Evaluating Productivity Using Meals Per Labor Hour Katie Embree-Cleveland Child Nutrition Program Consultant School and Community Nutrition, Kentucky Dept. of Education

 The Meals Per Labor Hour tool is a productivity index used to monitor the efficiency of the school foodservice operation.

 This important information indicates to administrators whether they are making good use of resources.  Many factors may affect MPLH as a productivity measure, such as: ◦ Size of operation; ◦ Type of service provided; ◦ Production system; ◦ Amount of convenience foods used; ◦ Skill level of employees.

 You can find this form on the SCN website on the Forms page.  It will be updated annually.

It is a best practice to use this tool during the Spring of each year to evaluate staffing needs for the upcoming year. Complete the top section for each site in your district.

 School food service administrators must have accurate information about the average number of students who will participate in the school lunch and breakfast program on a daily basis.  The ADP can be used as a forecasting tool to:  Prevent waste in excess labor hours and overproduction of food,  And reduce customer dissatisfaction because of inadequate staff and too little food prepared for the number served.

 When calculating meals, be sure to include all adult meals.  Typically, participation is determined separately for breakfast, lunch and snack if applicable.

 The meal equivalent is a statistical tool that is used to allocate cost based on a unit of production.  It is a calculation that allows us to equate all meals to a standard.  Common conversation factors are set and are already included in the MPLH tool for you to use. ADP per meal service x set factor = Meal Equivalent for each meal service

 Enter the amount of non-reimbursable food sales- a la carte, catering, and extra food sales.  Using a set factor, representing the total of Free Lunch Reimbursement and the Commodity food value, a ME will be calculated.

 Enter your meal equivalents and your number of Total Paid Labor hours.  This will include all labor charged to and paid for by the school foodservice operation. All hours, not just production hours, are included.

 Based on the final calculation, evaluate your staffing at the site.  Remember, several factors impact productivity: ◦ Size of operation; ◦ Number of serving lines; ◦ Type of services provided; ◦ Amount of convenience food used; ◦ Scheduling of meal service times.  Because of these and other factors, the food service director will need to use professional judgement regarding the best targeted MPLH for a site.

 Determine your desired MPLH for a site and divide by the total meal equivalents.  Subtract your current paid hours by desired hours to determine if an adjustment is necessary.

 MPLH  If the MPLH for a site is inside this range, adjustments are likely not necessary.  If MPLH is 18 or above, no adjustment is needed.  If MPLH is below 14, labor hours may need to be adjusted.

Current Paid Labor Hours 49 Less Desired Paid Labor Hours Reduction Needed 10.9 hours

 NFSMI (Now called the Institute of Child Nutrition)   SCN Website: MPLH Workbook and Quick Reference Guide

 If you have any questions, please consult your approving consultant!