:=: MK Suki :=:
:=: Towards excellence by Kaizen :=:
Together with success stories of MK Suki (sukiyaki), Rit Thirakomen, Managing Director of MK Restaurant Co. Ltd, will arouse listenersby playing MK Suki commercial song. “Hard practices” is the most often heard, showing MK Suki’s determination toward excellence. Likewise,Rit focuses on progressive development and improvement in accordance with the principle of Kaizen,regarded as MK Suki’s bible. The secret, however, is always disclosure to entrepreneurs and general audiences interested in MK Suki’s stories.
But how many companies can completely develop themselves resembling the role model?
“Considering the problem as an iceberg, what we see is just a tiny emerging part from the surface, While there are many more problems underwater. We must see through the whole structure, otherwise all problems cannot be solved,” Rit suggests the key point and he never overlooks small details, even though they might appear invisible.
One of the most important things to help get rid of problems is “man” that the company must find the way to make employees able to notice the problem in order to contribute to brainstorming, finding solutions and improving their actual work.
All MK suki employees must be trained to obtain the same service standard that MK suki has its own training center to serve the ready employees to its 280 branches.
After passing through the procurement process, all staffs will be trained in order to adjust their attitude to the same direction and culture. Furthermore, when commencing their work, Kaizen will be adopted for progressive work improvement so that they can take a part of organizational development, no matter what department they belong.
As a tool to enhance working efficiency, Kaizen’s highlight is “Today is probably not good, but tomorrow must be better.” or “Must not be the best, but better” This is also a reason why a wiping towel in MK can be a matter of endless development, as important as big cases like problems on logistic system, freezer, hygiene, security or customer’s health, to be solved and improved in equal orders.
“Concerning small details is dependent on individual behaviors as some people seem to avoid and reject the problems. But for me, I think everything in the universe can be solved by lateral thinking. If we cannot fix it by the selected solution, just try another. For example, If gas must be avoided, use electricity instead. Likewise, having many dishes are messy things but can be resolved by design – making condo-style dishes to allow more space on the table. Design solutions include uniform, staff dance, greeting, bowing and navigating customer’s way. As these details can be felt, they must be continually improved.”
According to Rit, The visible of the progressive development would appear to customers only 30 – 40 %, while there are still many complications behind the scene. But in general, MK Suki practices organizational improvement about 70-80% of the whole working process.
Definitely it means a higher cost,Yet Rit suggests that a firm should oversee the future cost, not based on the present. For instance, if today’s invention to improve a certain task can be used 10 years long, it is considered inexpensive.
“All things you can see now have filtered by thinking and designing. They are uncommon. Out freezer compartments, for example, are different from other restaurants. In addition, for MK Suki’s stream pots, they are safer than general equipment available by consuming les electricity and using less water. We can do these as long as we have Kaizen. Progressive improvement is in the heart of out employees. It is not important how much we can do today, but tomorrow must be better, always ”
They are just part of the whole big story, but these solution as examples are sufficient reasons why MK Suki must always adopt Kaizen’s principles to solve the problems in-depth, otherwise this small Thai restaurant at Siam Square 23 years ago would not have expanded its wings all over the county now with over than 280 branches and 13,000 staffs providing the same service standards to customers.
Indeed, daily improvement is not only for the company’s excellence but also maintains customers’ loyalty. A company should keep in mind that these small details can bring a great success live MK Suki has done it.
• All can be improved by Kaizen. •
Apart from the examples previously shown, Kaizen’s approach adopted by MK Suki includes current solutions on vegetables, eggs, shrimps, calories calculations and the use of PDAs for taking orders.
• Everywhere laundry at MK suki •
This is not for cleansing staff uniforms, but laundry at MK Suki occurs to solve the problems of wiping table towel, started from the fact that unclean cloth makes tables dirty.
“it could be simply solved by changing to a clean cloth, but we think harder on why it is unclean.”
Then the first solution was to increase the number of wiping towels, followed by many different processes, such as the use of mild antiseptic liquid to spray at the cloth before wiping; the improvement of wiping tactics e.g. how to wipe without making food fallen to the floor or number of wiping; the position of cloth storage and relevant equipment on the cart; varied wiping cloth colors for different timing. All these led to cloth shifts and the installment of laundry machine, finally.
Just believe that all above are from the solutions on wiping table towel.
• Duck chopping board must remain wooden •
“Most people might not care, but MK Suki takes it into account and the chopping board we use must be made of wood.”
But the problem is, knife will be stuck in the board and some pieces of meat accumulating inside every time when chopping duck, resulting in bacteria within 2 hours. MK Suki, therefore, must have 2 chopping boards to replace after cleansing and germ – free by boiling. Next step, MK Suki will stick a color code on each board to indicate its timing and easy to recheck.
• Unbreakable •
• MK Suki’s electric plug •
After legitimated by law, a stove for sukiyaki must be changed to electricity shock can occur, thus switches at MK Suki are continyally improved following the use of a electrical sukiyaki pot.
“Made of Poly Carbonate, our switches are not breakable if being stepped. We have installed the shock resistance system under the dining table and at the circuit, too Even simple switches, there are stories behind and need inverstment.”
• Newly designed •
• Logistic – faster and safer •
MK Suki has two large kitchen centers designed to support raw materials for about 500 branches and potential growth in the future. Yet for existing branches, these two kitchens work only for one shift – one located in Nawanakorn is for Northern part of Bangkok or upper zone, another situated in Bangna – Trad, called Bangna – trad kitchen center, is for Southern part of Bangkok
These two kitchen centers are regarded as a change of product distribution platform that can help the company save a great deal of time and transportation costs.
“In the past, let’s say we had 200 suppliers, each of them delivered to each MK Suki branch resulting in high cost and time loss. Those 200 suppliers had to take 600 times to serve only for 3 branches. Therefore, we have designed the routed and delivery platforms by setting up the two kitchen centers. Suppliers only deliver to the centers. Then products are forwarded to branches later. For some branches on the same route, delivery can be done together. Moreover, time for delivery and pickup can be indicated. Staffs at the shop save their pickup time as well”
The kitchen centers definitely require big inverstment, but compared to the outcomes and benefits obtained in all branches, they eventually have become value for money, like what Rit earkier mentioned.
