Lean Systems & Sustainability

 

 

Lean Systems

 

    Noches de Colombia is constantly working towards becoming a more lean and sustainability restaurant and bakery. A lean system is, “Operational systems that maximize the value added by each of a company’s activities by removing waste and delays from them.” Here we tend to use more of a pull method within our restaurant and bakery. We take orders, process the orders as they come in, and then produce the finished product. This helps us be more lean because we do not have much waste or overproduce. In our facilities we also incorporate Poka-Yoke which is also a method used by lean systems. Poka-Yoke is, “Mistake-proofing methods aimed at designing fail-safe systems that minimize human    error.” We have microwave ovens and ovens that do not start until the door is shut to avoid problems when cooking and baking. Also, when customers walk in the door there is a buzzer that vibrates notifying the host or hostess that their is a new customer to avoid a problem with the customer waiting too long to be seated.  In our facility we also incorporate standardized work methods where the recipes for food and baked goods are specified for employees to follow to avoid errors in the food. This ensures that the food is made the same way every time. In combination with that we use a flexible workforce where the employees are trained in multiple departments. If an employee is late, or calls out sick, this allows one of our other employees to fill in effortlessly and conveniently. It allows our restaurant and bakery to function even in the event of a problem with our employees. Additionally, we have a lot of automation such as machines to help assist in the baking and cooking process to ensure that the kitchens run efficiently and effectively. Linked directly with automation in the kitchens we have in place total preventative maintenance which is procedures that are set into place to make sure that the ovens, as well as other machines and equipment are constantly checked and maintained. This helps to prevent major damage before it occurs. It would be a major disaster if one of our ovens were to go out of commission one day before the restaurant opening. This allows us to prepare for any issues before they become a major problem. Another example of the way that our restaurant and bakeries are working towards becoming more “lean” is the implementation of 5s. The 5s system is an approach that allows our restaurant and bakery staff to organize themselves in such a fashion that the kitchens are safe and efficient. The 5s are sort, straighten, shine, standardize, and sustain. An example of the way we use the 5s in our kitchens is shown below:

• Sort: separate needed ingredients and kitchen equipment necessary
• Straighten: organize the work areas to ensure everything is easy to find
• Shine: kitchen staff clean work area
• Standardize: set procedures for the way the front and back end should work
• Sustain: ensuring that the employees and managers enforce the set procedures and rules

 

Sustainability

 

Sustainability goes hand in hand with our facilities becoming more lean. Sustainability is, “A characteristic of processes that are meeting humanity’s needs without harming future generations.” At Noches de Colombia, we acknowledge that we need to focus on the triple bottom line. Which is we need to not only worry about the financial responsibility of maintaining the restaurants and bakeries but we need to worry as well about the social responsibilities we have as well as the environmental responsibilities. In our facilities, we focus on trying to be more sustainable in terms of buying foods that are in season, recycling as much as we can, and trying to eliminate the use of styrofoam. These are small steps towards helping the overall environment. The fact that we try to buy fruits, and vegetables that are in season is extremely important to helping reduce our carbon footprint. This helps reduce how far the food has to travel to our locations. If we buy locally and in season, we reduce the amount of gas and pollutants we put into the atmosphere. Also, we help reduce the amount of waste that we put out into the world by reusing scraps and food that we do not have a use for in either the restaurant side and trying to use it in the bakery side of our facilities or vice versa. This helps eliminate how much waste we actually produce by trying our best to use up all of the ingredients before we throw anything out.