Doorway
08-26-2006, 11:22 PM
A timeless lesson on how consultants can make a
> > >>>> difference for an
> > >>>> >>organization:
> > >>>> >>
> > >>>> >>Last week, we took some friends out to a new
> > >>>> restaurant, and
> > >>>> >>noticed that the waiter who took our order carried
> > >>>> a spoon in his shirt
> > >>>> >>pocket. It seemed a little strange. Then I looked
> > >>>> around and saw that all
> > >>>> >>the staff had spoons in their pockets.
> > >>>> >>
> > >>>> >>When the waiter came to serve our soup I asked,
> > >>>> "Why the spoon?"
> > >>>> >>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."
> > >>>> >>
> > >>>> >>I was impressed. I also noticed that there was a
> > >>>> string hanging
> > >>>> >>out of the waiter's fly. Looking round, I noticed
> > >>>> that all the waiters had
> > >>>> >>the same little 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 right 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
> > >>>> restroom by 76.39
> > >>>> >>percent."
> > >>>> >>
> > >>>> >>So I 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."
:spin:
> > >>>> difference for an
> > >>>> >>organization:
> > >>>> >>
> > >>>> >>Last week, we took some friends out to a new
> > >>>> restaurant, and
> > >>>> >>noticed that the waiter who took our order carried
> > >>>> a spoon in his shirt
> > >>>> >>pocket. It seemed a little strange. Then I looked
> > >>>> around and saw that all
> > >>>> >>the staff had spoons in their pockets.
> > >>>> >>
> > >>>> >>When the waiter came to serve our soup I asked,
> > >>>> "Why the spoon?"
> > >>>> >>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."
> > >>>> >>
> > >>>> >>I was impressed. I also noticed that there was a
> > >>>> string hanging
> > >>>> >>out of the waiter's fly. Looking round, I noticed
> > >>>> that all the waiters had
> > >>>> >>the same little 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 right 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
> > >>>> restroom by 76.39
> > >>>> >>percent."
> > >>>> >>
> > >>>> >>So I 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."
:spin: