Change your benchmarks to get better!

Summary

If you do what you always did you will get what you always got. Expecting different results would be the definition of crazy. The same is true about benchmarking. The look over the fence is only as important as what you can see on the other side. Switching perspectives, i.e. benchmarks, is where it gets interesting.

This is a best practice story about a different approach to benchmarking Foodservice success.

The unidentifiable glob syndrome

Do you agree that most mass-catered food can still get better? ?If yes, and if foodservice/hospital catering is where your passion lies, this article might offer some inspiration.

Foodservice has come a long way. No matter if we are talking about catering for schools and universities or hospitals and senior living facilities. From some unidentifiable glob on your plate (similar to meals served in prison scenes in every second-rate movie) to finessed, nutritionally balanced cuisine, designed for an individual recipient. And still, thinking about catered mass-market food will usually not produce that feel-good sensation, no matter if you recently experienced it or not.?Unidentifiable glob syndrome exists.

You might need some thinking outside the box.

“Thinking outside the box!? ? Good grief! Not again!

This phrase, my oldest son would say, is absolutely cringe-worthy. ?And every consultant, sales person and team leader has already abused it.

Yet, there are some individuals that at least re-define the boundaries of their own box or bubble. And, if they do it right, they might just set better examples, produce better benchmarks that lead to a better industry. This is a story about such a person in healthcare Foodservice.

What I learned from this individual is that we need to re-visit our benchmarks.

Whom do you compare yourself with? Whom do you emulate or try to outperform?

If you go down the beaten path that every other market researcher will suggest then it will - most likely - be industry peers that you are looking at. And that will - most likely - not get you very far. The issue being, that you are firmly staying inside your box. Even worse, you are letting others define your box, i. e. what parameters of comparison are actually relevant to you.

So yes, (CRINGE) “thinking outside the box” - outside of what regulations and marketing researchers tell you - is necessary. And good for your clients. And good for your business.

And - I’ve got another cringer for you: It’s a win-win-win.

“The real world, son, that’s where the pizza delivery guy comes from”

Same thing is true for your innovation. And this is the story about a Foodservice manager I met in Melbourne. From a private, high-end hospital. At this point, you may be tempted to discard the rest of this text because:

• You are running Foodservice in a public hospital, school or university
• Melbourne and your neck of the woods are not comparable

Allow me to say that this is exactly the reason why you should continue.

For the purpose of this article, said Foodservice manager’s name is Jess. Next to Foodservice operations she handles all other ancillary services as well. And still finds time to identify and spell out visions that help guide her peers and employees.

Her vision: Be better than any food-provider in the vicinity

Patients get visitors. They come from the same place where the pizza delivery guy comes from – outside. And they bring whatever food from outside appears to be better, tastier or simply more to the standards a patient or visitor has. That might be the fast-food restaurant across the street, the pub close to home or any other establishment selling food.

And every time that happens, hospital Foodservice has lost several opportunities.

Every time your clients get food outside your have lost several opportunities!

Mission one: Feed them right!?

Whatever food is delivered from outside is in no way checked against the nutritional standards and requirements the client currently has. Think allergies, nutritional balance (carbohydrates, protein, fat) and clinical outcomes. A client or patient that is fed with outside food is at risk for malnourishment, prolonged recovery and other complications.

A similar case can be made for every meal a student or worker consumes. Keeping up your energy? Being able to study? All of that is highly dependent on the meals you ingest – or to be more precise: on their nutritional composition.

Be the best place to eat at. Better than anyone in a two-mile radius!

Jess’s clear goal was that none of her patients are eating food from outside and she knows that this only works if Foodservice is perceived as the best place to eat. Better than anyone in a two-mile radius.

Mission two: Make additional revenue!

Jess’s vision of better Foodservice didn’t stop there. She explained that her goal is to also have visitors order nice, comforting and healthy meals from her kitchen while spending their time supporting their loved ones. That generates additional income for her kitchen and makes life easier for her clients. Plus, Making more money has another benefit...

Service those external clients! Visitors, friends, family!

Mission three: Give back!

COVID, the Ukraine war and many other crisis’ around the world have made cost extremely volatile and in many cases sky-rocket. Foodservice has always been a numbers game, balancing cost against income oftentimes making it hard to make ends meet. Serving more and better food allows you to charge that couple of cents more that you need. In Jess’ case it meant that she not only could easily cover her cost but had money to spare. And instead of putting it back into the organisation, she invests it into her clients. Buying better. Sourcing local, healthy food.

Invest in your clients!

Ultimately

Don’t benchmark against your direct peers and long existing rivals. This would be doing more of the same and chances are that the leading thinkers amongst your peers and rivals will remain just that: thought leaders. If you want to excel, find benchmarks that are above and beyond what your market is thinking about right now.

That drives innovation and creates the fresh wind and new ideas that will make you succeed.

Are you interested in reading about the steps Jess took to make good on that unused potential? Hit the follow button on the top of the article!