Nutrition & Foodservice Edge Magazine - May/June 2022 - 24

CONTROL THE CONTROLLABLE
CONSULT FREQUENTLY
on known product availability
issues. Ask your distributor
what they are hearing from
manufacturers.
last minute due to a virus exposure
or multiple unrelated callouts. It
can be helpful to have a complete
heat-and-serve convenience meal on
hand-outside of your regularly stored
emergency menu stock. Make it a meal
that an inexperienced and small team
can easily serve. For longer term, yet
temporary situations, develop a two
week convenience menu you can turn
to in times of severe labor shortage.
ASSURE OPERATIONAL
EXCELLENCE
COMMUNICATE WITH YOUR
DISTRIBUTOR
Open lines of communication
with your prime distributor are a
must. Consult frequently on known
product availability issues. Ask your
distributor what they are hearing from
manufacturers. Make your distributor
partner aware of your anticipated
needs, especially any changes to your
normal ordering. This helps your
distributor find product solutions you
need. Consider reaching out to local
manufacturer partners to fill in if your
prime distributor is unable to source
the product for you.
Instead of ordering items to arrive
on the day you need to serve them, be
cognizant about ordering ahead. In
other words, order the items you need
to arrive two days before you actually
require them. This gives you more time
to determine an approved substitute
if needed. For optimal communication
regarding out-of-stocks, get your order
in early in the day. Assure your sales
person knows how you prefer out-ofstocks
to be handled and approved to
avoid frustration.
PLAN FOR EMERGENCIES
Supply chain disruption and labor
challenges should be part of your
regular emergency preparedness
planning. Review and update policies
and procedures as needed. Think
through what happens if a full shift
of foodservice staff is unable to work
Inflationary pressures are expected to
continue into 2023, so it's vital to get
back to basics to help control costs:
* Evaluate recipes.
* Watch portion control.
* Cook to your census.
* Manage inventory.
* Reduce food, energy, and water
waste.
With inflation, your per person cost
is going up, however available budget
dollars are most often not. So you
have to come up with solutions that
reduce cost pressure. Work with
your leadership and show them
you have the skills to do it! Use your
Association of Nutrition & Foodservice
Professionals resources, and network
with other members to share best
practices. Together we can continue to
provide excellent quality and service
during these challenging times. E
DANA FILLMORE, RD |
dana.fillmore@gfs.com
Dana Fillmore is the Healthcare Customer Marketing Manager for Gordon Food
Service. She is currently a member of ANFP's Editorial Advisory Board. She was
on ANFP's Industry Advisory Council from 2013-19, serving as chair in 2017-18. In
addition, she was a Director at Large on the ANFP Board from 2017-19.
24 NUTRITION & F OOD SER VICE EDGE | MAY-JUNE 2022
Nutrition & Foodservice Edge Magazine - May/June 2022

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