Study conducted at an inner city outreach school. Students and workers were observed in a field setting on the process and efficientcy of the lunch distribution process. Testing included both physical friction points as well as UI use by workers.

1. Mother Teresa Academy lunch
room efficiency test.

2. Executive Summary
• Inner city outreach school provides lunch to roughly 200 total students per
day. Many students only have one hot meal per day and it is at school.
• Grades 5-8 only allowed 20 minutes to enter, pray, line up, receive and eat
their lunch.
• Study goals of identifying friction points in the distribution system, making
the computer checkout system more efficient and providing more time for
students to eat.
• Methods used include Benchmarking, Multivariate testing, Usability
Testing, and Participant Observation.
• Variation D the most efficient test case reducing service time by 41%.

3. Problem Statement
• Students have 20 minutes to enter,
pick up and eat their lunch.
• 92 students grades 5-8.
• Low income school, many students
only hot meal of the day.
• Many students rushed or lack enough
time to finish their meal.

4. Study Goals
• Observe and asses friction points.
• Provide more time for food consumption.
• Identify UI/Hardware issues with cafeteria software.
• Provide and implement an action plan. Test plan for
success.

5. Testing Process:
• 92 total student participants.
• 4 cafeteria worker participants.
• Participants selected because of their
representation as everyday users of the
observed processes.
• Participants observed in a field setting.

6. Testing Methods
• Benchmarking (baseline timing/observation of original
process).
• Multivariate Testing (A,B,C,D variations).
• Usability Testing (checkout software/worker task
completion rate, card swipe completion rate).
• Participant Observation (Observe friction points, user
emotion and follow up).

7. Benchmark Study
• 9/3/2019
• 92 Students/4 Workers
• Independent Variable: Milk Cart
Angle/Manual Checkout.
• Confidence Factor: 95%
• Standard Dev.: 30.13.
• Coefficient of Var.: 19.05
• Margin of Error: 6.28 Sec.
• Confidence Interval:
• 151.71 – 164.28 Sec.
0
25
50
75
100
125
150
175
200
5th Grade 6th Grade 7th Grade 8th Grade
Seconds
Grade
Grade Level Line Time

8. Observations:
• No clear path to service = cluster
and friction.
• Milk cart angle restricts student
access to line entrance.
• Student frustration clear with body
language and facial expression.
• Manual checkout by worker holds
line, and congests food service.

9. Variation A.
• 9/4/2019
• 92 Students/4 Workers
• Independent Variable: Milk Cart
Straight/Manual Checkout/Clear
line path.
• Confidence Factor: 95%
• Standard Dev.: 32.9.
• Coefficient of Var.: 21.8
• Margin of Error: 6.9 Sec.
• Confidence Interval:
• 144 – 158.65 Sec.
0
25
50
75
100
125
150
175
200
225
5th Grade 6th Grade 7th Grade 8th Grade
Seconds
Grade
Grade Level Line Time

10. Observations:
• Milk cart turn alleviates
bottleneck/frustration at line
entrance.
• Clear path delineation alleviates
student frustration.
• Manual checkout still holding line and
creating student frustration.

11. Variation B.
• 9/11/2019
• 92 Students/4 Workers
• Independent Variable: Milk Cart
Straight/Student Card Swipe/Clear
line path.
• Confidence Factor: 95%
• Standard Dev.: 46.3.
• Coefficient of Var.: 21.96
• Margin of Error: 9.6 Sec.
• Confidence Interval:
• 201.34 – 220.66 Sec.
0
25
50
75
100
125
150
175
200
225
250
275
300
325
5th Grade 6th Grade 7th Grade 8th Grade
Seconds
Grade
Grade Level Line Time

12. Observations
• Severe friction/blockage at card
swipe station at the end of the line.
• Student/worker frustration due to
multiple failed swipes and blockages
at the line exit.

13. Variation C.
• 9/17/2019
• 92 Students/4 Workers
• Independent Variable: Milk Cart
Straight/Worker Card Swipe/Clear
line path.
• Confidence Factor: 95%
• Standard Dev.: 21.47.
• Coefficient of Var.: 10.03
• Margin of Error: 2.23 Sec
• Confidence Interval:
• 211.52 – 215.98 Sec.
0
25
50
75
100
125
150
175
200
225
250
275
5th Grade 6th Grade 7th Grade 8th Grade
Seconds
Grade
Grade Level Line Time

14. Observations
• Worker card swipe still leading to
multiple swipes/congestion at checkout.
• Frustration from both workers and
students due to slow moving line exit.

15. Variation D.
• 9/18/2019
• 92 Students/4 Workers
• Independent Variable: Milk Cart
Straight/No Checkout/Clear line
path.
• Confidence Factor: 95%
• Standard Dev.: 5.19.
• Coefficient of Var.: 5.46
• Margin of Error: 1.06 Sec.
• Confidence Interval:
• 93.69 – 95.81 Sec
80
90
100
110
5th Grade 6th Grade 7th Grade 8th Grade
Seconds
Grade
Grade Level Line Time

16. Observations:
• No card swipe (workers swipe sorted cards
after service) alleviates all congestion at
the checkout area.
• Line moving very smoothly throughout the
process, smooth entrance and smooth exit.
• Lunch staff excited by the results and
happy with the increased time students
have to eat.

17. 113
177
171 171
120
127
184
176178
206
182
278
185
216 217
237
91
101 97
90
0
25
50
75
100
125
150
175
200
225
250
275
300
5th Grade 6th Grade 7th Grade 8th Grade
Average Time (Seconds) Across Variations
Benchmark Var. A Var. B Var. C Var. D

18. Results
• Variation D clearly the most efficient version tested (milk cart
straight, no checkout, clear line path).
• Variation D 41% more efficient than baseline test (94.75 sec to 158
sec. mean serving time across all four grades).
• Participant body language much more positive from both a student
and worker perspective.
• Students able to enter, pray, line up, receive food and eat within
the 20 minute time constraint.

19. Future Testing Opportunities
• Usability testing of checkout software and
UI.
• NPS from other schools with regards to
checkout system satisfaction and ease of
use metric testing.
• Field study of other schools to assess usage
friction points and provide baseline study
for system use.