Time-Motion Study For Hot Cereals

Joanna Helm December 6, 2012 Portland VA Hospital- Nutrition Services

Time- Motion Study of Hot Cereals Summary

Study #1 Oatmeal Zoom- 121 produced 28.8 sec/unit Malt-O-Meal Cream of Wheat Efficiencies Sense of Urgency Collected all supplies before beginning. Used both hands- kept multiple pans going at one time. Very methodical Diligent about cook times on the product. Water conservation by using sm. Kettles as a double boiler. Collected all materials before starting. No wasted steps by using the cart and small kettle area.

Study #2

51 produced 1min 10 sec/unit

43 produced 1min 11 sec/unit

Study #3

59 produced 31.9 sec/unit

35 produced 31.9 sec/unit

Production Time Recommendations: All cereals: 35-40 seconds/unit OR produce 60 units = 35 minutes 120 units = 80 minutes (1 hour 20 minutes) Allow increased time by 3-4 seconds/unit if bran is being cooked.

Conducting the study

I coordinated with the production staff to determine when a good time would be to observe the process. I used a note book, stop watch and a clock to note start and end times. I noted a time change as each step progressed. Start time began when they started collecting supplies to begin production and the end time is when the work area is completely cleaned and all food is in the blast chiller. To calculate the total time per unit, I divided the total number of cereals produced by the length of time from start to finish. I also took detailed notes on the steps taken, number of times they left the work station to go get something, and the sense of urgency in producing the cereals.

Cereal Production Study #1:

Zoom
Production: 121 each Start time: 6:13 Recipe from book, take cart to dry storage and gather supplies. (4 Oatmeal and 2 raisins) 6:14 Cart to steam kettle, rinse and clean out kettle. Start filling kettle. 6:15 3 sheet pans and pitcher from dish room 6:17 Start bran in small kettle 2 bran and 3 water 6:19 - Whisk bran, add butter, dry milk . 6:21 - Add water brown sugar and raisins. 6:21-6:22 add oatmeal to kettle 6:23 place sheet pans on top of cart, collect 2 racks of cups from dish area, set date gun and stir bran. 6:24 Lids on cart and stir oatmeal 6:24 Ladle from dish room, scoop up oatmeal into 1/3 pans and saran wrap. 6:25-6:28 Portion 30 cups and lid 6:28-6:30 Date and sticker all cups 6:30 stir bran, cinnamon from prep area. Remove bran from kettle, spray, and fill with water to clean. 6:31 add bran to oatmeal 6:32- Add Cinnamon and raisins to oatmeal. Throw out trash and stir again. 6:34-6:36 put on gloves and portion 24 cups. 6:36-6:37 lids, stickers, date 6:38 start 2nd layer, portion 24 6:38-6:40 lids and date 6:40-6:42 portion 24 6:42-6:43 lid and date 6:43- 6:44 portion 24 6:44-6:45 lids and date 6:46- sheet pan from dish room and whisk 6:46-6:47 portion 24 6:47-6:48 lids and date 6:48-6:51 2nd layer- portion 24 went for 1 more rack of cups from dish area. 6:51 start water to rinse and scrub out kettle 6:52-6:53 lids on oatmeal 6:53 sheet pan and ladles for HiPro 6:54-6:55 stir and portion 8 Hearty Oatmeal 6:55-6:56 lids/date and stickers on 24 Oatmeal and 8 Hearty 6:56-6:57 Stir and portion 12 Hi-Pro

6:57-6:59 Lids/stickers and date 7:00- turn water off to kettle 7:01-wipe down prep area, return racks to dish area. 7:02 All trays put in blast chiller 7:02-7:04 scrub out small kettle from bran 7:04-7:07 scrub out large kettle 7:08- final wipe down of entire prep area Gather supplies to prepare production: 3 minutes Cart is stocked with all trays Portion cup rack from dish area Ladles and whisks are in 1/3 pan next to steam kettle Start water in kettle Cooking: 7 minutes Bran and Oatmeal done at the same time. Start bran first, then oatmeal. Portioning/Date/Label: 30 minutes Used 1 ladle and scooped the oatmeal directly from the steam kettle Completed each layer at a time Stickers were quickly placed and date gun on cart Clean-up: 8 minutes All dirty items were on the cart and rolled into the dish room Scrubbing of kettle done with small white bristle brush

Total Cereals Produced: 121 in 58 minutes Production time per unit: 28.8 seconds per oatmeal

Study #2:
Cream of Wheat
Production: 43 Start time: 6:59-7:03 water was already started, added in 1 box of cream of wheat and stir 7:03-7:05- butter cubed in 1/3 pan and added cream of wheat, and saran wrapped 2x 7:05-7:07 filled 1/3 pan with cream of wheat and added bran. 7:07- 7:09- stirred kettle 7:09- stirred 1/3 pan with bran 7:10-7:13 talked with Joe about water leak, rinsed whisk 7:13-7:15 portioned cream of wheat into a pitcher

7:15-7:16 scraped kettle and pan and portioned cream of wheat into cups 7:16-7:17 went into office, came back and washed hands 7:17-7:20 portioned 7 cups and rewashed hands 7:20-7:22 cleaned and scraped kettle- started the water to wash it with. 7:22-7:23 lids on 31 cups 7:23-7:28 sticker all 31 cups split workstation and used lots of time walking around carts to get to the oatmeals. 7:28- 7:29 portioned 4 cream of wheat with bran 7:29-7:31- washed hands 7:31-7:32 lids on 4 cups 7:32- turned off water into the kettle, picked up prep area, etc.. 7:32-7:35 added milk to the 1/3 pan with butter and mix, rinsed whisk and wiped area. 7:35-7:37 set out 16 cups on prep table, poured cereal from the 1/3 pan into 12 cups and put the rest back on the cart. 7:37-7:40 put on gloves, put lids and stickers on 31 meals. Took the pans to the dish room. 7:40- reorganized cups and put tray in the blastchiller 7:41 cleaned up station and prep table 7:42-7:50 cleaned out kettle. Gather supplies to prepare production: 3 minutes ( estimate) Rolling rack was already about by the kettles with the cups on it. No other supplies were gathered. Cooking: 14 minutes Malt-o-meal cooked quickly Added bran at the beginning and left covered to cook the bran. Portioning/Date/Label: 27 minutes Portioned into a large pitcher, then poured malt-o-meal into containers. Put lids on cups and did one row at a time Moved malt-o-meal containers multiple times on the sheet pan- stacked and restacked. Clean-up: 10 minutes Pans to dish area 8 minutes of clean up was scrubbing the kettle. Total Cereals Produced: 43 in 51 minutes Production time per unit: 71 seconds ( 1 min 11 seconds)

Study #2
Malt-O-Meal
Production: 51 Start Time: 7:50 7:56 gathered box of malt-o-meal, 1 sheet pan, 2 -1/2 pans, 1 pitcher, started water, gathered whisk, ladle, spatula, gloves and deep pans. Set up cups on the cart. Went for 1# butter and plastic knife- knife broke trying to cut butter, grabbed a real knife and threw out 4 tbsps butter. Washed off knife and hands, rinsed, paper towel. 7:56- 8:10 added malt-o-meal to kettle and stirred 8:11-8:14 portioned 4 cups into 1/3 pan, added bran, stirred and wrapped 2x in Saran Wrap. 8:14-8:16 - portioned 15 cups 8:16 wrapped malt-o-meal. 8:17-8:18 scraped out the pitcher and the outsides 8:18-8:20 - portioned 24 cups 8:20-8:22 lids on 24 8:22-8:25 portioned malt-o-meal into a pitcher and into 8 cups on the prep table with lids. 8:25-8:27 started water and cleaned kettle. Washed hands. 8:27-8:30- stickers and dates on all oatmeals. 8:31-8:33 portioned bran malt o meal (4) lids, sticker and date 8:33-8:36 opened the 1/3 pan and whisked. 8:36-8:37 added dry milk to malt-o-meal and mix. 8:37-8:39 portioned cereal, poured from pan 8:39-8:43 lids, stickers, date 8:43-8:44 went for a small tray for 10 cereals, rest on a sheet tray. moved cereals on tray again. 8:45 all cereals in the blast chiller 8:45-8:48 clean up prep area, scrub kettle, dishes to the washroom, check on if there are extra grits in the cooler. 8:48 coffee refill and talk with Pat in the office 8:49 removed all expired product from the cooler. 8:51- went on break. Gather supplies to prepare production: 6 minutes Took the cart and gathered all relevant supplies. Cooking: 15 minutes One of the longer cook times for cereal- to ensure it does not separate.

Portioning/Date/Label: 32 minutes Moved containers twice, took time scraping and cleaning the outside of the scoop used to put oatmeal in the pitcher. Clean-up: 3 minutes Kettle soaked for about 30 minutes due to the skin it produced on the kettle. Total Cereals Produced: 51 Production time per unit: 1:10 seconds

Study #3:
Oatmeal
Production: 59 ( all with small kettles and cart) Start Time: 9:24am Fill small steam kettle with water Dish room to collect utensils and pans (3 sheet pans, 2 1/3 pans, 2 pots, pitcher, whisk) 9:25 butter from fridge, melt butter, collect 3 racks of cups from dish area Set up area, get raisins and oatmeal from dry storage. 9:27 added melted butter to 1/3 pans 9:28-9:30 put lids and stickers on cart, trayed up 24 cups and poured hot water into second pan to create a double boiler. 9:30-9:32- added oatmeal and stirred 9:32- added brown sugar and raisins to the 1/3 pan 9:33 removed pot from double boiler and stirred. 9:34- 9:36- portioned out 15 servings into 1 of the 1/3 pans. Portioned 6 servings in another pan. Poured the rest into the pitcher. 9:36-9:38 stir in milk, stir the pan with sugar and raisins 9:38-9:39 - rinse whisk, portion 13, lid, date and sticker. 9:40 start more water in kettle, add oatmeal 9:41 add a 2nd layer on 12 of the cups 9:41-9:43 portion 12, lid, sticker and date. (Hi pro) 9:44 removed 2nd batch of oatmeal from kettle 9:45-9:48 stir, pour into pitcher, portion 11, sticker and date. 9:48-9:49 add a second level, portion 6, date, sticker. 9:50-9:51 portion 5 more, date and sticker. 9:51 dish racks returned to dish area. 9:52-9:53- portion 8 with raisins and sugar.

9:54-9:56 2nd pan on top, pour into pitcher, portion 25 cups. 9:56- rinse out pitcher 9:57-9:58- lids, stickers and dates. Malt-O-Meal Production: 35 Start time: 9:59 9:59- 3rd sheet pan, tray up 24 cups, add water to double boiler, add malt-o-meal, stir. 9:59-10:03 cook malt o meal,. 10:03-10:05- add dry milk to 1/3 pan and add some malt o meal 10:05-10:06- portion out 16 servings into pitcher. 10:06-10:09 portion 24, lid , sticker and date. 10:09-10:10- portion 2 regular, pour in Hi Pro in pitcher., return dishes to dish room. 10:10-10:12- portion 9 hi-pro, lid, sticker and date. 10:12- return sticker, lids and gun to prep table. 10:13- put all oatmeal in blast chiller. 10:14 rinse out kettles. Done Gather supplies to prepare: 2 minutes Cart, dish area items, stickers, labels, gun. Cook Time: 13 minutes Oatmeal and Malt o meal Portioning/Date/Label: 30 minutes Clean up: 5 minutes ( because it was done in small steps all along) Total Cereals Produced: 94 Production Time per Unit: 31.9 seconds

Specific Efficiencies Observed:

-Production list out and calculation of the # of pans, cups, whisks and pots needed was done before beginning anything else. -Use of the cart to hold all supplies: Top level: working level with sheet pan, date gun. Portion cups were on the sink/counter area just to the right of the cart. Second level: extra sheet pans, stickers Third level: 1/3 pans with Hi-Pro cereals waiting to be portioned. -Use of the small steam kettle as a double boiler vs. large kettle - small kettle cooked faster - much less water usage for cleaning (ie: in study #2, the big kettle was filled to the top, two times, to clean it. Just a gallon or two were used for rinsing the small kettle.) -smaller double boiler pots are easier to handle, pour directly into the pitcher, and easier to clean. -Utilize the sink in the production area to rinse whisks instead of going into the dish area -Melt the butter in the 1/3 pan before adding oatmeal -Produce the oatmeal in order of cook time ie: do the hi-pro and hearty oatmeal first, let them sit and cook while portioning regular oatmeal. -Put on the lid, sticker and date in one motion. -Pan up full trays of portion cups -Sense of urgency in Study #1 and #3. Moved with purpose and intensity.

Recommendations for improving Production Speed:

1. ) Rinsing of pots/whisks- efficient when using the dish sink adjacent to the small kettles. Lots of time was lost in Study #2 by going all the way into the pot/pan room to rinse the whisk, then wash hands. Recommend using gloves to help decrease amount of time washing hands. 2.) Have enough lids on the cart to complete all portion cups in Study #2, time was lost by going back and forth to prep table and box for more lids. 3.) Melting the margarine first allows for the oatmeal to not have to be covered to keep heat in to melt it- save on plastic wrap, time and costs by not covering. 4.) Lid, sticker and date in one motion- time is lost by just doing lids, then portioning another type of cereal, then dating and stickering. Wasted movement by having to pick up the cereals and move them around so dates and stickers could be applied.

5.) Know how many you are making to start and put all the cups on the tray at one time. Time is lost by just putting out 6 or 10 portion cups at a time, and then having to stop portioning to add more cups. 6.) Limit interruptions as much as possible- in Study #3 it was asked for her to stop and portion chicken noodle soup- Joe offered to do it so we could keep going. 7.) Educate on the cook times for the products ie: in study #2 she thought the malt-omeal is not cooked enough, so it cooked for 15 minutes, versus 4 minutes in Study #3. (Instructions on the box recommend 3-4 minutes for cooking). 8.) Use the right size steam kettle for the number of portions being made. In Study #2, she made 50 Malt-o-Meal in the large steam kettle. This created a tough skin on the kettle and required 30 minutes of soaking to clean the kettle. Recommend using the smaller kettles as a double boiler to cook the malt-o-meal. The kettle stays clean and the pot can be run through the dishwasher/pot-scrubber to save labor.

Step-by-Step Combined Best Practices

1. Print recipes and take a cart to dry storage to gather food supplies. 2. Take the cart to the dish room and collect all utensils and equipment needed for production. 3. Roll the cart of cups to the production area. 4. Start the water in the kettle and begin heating. 5. Put 2 sleeves of lids, correct stickers and date gun on the cart. 6. Start cooking the cereal. 7. If making the hearty bran start cooking the bran in the small kettle 8. If making the Hi Pro cereal- start melting the butter in the 1/3 pan. 9. Cook the cereal. 10. Portion out the correct amount needed into the 1/3 pan for Hi-pro and/or Hearty. 11. Portion cereal 2 ways are equally efficient: a. Portion into a pitcher to pour the oatmeal into cups on a sheet pan b. Ladle the oatmeal into the cups directly from the steam kettle ( this option had less mess because there was dripping oatmeal from the pitcher but it can potentially spill hot oatmeal on your hand.) 12. Once you have filled one sheet pan, cover with lids, date and labels. 13. Start portioning the second layer of cereal (if that many is required) on top of the first layer of cereals on the sheet pan. a. * Note: Each sheet pan can easily hold 2 layers of cereals and can be stacked on top of each other. 14. After portioning, set up the number of cups needed for the 1/3 pan cereal.

15. Stir 1/3 pan cereal and portion into cups. 16. Place all cereals immediately into the blast chiller.