Introduction
To achieve optimum performance and quality service within a company, various tools are required to achieve this, which is why every establishment has furniture and appliances for use by the company's working personnel and for use by customers, which are indispensable as they provide comfort and accessibility of service to people.
Everything that encompasses the equipment and furniture within an establishment and / or company is one of the most important points, since through these the processing and development of the services that the company offers are carried out; for this reason these tools must be adapted to the needs of each establishment.
Focused on a food service, both the utensils and the rest of the work team must be adequate to provide excellent quality service, a good appearance and comfort to customers, seeking their preference.
food processing, transportation, storage and processing are the most important activities within a food service company; therefore, the provision or provision of utensils, furniture and work equipment to carry out these actions, must be carried out in the best possible way, for this, various aspects must be taken into account when selecting these elements.
This work will explain what is the furniture, the classification and the selection criteria for equipment and furniture that must be taken into account for proper administration.
Definition
One of the meanings of the term equipment refers to the set of tools, utensils and / or devices for a given job. On the other hand, the term furniture is understood by the set of furniture that is part of a house or company. Both terms refer to materials intended for the use of clients as well as for work personnel, in order to provide better service and comfort.
Equipment and furniture selection criteria
The provision of equipment and furniture refers to the acquisition of furniture, appliances and other objects that a company or home will have. There are no specific rules on furniture, but when selecting and supplying these, the following important aspects must be taken into account.
- The furniture must be appropriate in relation to the company, the service it offers, the design and the decoration, so that they do not interfere. The design of the furniture and / or furniture appliances must be as comfortable as possible for the client, in addition of being easy for the worker to use. The furniture manufacturing materials must be resistant, light, easy to use, with the aim of allowing a new distribution, daily cleaning and, therefore, their mobilization and conservation. The choice must be in standard models and sizes, to facilitate the replacement of these in case of breakages or poor conditions. The clientele and the type of customer to whom the services are directed. The capacity of the establishment. That the furniture and equipment is really useful. investment.
An adequate selection of equipment and furniture will bring great benefits to the establishment since its utility may be greater, and expenses may be less.
Classification
The classification of the basic equipment of a food service, focused on the kitchen area, José Luis Armendáriz Sanz and Alfredo Gil Martínez defined the following classification:
Guide for the selection of equipment and furniture in kitchens and restaurants
- Cold generators: elements whose function is the preservation of perishable foods; They include refrigerators, freezers, a refrigerator, sorbeteras, ice cube makers and an air conditioner, among others. Heat generators: elements that serve to cook and also to keep food warm; These include stoves, ovens, deep fryers, irons, grills, bain-marie, stoves, etc. Auxiliary machinery: it does not belong to any of the above but they are used to carry out common modern kitchen tasks, including mixers, cutters, scales, peelers, lamps, among others. Basic cleaning equipment: these are the crockery, glassware and cutlery washing facilities, including dishwashers, batteries and utensils, polishing machines. Furniture:formed by a set of furniture commonly used for storage, such as cabinets, shelves, cabinets, tables, chairs, etc. Battery and tooling: batteries are elements that have the function of cooking food, among these are pots, pans, among others, while the tooling refers to tools and utensils for food handling such as knives, brushes, shovels, juicers, squeegees, spoons, spatulas, etc.spatulas, etc.spatulas, etc.
As far as furniture is concerned, there are several types, which can be divided or classified into:
- Basic furniture: it includes essential elements to provide the necessary services to the client. Complementary furniture: extra elements that provide service improvements but are not essential and therefore do not form part of the basic furniture.
Another way to classify furniture is into two groups: furniture intended for the use of customers and furniture intended for the use of service personnel.
- Furniture intended for clients: within this classification are tables, chairs and highchairs, of which a great variety of designs and styles can be found, allowing an adequate selection according to the design, style and specific services provided by the establishment.. Other elements such as sofas, coat racks, stools, among others, are also included. Furniture intended for service personnel: within this classification are sideboards, side tables, trolleys, buffet tables, cabinets, cupboards, and machinery elements for processing food production.
conclusion
The management of materials such as equipment and furniture in any establishment, whether commercial or not, is very important, because these provide people with ease of work and comfort for both clients and work staff.
It is significant to take into account the selection criteria for equipment and furniture because a poor selection of elements can bring unnecessary costs to the company. On the contrary, if the selection is appropriate, both the work staff and the clientele may feel more comfortable with their work, or with the service as the case may be, since the quality of the service improves and time and resources can be saved.
References
- García AJ. Martínez VMI. Use of the basic provision of the restaurant in the pre-service. 1st ed. Malaga: IC editorial; 2012Gonzalez FJ. Provisioning systems and mise en place in the restaurant. 1st ed. Spain: Ideaspropias Editorial; 2014.Aguilella MAI. Culinary pre-elaboration and preservation. 1 ed. Spain: Ideaspropias Editorial; 2014Grüner H, Metz R, Gil MA. Cooking processes. 28th ed. Madrid: Akal Editions; 2008.
