Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
CA 02718481 2010-10-22
MONITORING AND MANAGEMENT OF LOST PRODUCT
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
[00011 This application is related by subject matter to U.S. Patent
Application S.N.
filed on August 10, 2010, entitled "SYSTEM AND METHOD OF PROVIDING
PRODUCT QUALITY AND SAFETY," which is a continuation in part of U.S. Patent
Application S.N. 12/429,251, filed on April 24, 2009, entitled "SYSTEM AND
METHOD OF
PROVIDING PRODUCT QUALITY AND SAFETY". This application claims the benefit
under 35 U.S.C. 119(e) of U.S. Provisional Patent Application S.N. 61/232,515,
filed on August
10, 2009 entitled "MONITORING AND MANAGEMENT OF LOST PRODUCT. All the
applications are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety.
FIELD OF THE DISCLOSURE
100021 The disclosure relates generally to managing inventories of perishable
goods.
More particularly, the disclosure relates to monitoring and managing waste of
perishable goods.
BACKGROUND
[00031 Companies are concerned with the negative impact of products that do
not meet
their critical quality and food safety standards. Production, processing, and
finished food
preparation systems that are designed to assure compliance can also increase
operational
productivity. However, such systems also utilize human oversight, and safe
food products
require vigilance and a great deal of knowledge and experience with respect to
food handling.
[00041 In general, food monitoring usually involves experts from various
fields,
including scientific, engineering, and information system disciplines. In
particular, food
monitoring typically involves microbiologists, chemists, food technologists,
human resource
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professionals, computer specialists, engineering staff, training staff, legal
experts, government
experts, or any combination thereof. Further, consulting companies, auditors,
testing
laboratories, and information technology companies may be included in the food
monitoring
process. However, such experts can make a difference in food safety at a
particular location only
when the workers at the particular location apply the knowledge to the work of
producing,
processing, cooking, and serving the customers that consume the food products
and the
management in charge has systems for monitoring such critical activities.
[00051 About 35 years ago, safe food became a cross-disciplinary challenge
when the
Pillsbury Company, under contract to the National Aeronautics and Space
Administration
(NASA), had to provide safe food for astronauts during missions. The Pillsbury
Company
identified critical risks in the process of producing the finished products,
resulting in an analysis
of potential hazards and the critical controls needed to eliminate or reduce
the potential hazards.
The resulting preventive approach became known as the Hazard Analysis and
Critical Control
Point (HACCP) system, which has become an international standard that is
accepted by both
businesses and governments. The HACCP system, which has been adopted by the
National
Restaurant Association, is generally regarded as the best overall approach to
preventing food
borne illness by actively controlling hazards throughout the food production
process.
[00061 However, for the HACCP system to work, it is necessary for the food
workers,
the inspectors, and everyone involved in the food distribution process to know
the hazards and to
know the actions necessary to manage the critical control points. Critical
control points can
represent the place and time in a process where actions are needed to complete
critical tasks.
Critical tasks can be those actions required to achieve the most effective
desired outcomes when
performed at a critical control point. Further, the person who knows the
hazards and the
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necessary actions should have the authority to make the necessary decisions to
ensure the
effectiveness of the control points. That authority includes the decision to
take corrective action
or to stop a process impacted by a control point failure until a proper
assessment and corrective
action are undertaken. The person having such authority is a "bell-ringer,"
which is a person
who is part of a trusted team whose action occurs before the "problem" occurs
(before the
problem impacts a consumer), as opposed to a "whistle-blower" whose action
takes place after
the "problem" occurs (after the problem impacts a consumer).
[0007] One component of the HACCP system involves discarding food products
that fail
quality control measures. In addition, food products may also be wasted for
other reasons, such
as employee theft. In the food service industry, restaurant owners are looking
for ways to
monitor and manage their overall "shrink," which refers to the quantity of
food products that are
lost or discarded due to, for example, employee theft, quality (e.g.,
expiration), or mistakes in the
creation of food items being served to their customers. Restaurant and other
food manufacturing
operations can throw away thousands of dollars worth of food each month. In
view of this
waste, tracking and managing their food inventory relative to items wasted can
represent
expenses that owners may be able to save and invest in other ways for their
business.
SUMMARY OF THE DISCLOSURE
[0008] According to various example embodiments, a waste monitoring system
facilitates managing costs incurred due to food or other products lost due to
waste. The waste
monitoring system uses a portable device and web-based tools to provide real-
time tracking and
assessment of waste.
[0009] One embodiment is directed to a waste monitoring system comprising a
portable
device to monitor product wastage. The portable device includes a processor
and a memory in
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communication with the processor. The memory stores processor-executable
instructions that,
when executed by the processor, cause the processor to control operation of
the portable device
to generate a graphical user interface (GUI) to collect quantity data relating
to respective
quantities of a plurality of types of wasted products, the GUI comprising a
plurality of user-
selectable elements accessible by a user, and to calculate cost data as a
function of the quantity
data. The portable device also includes a display device in communication with
the processor
and configured to display the GUI. The waste monitoring system also includes a
server in
communication with the portable device and configured to receive the quantity
data and the cost
data from the portable device. A computing device is in communication with
server and is
configured to receive the quantity data and the cost data from the server and
to display at least
one of the quantity data and the cost data.
[0010] In another embodiment, a portable device to monitor product wastage
includes a
processor and a memory in communication with the processor. The memory stores
processor-
executable instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the
processor to control
operation of the portable device to generate a GUI to collect quantity data
relating to respective
quantities of a plurality of types of wasted products, the GUI comprising a
plurality of user-
selectable elements accessible by a user, calculate cost data as a function of
the quantity data,
and transmit the quantity data and the cost data to a server. A display device
is in
communication with the processor and is configured to display the GUI.
[0011] Yet another embodiment is directed to a method of monitoring product
wastage.
The method involves collecting quantity data relating to respective quantities
of a plurality of
types of wasted products. Cost data is calculated as a function of the
quantity data. The quantity
data and the cost data are transmitted to a server.
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[0012] The present invention also involves the provision of a method of
monitoring
waste in a food or drug handling facility. The method includes providing an
inspector with a
first device operable to communicate with a remote computer. The first device
is provided with
first information communicable to an inspector in at least one of visual and
audio form. The first
information includes items to be inspected by said inspector. The inspector
conducts an
inspection at least in part pursuant to said first information. Second
information is input into the
first device representing results of the inspection. At least some of the
second information is
transmitted to remote computer to record a history of at least part of the
inspection. The input
second information is identified at least by date. The input second
information is analyzed and a
knowledge database usable to evaluate said inspection results and identifying
waste is built. At
least one of information and inspection instructions is sent to said first
device for communication
to said inspector if additional inspection work is desirable.
[0013] Various embodiments may provide certain advantages. For instance, by
using the
portable device and web-based tools described in this disclosure, a user can
monitor quantities
and costs of food products that are wasted based on a number of metrics, e.g.,
over various
periods of time, for individual or aggregated categories of food products, and
at various
locations. These costs can be tracked in real time and over periods of time
relative to goals set
for food waste costs.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0014] Figure 1 is a flow diagram illustrating an example method for
collecting waste
data according to one embodiment;
[0015] Figure 2 is a diagram illustrating an example waste monitoring system
according
to another embodiment;
CA 02718481 2010-10-22
[0016] Figure 3 is a block diagram illustrating a portable device according to
still another
embodiment;
[0017] Figure 4 is a diagram illustrating a graphical user interface (GUI) for
managing a
product;
[0018] Figure 5 is a diagram illustrating a GUI for managing a waste goal;
[0019] Figure 6 is a diagram illustrating a GUI displayed by the portable
device of
Figures 2 and 3 for accessing the portable device;
[0020] Figure 7 is a diagram illustrating a GUI displayed by the portable
device of
Figures 2 and 3 for selecting a category of waste product;
[0021] Figure 8 is a diagram illustrating a GUI displayed by the portable
device of
Figures 2 and 3 for selecting amounts of waste counted for a variety of
products within a
category of waste product;
[0022] Figure 9 is a diagram illustrating a GUI displayed by the portable
device of
Figures 2 and 3 for selecting a category of waste product and displaying
quantity data and cost
data;
[0023] Figure 10 is a diagram illustrating a GUI displayed by the portable
device of
Figures 2 and 3 for displaying a response status of a server after
transmitting quantity data and
cost data from the portable device to the server;
[0024] Figure 11 is a flow diagram illustrating an example method for
presenting
collected waste data according to another embodiment;
[0025] Figure 12 is a diagram illustrating a GUI displayed by a computing
device in
communication with the server for accessing the computing device;
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[0026] Figure 13 is a diagram illustrating an example report displayed by a
computing
device in communication with the server;
[0027] Figure 14 is a diagram illustrating another example report displayed by
the
computing device;
[0028] Figure 15 is a diagram illustrating still another example report
displayed by the
computing device; and
[0029] Figure 16 is a diagram illustrating yet another example report
displayed by the
computing device.
DESCRIPTION OF VARIOUS EMBODIMENTS
[0030] According to various embodiments, a waste monitoring system facilitates
managing costs incurred due to food or other products lost due to waste. The
waste monitoring
system uses a portable device and web-based tools to provide real-time
tracking and assessment
of waste.
[0031] The following description of various embodiments implemented in the
context of
food products is to be construed by way of illustration rather than
limitation. This description is
not intended to limit the scope of the disclosure or the applications or uses
of the subject matter
disclosed in this specification. For example, while various embodiments are
described as being
implemented in a food service environment, it will be appreciated that the
principles of the
disclosure are applicable to waste monitoring systems operable in other
environments, such as
pharmaceutical manufacturing facilities.
[0032] In the following description, numerous specific details are set forth
in order to
provide a thorough understanding of various embodiments. It will be apparent
to one skilled in
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the art that some embodiments may be practiced without some or all of these
specific details. In
other instances, well known components and process steps have not been
described in detail.
100331 Various embodiments may be described in the general context of
processor-
executable instructions, such as program modules, being executed by a
processor. Generally,
program modules include routines, programs, objects, components, data
structures, etc., that
perform particular tasks or implement particular abstract data types. Certain
embodiments may
also be practiced in distributed processing environments in which tasks are
performed by remote
processing devices that are linked through a communications network or other
data transmission
medium. In a distributed processing environment, program modules and other
data may be
located in both local and remote storage media, including memory storage
devices.
[00341 Referring now to the drawings, Figure 1 is a flow diagram illustrating
an example
method 100 for collecting waste data according to one embodiment. First, at a
step 102, a user
opens an application on a portable device. At a step 104, the application
presents the user with a
login screen, at which the user may enter login credentials at a step 106. If
the user enters
invalid login credentials, the application returns to step 106, at which the
user may attempt to
reenter his or her login credentials. While not required, the application may
lock out the user
after a number of unsuccessful login attempts.
(0035] After the user enters valid login credentials, the application presents
the user with
a graphical user interface (GUI) for selecting a category of waste product at
a step 108. Figure 7
illustrates an example GUI for this purpose. At a step 110, the application
uses the GUI to
receive a user selection of a category of waste product for which the user
wishes to enter
amounts of waste counted for a variety of products within the selected
category of waste product.
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[0036] After the user selects a category of waste product, the application
proceeds to one
of a number of screens depending on the selected category. As shown in Figure
1, if the user
selects a "Raw Waste" category, the application presents the user with a GUI
for entering
amounts of waste counted for a variety of products within the Raw Waste
category at a step 112.
Figure 8 illustrates an example GUI for entering amounts of waste counted for
Raw Waste
products. On the other hand, if the user selects a "Completed Waste" category
at step 110, the
application instead presents the user with a GUI for entering amounts of waste
counted for a
variety of products within the Completed Waste category at a step 114. Persons
of skill in the art
will appreciate that any number of categories of waste product may be defined,
each of which
causes the application to present the user with a GUI for entering amounts of
waste counted for
products within that category.
[0037] The application then proceeds to a step 116, at which the presented GUI
is used to
facilitate entry of amounts of waste counted for various products within the
selected category.
When the user has finished entering amounts of waste for the selected
category, the user may
select a "waste manager" button or similar control to cause the application to
proceed to a step
118, at which the application returns to the GUI for receiving a user
selection of a category of
waste product, e.g., the GUI shown in Figure 7. If the user wishes to enter
data for more waste
products, the application returns to step 110. On the other hand, if the user
is ready to submit the
quantity data to the server, the user may select an "Empty Bucket" button or a
similar control,
causing the application to proceed to a step 122, at which the quantity data
is transmitted to the
server. While not required, in some embodiments, the application may instead
proceed to an
optional step 120, at which the application calculates cost data as a function
of the quantity data.
In such embodiments, the cost data would also be transmitted to the server at
step 122.
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Alternatively, the cost data can be calculated at the server or at another
computing device that is
in communication with the server.
[0038] Figure 2 is a diagram illustrating an example waste monitoring system
200
according to another embodiment. The waste monitoring system 200 includes a
portable device
202, an example of which is shown in greater detail in Figure 3. A server 204
is in
communication with the portable device 202, for example, via a communication
network such as
the Internet. The server receives the quantity data and the cost data from the
portable device 202
and may transmit product lists or other data to the portable device 202. A
computing device 206
is in communication with the server 204 via a communication network, such as
the Internet, and
is configured to receive the quantity data and the cost data from the server
and to display at least
one of the quantity data and the cost data. Figures 13-16, described in
greater detail below,
illustrate a number of example reports that can be generated by the computing
device 206.
While the above discussion assumes that the portable device 202, the server
204, and the
computing device 206 communicate with one another via the Internet, it will be
appreciated that
the portable device 202, the server 204, and the computing device 206 may
communicate with
one another using other types of networks, including local area networks, wide
area networks,
wireless networks, or any combination thereof.
[0039] The server 204 and the portable device 202 may be used in a variety of
contexts,
including service environments, processing environments, production
environments, or any
combination thereof. For the sake of clarity, this discussion uses a food
service or food
production environment as the particular implementation, but it should be
understood that the
portable device 202 and the server 204 can be adapted to provide waste
monitoring for any
number of facilities in almost any industry.
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[0040] Figure 3 is a block diagram illustrating an example implementation of
the portable
device 202. The portable device 202 may be implemented as any of a variety of
devices,
including, without limitation, laptop computers, handheld computers, web-
enabled phones,
personal digital assistants (PDAs), smartphones, and other computing devices.
The portable
device 202 can include a network interface 302 that is coupled to a network,
such as the Internet,
and that is adapted to communicate with the server 204 of Figure 2 via the
network. The
portable device 202 can further include a processor 304 and a memory 306 that
is accessible to
the processor 304.
[0041] The processor 304 is typically configured to operate with one or more
types of
processor readable media. Processor readable media can be any available media
that can be
accessed by the processor 304 and includes both volatile and nonvolatile
media, removable and
non-removable media. By way of example, and not limitation, processor readable
media may
include storage media and communication media. Storage media includes both
volatile and
nonvolatile, removable and nonremovable media implemented in any method or
technology for
storage of information such as processor-readable instructions, data
structures, program modules,
or other data. Storage media includes, but is not limited to, RAM, ROM,
EEPROM, flash
memory or other memory technology, CD-ROM, digital versatile discs (DVDs) or
other optical
disc storage, magnetic cassettes, magnetic tape, magnetic disk storage or
other magnetic storage
devices, or any other medium that can be used to store the desired information
and that can be
accessed by the processor 304. Communication media typically embodies
processor-readable
instructions, data structures, program modules or other data in a modulated
data signal such as a
carrier wave or other transport mechanism and includes any information
delivery media. The
term "modulated data signal" means a signal that has one or more of its
characteristics set or
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changed in such a manner as to encode information in the signal. By way of
example, and not
limitation, communication media includes wired media such as a wired network
or direct-wired
connection, and wireless media such as acoustic, RF, infrared, and other
wireless media.
Combinations of any of the above are also intended to be included within the
scope of processor-
readable media.
[00421 The portable device 202 can further include a display interface 308
that is coupled
to the processor 304 and that is adapted to display a graphical user
interface. In a first
embodiment, the display interface 308 can include an integrated display device
310 (such as a
touch screen or liquid crystal display (LCD)). In another embodiment, the
display interface 308
may be adapted to communicate with an external display device 312.
[00431 The portable device 202 can also include a user input interface 314
that is coupled
to the processor 304 and that is adapted to receive user input. In a first
embodiment, the user
input interface 314 can be associated with the integrated display device 310
(e.g., a touch screen)
or can be integrated within the portable device 202. In an example, the user
input interface 314
can include a keypad, a keyboard, a stylus, another input device, or any
combination thereof. In
another particular embodiment, the user input interface 314 can be coupled to
an input device
316, such as a keyboard or another input device.
[00441 The portable device 202 may also include a camera 318 that is coupled
to the
processor 304 and that is adapted to capture a digital image. The portable
device 202 may also
include a peripheral interface 320 that is coupled to the processor 304 and
that is adapted to
communicate with one or more peripheral devices 322. In a particular
embodiment, the one or
more peripheral devices 322 may include a photoscopic device, a sensor, a
contamination
detection device, or any combination thereof. The portable device 202 can
utilize the one or
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more peripheral devices 322 to detect a food event and to communicate data
related to the food
event to a food safety system via the portable device 202. Additionally, the
portable device 202
can include an audio input/output (I/O) interface 324, which may include a
speaker to output
audio data and a microphone to receive audio input.
[00451 The memory 306 can include a web browser application 326 that is
executable by
the processor 304 to generate a web browser window for display at the display
interface 308.
The memory 306 can also include a graphical user interface (GUI) generator 328
that is
executable by the processor 304 to generate a user interface including one or
more user-
selectable indicators, such as buttons, directed links, tabs, check boxes,
text inputs, other
interactive elements, or any combination thereof. The generated GUI may be
provided to the
display interface 308 within the web browser window provided by the web
browser application
326.
100461 The memory 306 can further include a communications module 330 that is
executable by the processor 304 to facilitate communication between the
portable device 202 and
other devices in a variety of formats, including text, instant message, chat,
Voice over Internet
Protocol (VoIP), digital wireless formats, other formats, or any combination
thereof. In a
particular embodiment, the digital wireless formats can include wireless
telephone protocols or a
short-range wireless protocol, such as an 802.11 x communications protocol.
[00471 The memory 306 can also include an alert generator 332 that is
executable by the
processor 304 to generate an alert signal, such as an audible alarm, a visual
alert, a text alert, a
command, a tactile signal (e.g., vibration), another signal, or any
combination thereof. In a
particular example, the alert generator 332 can include digital signal
processing features,
including text-to-speech converters, to convert text into an audio alert
signal. The alert signal
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may be communicated to the display interface 308, to the audio I/O interface
324, to a food
safety system, or any combination thereof. The memory 306 can also include a
camera
controller 334 that is executable by the processor 304 to control the
operation of the camera 318
to capture digital images in response to a user input.
[00481 Figure 4 is a diagram illustrating a graphical user interface (GUI) 400
for
managing a product. The GUI 400 may be generated either on the portable device
202 or the
computing device 206. The GUI 400 may be displayed, for example, when a
manager or other
administrator wishes to define a product type for monitoring waste. The GUI
400 includes a
number of data entry fields. For example, an item number field 402 allows the
administrator to
enter an item number for the product. It will be appreciated that while the
term "item number" is
used in this example, the item number field 402 can be configured to accept
either numeric or
alphanumeric input. A name field 404 allows the administrator to enter a
product name that food
workers can use to identify the product easily when entering waste data. The
GUI 400 also
includes a units field 406 that allows the administrator to specify a unit of
measure for counting
wasted products. For example, hamburgers may be measured in sandwiches, while
ground beef
may be measured in pounds. In addition, a cost field 408 allows the
administrator to specify the
cost of the wasted product, for example, in terms of dollars for each unit of
measure specified in
the units field 406.
[00491 The GUI 400 may also include a number of drop-down menus. Unlike the
data
entry fields described above, the drop-down menus allow the administrator to
select between a
defined number of options. For example, a store drop-down menu 410 allows the
administrator
to select a store location for which the product definition specified by the
other data entry fields
is valid. In this way, the administrator can, for example, set different units
of measure or
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different costs for like products at different store locations. A waste type
drop-down menu 412
allows the administrator to assign a category to the product, such as "Raw
Waste" or "Completed
Waste." The "Raw Waste" category may apply to ingredients, such as buns,
hamburger patties,
eggs, and the like. By comparison, the "Completed Waste" category may apply to
completed
food items, such as hamburgers, chicken sandwiches, etc. It will be
appreciated that other
categories of waste products can be defined in addition to these types.
[00501 The GUI 400 may also include a number of button controls. For example,
the
GUI 400 may include a "Create" button 414 that creates a product type as
defined by the data
entry fields and drop-down menus. Those of skill in the art will appreciate
that the application
may create the product type by creating a data structure or object having
properties defined by
the values entered in the data entry fields or selected using the drop-down
menus. In addition, it
will be appreciated that, while certain values are depicted and described as
entered using data
entry fields and other values are depicted and described as entered using drop-
down menus, these
examples are provided merely by way of illustration, and in many cases data
entry fields and
drop-down menus may be interchangeable. For example, while the units of
measure are shown
as being entered using the units field 406, a drop-down menu could be used
instead.
100511 Figure 5 is a diagram illustrating a GUI 500 for managing a waste goal.
The GUI
500 may be generated either on the portable device 202 or the computing device
206. The GUI
500 may be displayed, for example, when a manager or other administrator
wishes to define a
store location or a waste goal for monitoring waste. The GUI 500 includes a
number of data
entry fields. A name field 502 allows the administrator to enter the name of a
store location. An
address field 504 allows the administrator to enter the store's address. A
city field 506 allows the
administrator to enter the city in which the store is located. Similarly, a
state field 508 allows the
CA 02718481 2010-10-22
administrator to enter the state in which the store is located. A ZIP code
field 510 allows the
administrator to enter the ZIP code of the store's location. It will be
appreciated that some of the
data entry fields may be omitted. For example, the city field 506 and the
state field 508 can be
omitted in some embodiments; in such embodiments, the application may
determine the city and
state based on the ZIP code entered in the ZIP code field 510. A waste goal
field 512 allows the
administrator to enter a waste goal for the store location. The waste goal may
be expressed, for
example, in terms of dollars per shift or dollars per day.
[0052] The GUI 500 may also include a number of drop-down menus. Unlike the
data
entry fields described above, the drop-down menus allow the administrator to
select between a
defined number of options. For example, shift time drop down menus 514 allow
the
administrator to define start and end times for a number of shifts. While four
shifts are shown in
Figure 5, any number of shifts may be defined in this manner.
[0053] The GUI 500 may also include a number of button controls. For example,
the
GUI 500 may include a "Update" button 516 that updates or creates a store
location as defined
by the data entry fields and drop-down menus. Those of skill in the art will
appreciate that the
application may create the store location by creating a data structure or
object having properties
defined by the values entered in the data entry fields or selected using the
drop-down menus. In
addition, it will be appreciated that, while certain values are depicted and
described as entered
using data entry fields and other values are depicted and described as entered
using drop-down
menus, these examples are provided merely by way of illustration, and in many
cases data entry
fields and drop-down menus may be interchangeable. For example, while the
shift start and end
times are shown as being entered using the shift time drop-down menus 514,
data entry fields
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could be used instead. Conversely, while the state is shown as being entered
using the state field
508, a drop-down menu could be used instead.
[0054] Figure 6 is a diagram illustrating a GUI 600 displayed by the portable
device 202
of Figures 2 and 3 for accessing the portable device 202. The portable device
202 may display
the GUI 600, for example, when a user starts an application for entering waste
data. The GUI
600 includes a numeric data entry field 602 for entering an identifier that
identifies the user, such
as an employee number. The GUI 600 also includes a numeric keypad 604 to allow
the user to
enter numbers into the numeric data entry field 602. A login button 606 is
used to complete the
login process.
[0055] It will be appreciated that some embodiments may present alternate
implementations of the GUI 600. For example, while not shown, the GUI 600 may
incorporate a
password field for entering a password. Alternatively, the application may
request the user's
password after the login button 606 is selected. As another variation, in some
embodiments, the
identifier that identifies the user may contain alphanumeric characters. In
such embodiments, the
GUI 600 may present the user with a soft keyboard (not shown) for entering
letters or may
receive alphanumeric input via the numeric keypad 604, possibly using
predictive text entry. In
some embodiments, the portable device 202 may have a hardware implemented
keyboard that
can be revealed by, for example, sliding open the portable device 202.
[0056] Figure 7 is a diagram illustrating a GUI 700 displayed by the portable
device 202
of Figure 3 for selecting a category of waste product. The portable device 202
may display the
GUI 700, for example, after the user enters valid login credentials, as shown
at step 108 of
Figure 1. The GUI 700 includes a number of user selectable elements 702 and
704, each of
which corresponds to a category of waste product. As shown in Figure 7, for
example, the user
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selectable element 702 corresponds to the "Raw Waste" category, while the user
selectable
element 704 corresponds to the "Completed Waste" category. Selecting either
user selectable
element 702 or 704 causes the application to display a GUI allowing the user
to enter amounts of
wasted product within the corresponding category, as shown at steps 110, 112,
and 114 of Figure
1.
[00571 Figure 8 is a diagram illustrating a GUI 800 displayed by the portable
device 202
of Figure 3 for selecting amounts of waste counted for a variety of products
within a category of
waste product. The portable device 202 may display the GUI 800, for example,
after the user
selects the user selectable element 702 of Figure 7, as shown at step 112 of
Figure 1. The GUI
800 includes a number of rows, one for each product within the selected
category. If the selected
category has more products than can be displayed on the screen, the GUI 800
may display a
partial list and may display additional rows in response to, for example, a
swiping gesture
performed on the screen. In some embodiments, the portable device 202 is
equipped with a
trackball or similar device that can be used to cause the list to scroll up or
down.
100581 The rows of the GUI 800 of Figure 8 include similar elements, some of
which are
user selectable. For purposes of clarity, the elements of only one row 802 are
specifically
designated with reference numerals. It will be appreciated that the reference
numerals that are
used to designate the elements of the row 802 are intended to designate like
elements in other
rows generally. A product name field 804 displays the name of the product,
e.g., "Cake Cones."
A units field 806 displays the units of measure applied to the product, e.g.,
"each." A quantity
field 808 displays the current count of wasted product of the type represented
in the row 802.
The user can adjust this count upward or downward using widgets 810 and 812,
respectively. In
some embodiments, the GUI 800 may allow the user to enter the count in other
ways. For
18
CA 02718481 2010-10-22
example, while not shown, the GUI 800 may allow the user to select the
quantity field 808 and,
in response to detecting selection of the quantity field 808, display a
numeric keypad to allow the
user to enter a count directly rather than having to increment to the correct
count.
100591 In addition to the list of products within the selected category, the
GUI 800 of
Figure 8 also includes a "Waste Manager" button 814 that, when selected,
causes the application
to return to the GUI 700 of Figure 7, as shown at step 118 of Figure 1.
[00601 Figure 9 is a diagram illustrating a GUI 900 displayed by the portable
device 202
of Figure 3 for selecting a category of waste product and displaying quantity
data and cost data.
The portable device 202 may display the GUI 900 after the user selects the
"Waste Manager"
button 814 of Figure 8. The GUI 900, like the GUI 700 of Figure 7, contains
user selectable
elements 702 and 704 for selecting the "Raw Waste" and "Completed Waste"
categories of
waste products, respectively. Selecting either of these user selectable
elements will cause the
application to display a GUI allowing the user to enter amounts of wasted
product within the
corresponding category, such as the GUI 800 of Figure 8.
100611 In addition to these elements, the GUI 900 also includes a cost display
area 902
that displays quantity and cost data for each category of wasted product. As
shown in Figure 9,
this data may be aggregated by category, as well as aggregated across
categories. The cost data
can be calculated either by the portable device 202, by the server 204, or by
a computing device
206 in communication with the server 204. In the latter two cases, the cost
data is downloaded to
the portable device 202 and displayed with the quantity data. The GUI 900 also
includes an
"Empty Bucket" button 904 that, when selected, causes the application to
transmit the quantity
data and cost data to the server 204, as indicated at step 122 of Figure 1.
19
CA 02718481 2010-10-22
[0062] Figure 10 is a diagram illustrating a GUI 1000 displayed by the
portable device
202 of Figure 3 for displaying a response status of the server 204 after
transmitting quantity data
and cost data from the portable device 202 to the server 204. The portable
device 202 may
display the GUI 1000 after the user has selected the "Empty Bucket" button 904
of the GUI 900
of Figure 9. After the transmission of data to the server 204 has completed, a
notification
window 1002 may appear to alert the user that the data was successfully
transmitted. In some
embodiments, the GUI 1000 may also provide a visual indication of the progress
of the
transmission of data to the server 204, such as a progress bar. If the
transmission was
unsuccessful, the GUI 1000 may instead display an error message (not shown).
[0063] Figure 11 is a flow diagram illustrating an example method 1100 for
presenting
collected waste data using a web-based application according to another
embodiment. First, at a
step 1102, the web-based application presents the user with a login screen,
such as the GUI 1200
of Figure 12, at which the user may enter login credentials. If the user
enters invalid login
credentials, the application returns to step 1102, at which the user may
attempt to reenter his or
her login credentials. While not required, the application may lock out the
user after a number of
unsuccessful login attempts.
[0064] If the user successfully logs in, the web-based application proceeds to
a step 1104,
at which the web-based application displays a summary chart of the collected
waste data, such as
the report 1300 of Figure 13, which is discussed in further detail below.
Within the report 1300,
the user may select a specific day illustrated within the chart at a step
1106. In response to
receiving the user selection of a specific day, the web-based application
proceeds to a step 1108,
at which the web-based application generates a detailed view of the waste data
for the selected
day, such as the report 1600 of Figure 16.
CA 02718481 2010-10-22
[00651 Figure 12 is a diagram illustrating a GUI 1200 displayed by a computing
device
206 in communication with the server 204 for accessing the computing device
206. The
computing device 206 may display the GUI 1200, for example, when a user starts
a web based
application for viewing waste data. The GUI 1200 includes a data entry field
1202 for entering
an identifier that identifies the user, such as an email address, username, or
employee number.
The GUI 1200 also includes a password entry field 1204 to allow the user to
enter alphanumeric
characters. A login button 1206 is used to complete the login process. A
forgotten password
link 1208 may be provided to either provide the user with a password hint or
reset the user's
password. A check box 1210, if selected, causes a browser executing on the
computing device
206 to store a cookie on the computing device 206 so that the user will not
have to enter his or
her email address, usemame, or employee number during a subsequent login
attempt.
[00661 After the user has completed the login process using the GUI 1210,
Figure 13 is a
diagram illustrating an example report 1300 displayed by the computing device
206 after it has
downloaded quantity data or cost data, or both, from the server 204. The
report 1300 is
displayed as a stacked line graph with dates along an x (horizontal) axis 1302
and waste along a
y (vertical) axis 1304. In the example report 1300 of Figure 13, waste is
plotted as dollars. In
other embodiments, however, waste could be plotted as units. For example, if
the administrator
wishes to see waste data for a particular product, it may be helpful to
present the data in terms of
quantities rather than costs.
100671 For each day shown on the report 1300, waste data is displayed for both
the Raw
Waste and Completed Waste product categories. In addition, the report 1300
shows the total
waste for each day, determined by summing the waste data for the Raw Waste and
Completed
Waste product categories for each day.
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CA 02718481 2010-10-22
[0068] In some embodiments, the report 1300 is interactive with the user. For
example,
the web application may display the waste data associated with a particular
data point 1306 when
the user hovers over the data point with a cursor controlled by a pointing
device, such as a mouse
or touchpad. In addition, clicking on the data point 1306 may cause the web-
based application to
display a detailed view of the waste data for the day represented by the
selected data point 1306.
This detailed view may be presented, for example, using a report 1600 as
illustrated in Figure 16,
discussed in further detail below.
[0069] Figure 14 is a diagram illustrating another example report 1400
displayed by the
computing device 206. The web-based application may display the report 1400 in
response to
any of a variety of user actions, including, for example, right-clicking on
the report 1300 of
Figure 13, selecting a particular report type from a menu, or using a keyboard
shortcut. The
report 1400 is presented as a table showing waste costs over a number of time
periods. The
waste costs are aggregated by category (Raw Waste and Completed Waste
products) and across
categories (Total).
[0070] For each category and across categories, the report 1400 displays waste
costs for
the current day in a column 1402. The previous day's data is displayed in a
column 1404. A
column 1406 displays waste cost data for the current week. Waste cost data for
the previous
week is displayed in a column 1408. A column 1410 displays waste cost data for
the current
month. The previous month's data is displayed in a column 1412.
[0071] The report 1400 may be interactive with the user. For instance, the web
application may display a detailed view of the waste data associated with a
particular time period
when the user selects a cell in the table. As a particular example, clicking
on a cell within the
column 1402 may cause the web-based application to display a detailed view of
the waste data
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CA 02718481 2010-10-22
for the current day, for example, using the report 1600 as illustrated in
Figure 16. Similarly,
clicking on a cell within the column 1404 may cause the web-based application
to display a
similar view of the data for the previous day.
[00721 Figure 15 is a diagram illustrating still another example report 1500
displayed by
the computing device 206. The web-based application may display the report
1500 in response
to any of a variety of user actions, including, for example, right-clicking on
the report 1300 of
Figure 13, selecting a particular report type from a menu, or using a keyboard
shortcut. The
report 1500 displays a list of the products associated with the highest waste
costs. The list may
include the names of the products in a column 1502. A column 1504 displays the
amount of
wasted product for each listed product during a selected time period. The cost
for each item is
shown in a column 1506, and the total waste cost associated with the product
type is displayed in
a column 1508. The total waste cost is obtained by multiplying the values
appearing in columns
1506 and 1508 for each product type.
[00731 In some embodiments, the report 1500 may be interactive with the user.
For
example, while the report 1500 is illustrated as being sorted from most wasted
to least wasted
over a period of two days, the user can change this view in a number of ways.
In one
embodiment, for instance, the web-based application may allow the user to
reverse the sort order
by clicking on a column header 1510 of column 1508. Further, the web-based
application may
allow the user to sort the products on other keys, such as the product name
(in forward or reverse
alphabetical order), amount, or cost per item by clicking on a column header
1512, 1514, or
1516. In addition, the web-based application may allow the user to change the
time scale of the
report 1500 by clicking on a widget 1518. Selecting the widget 1518 in this
manner may cause a
23
CA 02718481 2010-10-22
pull-down menu to appear to allow the user to select, for example, a different
day, a week view,
a month view, or a different time period.
[00741 Figure 16 is a diagram illustrating yet another example report 1600
displayed by
the computing device 206. The web application may cause the report 1600 to be
displayed, for
example, when the user selects a particular data point on the report 1300 of
Figure 13 or a cell in
the report 1400 of Figure 14. Alternatively, the web-based application may
display the report
1600 in response to any of a variety of user actions, including, for example,
right-clicking on the
report 1300 of Figure 13, selecting a particular report type from a menu, or
using a keyboard
shortcut.
[00751 The report 1600 displays a detailed view of both quantity data and cost
data for
wasted products for a particular store location and for individual product
types. A column 1602
shows the store name. Columns 1604 and 1606 display the item number and
product name,
respectively, associated with each product type. A column 1608 displays the
unit of measure
assigned to each product type. Columns 1610, 1612, 1614, and 1616 display
quantity data for
wasted products of each product type for each shift in a day represented in
the report 1600. The
shift data shown in columns 1610, 1612, 1614, and 1616 are aggregated into a
total daily count
for each product type in a column 1618. A column 1620 displays the cost for
each item, and the
total daily waste cost associated with the product type is displayed in a
column 1622. The total
daily waste cost is obtained by multiplying the values appearing in columns
1618 and 1620 for
each product type.
[00761 In some embodiments, the report 1600 may be interactive with the user.
For
example, the web-based application may allow the user to sort the products on
other keys, such
24
CA 02718481 2010-10-22
as the store location, item number, product name (in forward or reverse
alphabetical order),
amount, cost per item, or total cost by clicking on a column header.
100771 It will be appreciated that the format of the report 1600 may be varied
in a number
of ways. For example, while the report 1600 is shown as displaying waste data
for one store
location, the report 1600 could show waste data for any number of store
locations. In addition,
certain columns may be omitted. For instance, if the administrator is only
interested in viewing
daily waste data, one or more of columns 1610, 1612, 1614, and 1616 may be
omitted. As
another example, if the report 1600 only contains waste data for one store,
column 1602 may be
omitted. The web-based application may allow the administrator to define which
columns are
included in a particular report.
100781 Waste can include objects the holder discards, intends to discard, or
is required to
discard. Waste occurs in every food harvesting, preparation and processing
activity. It is
commonly known as "shrink", the difference between what was intended to be
used and that
which actually is used. Often this is due to a failure of the ingredient or
product to comply with
standards or specifications (either based on quality or safety issues). But it
can also be an
inevitable by-product of the process, whereby cuttings of the plant or animal
are not intended to
be incorporated in the product. Waste always incurs a cost, so it is valuable
to have the means to
track it and manage it.
100791 The present invention is better understood by a more detailed
description of the
method of monitoring waste in a government regulated facility wherein
noncompliance with
operating standards or government regulations, over production, bad
scheduling, faulty usage
projections, poor planning, poor handling, faulty order taking, faulty
production, out of
specification raw materials, faulty material handling or other unforeseen
circumstances can be
CA 02718481 2010-10-22
causes of the waste. Those facilities include food and drug handling
facilities regulated by the
FDA, EPA and/or USDA as well as state agencies or similar foreign government
agencies
authorized to regulate such facilities. In one embodiment, the facility is a
food handling facility,
which in the USA can be regulated by the FDA, USDA, EPA and state and local
government
entities. In addition to government regulation, the owner/manager of the plant
or facility may
also provide additional conditions and standards on the operation of the
facility. In addition,
strict liability or new laws impose regulations and actions on sources of
supplies and buyers of
materials provided to the facility that can also be better monitored with the
present invention.
The method will be described in the context of a food harvesting and/or
handling facility like a
restaurant, food service facility or a food manufacturing plant, but it is
also applicable to drug
(including pharmaceuticals, supplements and medical devices) handling and
manufacturing
facilities. Such facilities have a relatively large labor intensive workforce
that portions of which
have relatively short working tenure. The present invention provides a way to
operate with less
loss and improved continued consistency over time.
[00801 The following description uses the embodiment of the invention shown
and described
in Figures 2, 3 although it is applicable to other embodiments herein. A
person or user
(hereinafter referred to as inspector for convenience which can be any
suitable person such as an
employee, independent contractor or expert) is provided with a device 202 as
described above
and is trained to provide inputs to the device as described above. The
inspector can be an
employee (such as a quality assurance person or quality manager), a line
employee (such as field
worker, plant, kitchen, or assembly-line worker) or equipment operator in the
facility, an
independent contractor or someone working on behalf of a government entity.
The device 202
may also provide the inspector with instructions as part of a standard
inspection or task or in
26
CA 02718481 2010-10-22
response to input from a manager or third party such as an independent expert.
While in a
facility, the inspector will select an application operable on the device 202,
enter a location or
facility code which will be time stamped to provide evidence of actual
presence at a defined
time. The inspector will preferably enter an ID code which can also
automatically record the
device ID and enter what task is being performed. It is to be understood that
for single facility
systems, that some of this information can be omitted. These inputs may also
be verified by
another person who can be on or off site like the facility manager or a
remotely located manager
or person. In a preferred embodiment, this data will be stored on the device
202, server 204
and/or the computer 206 or other components of a system such as the system
200. At least one
of the components of the system 200 will provide security on this and other
data inputs to
provide evidence of task performance or inspection/monitoring in a manner that
cannot be easily
changed or forged, i.e., secured. Such data can be stored in a suitable memory
of a component of
the system 200 and secured as is known in the art. The device 202 can either
travel with the
inspector or be accessed by an inspector in a facility. For example, if the
inspector enters a
restaurant, the device 202 can be accessed by a login, identifying the
inspector as being in that
particular restaurant and provide a time stamp on the input to provide
evidence of presence by
the inspector. The device 202 can also be constructed and programmed to
communicate with an
RFID to establish its presence at a given facility or its location within a
facility to accomplish a
specific task. GPS could also be used to establish presence at a facility
which could be used in
combination with an identifier at the location like a scannable bar code
unique to that facility.
Other data inputs can also be time stamped and secured in the device 202
and/or in other parts of
the system 200 such as the memory of the computer 206. The present invention
is usable for
27
CA 02718481 2010-10-22
scheduled and unscheduled normal audit inspections and can be used for daily
routine operations
and inspections.
[00811 In a preferred embodiment, the inspector can enter a product type and
be
prompted to enter data about the product or other information with the device
202 issuing
instructions on what needs to be evaluated and what data to enter. Data
requests can be
communicated to the inspector by the device 202 (visually, photo or video
and/or audio) and the
inspector will provide the requested data, such as production quantities,
inventory quantities, raw
waste, completed waste, discards, cause of waste such as unsold, excess hold
time, incorrect
order entry, out of specification condition such as cooking device
temperature, holding
conditions such as food temperature and refrigerator temperature, proper
source data on the food
and food ingredients, cleanliness, proper handling instructions, proper worker
attire, cleaning
supplies, facility or shift startup, facility closing, ingredient and
materials usage and disposal,
sanitation and sanitation testing (e.g., pH and chlorine levels), spoilage,
contamination, theft, etc.
The device 202 can provide instructions on how certain inspection steps or
tasks need to be
conducted, for example, the device can provide an image to the inspector as to
how and where to
identify waste materials and the category it may apply to. This can be part of
a regular step or
task or one that one or more of the components of the system 200, in view of
input data,
determines should be done. An example of this can be due to statistical
analysis of input data
(created knowledge) that might indicate from other data or analysis that the
process might be out
of control. The data can include information about the facility and what
happens in it,
information about the materials provided to the facility and information about
the finished
product and its handling after preparation and after leaving the facility. The
information
provided to the system 200 can also include information about other safety,
quality and
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CA 02718481 2010-10-22
regulatory schemes like environmental compliance, improper procedures,
personnel, safety and
the like that the inspection input data might trigger. An example of this
might be apparent excess
usage of an ingredient, product in-process, or improper disposal and
accounting for material
which can lead to waste. Bad safety practices and non-compliance with
specifications can be
major causes of waste.
100821 The device 202 can also prompt the inspector to look for information
outside of
the normal. By way of example, if a possible problem has been identified with
a particular
source of an ingredient, like spoiled meat, the device will prompt the person
to provide out of the
normal inspection of the meat on premises, e.g., a particular batch or
manufacturer. The proper
receiving of goods and their quantities can be input, stored and analyzed.
This can be used to
identify problem suppliers. Another example may be potential equipment
malfunctioning that
can also prompt for additional inspection and data collection. This can be
done with the present
invention in real time, i.e., with less lag time that can occur with current
information collection
systems. The device can also prompt a person, prior to entering a facility, to
take additional
testing, sampling materials or equipment to address out of the normal issues.
The system 200
can also request confirmation of receipt of instructions and if not confirmed,
the system can
prompt another person to personally communicate with the inspector to ensure
the new
instructions or tasks are addressed or be made aware of additional or changed
tasks. The system
200 can also prompt an inspector that data needs to be taken at that time.
100831 The system 200 provides for two way communication as described above.
Data,
instructions, instructional (e.g., training) material, alerts, changes,
additions and updates can be
provided in real time, relatively instantaneously and securely. The system can
provide for real
time notification of potential serious problems. This information can then be
communicated
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CA 02718481 2010-10-22
through a common server to multiple inspection sites (inspectors) and through
multiple
companies when the system 200 is maintained by a third party. For example, an
inspector
working for company X identifies raw or completed product waste at a
restaurant. The inspector
can obtain the identifying information on those amounts and input that
information into the
device 202 with an alert and communicate that information to other components
of the system
200 which in turn can notify inspectors and/or employees for company (or
franchise) Y of the
problem with an alert since in this case the interests of the competitors are
the same, controlling
and reducing waste. Management or government officials could also be similarly
notified as
well as the manufacturer of the suspected product in accordance with system
programming. The
system can also alert a person operating the system 200 of a potential problem
who can
intervene, provide analysis and judgment, and provide input to the system, and
have the system
alert or not alert inspectors as the intervention analysis dictates. The
system 200 can also be used
to provide appropriate notice to management and/or government agencies or flag
to the
inspector, facility management or system operator that a notice is or may be
needed, and be used
to help trace problem sources and commonality to multiple facilities. It may
also inform
company management that a notification to a government agency is needed or
desired. Notices
can be provided automatically pursuant to programmed instructions or by human
intervention.
100841 The inspector can follow a list provided on the device 202 for items to
be
inspected or acted on (including observed), for example counted or
inventoried, including special
instructions in the event emphasis needs placed on one or more items or in the
event instructions
have been temporarily or permanently changed or the data input from the
current inspection
indicates from the created knowledge base in the system indicates additional
work needs to be
done. The list can be contained in whole or in part in the device 202 or can
be provided from
CA 02718481 2010-10-22
other parts of the system 200 such as a computer 206 comprising at least part
of the system 200.
This can now be done in real time and help prevent follow up inspections or
actions which are
costly in time and perhaps even liability. Response time to standards not
being met, either in
quality, productivity or safety and potentially waste creating situations can
be reduced. How to
conduct the testing or inspection can be provided to an inspector as well. The
sequence of
inspection (including testing) can be provided to the inspector through the
device 202. A prompt
can be provided to the inspector to photograph a certain item. The inspector
will conduct the
inspection of the various indicated items and enter the results of the
inspection which results
may, when input and analyzed, result in instructions being provided to the
inspector by the
device in any suitable format (visual, photo or video and/or verbal, audio)
for additional
inspection. These instructions can be contained in the device 202 or provided
to the device by
other components of the system 200. The items indicated for inspection can be
provided with an
indication of importance or priority as well as sequence. Some instructions
may be provided as
prompts for lower priority items and some by flags for higher priority items.
The instructions
can be provided directly from an internal memory in the device 202 and/or from
other memory
devices in the system 200. The device 202 will have a processor (CPU) and a
memory as is
known in the art.
[00851 The inspector signs into the device 202 in the facility manually or
automatically,
or through a manager with security such as with a name and password, obtains
the instructions
and begins the evaluation of the facility and his assigned functions per the
obtained instructions
regarding tasks to be done and if needed, how to perform the tasks. The
instructions can be
custom made for the facility including instructions common to other similar
facilities and those
unique for the facility in question being inspected. The instructions can be
stored in the device
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CA 02718481 2010-10-22
and/or can be provided in whole or in part from other parts of the system 200.
If the facility has
had certain problems in the past, the device 202 can provide the inspector
additional instructions
to follow up on the past problems to see if additional steps need to be taken
or if remediation had
been undertaken in the past. The inspector performs the instructed tasks and
enters the requested
data which shows the inspection and/or recommended work has been performed.
Each of the
individual inspection steps or selected task steps can be time stamped as
performed and the sign
in will indicate the facility or even a location in the facility which data
can be associated with the
inspection stamps. The data as entered can be secured against changing or will
indicate if a
change is made, for example if an entry is made in error, the system will
indicate the change.
The inspector can be provided with a prompt to provide a reason for the
change. Areas in a
facility may be provided with a readable supplemental location identifier
(such as a readable
RFID) if desired to indicate, when read by the device 202, the location of the
inspector and the
time of reading.
100861 At the completion of the inspection or task completion a sign out
procedure can
be input into the device 202 and to the system 200 for storage. If desired,
the sign out procedure
can be the same as or similar to the initial sign in procedure. A sign in
procedure may be
associated with starting a shift or opening a facility and properly setting it
up for its functions. A
sign out procedure may be specific to ending a shift or locking down a
facility, with all the tasks
associated with these functions. An additional verification procedure like the
sign in or sign out
procedure can also be input at any desired step in the inspection. Collected
data can be
communicated to one or more of the other components of the system 200 when
gathered or at
any time during or after inspection completion as desired.
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CA 02718481 2010-10-22
[00871 The system 200 is structured to receive data and other information from
one or
more devices 202 or other input sources either at the facility or remotely
located. The system
200 is programmed at the computer 206 and/or at the device(s) 202 etc. to
convert the input
information and data into human usable knowledge to guide inspection and
employee activities,
management activities and activities of the person or people operating the
system 200. Another
way of stating it is that knowledge can be the practical use of data. Accurate
data is a foundation
upon which knowledge (useful information) is built, and actions based on
knowledge lead to a
desired outcome. The system receives various inputs of data, as discussed
herein. Some of the
input data or information is compiled and can be stored on any appropriate
component of the
system 200 like the computer 206. The programming for the system 200 is such
as to create
relations between the inspector input and the stored knowledge and history.
Policies or error
conditions can be created that permit evaluation of an inspector input
including the knowledge
and history to determine one or more communications of information back to the
inspector for
possible additional actions or tasks or to identify a possible problem.
[00881 The knowledge created can be raw data that is organized or sorted
through for
importance, new information that is generated by analysis such as statistical
analysis or similar
data combined from multiple inspections. It may also be created by human
analysis and can
include raw data that is put into a relationship to other data, e.g. raw waste
loss per shift or total
costs per shift, day, week or month. The generated knowledge base can be
vertically integrated
and horizontally integrated from various inputs. The data can be provided from
multiple
facilities/sites within a company, from multiple companies and from different
industries. By
way of example, data and information can be provided from multiple restaurants
in the same
company or two different restaurant chains and combined. The manipulation of a
larger database
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CA 02718481 2010-10-22
can help an industry become smarter about what they are doing since they
share, at least in large
part a common interest in how a restaurant is operated, particularly safety
issues that can create
waste. Operating specifications can also be input, along with government
regulations to build a
knowledge base from the inputs. Supplier and customer data and specifications
can also be input
to assist in building a knowledge base. The knowledge can be used to guide
human activity with
and without human intervention with an inspector, company management and/or
third party
experts. This knowledge can also be translated into clear action items on a
device 202 such that
performance at an employee position can be assured, even in the occasion of
employee or worker
turn-over.
[00891 The input data can include authority levels and contact priority. By
way of
example, for certain discovered potential problems, only the inspector need be
notified which
can be done in real time and can include instructions for additional or
further
inspection/evaluation. For other issues, higher level management may be
notified and in real
time. For some issues, a user may also wish to or be required to notify the
government and the
system can send instructions back to the inspector to effect notification,
deny the inspector the
authorization and/or require additional inspection to ensure no errors have
been made before
such notification. The device 202 can also be provided with information for
dissemination to the
inspector as to who to notify and when, again, in real time to help reduce the
risk of a crisis in
the event a safety issue may be present.
[00901 The input data can also include sales data and incoming inventory data.
In the
case of a restaurant, the sales of each type of food can be captured at the
checkout/order taking
machine and then reconciled to obtain a gross indication of waste. But, it
does not provide
output indicating the reason for the waste. The input data from the system can
be reconciled
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with this sales and inventory data to provide a much better analysis of the
facility operation and
provide usable knowledge to help reduce waste and to better compare to
operations at other
facilities. The knowledge generated or provided by the system 200 can be used
to change
behavior to improve waste performance. Such analysis and reconciliation can
provide a much
better understanding of waste causation and remedies. This system provides
context to data, and
other inputs. By way of example, restaurants currently inventory waste, but it
is poorly done if at
all, is not timely done in many cases, is inaccurately input into computers
which makes the
current process ineffective as a management tool. The present invention can
solve those
problems. It can force or incent through measurable productivity, behavioral
compliance on
workers and management including owners, for example waste inventory,
production scheduling
and the like. A device 202 can be used for an extended period of time without
communicating
with other components of the system 200 and can be programmed to accomplish
any desired
function, even functions done by other components of the system 200 depending
on need and
security. Data can be exchanged or transferred at any suitable time between
the various
components of the system 200.
[00911 The output from another part of the system 200 to the device 202 can
also include
responses to queries from the device 202 or other parts of the system 200. The
queries can be
generated by the device 202 automatically, or by the inspector. The response
can be a standard
response or can be a judgment response. The judgment response can be provided
from human
intervention through the system 200. By way of example, the inspector can
input an acceptable
goal for waste and the device 202 can inform the inspector that the waste
incurred exceeds that
goal resulting in new information for managing throughput in the next working
period. Human
judgment from either management or a person operating the system or on call
through the system
CA 02718481 2010-10-22
can answer the question even though the device 202 will indicate an out of
specification
condition. The human intervention can also indicate that even though there is
an out of
specification condition, that the operating conditions for a specific flow of
products was at fault,
allowing management to make changes to the operating conditions or product
flow and thereby
better manage waste under changing work conditions. This can be overlaid with
an operating
history of a particular machine or monitoring device to help effect a
judgment. The input data
can also include cost data which can be combined with waste data to create
value of losses
information which can be tracked over time and compared to other operating
criteria, like shift,
time of day, supplier, employees and operating specifications. Food inventory
can be tracked
and compared to waste and such other criteria. The activities that can be
performed by the
system 200 can be used to reduce waste and improve operational and economic
efficiency.
100921 The knowledge, stored data, information and the programming of the
components
of the system 200 can also be used to provide flag notices (structured
priority notice) to an
inspector, management, other companies and other industries as desired. The
input data, the
histories and knowledge can be used to track waste and to create information
that can be
communicated to an inspector on what actions or tasks can be done to perform
further
evaluations or remedial actions. A flag notice would be structured for more
important issues
needing higher management input/decision making, or third party
input/decision. An example of
such an issue is an outside inspector or manager has arrived to conduct an
inspection showing
that there have been several consecutive discard readings below the mean for
coring heads of
lettuce, which from the knowledge in the system 200 might indicate an out of
control process
from statistical process control analysis. Flags are used to indicate a level
of importance.
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Different types of flags can be provided, including a critical flag that might
indicate something
like failure of a piece of equipment.
100931 From the knowledge created by the system 200, information can be sent
to one or
more inspectors, one or more companies through their management and one or
more industries.
The returned information can include general instructions, action steps and
other types of
information. The knowledge can be generated by statistical analysis of the
data from inspectors,
employees, shifts, suppliers, specifications and operating standards, laws,
including regulations
and experience based knowledge of people. The system can be used to provide
statistical
process control information as is known in the art. The data inputs can be
used to provide
histories of a particular operating condition that can be numerical in value
or observable, like
dirty floor. This information can be used for comparison purposes. On
observable (sensory or
qualitative) criteria, standards can be established and inspectors trained to
use a numerical scale
(structured scale) or the like, like hedonic or other sensory evaluation of
acceptable food and
food wastes, so that inspector subjectivity can be reduced by recording input
data quantitatively
thereby providing data that can be analyzed and compared with greater
reliability.
[00941 When working across company lines, industry lines and even
intracompany, there
may be restrictions on what may be shared with others. The system 200 and/or
its components
can be programmed with hierarchical, selective access structure for the
handling and
dissemination of the information and notices. While much information might be
freely shared
and designated as such, some companies or industries might want to designate
some information
or data as proprietary and not to be shared, or proprietary but usable in
building blind (non
source specified) industry databases for analysis that can be shared. Thus,
the knowledge
achievable with the system described herein, can be increased while still
providing security.
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This is important since many issues are intercompany and interindustry
important. By way of
example, if evidence or suspicion of a tainted ingredient like lettuce is
discovered, all people
handling lettuce, which can be input as information into the system 200, can
be disseminated to
all inspectors to check for the suspected ingredient. A problem that might be
unique to one
facility may cast a bad light on other similar facilities which can be avoided
with the present
invention.
[0095] A history of a facility or company can be used for scheduling of that
facility or
company. As an example, analysis of a history might indicate that only 6 pies
on one day of the
week are sold by a restaurant leaving six as waste while on other days, 12 are
sold. While the
operating manual may say prepare 12 per day, the system 200, can indicate to
an inspector
through a device 202 that the Wednesday production needs to be reduced at one
or more
restaurants, and can change the operating instruction for the impacted
facilities.
[0096] Sourcing of materials can also be addressed with the system 200. Safe
sources
may be designated and sources may be indicated as suspect. Lot identification
of materials may
be similarly designated. Pricing of materials, or test results indicating
economic adulteration by
ingredient substitution, can be an input (and would likely be proprietary
intercompany,
interindustry). Pricing though can then be analyzed across a company and
multiple facilities.
This could be important in franchise situations to help improve margins. An
inspector can
provide this input during a facility visit and can respond to queries from the
system 200. Pricing
trends could also be analyzed and made into histories and turned into
knowledge for use and
dissemination.
[0097] Government regulations can also be an input. Examples of such can
include
cooking temperature, holding temperature, approved ingredients, standards of
identity, labeling
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CA 02718481 2010-10-22
for allergens, etc.; all of which if not met can result in waste. These can
then be compared to
input data to determine compliance and with company specifications or
standards. Company
standards can also be an input as discussed above and similarly used. The two
can be compared
in the event human intervention is needed for a judgment on compliance. The
use of such
information, the data input and the histories built with the same might prompt
a change in
company specification and/or government regulations.
[00981 In a food plant or facility, the following types of items can be
inspected for and
better accommodated with the history and the created knowledge. Those items
include quantity
produced, time of production, external conditions like a road closure or
convention in town,
suppliers, ingredient lot numbers, expiration dates, pH, chlorine levels, ORP
of wash and flume
waters, temperature reading of material in storage, critical control points
such as time and
temperature for pasteurization, metal detector operation, proper use and
storage of cleaning
supplies, sanitation schedules, cutting and discard protocols, final product
lot or batch coding and
the environmental conditions for final product storage, etc. The device 202
can be provided with
the ability to connect to sensors such as a bar code reader, RFID sensor
input, temperature
probes, pH meter, sound meter, photos, audio recording and the like. This
direct reading of data
can serve to eliminate human error in recording values, and thus greatly
improve the quality of
the data. The present invention can also be used to better determine
appropriate lot sizes which
is important in managing waste, market withdrawals and recalls.
[00991 The system 200 and its components are constructed and programmed to
receive
and provide real time information to appropriate personnel, query response,
access to decision
makers and the like and provides instantaneous communication that is
bidirectional in real time.
The system 200 can provide output on production scheduling, personnel needs,
supply
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CA 02718481 2010-10-22
scheduling, remediation and corrective actions to be taken. It can be used to
require that an
inspector personally use another communication method, for example, a phone
call or text
message to address issues depending on desired security. It translates data
and information input
into usable knowledge that an uninformed as well as an informed person can use
and can be used
to enhance the performance of the inspector and the facility. Feedback to the
inspector can be
tailored for a particular facility or a group of facilities, say when local
regulations are more
stringent. Decision making is available through standard responses or judgment
response.
[01001 The structure of the system 200 is such that it can verify that an
inspection is
being conducted and improve the chances that it is being conducted properly.
The sign in/sign
out procedure helps ensure that an inspection actually took place. Photos may
be required or
requested by the system and the device can be constructed to provide date
stamped photos. Such
photos can be examined by an expert or a more knowledgeable person with access
to the system
200 to determine action/inaction. The programming can be provided that once
data or
information is input, it cannot be changed to enhance the trustworthiness of
the input and
analysis. The programming can allow an inspector the ability to change an
input, and in the
event of an input error could request an explanation of a change before the
change can be made.
The explanation would also be stored and a changed input would be highlighted
as having been
changed. The system is thus structured to a trust but verify architecture.
Access to third parties
and their experience and knowledge can be provided through the system 200
which can also,
through programmed selection criteria, select a better qualified individual.
[01011 While the preferred embodiments disclosed hereinabove are directed
toward the
operation of a restaurant or food preparation plant, the disclosed invention
could also be
employed in the manufacture of drugs or pharmaceuticals.
CA 02718481 2010-10-22
[01021 Although the present invention has been described with reference to
preferred
embodiments, workers skilled in the art will recognize that changes may be
made in form and
detail without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.
[0103) As demonstrated by the foregoing discussion, various embodiments may
provide
certain advantages, particularly in the context of monitoring and managing
waste of food
products in a food service environment. For instance, by using the portable
device and web-
based tools described in this disclosure, a user can monitor quantities and
costs of food products
that are wasted based on a number of metrics, e.g., over various periods of
time, for individual or
aggregated categories of food products, and at various locations. These costs
can be tracked in
real time and over periods of time relative to goals set for food waste costs.
[01041 It will be understood by those who practice the embodiments described
herein and
those skilled in the art that various modifications and improvements may be
made without
departing from the spirit and scope of the disclosed embodiments. The scope of
protection
afforded is to be determined solely by the claims and by the breadth of
interpretation allowed by
law.
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