Food for Thought: Smart Kitchens for Smart Workplaces
Every food services provider should focus not just on delivery, but on the complete experience
This article is the second one in our ‘Food for Thought’ series and deliberates on yet another innovation by Sodexo. In our first article, we discussed front-end solutions that provide ease and convenience to the consumer. However, at the backend, there is much more to food than greets the eye; the complete experience counts, not delivery alone. Relying on our accurate understanding of consumer needs based on years of experience and research, Sodexo has come up with a fresh concept that presents a new perspective on food services. It encompasses the entire value chain before food is finally delivered to the consumer; in other words, the Smart Kitchen, which manages the entire food production process.
Modern Workplace Trends
The modern workplace no longer maps to the idea of ‘9-to-5’; the millennial employee does not go to office to just ‘finish’ his work and head back home. In fact, he spends 1/3rd of his life at the workplace. This accounts for an overwhelming number of hours on a daily basis. Thus, the sustained emphasis on Quality of Life (QoL) at the workplace! With employees spending quality hours at the office, it is imperative that they enjoy every bit of it - the work, the team and, most importantly, their energy provider – the food. Workplace food is an evergreen topic of discussion, and when it’s superlative, it’s a charmer; an added attraction for both current and potential employees. Thus, smart workplaces today are keen on offering a complete experience; leading to the evolution of ‘smart kitchens’.
With more than 50 years of experience, Sodexo understands the need for Smart Kitchens like no other. As an organization that believes in QoL, the entire process of food preparation and delivery is integral to our food business. All the dimensions are integrated into our value chain; Smart Kitchen revolutionizing on-site cooking and workplace food. This smarter innovation precludes the use of multiple gas stoves, replacing them with the state-of-the-art combi-oven; resulting in efficiency, consistency, quality and an enhanced consumer experience. In simple terms, Smart Kitchen is a simple evolution from fuel-based cooking to induction-based cooking. But at the macro level, it is much more structured and comprehensive. It is an amalgamation of all the right processes, systems and dimensions involved in preparing food before it finally reaches the plate.
Benefits delivered to all stakeholders in the value chain
The consumer: The consumer today is well-travelled, knowledgeable and more conscious about every aspect related to food. Apart from the aesthetics and taste, he is also concerned about the quality of raw materials sourced, the energy management during cooking and most importantly, the nutritional content that the food holds. And this is where the Sodexo global expertise comes into play. Our huge coterie of chefs from around the world decides the menu and recipes to suit the needs of our millennial consumers; the on-site team prepares these recipes with passion and precision in the Smart Kitchen, offering the perfect taste with nutrition value intact, unfailingly, every time.
The organization: With Smart Kitchens, organizations save in capex and infrastructure, achieving improved productivity in food services. Better energy management brings down utility bills, while conserving precious resources. Clean and sleek kitchens, safe working environment and nutritious meals enable them offer improved work experience to their employees, thus leading to higher efficiency and productivity.
The cooking staff: Smart Kitchens endorse a safety-first culture, inspiring a zero-accident mindset. Temperature-controlled surroundings ease up working conditions. With cooking processes being rationalized, valuable time gained by staff is allocated to the very important aspect of consumer satisfaction.
Smart Kitchen in India
Leading corporates, manufacturing facilities and technology giants have partnered us in the evolution of kitchen build & design, thus leveraging the Smart Kitchen advantage. In the words of Mr. Senthil Kumar S, General Manager – Human Resources, Turbo Energy Ltd, “Good nutrition is the most important part for maintaining a healthy lifestyle. In particular, serving hot rice is a welcome move and is appreciated by all the employees working here.”
Watch the video here!