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FOOD SERVICE ASSOCIATES |
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Case studies
Marks and Spencer plc.
Food Service Associates have completed several projects for Marks and Spencers over the past 3 years including an operational and financial review of staff catering at the head office in Baker Street, contract preparation for a catering joint venture with Selfridges in Manchester and a national review of staff catering across the UK. In this latter project, Marks and Spencer wanted an independent assessment of staff catering provision at store level across the UK. The purpose of the review was to comment on the current standard of the staff catering services, draw comparisons to the service offered by other national retailers, establish the costs of providing the service, benchmark these costs against outsourced operations and provide recommendations for operational improvements and financial efficiencies. The review was to provide future direction for the services and outline improvement routes. A random sample audit of the 320 stores offering different forms of staff catering was undertaken. We inspected every aspect of the facility. This included operating methods, service standards, pricing, purchasing efficiency, financial control, staffing levels and labour efficiency. At a corporate level we considered the purchasing policy, financial makeup of the catering budget, the staff relationship, the head office support structure, head office integration at unit level and the total financial picture. To establish the staff catering tariff position in the market place we also undertook market research in the high street, comparing the prices of a list of core items available within a 5 minute footfall of Marks and Spencers and which could conceivably be classed as "competition". From the research undertaken and with a knowledge of the marketplace, recommendations were prepared as a paper to be presented to the main board. The board paper outlined the options for the future and a cost and time estimate for the implementation of the changes required to improve the service currently offered to staff. |
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| Food Service Associates (Henley) Ltd, PO Box 48, Henley on Thames, Oxfordshire RG9 3YX |
