GROUP 10

MSC SUPPLY CHAIN MANAGEMENT

TEAM MEMBERS

➢ Sudipta Dutta:
21200242

➢ Foley Tadhg:
21208596

➢ Mai Ba Long:
Case Title: The case of Yo! Sushi 21206456

➢ Naveen Kumar:
20204262

Module Title: Supply Chain Operations. ➢ Ogedegbe Uyoyo Patience:

21202281

Faculty Name: Dr. Eamonn Ambrose ➢ Sainath Satish:

20200278

Plagiarism statement
We declare that the material contained in this project is the end result of our
own work and that due acknowledgment has been given in the bibliography to
all sources, be they printed, electronic or personal.

Signed: Group 10 Date: 31/10/21

Word Count: 2446
Introduction

‘Providing good quality Japanese-style food at speed’ is the motto of Yo! Sushi.
Each store and location were individually analysed to identify less well sited
and less performing stores. Exhibiting a ‘kaiten’ style, Yo! Sushi seeks to
provide an enjoyable atmosphere for customers. Yo! Sushi implements the
design of an open kitchen surrounded by a conveyor-belt. The review and
feedback process at Yo! Sushi was extensive where feedback was sought from
the internal stakeholders via emails, reviews on websites etc., Also a ‘mystery
diner’ would visit the restaurant once a month for review who sends the report
to the restaurant as well as the head office.

1) Dimensions of Quality in the case of Yo! Sushi

The main dimensions which are relevant and important to Yo Sushi are
Functionality, Appearance, Reliability, Durability, Recovery and Contact.

❖ These dimensions are assessed by their Product i.e., Japanese food in the
following ways:

Appearance: It plays a key factor for Yo Sushi right from the point before placing
the order i.e., attractive food images of the various Japanese food that are
mentioned in the food menu. These descriptive pictures of the various food
alongside the explanatory notes helped the less knowledgeable or first-time
visitors to identify what exactly is in each dish. Also, the food is served in dishes
on the conveyer belt which are colour coded basis the prices. This also made it
very simple for the customers to distinguish items basis the price, items that were
not on the conveyer belt are to be ordered separately.

Reliability: As per the tag line of Yo! Sushi is ‘Refuel and Run’. Yo! Sushi has
a very creative style of serving food to the customers via conveyor belts where
the common food items are kept on display. Also, the average dwelling time for
an order is about 45 minutes and the customer can either place order for takeaway
food or dine in at the restaurant from the options available on the conveyer belt
or can also place special order from the menu depending on their convenience
and also, providing customer the leverage to mass customize dishes on the menu.
All these facilities prove to be an excellent reliability factor to choose from the
wide option depending on their time permit and preference.

Contact: The role of contact between customer and staff is minimal since the
majority of common dishes are served on conveyer belts thus reducing the
repeated interaction between customer and the staff except for special items or
drinks ordered from the menu.
 ❖ Also, these dimensions can be assessed by the various Services offered
which constitutes food served on conveyer belt and staff service of Yo!
Sushi in the following ways:

Appearance: The design of the Yo! Sushi restaurant was aesthetic although each
restaurant had the kitchens/conveyer setup. Additionally having fancy design
features like airline-style call buttons, water taps and plasma screens showing Yo!
TV.

Reliability: The staff at Yo! Sushi was highly trained at customer handling,
inspite of the complex menu and ordering stye at Yo! Sushi, the trained waiters
would ask each customer of it was their first time at the place and would
accordingly guide the customers. Also, the highly skilled chefs at the restaurant
displayed excellent hygiene practices at the kitchen which was at open display
right in front of the eating place. All these gestures built a trust among the
customers on the Yo! Sushi restaurant and customers could rely on the service
received.

Durability: The durability of the service seems to be good as customer feedback

and reviews are taken into great consideration at Yo! Sushi which will provide a
means of continuous improvement of the services and this would make a long-
term impact.

Recovery: The recovery factor needs to be made strong as there are various
services which if broken would greatly impact the overall functioning of Yo!
Sushi such as the conveyor belts if broken would cause majority impact on
serving of the high demand items to the customers. Food stock is carefully
managed in Yo sushi Restaurant i.e., if the food is not sold of the belt within 2
hours, then it is discarded immediately. The recovery of restaurant in terms of
cleanliness and hygiene of the restaurant when the customers have finished their
dining and making way for new customers is also a critical factor.

Contact: The interaction between the staff at Yo! Sushi and the customers is built
where the customers are well greeted and asked if this is their first visit and
provide the customers needful guidance and assistance. The interaction between
the customers and the waiters are limited as most of the common items are on the
conveyor belt and customers do not need continued assistance.
 Service
Dimension Product
(Conveyor Belt and
of Quality (Japanese Food)
Restaurant Staff)
Appearance High Low
Reliability High High
Recovery Low High
Functionality Low High
Durability Low High
Contact High Low
Figure 1: Relative importance of Dimensions of Quality

2) Quality Dimensions and how they are delivered

The five-operations performance objectives are Quality, Dependability,

Flexibility, Cost and Speed.

Quality:

Food: The quality of the food is excellent including the hygiene, flavours and
internals. They do not compromise on the freshness for example: the fish can be
only brought from accredited sources and can be consumed only 72 hours after
it has been caught. Moreover, to conserve the freshness of cooked food, it
cannot be on the conveyor belt for more than two hours.

Service: Customers expect a repeatable service all the times and it is important
for the restaurant to sustain it. Also, they have a mystery diner each month who
gives feedback to the senior officials regarding the service. Surveys,
questionnaires are conducted on social media and website so that they get
valuable feedback. Staffs are highly trained so that they can explain the menu to
the customers and also engage with first time diners who are not familiar with
the process of ordering.

Location: Yo! Sushi invests and researches a lot into the location, detailing
every street corner in London. They usually select a place where the footfall is
more like around the cinema halls, shopping malls and the advantage for them is
they can convert to a complete outlet in the form of an open kitchen with a
dining area surrounding it.

The Quality factor of Yo! Sushi is accounted for by the functionality and
appearance dimensions of Quality management. This is in relation to the quality
of the food and the creative presentation technique of using conveyor belts.
Speed:

The tagline of Yo! Sushi is ‘Refuel and Run’. Yo! Sushi has a very creative
style of serving food to the customers via conveyor belts where the common
food items are displayed and customers can pick from the lot without having to
wait for the orders, this reduces the throughput time of the entire process to
about 45 minutes on an average. There are also pre-installed robot drink trolleys
and call buttons which reduces the response time. Also, water taps are installed
in the seating area for self-service of drinking water thus saving time from these
routine processes, other drinks are served on order.

The Speed factor of Yo! Sushi’s service would also account to the Reliability
dimension of Quality Management as customers who would like a quick service
due to some personal needs would visit Yo! Sushi also the regular diners would
love the dining experience due to the smooth and uninterrupted service.

Dependability:

Yo! Sushi not also gives extensive priority to customer service and value but
also has an open kitchen right in front of the seating area which clearly
demonstrates the cleanliness and hygiene that are followed like washing every
20 minutes, keeping work surfaces and floors clean at all times, this definitely
would assure trust of the customer.

The Dependability factor of Yo! Sushi would contribute to the Reliability and
Durability dimensions of Quality management.

Flexibility:

Yo! Sushi provides a wide variety of modifications in terms of seasonal menus

and special dishes, also offering meal promotions in quieter periods. Yo! Sushi
also provides flexibility in terms of serving the food i.e., customers can directly
take the food from the conveyor belts, can place orders for drinks and special
items to the waiters, and have take-away options as well. Also, mass
customizations to the items on the menu is possible in special demand of the
customer. Yo! Sushi also offers food in various prices and that is displayed
based on the colour coding of the dishes placed on the conveyor belts. Hence
customers can wisely choose between the different options based on the price as
well. For new customers who might not be aware of all these facilities, a well-
trained waiter gives a briefing at the first visit. The Flexibility factor would also
account to the dependability dimension of Quality Management of Yo! Sushi as
customers would be comfortable to dine at such a location which has a friendly
environment, respects and fulfils the demands of the customer.

Cost:

Yo! Sushi has always aimed at providing and expanding the business but
continuing to do what the customers already like about the place. This involves
cost effective Japanese food which is quickly delivered. The company is also
aiming to franchise the concept overseas hence cost-effective food is a critical
factor without having to compromise on the quality. Also, the restaurant has less
staff because of the concept of conveyor belts which eventually cuts down the
operating cost. The mode of operations is also seasonal, purchasing raw
materials will be cheaper and fresh. They have promotions during off-peak
periods which in-turn brings in more profits.

The Cost-Effective Benefit of Yo! Sushi would play a keen role in accounting
for the Reliability as well as the Durability dimensions of Yo! Sushi. This
however would be a key factor to maintain while also adding new innovations
so as to match up the competition in the market.

3) Effectiveness of the current quality management system of a Yo

Sushi restaurant.
Mystery Diners are an independent organisation contracted by YO! Sushi every
month to apprehend the quality of the product and of the service provided by Yo!
Sushi.

We see that Sectors C & D have been registered as receiving the greatest number
of complaints. Sectors C & D also experienced the 2 greatest number of Diners.

However, when measured in scale of thousand, we see that Sector C has the
least number of complaints for every thousand diners while that of D & A have
the greatest. This can contribute to the fact that the compensation vouchers
provided by Sector was the highest of Almost 735 Euros.

Sector D tends to show very less positive feedback. This may attribute to the fact
the first impression or the number of Virgin customers would have discontinued
over time, or the menus in that section would not have been updated on a regular
basis to the regular customers i.e., lack of flexibility and reliability in the service.

From the table below, we see that sector B is of major concern with respect to the
First impression and Introduction. This can be a major hindrance especially to the
“Virgin” customers, which is one of the major challenges for Yo! Sushi.
 Sum of
Sum of
Row Labels Sum of complaints/thousand Sum of Diner count Sum of positive feedback compensation
complaints
vouchers
A 46 13.5 361512 65 € 120.00
C 66 10.8 620457 53 € 735.00
E 37 11.6 255958 41 € 200.00
D 48 13.1 374223 19 € 320.00
Figure 2: Performance scores between Jan and September 2007

Similarly, Sector C and D face an issue with the Introduction. This can attribute
to the dimension of contact, wherein the knowledge and courtesy of the sales
staff, flexibility of the dining options and the time they take to deliver the food.

The colour dishes which are carried out during the process to provide easy billing
has been very well implemented. The last impression recorded from Mystery
Diner assessment in all 4 sectors score above 85, this mean such colour code are
effectively provide good operational performance.

Overall, the Introduction phase seems to possess a challenge to all the sectors.
This may contribute to the staffing issues also, wherein, familiarizing the first-
time customers with starters, services provided that is time-consuming is a scope
of improvement. On the contrary, the final impression created and the quality of
food delivered across all the sectors seems to be significant.

Figure 3: Mystery Diner scores from Feb 2007 to Jan 2008

Sectors A and E, on the other hand, seem to have an upper hand in terms of the
Quality delivered to their customers leaving behind a total score of almost 84.

The customers expected to received similar level of services/ professional every

time they come to the restaurant which are quick and timely are consistently
maintained from the colour dishes approach.
 Sector A: Restaurant 23
0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7

Total Score
First Impression
Introduction
Ordering
Food
Dining Experience
YO! Team
Last Impression

First Half Second Half

Sector C: Restaurant 30
0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

Total Score

First Impression

Introduction

Ordering

Food

Dining Experience

YO! Team

Last Impression

First Half Second Half

 Sector D: Restaurant 34
0 1 2 3 4 5 6

Total Score

First Impression

Introduction

Ordering

Food

Dining Experience

YO! Team

Last Impression

First Half Second Half

Sector C: Restaurant 26
0 2 4 6 8 10 12

Total Score
First Impression
Introduction
Ordering
Food
Dining Experience
YO! Team
Last Impression

First Half Second Half

Figure 4: Representative Sample of restaurants’ performance

In general, the food quality control has been carried out effectively, the mystery-
diners’ assessments has help Yo Sushi managers to timely resolved the issues.
Therefore, the firm has been quite effective in food management. Also rewarding
the workers acts as a motivation to enable a greatest efficiency. At times,
however, Mystery diners’ scoring system at times can become biased due to the
changing consumer’s eating habits & market changes. This can be really
beneficial especially in retaining the regular customers as well impacting the first-
time customers without causing dissatisfactions keeping an eye on the customer
requirements and delighting or exceeding their expectations.
4) Improve the quality management system to ensure the on-going
quality of the Yo Sushi offering.

The quintessential factor which is found as a disadvantage is that YO Sushi is its

price. It might indicate that the costs of the organizations are not in control.

➢ Therefore, with the use of technology, Yo! Sushi can develop a process
metric to identify the drivers of high costs, areas to control to cut the costs,
better allocation of costs. Discounts, loyalty cards can be provided to the
offering of Yo! Sushi during seasonal times. This enables a revisiting
customer and discontinuing expensive foods that not many customers’
favour.

➢ The system can include colour coding to predict the forecast/demand of the
stocks required. This forecast can be released at appropriate time intervals
and the performance metrics can be measured every month to see the scope
of the customers that are covered. This would also help in reducing food
waste as the redundant dishes would be discontinued.

➢ Operational concepts such as Lean Six sigma and Kaizen can be used most
importantly, to sustain and to control by having high visibility within the
organization to have unity in Quality, cost and delivery.

➢ The system would be to adjust the biasness in the scoring metrics as the
time taken to adapt to the changes would wary from one sector to the other.

➢ In addition, the system could segment the scoring system according to the
type of customer. Regular customers would prefer high quality of food and
the serving time, for customers classified as “Virgins”, impression would
be an important factor as the knowledge of the menu would be limited.
Bibliography:
1. Siva, V., Gremyr, I., Bergquist, B., Garvare, R., Zobel, T. & Isaksson, R.
2016, "The support of Quality Management to sustainable development: a
literature review", Journal of cleaner production, vol. 138, no. 2, pp. 148-
157.

2. Fotopoulos, C.V. & Psomas, E.L. 2010, "The structural relationships

between TQM factors and organizational performance", TQM journal, vol.
22, no. 5, pp. 539-552.
Appendices:

➢ The case of Yo! Sushi was studied together by the team virtually.
➢ The summary/idea behind the case study was discussed in the same call.
➢ The group was split into two as follows:
Naveen, Sudipta and Tadhg worked on Questions 1 and 2.
Patience, Long and Sainath worked on Questions 3 and 4.
➢ A throughput time of 2 days was given to convey high quality inputs to the
above questions.
➢ The team again scheduled to meet virtually to make changes to the
solutions that were provided to all the 4 questions.
➢ Finally, after the necessary changes were agreed upon on, one of the team
members was directed to submit the work.