Unit of competency details

Unit descriptor 

This unit describes the performance outcomes, skills and knowledge required to establish and monitor the costs involved in operating a food service operation. For the purposes of training and assessment, this unit could be effectively linked with the unit SITXFIN004A Manage finances within a budget.

Control systems may be computerised or manual and may cover stock control, online purchasing, income and expenditure, and summary reports of stock usage.

No licensing, legislative, regulatory or certification requirements apply to this unit at the time of endorsement.

Application of the unit 

This unit applies to all hospitality and catering enterprises where food is prepared and served such as restaurants, hotels and other catering operations. The tasks related to this unit are generally undertaken by a qualified cook or chef who also has some supervisory responsibilities.

Prerequisite units 

This unit must be assessed after the following prerequisite units:

SITXFIN004A Manage finances within a budget.

Employability skills 

The required outcomes described in this unit of competency contain applicable facets of employability skills. The Employability Skills Summary of the qualification in which this unit is packaged will assist in identifying employability skills requirements.

Elements describe the essential outcomes of a unit of competency.

Performance criteria describe the required performance needed to demonstrate achievement of the element. Where bold italicised  text is used, further information is detailed in the required skills and knowledge and/or the range statement. Assessment of performance is to be consistent with the evidence guide.

ELEMENT 

PERFORMANCE CRITERIA 

1

Establish and maintain a purchasing and ordering system.

1.1

Establish and implement appropriate basic systems for purchasing and ordering efficiently to maximise profit and quality and to minimise costs and wastage.

1.2

Establish and maintain systems for storing food items to avoid deterioration, wastage, theft and spoilage.

1.3

Ensure that stock records are systematically and regularly updated.

2

Establish and maintain a financial control system.

2.1

Prepare and record departmental and operational income and expense statements accurately and on time.

2.2

Meet budget forecasts within defined fiscal periods and adequately explain any variations.

2.3

Keep financial records updated and use them effectively.

3

Maintain a production control system.

3.1

Develop food control and production schedules and maintain them in a manner that maximises efficiency and minimises waste.

3.2

Design work flows and staff rostering to minimise unit labour cost.

3.3

Monitor daily sales and make timely adjustments to menus to reflect customer preferences.

4

Select and use technology.

4.1

Select appropriate computer systems and business machines  and use them to increase ease and efficiency.

4.2

Select appropriate software  according to the needs of the establishment.

REQUIRED SKILLS AND KNOWLEDGE 

This section describes the essential skills and knowledge and their level, required for this unit.

The following skills must be assessed as part of this unit:

• implementing purchasing, receiving, storing, holding and issuing procedures
• organisational skills and teamwork
• problem-solving skills to develop approaches to cost-control challenges
• literacy skills to analyse information and trends
• numeracy skills to calculate data related to cost and revenue controls.

The following knowledge must be assessed as part of this unit:

• costing, yield testing and portion control
• role of the kitchen as a profit centre within an overall business
• features and benefits of typical record keeping and accounting systems used in commercial kitchens
• features and benefits of inventory and stock control systems used in commercial kitchens
• labour costs for catering operations in general and for the organisation in particular.

EVIDENCE GUIDE 

The evidence guide provides advice on assessment and must be read in conjunction with the performance criteria, required skills and knowledge, the range statement and the Assessment Guidelines for this Training Package.

Critical aspects for assessment and evidence required to demonstrate competency 

Evidence of the following is essential:

• knowledge of financial systems relevant to kitchen operations
• ability to set up a food production system linked to cost and revenue control systems and targets
• ability to develop and maintain an efficient cost control and monitoring system within a commercial cookery environment.

Context of and specific resources for assessment 

Assessment must ensure:

• project or work activities conducted over a period of time to allow the candidate to establish and implement control systems within a real work environment
• access to appropriate computer systems, business machines and software, as required.

Methods of assessment 

A range of assessment methods should be used to assess practical skills and knowledge. The following examples are appropriate for this unit:

• review of food production, cost and revenue control systems established and monitored by the candidate
• oral or written questions about typical systems and their benefits
• oral or written questions to test knowledge of food, and cost and revenue control systems and options
• review of portfolios of evidence and third-party workplace reports of on-the-job performance by the candidate
• case studies to assess ability to establish systems for different workplace needs.

Holistic assessment with other units relevant to the industry sector, workplace and job role is recommended.

Assessing employability skills 

Employability skills are integral to effective performance in the workplace and are broadly consistent across industry sectors. How these skills are applied varies between occupations and qualifications due to the different work functions and contexts.

Employability skills embedded in this unit should be assessed holistically with other relevant units that make up the skill set or qualification and in the context of the job role.

RANGE STATEMENT 

The range statement relates to the unit of competency as a whole. It allows for different work environments and situations that may affect performance. Bold italicised wording in the performance criteria is detailed below.

Appropriate computer systems and business machines  may include:

• point-of-sale systems, such as cash registers
• integrated computer-based systems
• calculators
• fax machines.

Appropriate software  may include:

• spreadsheets
• accounting
• database
• financial planning and tracking
• stock control
• rostering
• scheduling and production.

Sector 

Hospitality

Competency field 

Commercial Cookery and Catering