What if a factory should change the product they build to another product, every day…

Commercial Kitchen Management - Photo: Mikko Jaatinen

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Mikko Jaatinen, CEO, Jamix Oy

A factory building sewing machines has a blueprint that breaks down the product into every single part needed to build it. The factory checks what purchasing options they would have for each part, taking into consideration obviously price and quality but also other factors such as sustainability. Next step is to select the suppliers and make sure they will deliver all the parts in time for the production run with the correct quantity. They don’t want to run out of any part because that will stall the production.

This process is carefully streamlined and then the factory makes the same sewing machine for months or even for years with the best possible efficiency.

This is challenging.

We all have seen the Covid time delivery chain issues. Missing small and cheap semi conductor parts can stall a car factory production. Stocking though too many of any part, and your inventory grows causing financial losses and also physical challenges stocking them.

But, what if the factory would only build sewing machines on Monday, but coffee makers on Tuesday, vacuum cleaners on Wednesday and for the next four weeks a different product each and every day.

The details and tasks would multiply and days become ever more challenging trying to run production with one product today and simultaneously preparing tomorrow’s production with different products. Figuring out what parts to order, how much and when. Trying to keep your mind clear and calm amid this hectic life.

This is how a professional kitchen has to work. Many of them are factory kind of operations making even thousands of meals a day. 

The exemplary four week period is a common length for a menu cycle. It means that the food is different on each day during the four week period – Rice bowl with chicken on Monday, Greek salad on Tuesday, Vegan Pita sandwich on Wednesday and so forth.

Food is the product in the kitchen which is broken down into its parts by the blueprint in a kitchen, a recipe. Every day the kitchen actually manufactures multiple different products, ordering different parts for them – in time with the correct quantity.

A four week menu cycle can easily include hundreds of recipes and obviously even more ingredients to buy. The challenges are exactly the same as in a factory.

We have amazing people working behind the scenes running these kitchen factories.

Think of this when you next time get a plate of delicious food in front of you in any restaurant! 

Cloud-based JAMIX Kitchen Intelligence System is a comprehensive and easy-to-use software system suitable for all types of food service operators. You can manage all essential information including ingredients, recipes, menus, and inventory in one software system.

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