A timeless lesson on how consultants can make a difference for an
> organization.
>
> Last week, we took some friends out to a new restaurant, and noticed
that
> the waiter who took our order carried a spoon in his shirt pocket. It
> seemed a little strange. When the busboy brought our water and
utensils,
I
> noticed he also had a spoon in his shirt pocket. Then I looked around
saw
> that all the staff had spoons in their pockets.
>
> When the waiter came back to serve our soup I asked, "Why the spoon?"
>
> "Well, "he explained, "the restaurant's owners hired Andersen
Consulting
> to
> revamp all our processes. After several months of analysis, they
concluded
> that the spoon was the most frequently dropped utensil. It represents
a
> drop
> frequency of approximately 3 spoons per table per hour. If our
personnel
> are
> better prepared, we can reduce the number of trips back to the kitchen
and
> save 15 man-hours per shift."
>
> As luck would have it, I dropped my spoon and he was able to replace
it
> with
> his spare. "I'll get another spoon next time I go to the kitchen
instead
> of
> making an extra trip to get it right now."
>
> I was impressed. I also noticed that there was a string hanging out of
the
> waiter's fly. Looking around, I noticed that all the waiters had the
same
> string hanging from their flies. So before he walked off, I asked the
> waiter, "Excuse me, but can you tell me why you have that string right
> there?"
>
> "Oh, certainly!" Then he lowered his voice. "Not everyone is so
observant.
> That consulting firm I mentioned also found out that we can save time
in
> the
> restroom. By tying this string to the tip of you know what, we can
pull
it
> out without touching it and eliminate the need to wash our hands,
> shortening the time spent in the restroom by 76.39 percent.
>
> I asked "After you get it out, how do you put it back?"
>
> "Well," he whispered, "I don't know about the others, but I use the
> spoon."
> organization.
>
> Last week, we took some friends out to a new restaurant, and noticed
that
> the waiter who took our order carried a spoon in his shirt pocket. It
> seemed a little strange. When the busboy brought our water and
utensils,
I
> noticed he also had a spoon in his shirt pocket. Then I looked around
saw
> that all the staff had spoons in their pockets.
>
> When the waiter came back to serve our soup I asked, "Why the spoon?"
>
> "Well, "he explained, "the restaurant's owners hired Andersen
Consulting
> to
> revamp all our processes. After several months of analysis, they
concluded
> that the spoon was the most frequently dropped utensil. It represents
a
> drop
> frequency of approximately 3 spoons per table per hour. If our
personnel
> are
> better prepared, we can reduce the number of trips back to the kitchen
and
> save 15 man-hours per shift."
>
> As luck would have it, I dropped my spoon and he was able to replace
it
> with
> his spare. "I'll get another spoon next time I go to the kitchen
instead
> of
> making an extra trip to get it right now."
>
> I was impressed. I also noticed that there was a string hanging out of
the
> waiter's fly. Looking around, I noticed that all the waiters had the
same
> string hanging from their flies. So before he walked off, I asked the
> waiter, "Excuse me, but can you tell me why you have that string right
> there?"
>
> "Oh, certainly!" Then he lowered his voice. "Not everyone is so
observant.
> That consulting firm I mentioned also found out that we can save time
in
> the
> restroom. By tying this string to the tip of you know what, we can
pull
it
> out without touching it and eliminate the need to wash our hands,
> shortening the time spent in the restroom by 76.39 percent.
>
> I asked "After you get it out, how do you put it back?"
>
> "Well," he whispered, "I don't know about the others, but I use the
> spoon."
