How can Creative Problem Solving be used to reduce food waste in hospitality?

An important step in creative problem solving is having a selection of minds and voices in one place. This helps break the echo chamber that can occur in teams and businesses and allows non-standard out of the box thinking to develop.

Creative problem solving is best thought of as an approach to solving problems that gets those participating in the approach to challenge traditional frameworks and by doing so solving problems in novel ways. Yes it’s about divergent thinking and convergent thinking, but it is equally about including diverse voices properly, and unbiasedly, synthesizing the work. And lastly making the creative insights actionable.

In today's dynamic world, creative problem-solving is essential. This guide outlines key steps: Define the problem, foster diverse brainstorming, evaluate and prioritize solutions, implement with collaboration, and learn iteratively. Benefits include driving innovation, enhancing decision-making, and fostering adaptability. Mastering this skill empowers individuals to navigate challenges with resilience and innovation, crucial in an ever-changing landscape.

Understanding Creative Problem Solving (CPS) as a structured process has been instrumental in addressing complex challenges. The CPS framework, with its stages of clarify, ideate, develop, and implement, provides a systematic approach that encourages dynamic thinking and collaboration. In tackling food waste in hospitality, CPS becomes a powerful tool to delve into the multifaceted nature of the issue, fostering an environment where assumptions are challenged, and innovative solutions are cultivated.

CPS will be performed more accurately when the use of artificial intelligence is more common. To generate controls on resources and enable optimization of use, avoid waste and allocate the right resource at the right time accelerating logistics and quality processes.

I am so glad you are highlighting food waste within hospitality. In my zero waste catering business, not only do we strive to perfect portion control, but we also source surplus foods to work with in the first place whilst still maintaining a five star experience for our customers. It's easy to see why chefs within hospitality are losing their creativity and skills when it comes to making use of every part, but it's vital that we stop and think about what is happening the food we don't use. There needs to be a steadfast commitment to using what we buy/have. Allocating extra time for preparation if necessary but reaping the rewards in so many other ways.

We have designed a system to eradicate food waste in the kitchen sink - sadly this simple creative invention has been ignored by the wider food serving sector

CPS is driven by collaboration! The more we bring people from different perspectives together the better the solutions. Food waste is a problem that's being tackled. Look at California's SB1383! If you bring people into the conversation that are already working to solve the problem there would be lots of great insights. Food waste is an easier problem to solve! It's already happening, just needs to become more mainstream.

To deal with such issues in my view I think these points can help. 1. I believe different hospitality companies are trying their possible best to reduce food waste but still you can get some food waste everyday with could be attributed to many reasons but whatever the reason behind it if we can create and follow these methods can help. As a climate change activist and a biologist we always encourage the use of organic materials in solving different issues, so this wasted foods can be used as a manure through composting with I believe even if the company is not in agribusiness atleast it can generates income as agribusiness companies or individuals can buy it to use it as manure which will help in producing healthy foods for all.

In the hospitality industry, creative problem-solving to reduce food waste involves implementing dynamic menu planning. I analyze customer preferences, seasonal availability, and historical consumption data to optimize inventory. Collaborating with chefs, I devise flexible recipes to repurpose surplus ingredients creatively. Additionally, strategic partnerships with local organizations for food donation programs contribute to minimizing waste while fostering community engagement. This holistic approach, blending innovation with sustainability, allows for effective food waste reduction in the hospitality sector.

The process needs to be clear in the minds of all involved, as well as understand what their role influences the process, if it is necessary a job rotation between positions so that everyone knows the process and with this rotation are other formed to do the same with more economy.

The initial step of CPS, clarifying the problem, proves crucial in addressing food waste. Using tools like the 5 Whys or Fishbone Diagram aids in defining the scope, goals, and criteria of the issue. Asking questions about the sources, drivers, and impacts of food waste helps in creating a holistic understanding. By employing CPS to clarify the problem, businesses can lay a solid foundation for effective problem-solving strategies tailored to their unique challenges.

Identifying food waste problems in hospitality will help to creatively provide sustainable solutions. This can often be achieved through careful observation in most cases as food waste problems tend to be obvious, usually producing offensive odours or waste heaps. Further analysis of the root causes and effects of such problems help in understanding the dynamics that resulted to the situation.

In problem-solving, clarity in defining the problem is the first and most crucial step, marking about 80% completion of the process when done right. When addressing food waste, it's imperative to pinpoint WHAT qualifies as waste—whether leftover, excess, stale, or a combination. Equally important is establishing WHY it's classified as waste—whether due to disposal in the trash, lost revenue potential, or other reasons. Once the WHAT and WHY are clear, subsequent efforts can be strategically directed toward generating effective solutions.

Considering the Lean and Six Sigma processes for manufacturing and big business are huge drivers in waste management, and those that have credentials and respective ‘belts’ in these schools of thought are more sought after as applicants than those without… it may be a good starting place for people in industries that have food waste to look into those two programs.

believe that a management model in sight meets in a more conclusive way of solving problems. The system produces insights at all times, if analyzed in time can avoid problems and in this case food waste can be avoided if demand control is assertive.

A solid tool for this stage is to create a visual representation of your brainstorming. There are many ways to do this: create bubble maps by beginning with a core idea and branching off new bubbles from there. Build a mood board with images which depict your end goal. Sometimes working backwards from that end goal helps to visualize the journey to get there.

Ideating solutions through CPS is a creative and inclusive process. Employing brainstorming or SCAMPER techniques allows businesses to explore diverse ideas without judgment. When applied to food waste, ideation involves contemplating ways to prevent, reduce, reuse, or recycle excess food. By posing questions about process, product, and service changes, CPS ensures a comprehensive exploration of solutions that can be adapted to fit the specific needs of a hospitality business.

While ideating, it's imperative to remember that nobody wastes food because they actually WANT to waste food. They do so for various inadvertent reasons: not enough time, overestimation of their own capacity to finish the food, mismatch of expectation between ordering and tasting the food, etc. Once these pain points are firmly on your mind, you need to apply divergent thinking to come up with as many ideas as possible. Quantity breeds quality. Once you've stretched your ideas in all directions and are armed with many, apply convergent thinking to identify the best ideas, ruthlessly reject the weak ones, and proceed to execute your best ideas.

Let's start by having you get your team involved, this will help provide solutions from different perspectives and there's a high chance of birthing rich solutions. The best time for this is brainstorming sessions. Note that this is not about new features, but solving a problem that amplifies user experience.

When we take control of the process, we use statistical controls to predict production as demand. Thinking more according to the issue, the process failures are accounted for in the management system I mentioned and can be studied by other people, support professionals specialized in processes.

The third CPS stage, developing solutions, emphasizes the importance of evaluating and selecting the most promising ideas. Tools like the Pugh Matrix or Feasibility-Viability-Desirability Model aid in this selection process. In the context of food waste, businesses can assess the benefits, risks, feasibility, viability, and desirability of each idea, ensuring that the chosen solutions align with their criteria and overarching goals.

Various other tools that help in choosing a particular idea to follow is the TOWS matrix, BCG/Portfolio Matrix or PERT/CPM (Critical Path Method) in certain cases.

The first stage of solving a problem is to identify that problem. From identifying the problem, you analyse the problem; look for tools, methods and strategies to solve it. Then, you go into execution by using the tools, methods, strategies identified to solve the problem.

Developing solutions can be done in many different ways. One way that has seen success in my career is working backwards and developing solutions inversely. This can be done by defining what success looks like first and clarifying “where we want to be.” Once you have established the end goal, you need to gain clarity on “where we are now.” A holistic understanding of the start and end of developing the solution you can then set milestones and “toll gates” to work through and assess the trajectory at each major point in the solution space.

Many industries, businesses, companies, and restaurants often lack a genuine interest in addressing waste-related issues. This prevailing problem stems from a lack of reverence for nature, inadequate knowledge, and a general lack of sincere concern. Instead of prioritizing waste management, these entities often focus on other trivial details. Unfortunately, the issue of food waste fails to capture the attention of employees, chefs, or managers, as their preference leans toward speed rather than waste reduction.

CPS should be used in addressing the food waste, resources belong to society and businesses should be bound to address the food waste problem, 735 million people are malnourished and around 45% of deaths among children under the age of 5 years are linked to undernutrition.

Implementing solutions is the final stage of CPS and requires careful planning and execution. Using tools like the Action Plan or Gantt Chart ensures a systematic approach to turning ideas into reality. In addressing food waste, businesses can delineate steps, allocate resources, set timelines, and establish communication and monitoring mechanisms. Employing the PDCA Cycle aids in continuous improvement, allowing for adjustments based on feedback and evolving circumstances.

Another significant problem lies in the prevalent misconception that showcasing quality involves discarding items lacking aesthetics or those deemed unnecessary. Regrettably, this mindset prevails among the majority, leading them to believe that quality equates to discarding items. The underlying issue here is a lack of awareness, understanding, and acknowledgment of the problem. Despite this, many claim they are knowledgeable about waste reduction while simultaneously asserting that they do not generate waste. Companies often use this stance as a facade to portray a positive image. Unfortunately, actions to combat waste remain minimal, overshadowed by a focus solely on maintaining a favorable image.

I think if a company is looking to find a way to reduce food waste and implement it in a timely manner, they could get chefs involved in the process… Not only do chefs have the ability to think creatively, but they also are masters of timing and structure. Bringing the people that make the food into the process of finding a way to prevent the leftovers from going to waste seems like a no brainer.

From the point of the businesses they are barely struggling to keep up with earning revenue. Introducing them to this will need a training exercise so they see the perceived need and urgency. The platform should be navigated with ease too.

In considering additional aspects of CPS application, it's essential to recognize the value of collaboration and knowledge-sharing. Sharing examples and stories of successful CPS implementation in the hospitality sector can inspire others to adopt similar strategies. Moreover, acknowledging the importance of ongoing learning and adaptation ensures that businesses remain agile in the face of changing circumstances, fostering a culture of innovation and sustainability in the industry.

Dynamic Menu Options: Implement a menu that allows for flexibility by offering dishes that can incorporate various ingredients, allowing for the use of surplus items. Partnerships with Charities: Establish partnerships with local charities or food banks to donate surplus food, ensuring it goes to those in need instead of being wasted. Collaboration with Suppliers: Work closely with suppliers to manage deliveries and quantities, reducing over-ordering and potential wastage. Portion Control: Strategically design portion sizes to minimize leftovers without compromising customer satisfaction.

Curate the menu in a way to use multiple parts of the raw material in different dishes to avoid wastage. Have control over the process, identify opportunities to avoid wastage at each step in a pilot and implement on large scale

In the realm of hospitality, the universal love for catering to guests' needs is undeniable. Yet, excess food often goes unused, especially in event management. Imagine a unique link seamlessly connecting surplus food to those in need, effortlessly coordinated by the event management team. For individuals, communicating the expected number of guests ensures a precise execution of hospitality, emphasizing the importance of minimizing food waste and making every serving matter.