Hospitals looking to cut costs can benefit from investing in food service software that will help their kitchens track nutrition, inventory, meal preparation and more. Healthcare food service workers are aware that their department can produce a large volume of waste if the procedure isn’t optimized.
Find the roots of the problem
The first step in cutting on food waste is an in-depth analysis of the entire meal preparation procedure, from the raw ingredients to the cooking to the delivery. Various factors along this line of production can add up to a large amount of wasted food. It’s important to consider every step before making any adjustments.
Consider the ingredients
As with any meal, purchasing too many ingredients can lead to wasted food. A hospital kitchen receives many items every day and it can be difficult to track, especially with all the preparations that need to take place as soon as the products arrive. Not having a solid method of tracking these foods can leave a little of every ingredient left over, which ultimately adds up.
Employing inventory technology will not only help you track the exact number of items coming into the kitchen, it can also allow staff to input their daily consumption. Additionally, this program can make use of historical data to better predict the quantities necessary to meet each day’s meal preparations.
Follow the numbers in real-time
Making a large number of meals in a day can ensure that demand is met. However, creating too many in a day runs the risk of not having every dish consumed. This is a waste of resources and labor. Using food service software will allow every kitchen employee to input each completed meal, allowing food managers to halt the production of certain dishes before too many are made.
Accurately track orders
Communication is key when it comes to hospital food service. A less-than-optimal system can result in producing more than one meal for the same patient. To solve this problem, kitchen staff can take advantage of tray tracking features that will keep tabs on consumption rates.
Adhering to dietary restrictions
One of the biggest challenges that hospital kitchens face is adherence to dietary restrictions. However, food service software can provide cooks with easy access to the information. Kitchen staff can then prepare the meal accordingly, ensuring that improper meals aren’t produced and wasted.