Institutional foodservice benchmarking: survey of administrators' attitudes and practices in the USA

Benchmarking is an ongoing process that gathers information to evaluate the best practices and improve performance. Despite possible changes and benefits, research reporting current foodservice benchmarking is limited. A nationwide survey of foodservice administrators was conducted to determine current practices and administrators' attitudes toward benchmarking. A questionnaire was developed, validated by experts and pilot-tested. Randomly selected, 600 foodservice administrators from health-care, school, correctional and university facilities received questionnaires, and 121 provided usable data (20%). Food cost percentage, labor cost percentage, and percent customer satisfaction with service were the three most used measures. Benchmarking was regarded as important in performing most respondents' jobs (61%), but fewer indicated their benchmarking knowledge as being above average (48%). For training, 41% indicated needs for training on ways to collaborate with benchmarking partners. The majority preferred training through professional association meetings (70%) and Internet-based training (69%). Results indicate opportunities for benchmarking training preferably through meetings and Internet.