within organization and departments as well as with clients Accountability – everyone will know what is expected of them and how they are to be evaluatedConsistency – information can be found in the same place every time, paperwork is standardized throughout the entire processes and easy identifiedReducing Errors – simply it reduces costs and improves the customer experience Audit trail – don’t need to tell you how important this is when looking back into the history of the event or event planning – having the ability to see all costs etc. allows for improved profitabilityGetting the necessary information the first time – having the right questionnaires and event planning forms allows you to get the information needed to accurately design, plan and execute the eventNot forgetting important details or information – details are often overlooked so having this questionnaire with details not only prepares everyone better to exceed event expectations but also makes your clients realize they are dealing with the right professional and that sets you apart from competition Standardization of information and processes and costing results in profit and consistency Achieving these all will ultimately make you more profitable either simply by improving your costs and reducing errors, by reducing labor, increasing time available to be spent in other areas etc
The answer is really everywhereBut Before the implementation of forms there must be a system created to handle, track and enforce the standardized forms and systems. These must be adhered to by everyone from the top down with no exceptions in order to achieve any value operationally or financially.Naturally there are a variety of different softwares available to assist this from costing/recipe, sales, financials CRM etc. and whether or not you are using these, the necessity of forms and systems is imperative from:
We use an online application Iapplicant.com – applicant tracking systemAllows for easy job postings to multiple site tracking reporting management access screening ease of sending and receiving infoInterview Process is also integrated into the tracking system and able to keep all notes organized and available as neededNew Hire Form – this shows what each department needs to do and the status of itTraining – we have entire training system for all staff that helps familiarize the new hire to the entire organization and what each job does. This is accomplished by the new hire working with each department and station for an initial time with a given list of tasks they are to learn or see within each department – helps them understand how their position relates to others throughout our organizationDirect Deposit -
Insert written warningsVacationChange of status
There are countless forms and systems usedExamples are:
SHOW STAFF SHEETSHOW TABLE ASSIGNMENT SHEET FROM IG
Here is a to do list that our assistant event coordinators use to track progress of the pre-event infoBasically this is a cover page that anyone can look at and know the status of the event
Equipment Tracking – any specialty items or high dollar items are numbered in some fashion and logged out and back in – often sent in a locked supervisor box and the only staff members to have a key to such is the event supervisor and perhaps the salesperson Obviously tracking the equipment reduces loss and improves bottom line but also maintains the inventory.packing/Pull Lists – we all have them and hopefully you all have created a system that works well for you Internal Problem Report – probably one of the most useful forms and systems anyone in any department that encounters a problem regarding an event/order or customer situation is required to fill out this form and submit to management – again improves communication and customer satisfaction, there will then be an audit trail etcInventory sheets – pretty much speak for themselves, important to do regular inventory and keep the sheets up to date. If you are working with a costing program or recipe data base they will all have the ability to compile inventory sheets but also you can manage inventory against sales in effort to have a close running food cost and inventory for last minute productsTruck Rental Logs – we log our trucks in and out and verify mileage and damages this has saved us $1000’s annually
Internal Problem Report – probably one of the most useful forms and systems
There are countless forms and systems that are useful within the kitchenMain ones for us are production lists – include product/event code name/packaging/prep notes recipe worksheets – when developing or testing a recipe we have a standardized form and format for the culinary staff to use code name tracking – Early or special Departure Times Hot food/Coffee
There has been a lot of talk on the catering forums recently about random audits and its so important to have great systems and files in effort to support all your book keeping
Some of the most important systems are:Checks and balances in every area particularly in the food and drop-off divisionKitchen produces/station supervisor signs offWarehouse or driver pulls orderManager checks itDriver checks in with clientDriver reports back to manager of the day There will always be a manager on duty at the office along with a driver and kitchen supervisor until all events and deliveries are checked inTraining: we have a great training process as discussed priorLabeling – it is essential in all aspects of the business from warehouse/packing/shipping/production etc.
