{"id":16538,"date":"2020-01-15T09:41:44","date_gmt":"2020-01-15T09:41:44","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.uwb.edu\/?p=16538"},"modified":"2023-06-08T18:27:14","modified_gmt":"2023-06-08T18:27:14","slug":"food-bank-mba","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.uwb.edu\/news\/2020\/01\/15\/food-bank-mba","title":{"rendered":"MBA students improve food bank \u2018flow\u2019"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

A food bank is serving more people more efficiently thanks to inventory and \u201cflow\u201d advice from two teams of University of Washington Bothell MBA students.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe weren\u2019t sure what to expect, but we got so much more out of it than we ever anticipated,\u201d said Lynne Ayers, executive director of the Stanwood Camano Food Bank<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt was amazing to have the expertise and the enthusiasm that those teams brought and the wealth of information that they had from their current jobs.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Easing food access<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The teams were made up of 11 graduate students from Operations Management courses taught by G\u00fclru \u00d6zkan-Seely, an assistant professor in the School of Business<\/a>. She connected with the food bank through a member of its board, Randy Serroels, who received an MBA from UW Bothell in 2001.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Food<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

The food bank provides about 75,000 pounds of food each month to more than 1,000 people in the Stanwood and Camano Island area of Snohomish County. The service is part of Food Lifeline, a Seattle-based charity that is a member of the nationwide Feeding America network.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ayers was looking to improve efficiency when she and \u00d6zkan-Seely designed the two projects: inventory tracking and improving the flow of customers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

One of the documents the flow team produced was a spaghetti chart, which is a way of visualizing movement that ends up looking like noodles. \u201cWhen we saw this spaghetti chart, it was like: No wonder we were duplicating so many things and crossing over and doubling back,\u201d Ayers said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIf they would model it again, the chart would be much more straightforward,\u201d Ayers said. \u201cThe flow for people and food is much more smooth and more efficient for us. And for our members it\u2019s really easy.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Increasing efficiency<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The students worked on the projects in autumn quarter 2018, and the food bank implemented changes in 2019.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Food<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

The food bank now operates on a grocery model, so members feel more like they are shopping at a typical store.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

To improve the experience for members and increase efficiency, the inventory team made a suggestion for color-coding products that the food bank modified and put on wall posters, so families know how many of an item to take.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThey get to choose what they want based on the size of their family,\u201d Ayers said. \u201cPeople are choosing items, instead of someone doing it for them.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The food bank is serving more members now, she said, but members are taking 12 pounds less per person because they\u2019re only taking what their family will eat and what they need.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Improving effectiveness<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Such projects are a way for UW Bothell to bring value to its partners \u2014 and it\u2019s \u201cespecially rewarding when it\u2019s a nonprofit,\u201d said \u00d6zkan-Seely.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Produce<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Students also loved getting out of the classroom, collecting data and solving hidden issues in an actual workplace, said \u00d6zkan-Seely, who noted many of the MBA students are working in their own jobs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThis is something they can apply right away,\u201d she said. \u201cI only hope we continue and grow the project.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u00d6zkan-Seely has remained in contact with Ayers, who says she would welcome working with more UW Bothell students at the food bank in the future. \u201cWhen they said they would show up, they showed up and did what they said they would do \u2014 lots of great communication.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ayers said their reports and recommendations have also been critical in presentations to her board and to donors. \u201cIt adds more credence to our vision for making changes,\u201d she said. \u201cIt provides the analysis and data we need to move forward.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The MBA students \u201copened the door for thinking differently,\u201d said Ayers, who has been at the food bank seven years. \u201cSometime when you\u2019re in a situation for a long time you become a little restricted in the way you think.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cHaving the students come in from all their different backgrounds and with new, fresh eyes, got us to be more creative.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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