GAMECOCK_FAN
09-23-2005, 07:45 AM
A timeless lesson on how consultants can make a difference in the
profitability of an organization.
Last week, we took some friends out to an expensive, upscale restaurant and
I noticed that the waiter who took our order carried a spoon in his shirt
pocket. When the busboy brought our water and utensils, I noticed he also
had a spoon in his shirt pocket. Then I looked around and saw that all the
staff had spoons in their pockets. When the waiter came back to serve our
soup I asked, "Why the spoons?"
"Well, "he explained, "the restaurant's owners hired Andersen Consulting to
revamp all our processes. After several months of analysis, they concluded
that the spoon was the most frequently dropped utensil. It represents a drop
frequency of approximately 3 spoons per table per hour. If our personnel are
better prepared, we can reduce the number of trips back to the kitchen and
save 15 man-hours per shift."
As luck would have it, I dropped my spoon and he was able to replace it with
his spare. "I'll get another spoon next time I go to the kitchen instead of
making an extra trip to get it right now," he said.
I was impressed. I also noticed that there was a string hanging out of the
waiter's fly. Looking around, I noticed that all the waiters had the same
string hanging from their flies. So before he walked off, I asked the
waiter, "Excuse me, but can you tell me why you have that string down
there?"
"Oh, certainly!" Then he lowered his voice. "Not everyone is so observant.
That consulting firm I mentioned also found out that we can save time in the
restroom. By tying this string to the tip of you know what, we can pull it
out without touching it and eliminate the need to wash our hands, shortening
the time spent in the rest-room by 76.39 percent."
Carefully thinking through this improvement, I then asked, "After you get it
out, how do you put it back?"
"Well," he whispered, "I don't know about the others, but I use the spoon."
profitability of an organization.
Last week, we took some friends out to an expensive, upscale restaurant and
I noticed that the waiter who took our order carried a spoon in his shirt
pocket. When the busboy brought our water and utensils, I noticed he also
had a spoon in his shirt pocket. Then I looked around and saw that all the
staff had spoons in their pockets. When the waiter came back to serve our
soup I asked, "Why the spoons?"
"Well, "he explained, "the restaurant's owners hired Andersen Consulting to
revamp all our processes. After several months of analysis, they concluded
that the spoon was the most frequently dropped utensil. It represents a drop
frequency of approximately 3 spoons per table per hour. If our personnel are
better prepared, we can reduce the number of trips back to the kitchen and
save 15 man-hours per shift."
As luck would have it, I dropped my spoon and he was able to replace it with
his spare. "I'll get another spoon next time I go to the kitchen instead of
making an extra trip to get it right now," he said.
I was impressed. I also noticed that there was a string hanging out of the
waiter's fly. Looking around, I noticed that all the waiters had the same
string hanging from their flies. So before he walked off, I asked the
waiter, "Excuse me, but can you tell me why you have that string down
there?"
"Oh, certainly!" Then he lowered his voice. "Not everyone is so observant.
That consulting firm I mentioned also found out that we can save time in the
restroom. By tying this string to the tip of you know what, we can pull it
out without touching it and eliminate the need to wash our hands, shortening
the time spent in the rest-room by 76.39 percent."
Carefully thinking through this improvement, I then asked, "After you get it
out, how do you put it back?"
"Well," he whispered, "I don't know about the others, but I use the spoon."