A significant area of challenge and opportunity for foodservice operations is in mission alignment. In this edition of our ongoing blog series, we are going to look a bit closer at mission alignment and explore some practical ways that can help you level up your program. A Performance Management Program like Envision360 can certainly help, but these tips can also be manually implemented with some effort.
Challenge One: A Tale of Two Masters
The first challenge is that the suppliers’ onsite management team really has two master — the suppliers' company and the client. And sometimes the objectives of the two parties aren't aligned typically for financial reasons.
The solution: open and collaborative discussion on both parties’ objectives and how to align, so that the objectives can be met. A clearly defined business review process creates a platform for information sharing, evaluation of the supplier's performance, and proactive discussion on how to best align on key objectives.
Challenge Two: Stretching Too Thin
The second challenge is that food service by definition is a tactical business, and it can be challenging for the suppliers to elevate thinking strategically and planning for the future. Likewise, contract administrators are often responsible for multiple business lines and thus they too can be stretched thin.
The solution: create structured and routinized opportunities for collaboration on strategic plan planning. In addition to evaluating the program and the supplier's performance, the business review process should have a standardized platform, which will provide the structure for future planning.
Challenge Three: Lack of Articulation
The third challenge is that client objectives are often not clearly articulated to the supplier, particularly regarding priorities because not all objectives are created equal. As a result, the supplier lacks clarity in how and where they should be focusing their efforts.
The solution: clear articulation of the client's priorities and how the performance will be measured in meeting those priorities. For instance, the e360 performance scorecard documents the client's objectives, establishing those priorities, and clearly identifies what the supplier needs to do to be successful. Tracking performance and aligning with priorities is critical to a successful dining program.
Mission alignment can be a challenge, but with a concentration on these common solutions, you can level-up your dining program.
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