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To Provide Operational Recommendations on The Food in School Programme for Deejays Limited
Project Report
Auckland University of Technology and [Student Name] have taken all due care to undertake this project properly but shall not be liable for any indirect loss, loss of profit, loss of business, or consequential loss, howsoever caused. If you rely on the information contained in this report in any way, you assume the entire risk as to the truth, accuracy, currency, or completeness of the information contained in the report.
22 August 2021
Stefan Crookes, Managing Director, Stefan@westiefood.co.nz, Phone 021 977 698
Brian Hourani – 0011350 hourani@gmail.com, 021 884 322
Contents
1. Introduction and Background 3
2. Part 1: Justification 7
3. Part 2: Full Analysis and Recommendations 13
3.1. Operational Analysis 13
3.2. SWOT Analysis 26
3.3. Ansoff Matrix 28
4. Recommendations and Conclusions for Deejays 37
5. Comprehensive Appendices 47
Appendix 1– Stakeholders Power Interest Grid 47
6. Case Studies 48
7. References 54
8. Diary of Activities 57
Introduction and Background
More than 1 million children, including students and teachers, attend schools every day across New Zealand” (Ministry of Education, 2021); this includes primary, intermediate, and secondary schools. Our children and students in New Zealand face a significant challenge as the food supplied in schools required to feed our children and students across New Zealand poses substantial risks and challenges for their health and the health of the wider community (Heather Simpson, 2020). The future of New Zealand is under significant threat as we are now in a position of the majority of these children. Students with health issues are increasingly diagnosed with obesity, diabetes, cancers, dietetics, and other food intolerances due to the lack of education in food health and well-being.
The food currently provided in schools has evolved to ensure food intolerances are being addressed, not changed to reflect better and more up-to-date healthier options (Zealand, 2014). Big questions, however, remain regarding health standards and regulations, given unhealthy snacks, meals, and high sugar content food items are still available across schools nationally. Major food suppliers into schools across New Zealand have a core focus on profitability, perhaps at the detriment of the health and well-being of our children and students, which will affect the future health of New Zealanders (Child Poverty Action Group, 2021).
Deejays Limited is a company that supplies food in schools across Auckland, Waikato, and Northland for over 30 years. The company has ensured that they built strong relationships, which have enabled it to comprehend the different needs necessary for the schools and their communities. The company employs local staff who better understand their communities and have strong connections with students and schools. Generally, the company has won the trust of many individuals within New Zealand, enabling it to operate for a long time. It positively contributes to the community where they operate and has created collaborative relationships with their local suppliers and schools, reinforcing Stefan Crooks’s statement “Look after the community and the community will look after you” philosophy (Stefan Crooks, 2021).
For Ka Ora Ka Ako Healthy School Lunch Programme, Deejays focused on promoting healthy eating without compromising texture, quality, and taste. Deejay’s aim in the program is to educate students through “the provision of a tasty menu while ensuring that all the necessary nutritional components are met” (Ministry of Educations, 2021). The company has created service models and menus over many years, gaining experience and commitment to successfully deliver the daily meals to those schools that participate in the Ka Ora, Ka Ako Healthy School Lunch Programme. Deejays engage with its stakeholders through face-to-face meetings, surveys, and focus groups to gain information on what the community expects from its operations, responding and innovating accordingly to the community.
Deejays use this feedback and information to improve and enhance the expected outcomes by the schools and communities they serve. Deejays have ensured components such as a food safety control plan is set in place mainly because the safety and quality of the lunches are essential. During food making, robust testing and quality assurance inspections are carried out in different stages before the meals are dispatched and delivered to the school before students can consume those. Deejays are committed and proactive within the sustainability initiatives, whereby “waste management is usually a critical component for reducing its carbon footprint” (Kotsanopoulos & Arvanitoyannis, 2017). They make sure that all their meals are packed in a carbon-neutral and environmentally compostable package.
The company was recently acquired by 3 Guys Limited, which mainly focused on aligning Deejays towards adopting a “Community focus” value. The acquisition allows limitless creativity and scope for a renewed fresh market entrant to challenge and respond to these highlighted issues. This acquisition is an audacious move for a mature company whose competitive landscape is needed to ensure New Zealand’s healthier future state.
Deejays refreshed and renewed entry in New Zealand offers a different but for practical choice. Firstly, the focusing on healthier food options in schools and better-educating children. Secondly, students will undoubtedly improve the current health state of the children and students (Deejays is committed to sustainability, which is only one of many aspects that will provide a complete shake-up for the competitive landscape). Deejays are proud of their strong belief in the “Healthy Food = Focused Mind” motto for schools. As Stefan Crookes, the Managing Director, states, “it’s good for our community, good business, and makes good sense.”
There has been no better time to address the provisions and availability of food in schools in NZ (Stefan Crooks, 2021). With significant reports of the current health status of our community and as conditions worsen every day, it is time to act.
Through Deejays and with the set of recommendations resulting from this project, the industry, children, students, wider community, and even the Ministry of Health and Ministry of Education government departments will see significant improvements and benefits in food standards, quality, and well-being, which has a direct on flow effect on better learning (education) and healthier communities.
While aiming to achieve the project’s ultimate goal, this project recommends how the system could be designed to achieve better health and well-being outcomes through children, students and flow onto home life and the wider community. It does this by; ensuring improvements in health outcomes of Māori and broader communities; ensure improvements in health outcomes of other population groups; reduce barriers to access healthy nutritious food options; and achieve equitable outcomes for all parts of the school population. More importantly, “How food will be made healthy, what guidelines its aligning to, how it is going to be enforced and how practical it is for schools” (International Journal for Equity in Health, 2021). Factors that affect our health, well-being, a focus on equity, and health determinants will also be analysed.
Part 1: Justification
The project’s primary goal was “To provide operational recommendations on the Food in School program for Deejays Limited.”
Several models were used in this project to justify this organisation’s effectiveness and development position, including McKinsey’s, PESTEL, and SWOT analysis. The PESTEL analysis framework is an efficient tool for organisations to identify how external entities affect the market and production rate. The analysis further plays a role in understanding the threats and opportunities in SWOT analysis and finding new ways of expanding an organisation’s economy. The PESTEL has proven to be an effective tool for Deejays, and positive results are expected to increase in future years.
PESTEL analysis framework was adopted to gather current facts and analyse macro factors affecting the Deejays operation. These include political, environmental, social, technological, environmental, legal factors affecting the Deejays operation. This framework was used to identify how these could create opportunities for Deejays while also identifying current and future risks. This also focused on expanding Deejays business operations and boosting its economic figure.
McKinsey’s 7s framework is an organisational design tool that shows how a company can achieve effectiveness in terms of strategy, shared values, skillset, organisational strategy, staff, and the style used in the organisation. The data and findings were collected through applying/following McKinsey’s 7s framework to analyse and identify the below points. Through this 7s model, the following components helped review the Deejays operation by; analysing the impact of future change; enhancement of organisational effectiveness; aligning the departments and processes of the business; implementation strategies; link academic research with management practice. Ultimately McKinsey’s 7s model adopted assessed whether Deejays internal structure supported its drive for success. Internal reviews and information from meetings with the Director and Business Manager helped access relevant, quality, and accurate information.
Throughout all other models and frameworks such as SWOT, McKinsey’s 7s framework was adopted as they cover and analyses all aspects of the internals of the Deejays operation. Areas covered by this model include strategy, structure, systems, staff, skills, style, and shared values. These frameworks have been effective in understanding and valuing the role played by Deejays in the food market and its services to the community and New Zealand as a country.
Food in schools across NZ has long been a challenge in ensuring children or students are fed and fit for learning. It is no new information, and it is common knowledge that a well-fed mind promotes learning. Food quality has historically been a challenge in meeting the Ministry of Education and Ministry of Health regulation and policies in ensuring healthier food options are available to students and children across NZ schools (Health and Disability System Review. 2020).
The MoH implemented a star rating system in NZ to educate and ensure food consumers are aware of the health benefits. Suppose a star rating of 0.5 or less is applied to a food or beverage product. In that case, this implies that it is not healthy, and less intake of this type of food or beverage is encouraged, i.e., Chocolate bar or high sugar content carbonated drink. On the flip side, consuming a 5-star rated food or beverage indicates a healthier option, i.e., Frooze Balls (healthier natural protein-rich snack).
Deejays is one of few players in the supply of food into schools within the Auckland and wider Auckland region, operating for over 30 years. Previously a family-owned business and recently acquired by “3 Guys Limited”, it needs significant change to better align to new market demands and cater to new regulations as part of food in schools. Deejays struggle with legacy issues adapting to technological tools; the team has an underlying challenge in accepting being agile due to being in the business despite the recent change in ownership. This struggle has had a startling effect on business performance and productivity.
The New Zealand Ministry of Education (MoE), in line with the New Zealand Ministry of Health (MoH), has the means and funding to support food in schools. However, no current players could genuinely provide a service that caters to the increasingly ethnically and culturally diverse student base while catering to the increasing dietetic needs of students. It is also no new information and common knowledge that the dietetics markets are increasingly demanding, such as Gluten-free, vegan, and Halal dietary requirements.
The need to better control and serve our school children and students has never been more demanding. The gap in believing what is or needs to be supplied versus what must be supplied has a significant variance (Stefan Crooks, 2021). The market constantly finds ways to improve the food in school supplier’s profitability, cost efficiencies, internal operations, with no consideration towards outputs in the quality of food provided to schools. For example, the selling of lollies, fizzy drinks, and pies, which suppliers benefit from selling brands such as Coca-Cola, rather than creating a healthier meal alternative for the exact cost to promote healthy food and healthy minds.
This project responds to the need to ensure that our children’s future and students promote excelled learning without “the lack of food, which is the number one barrier to learning” (Child Poverty Action Group, 2021), being the supply of quality food in schools.
There is a need to develop a commercial food menu for our students and teachers that offers a variety that embraces and promotes diversity and compelling causes. Some of the causes include: Halal, Vegan, Gluten-Free, Maori Language Week, Fundraising and onsite events/catering, encapsulates and responds to promoting good food in schools. Teachers being included in the food in-school program will benefit children and students, as teachers are ambassadors, mentors, and role models for children and students. Suppose teachers consume healthier, meaningful, and more nutritious food options. In that case, it is easy to accept that children and students will be more educated in making more conscious decisions in eating healthier food options and reinforces the Healthier Food = Healthier Minds philosophy Deejays adopts. Students will continue eating better in school and outside of school life, further instructing and educating caregivers and parents in home life, resulting in a mass inflow effect to a healthier wider community.
A simple, efficient, straightforward, purposeful solution-focused food supply and service model needs to be implemented. The current market believes that the meaning of servicing food in schools is to deliver food “operationally” simply to schools and then have the school internally manage how the food gets to classrooms or students.
Being environmentally conscious and reducing wastage plays a large part in waste management and sustainability. There must be a way to reduce both food waste and food packaging waste significantly. For example, how can both food and food packaging waste be reduced in schools? Has there been any consideration given to what students want to eat versus what is being given to students in assuming what they want to eat, resulting in reduced food waste as food is not tasty? Has there been any consideration given to reducing food packaging, such as promoting and ensuring the use of environmentally friendly and sustainable packaging (recyclable and biodegradable packaging), including disposal management solutions in schools?
Key challenges in the current market that create a sticking point include: Functional silos prevent data and information sharing; Technology platform not evident in managing data; Support is not equipped to manage customer issues; Customer needs and culture of Deejays not aligned; Customer centricity not evident (Allen & Wilson, 2013). An excellent example of this is MoH and MoE’s conflicting views on food health standards with limited access to information sharing through IT and technology. Contradictory to the health star rating system, the Ministry of Primary Industry, which works closely with the Ministry of Health, clearly states, “Health Star Ratings are voluntary, so you won’t see them on all packaged foods” (Ministry of Primary Industries, 2021). So, no natural food rating system truly educates the consumer on what should be consumed as a healthier food option.
There is a definite need to overhaul the industry and ensure more quality and nutritious food in schools is offered while significantly improving the industry’s standards. Through a community-inclusive approach, there is an opportunity to create a sense of occasion through food in schools based on the MoH and MoE nutritional standards and guidelines.
Academically, globally and in an NZ perspective, obesity amongst children has been researched extensively. What has been consistently reported is the concerning and increasing rate of child obesity, diabetes, cancer, amongst other health diagnoses in children. This condition has always come back to a root cause of food consumption and the ease of access to unhealthy foods such as Takeaway and deep-fried foods, sugar-filled foods, and unhealthy snacking such as chocolate bars and fizzy beverages.
Extremely competitive price, ease of access, and what is seen as mealtime foods, such as sugar-filled foods, directly affects lower socio-economic communities, which are not as educated or have limited access to education in health and well-being, i.e., 5+ a day and food star rating systems.
While it will be a challenge, this project will establish connections between objectives set and the patterns that emerge from the analysis. It also relates the objectives to the research in meeting the goal, to make contributions to knowledge in the field. New Zealand, “by world standards, has a very good health system which is publicly funded” (Heather Simpson, 2020). This directly flows down to the Ministry of Education funding, allowing access to quality and healthier schools. This by itself breaks down the most significant barrier, finance, in achieving good food in schools as funding is available. However, due to flawed design thinking and strategy, the current system, which is in much need of an overhaul, does not deliver or respond to the providing of healthy food in schools.
Part 2: Full Analysis and Recommendations
The ultimate goal of this project has been defined and set as:
To provide operational recommendations on the Food in School program for Deejays Limited. Recommendations will also cover marketing, financial, and Covid contingency plans.
A set of objectives has been identified and developed, providing a structured and systematic approach to ensure a robust set of recommendations and outcomes and translate these objectives into effective and responsive deliverables to achieve the set goal.
Objectives will follow SMART methodology to ensure the ultimate project goal. Objectives are Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Realistic, and Timely.
The following six objectives will no doubt have limitations and boundaries due to the short time nature of the project proposal; however, it will provide an all-round perspective on the Deejays operation and the industry it plays in:
3.1. Operational Analysis
To review the current operations of Deejays concerning Food in School (including marketing, financial and Covid disruption).
To review the external environment around the operations of Deejays about Food in Schools.
To review best practices in the APAC region in the context of operations for Food in School programs.
To generate options for Deejays
To make recommendations for Deejays
This project adopts a quantity breeds quality philosophy: the more ideas explored, the more there is to choose from the best recommendations. Each objective will have a particular model/framework/ academic lens. This lens will support a more systematic and robust approach to findings, issues, analysis, solutions, and recommendations.
To Review the current operations of Deejays concerning Food in School:
Deejays use a functional organisational structure or the bureaucratic organisational structure where the workforce in the company is broken down based on specialisation or functional silos. Deejays are currently divided into business services, operations, purchasing and logistics, business development, customer service, Chefs and onsite catering, and site managers, with each department reporting directly to Stefan Crooks, Managing Director. “The operations must be more efficient, and the reporting structure must change” (Stefan Crooks, 2021). The aim of this statement refers to the inherited poorly structured organisation which needed to change immediately to ensure more efficient operations. Stefan Crooks or no one person would manage an operation of this size, having all these resources and people reporting purely to the Managing Director. Since the inception of this project, it was clear that a structural change was needed to ensure the success and smoother operating of the organisation.
An additional senior management team layer between the everyday working team and Stefan was identified and recommended on 21 April 2021 with Stefan Crooks. Stefan agreed and stated, “this will reinforce the best way by which Deejays could start to ensure that they can meet the rising needs for a change in more efficient, streamlined, and effective management of its operations and the betterment in the quality of food that they serve to schools” (Stefan Crooks, 2021). A senior management and leadership team would help see through the operations of all the everyday working teams in the company.
To better deliver the company’s strategic direction, including its values, direction, mission, overall strategy, and vision, it is the responsibility of the senior management leadership. The senior management team decides how all the moving parts within the company fit together, create a plan, implement it, and oversee its operation based on its overarching strategy.
The company must have a “well knowledgeable workforce who have appropriate skills needed to ensure that the company operates and produces healthy quality foods at a minimal cost and ensuring low risks and environmentally considerate methods of production” (Simpson, 2020). Reinforcing this statement by one of the leading health figures in NZ, Stefan stated, “They are well trained and have enough experience relevant for effective production in the company” (Stefan Crooks, 2021).
The company ensures that its workforce is effective by hiring degree graduates in relevant professions. After hiring, the employees undertake company training and development where each is trained to specialise in their different functional areas. Deejays also recruit talented employees whose portfolios comprise of their great works and achievements.
The need for a leadership management team within the organisation structure will ensure the Managing Director uses these individuals to develop new operation strategies in the company that helps in producing healthier and quality foods options for schools across their operation base.
Deejays aim to educate students through the provision of a tasty menu. At the same time, make sure that all the necessary nutritional components are met per Ministry of Health and Ministry of Education guidelines set and agreed to. “The company has managed to create unique service models and menus over many years, gaining an experience and commitment” (Stefan Crooks, 2021), enough for successfully delivering the daily meals to those schools that participate in the Ka Ora, Ka Ako Healthy School Lunch Programme.
The current operational state used the competency model to identify, Core competencies, Core potential, and Competitive advantages of the Deejays operation. This model defines the knowledge and skill required for a task. It defines successful job performance. Core competencies at Deejays include excellent business acumen, which makes sure that the already existing quality systems and food safety align with the company’s goals for each financial year (Mackay et al., 2021). The company has artificial intelligence, big data, cybersecurity, and more digital skills that help reshape how they approach food safety management systems and better management throughout the supply chain.
The company invests in its employees by offering training that helps develop their skills and yield better results. The company is divided into different departments, with each department requiring industry-specific technical skills. To further review Deejays, operational objectives, resources available, current plans, gap analysis were used to review. Issues identified and further explored are vital areas such as profitability problem, i.e., why the company’s profits decreased in the past 12 months, Market entry problem, Merger, and acquisition problem and product, i.e., should a new product be introduced?
At the very early stages of analysis, it was clear that due to poor management or the fact that the company had fully matured and now was on the decline, it could very well be the main reason it recorded decreased profits within the past twelve months. However, with the renewal of its operation strategies, change in the organisational structure and the company management could incredibly renew the company, making it start the growth process once more. Despite Covid 19 threats, whether in the last 12 months and going forward in the future, the current state of the operation must change to overturn these risks and “make the organisation bulletproof” through better planning, strategising, and developing contingency plans against daily risks, and Covid risks in operation” (Stefan Crooks, 2021).
Also, stiff competition by new and start-up companies that use modern technology has low operational costs that give them the advantage of competing with the well-established companies who find it challenging and expensive to adopt the new technologies to enhance their operations. These upcoming companies compete for the inadequate resources available with the already established companies such as Deejays. They use modern technologies that enable them to produce quality products and carry out the entire food processing process at a lower cost, impacting the entire operations by Deejays. Covid 19 is also another main contributor to the decreased profits by the company last year whereby all schools had been shut down, and as a result, the company did not supply its food to school almost for a whole year. The impact is depicted on the revenues and profits of the company.
The scope of this objective also explored and analysed competitiveness in the current structure and find options for action, including – Is the product and service competitive in the market? i.e., Can a new product be developed economically through an efficiency improvement program and facelift of the current product offering? Deejays mainly offer food in schools program a currently competitive service since the market is not yet overwhelmed by many such companies. However, its services help make school programs effective while ensuring that students give their best in school since they get quality and healthy meals, reinforcing the “healthy food for healthier minds” statement (Ministry of Education, 2021).
Deejays will only need to make sure that it creates new menus of healthy and quality foods and eliminate any foods that negatively impact the health and well-being of children, teachers, and the community in general. This would help in keeping the company competitive and in operation for more extended periods. Deejays can fully invest in the Ka Ora Ka Ako Healthy School Lunch Programme to ensure that the program is a success across the country to ensure everyone enjoys its benefits.
Another aspect explored was identifying if it is worth Deejays removing structural weaknesses through a restructuring strategy. Here, the research confirmed that removing structural weaknesses through a restructuring strategy created a new position for a senior leadership team within the company’s organisational strategy as necessary.
Attractive options and development of/for cooperation and potential acquisition that would remove structural weaknesses were also be explored. This removal supports a restructuring strategy while identifying any synergy effects to generate positive results and profit-maximising exit (if applicable). Meetings with the Director were held to obtain information. Keywords such as Food, Health, Public Health, Schools, Education, Covid, and Food Standards, amongst others, were used in desk analysis.
To review the external environment around the operations of Deejays about Food in Schools.
Through MoH, MPI and MoE, the New Zealand government has comprehensive regulatory frameworks regarding all the food industry aspects. They include the standards of storing food, the cleanliness of the commercial kitchens, requirements for workers in the food industry, and transporting products in the industry (Wynd, 2011). These regulatory frameworks make the food industry in the country among the most tightly regulated of all industries. The government has even more regulations for companies such as Deejays who supply food to schools, and they are required to supply healthier foods at favourable and affordable prices. All these regulations help in protecting the consumers (children, students, teachers, caregivers) from being exposed to poor quality nutrition, which “lead to a variety of serious health conditions” (Simpson, 2020).
Economically, the company is facing a hard time recovering from covid 19 that greatly affected the company and the wider food industry last year. The fact that schools were not operating for most of last year affected Deejays economically since its profits significantly decreased throughout the year. Hence it has been able to raise its profits and operations, getting them to where they were before covid 19 hit the globe. There are chances that labour costs will decrease “due to modern technology and the growing demand for employment after mass redundancies due to the economic crisis caused by the pandemic” (Swinburn, Vandevijvere & Dominick, 2017). Most companies announced redundancies to manage the situation. Since they are still on the road to the recovery process, “they have not yet or will not even consider bringing back the same level of employees due to the continued financial struggles” (Stefan Crooks, 2021). It means that many skilled individuals across the country seek employment, which also negatively impacts labour costs.
Socially, it is common industry knowledge that scientists understand the relationship between the human body and nutritious food than they ever did. They link personal health with the food consumed, which has enabled most consumers to be conscious of these links. Therefore, these consumers seek healthier ways of fuelling their bodies, something that neither impacts the food industry either negatively or positively, but the food businesses such as “Deejays have to put an effort into adapting to staying relevant” (Ministry of Education, 2021). Consumers are also more knowledgeable about their dietary restrictions. This understanding makes the consumers expect a greater understanding from the food industry’s workers, employees, food suppliers, and manufacturers.
Technologically, Deejays have adopted automation in some of its operations; although very basic, they have social media platforms and websites to advertise and sell their services and products to their consumers. They have adopted artificial intelligence that they mostly use to make their services to their consumers efficient. These may include chatbots and automatic security systems within the company to ensure that the company’s services are efficient and effective. However, they could use or adopt robotics/machinery that could help reduce the number of labourers needed, hence cutting the operation costs and increasing profitability. For example, making 14,000 fresh sandwiches every week by hand “can be automated to a certain extent “(Stefan Crooks, 2021).
The company maintains high standards towards health and safety matters as Legally required by the NZ labour standards and regulations of the food industry. The government has a set of rules concerning how food should be prepared, transported, and stored. Violation of these rules becomes a severe risk as a legal matter since the food business must be cautious about ensuring that their operations are within the bounds of the rules to avoid costly lawsuits and reputational damages.
Deejays has a sustainability and waste management plan focusing on protecting the community through proper waste management. It is environmentally considerate and ensures that waste is recycled wherever possible, while the unrecyclable waste is disposed of appropriately through a partnership with Waste Management NZ. The majority of packaging products used at Deejays are compostable as it has made a conscious decision to make the operation a sustainability focus. It uses tools and equipment that have less or no impact on the environment and makes sure that all its employees and community are well aware of the best ways to protect the environment from contributing and being responsible personally.
Deejays are aware of all the foods with negative impacts to the consumers and have therefore focused on researching healthy foods that have minimum or no impact on consumers’ health. Frequent meetings with the director to gain facts and insights were required in line with the food industry’s rapidly changing landscape. Additionally, The Ministry of education and Ministry of health helped better understand real issues, challenges, and solutions they believe are suitable for food in schools.
To review Food in Schools operational programs best practices in the APAC region.
According to research carried out by Donna Wynd on the nutritional barriers’ impaction children’s education, an ever-growing population of children goes to school daily without having their breakfast. To solve this issue, most of the decile 1,2 and 3 intermediate and primary schools within the Auckland region make sure that they offer some food to the students before the school starts, since breakfast helps meet the basic nutritional standards required for growing children. As Stefan Crooks stated, “Clearly food programs in schools help indirectly targeting those students with the greatest need to help in freeing up household resources, which reinforces what we stand by, Healthier Food = Healthier Minds”.
New Zealand should directly deal with child hunger because the country is a signatory to the child’s rights. The UN convention states that NZ must ensure that children get adequate nutrition since children generally have rights regarding their accounts. Furthermore, New Zealand currently faces a massive shift in demography since its population ages and baby boomers work for few hours and need more expensive care.
The United Nations convention regarding the rights of the child advocates for the right to adequate food for all children, and this should be to the highest attainable standard of health. In the case of the indigenous children, their rights are recognised under the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous people (Swinburn, Vandevijvere & Dominick, 2017). Nevertheless, indigenous children record higher obesity rates and related health issues than non-indigenous children in NZ and globally.
The values and voices of Maori/Pasifika are central in the New Zealand policies and policy-making processes. Maori/Pasifika involvement and inclusion in economic and policy-making processes will further aid the reduction of the high obesity levels in Maori/Pasifika children in New Zealand. In reviewing key policy options by stakeholders, chiefly the ministry of education, it was evident the ministry continues to be challenged in this area of having an inclusive approach to policy-making and seeing these policies are carried through the Maori community. They are providing an “understanding” approach to delivering a healthy quality outcome for all communities in NZ” (Child Poverty Action Group, 2021)
Based on the significance and essential role that food plays in ensuring healthy people and the environment, the New Zealand government needs a considerable policy approach to ensure that the right to adequate food is addressed (Mckerchar et al., 2021). Some of these policies may include economic policies designed to address child poverty and particular strategies, including food policy and provision of food in schools.
The role of the local communities and the government in general needs some further exploration to ensure that the right to adequate food in New Zealand have and will continue to be improved as part of continuous improvement for our communities.
However, the study found that New Zealand is not yet playing its critical role in providing the right to enough food for children, whether Maori, European, Indian or otherwise. Therefore, the New Zealand government needs to create recommended policies to ensure a healthier NZ. The health promotion agency executed a marketing and education campaign in March 2016 to increase understanding, awareness, correct use, and recognition of the Health Star Rating. The priority groups targeted for the campaign included the grocery shoppers within those households with at least one child below the age of 14 years, emphasising low-income, pacific origin, and Maori families.
The campaign found out that the low-income families increased their knowledge about the health star rating within the entire period and its awareness increased among all the participants. The health star rating is generally a voluntary front-of-pack labelling system designed for Australian and New Zealand users. In this case, it helps the users, the grocery shoppers, make decisions among the same packaged foods according to the overall nutritional value of the foods.
According to the World Health Organisation, people should consume low free sugars throughout their lifetime, with the children and adults reducing their intakes of free sugars to less than 10% of the overall energy intake. Free sugars are the disaccharides and monosaccharides usually added to beverages and foods by manufacturers. The sugars naturally occur in fruit juices, honey, and syrup concentrations, and consumers or food professionals add those sugars. People need to consider taking less free sugars since they threaten the nutrient quality by providing significant energy that lacks particular nutrients.
To Generate Options For Deejays.
Based on findings from 1, 2, 3, the following was explored and identified operational options for Deejays: Problem areas, Solutions, and Opportunities.
SWOT Analysis
SWOT analysis represents the understanding of Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats. This framework enables our organisation to highlight what they are best at, lack, and the new areas that need investments. It also analyses the risks and factors that may be catastrophic to the organisational business. Deejays has implemented this framework as part of their organisation to ensure success:
Strengths
For the project’s ultimate success, there are several factors and attributes that the company should have. Deejays have strengths that give it a competitive advantage in the food industry since it has a firm brand name due to its long periods of operations in the industry. The company has a good reputation among all the schools where it has been supplying food and its other customers within New Zealand. Due to its long periods of operations and existence in the food industry, it has resources such as investments and assets and the knowledge that enables it to operate at cost-advantaged related to proprietary know-how efficiently.
Weaknesses
Currently, Deejays have some weaknesses concerning its organisational structure that generally impact the company’s overall operation. It still uses traditional modes of production and operations, making it unable to compete with start-up companies or new market entrants using modern technologies in its cost-effective operations.
Opportunities
Deejays has many opportunities available that would help it achieve the set goals for this project. Currently, the company has many vendors and stakeholders who wish to work with the company to help it achieve its goals. The company has a positive reputation among the general New Zealand public. Also, it operates in a market with few companies of its size, yet its market is vast and has conditions that could enable the project to be desirable to the market segment. Their customers have unfulfilled needs, and there is new technology available in the market to fulfil and capitalise on these everchanging needs.
Threats
Some of the threats that Deejays faces include the rapidly changing trends within the industry and the types of preferred foods compared to the product price, which could be much more expensive using traditional production methods. The company also faces a threat from the new regulations set for the food industry and could keep the company out of the market if it does not adhere. Another threat is the development of substitute products by start-up companies who employ new technologies to develop and produce many varieties of foods that could outdo the food products and solutions offered by Deejays.
Ansoff Matrix
The Ansoff Matrix is a critical analysis tool used to plan and analyse strategic moves for organisational growth. Also referred to as the Market Expansion Grid, it calculates growth strategies by using an equation that multiplies a company’s earnings by the return on equity. This framework is best used when four strategic planning and development alternatives are devised in an organisation.
Deejays can penetrate the market by increasing sales while expanding its product offering to the broader New Zealand market. It could be through lowering the prices of their products to attract new customers, gaining a competitor within the food industry, and increasing its distribution and promotion efforts to reach out to more people across the country.
Through scientific knowledge and research, the company can develop new products to help meet the new trends and healthy foods recommended by the WHO, UN conventions, Ministry of Health, and ministry of education. The already existing market needs healthy, quality foods and Deejays needs to focus on developing and producing these new foods for the market. They could produce unique foods that generally are healthy and fit for human consumption to develop and maintain their place in the market.
Deejays could also develop new markets using its already existing products domestically and sell the same food products to school children and other mainstream channels such as Countdown and Foodstuffs, anywhere anytime across New Zealand. Deejays and its more comprehensive companies within 3 Guys holdings are well knowledgeable about the New Zealand food industry having experience of 30 years. It can use its resources to expand its operations to schools and the locals because the local market can increase its profitability.
Deejays could also enter the new market using new food products developed or produced using new technologies, which could help in reducing the costs of production while at the same time increasing company revenues and profits. Deejays can do this using a related diversification strategy to start producing innovative products that could be employed to produce healthy farm products that farmers could use to produce healthier products. These could be liquid fertilisers, herbicides, and other non-harmful farm-effective chemicals.
From the above three objectives and the information produced from SWOT analysis and the Ansoff matrix discussed above, Deejays has several problem areas to work on to ensure it operationally meets all the requirements as a food-producing and supply company. Firstly, the company must work on its organisational structure and, just as recommended in objective one, ensure that it brought in a leadership management team whose role is to oversee the day-to-day management of its entire operations. The leadership team will play an integral role in changing the entire organisational strategy, allowing Deejays to revive and become more competitive in the market.
The company faces stiff competition from the upcoming and start-up companies due to their use of modern technologies, which helps reduce their general operational costs. However, Deejay can strategically adopt new technologies to avoid straining too much to adopt these technologies due to their high costs. The company could develop a long-term plan to adopt the technologies within the company resources and operational budget constraints.
To ensure healthy meals, the company will also need to primarily rely on scientific research institutes to know the proper amounts of each nutrient needed for human consumption and those foods that threaten the health of school children and society at large. It could use information from these scientists to develop and create new menus in their food lists (Kasture et al., 2019). The company has to make sure that it operates within the regulatory rules by the New Zealand government regarding quality assurance, cleanliness of the kitchens, food transportation, and requirements for working for the food industry.
Managers have to develop plans and strategies to cope with the current condition that resulted from the covid19 pandemic affecting the entire economic state of the company. Some of these strategies include ensuring that the company returns to its initial profitability state before the emergence of covid19, sustainable measures to cope with such an economic crisis if it occurred again. Also, they would maintain their initial employees and enhance their skills and knowledge to cope with such an occurrence again in the future.
The World Health Organisation, the UN convention, the New Zealand Ministry of Health, and the Ministry of Education have policies, rules, and regulations. They have recommendations on what type of nutrients should be allowed for both adult and children consumption. They have ways in which the food industry should be run and measures that the industry should take to help fight the adverse effects of poor nutritional diets such as obesity and cancer (Kasture et al., 2019).
They advocate for the right to adequate food for all children. Deejays should consider all local and international requirements to generally help and consult with the ministry of health in fighting diseases and effects resulting from poor nutrition. In contrast, it helps the Ministry of Education in New Zealand to ensure that the students are in a good health state for quality education and good grades by school pupils and students across the country, which it can do so by serving and playing its roles in the schools where it provides meals to students.
To better analyse the industry in which Deejays operates, Porter’s five forces are used to analyse the industry where components of this framework were used to explore best: Threat of new entry – entering the food industry in New Zealand is not easy since a company must adhere to strict rules and regulations by several Ministries. The ministries include Health, the Ministry of education, and the national government mainly because the industry deals with sensitive products and services that could pose a risk to a vast population in both the short and long term.
Generally, a company has to be well experienced and have a task force that is well experienced in matters to deal with food industry relations (Kasture et al., 2019). The company should have a business operation plan that adheres to all requirements by the responsible authorities, which generally is not an easy job and could be very expensive. In general, starting a business in the food industry in New Zealand where one can supply food even to schools is a costly investment that discourages most investors;
Supplier power – Deejays would require a sustainable business operation strategy where the number of suppliers available can supply all the requirements for the company’s operation. These suppliers should be able to supply different raw materials needed and have the capacity to make necessary changes once the need arises; Threat of substitution – if Deejays does not consider implementing or adopting the modern technologies, there are high chances that it would be replaced by the start-ups and upcoming food companies who utilise modern technologies;
Buyer power – the company currently does not serve a large number of schools. However, with the change of business strategy and ensuring that it meets all the recommended strategies and policies by the Ministry of Health, Ministry of education, WHO, and the United Nations, the company will gain more trust from many individuals and communities across the country. Hence it will increase its buyers or schools to supply food contrary to which their competitive rivals will substitute it.
Competitive rivalry – currently, the company has better trust since it has been in operation for more than thirty years, giving it an advantage over its rivals since it is well-known and has the capacity and experience required to operate within the industry. It has gained the loyalty of its customers over the entire period, and it would not be easy for a start-up or a new business in the industry to substitute Deejays. The move could only happen once they violate all the recommended improvements, have poor management strategies, and generally violate their products’ quality and safety assurance.
To Evaluate Options for Deejays.
Based on findings, they evaluated the below 1,2,3,4 options through a weighted average process and system, which will be developed to scale options identified.
The options generated for Deejays were working on its organisational structure; adoption of new modern technologies in its operations. It would work closely with scientific research institutes to develop new strategies to cope with the condition created by the covid19 pandemic and follow the recommendations. The recommendations are by the World Health Organisation, Ministry of health, the UN convention, and the Ministry of education regarding foods, nutrients, operations, and any other factors impacting the food industry. A weight decision matrix was employed to weigh which options were more important or had a more significant impact.
OPTION 1.
By bringing in a leadership management team, General Manager of Sales and General Manager of Operations, Deejays will be changing the entire organisational structure. A move to generally renewing the whole system operations of the company, making it operate like a newly well-established company. The GM Sales and GM Operations will help make sure that the company has adopted new operational strategies to increase the company’s product and service offering while ensuring the quality of products and the effectiveness of the operations. Changing the organisational structure would have a more significant impact on the company. It would help renew it, increasing its revenues and the company profits while ensuring a healthier society.
OPTION 2.
Adopting new modern technologies is an essential option for Deejays since it will help ensure the effectiveness and efficiency of the company operations, increase the rate of outputs, and increase revenues. Installation of modern technologies would also help the company remain competitive in the food industry since even the start-ups would not compete fairly. However, installing these technologies requires significant capital and is expensive since it will involve adopting new changes, purchasing machinery and equipment, employing new workers, or starting training programs to teach the existing employees how to utilise these technologies. Installing new technology in the company is quite an expensive process that will need to be fully implemented. It will also take much time to train the workers to operate the new machinery or IT systems.
OPTION 3.
Developing new strategies that would help Deejays cope with and recover from the current economic crisis created by the covid19 pandemic is an effective way of making the company more effective. In twelve months, Deejays witnessed a decline in its profits due to the crisis caused by the pandemic. For the moment, the option available is for the company managers to devise strategies and ways to recover their initial profits before the pandemic hits NZ harder in the next lockdowns, which are no doubt imminent.
Taking the experience in the past one and a half years of the pandemic, it uses it to devise sustainable solutions until the company normalises and starts gaining its initial profits, then continues its growth process. These strategies are currently the best shot for the company since it currently operates at low profits and has not resumed its initial business and operations. Sustainable solutions will help increase the company’s profitability and efficiency since never again will such an incident generally impact the company’s economy in the future.
OPTION 4.
Working closely with scientific research institutes could help Deejays ensure the right amount and quality of nutrients in every meal, making its food products healthy and fit for guaranteeing a prosperous and healthy society. The institutes can keep recommending new foods and different amounts of nutrients to ensure quality foods for children and schools where the company supplies food.
OPTION 5.
Deejays has to adhere to the recommendations of the Ministry of Health, Ministry of education, WHO, and UN convention regarding the amounts and quality of foods that the company should generally serve school children and the broader community in general. This action would help ensure the quality of its products and their effectiveness regarding consumers’ health in general.
Using a weighted decision matrix, it is clear that the most key options that Deejays should first change its organisational structure and bring in a leadership management team who would help renew all the company’s operations.
A leadership management team would help the company in making decisions that will lead it towards its recovery. The team would also help the company create and adopt strategies to help cope with the current economic crisis created by the covid19 pandemic. Due to this crisis, the company’s profits have dropped for the past twelve months. After the company recovers, it considers other options depending on their priority and effectiveness.
Recommendations and Conclusions for Deejays
Recommendations were formulated based on findings, research, and collated data from objectives 1, 2,3,4,5.
Identification of four recommended options based on findings from PESTEL, 7s, and design a ranking system based on finance, Covid, marketing objectives while covering, ROI, Cost, Quality, Time implications for each recommendation option identified for each objective. The recommendations available at Deejays company were highlighted from the analysis and findings of this project. These recommendations are explained below:
4.1 Operations Management
The analysis of this project identified that the operations within the company had inherited the structured organisation poorly, and this led to difficulties in its operations. This basically impacted its smoothly run operations. For this to be effectively managed, the Deejays should change the structured organisation with immediate effect to ensure efficient operations. This is because there was no one to manage it with its size and diversified operations. This calls for the Deejays to adopt structural organisation for smooth operations at a business level. The structural organisation would entail a new leadership management team that would enable the managing director to use it in developing new operation strategies and tactics in the company. Deejays should require a leadership management team within the organisation structure to ensure the Managing Director uses these individuals to develop new operation strategies in the company that helps in producing healthier and quality foods options for schools across their operation base and incur increased profit rates, unlike before the renewal.
4.2 Competition
The analysis of the report project had identified that there were increased rates of competition that originated from the newly started companies incorporating modern technology in their operations. This had translated to decreased operational costs that gave them a competitive power. It is challenging for the Deejays to adapt to modern technology as it is challenging and costly. There have been competitions on the inadequate resources available hence poor-quality products and food. The company should adopt modern technology systems that will enable it to produce effective foods and products that fall within the recommended nutritional value by the Ministry of Health, Ministry of Education, and WHO. This recommendation would help in guaranteeing the healthy state of students consuming its foods. Modern technologies will help in cutting down the operation costs of the company while at the same time maintaining the quality of foods. This will be intended to advance the organisation to another level and beat the existing competitive environment.
4.3 Pandemics & Natural Disasters
Deejays has previously been impacted by the Covid-19 outbreak. This is a natural disaster that has led to many companies encounter decreased income from their operations. Covid 19 is the main contributor to the decreased profits by the company last year whereby all schools had been shut down, and as a result, the company did not supply its food to school almost for a whole year. The impact is depicted on the revenues and profits of the company. The current operations of Deejays are facing strains mainly due to the covid19 pandemic, which caused the company’s profits to be on the decline for the past twelve months. Deejays should develop a new sustainable business operation strategy that will consider all the constraints caused by the pandemic to revive the company, ensuring it gets to its initial profit margin before the covid-19 crisis.
4.4 Effective Analysis Frameworks and Models
Deejays have been using frameworks/models such as SWOT, PESTEL, McKinsey 7s analysis to boost its interventions and operations. They were pretty utilised in analysing the macro factors impacting the organisation. For instance, PESTEL could analyse factors such as political, environmental, social, technological, environmental, legal factors affecting the Deejays operation. This framework helped in identifying how these could create opportunities for Deejays while also identifying current and future risks. To ensure the continued success of the business, the frameworks utilised by Deejays company should have a proper implementation plan and address the key issues directly. The PESTEL, McKinsey, and SWOT analysis should be fully utilised to determine the future areas of strengths and weaknesses, boosting the company output and loyalty to its customer and employee satisfaction. These can be considered as explorational options that will help Deejays thrive in the competitive environment.
4.5 Communication Strategies
Another significant weakness identified from the analysis and findings is that the communication plans and strategies had not been well structured. Stakeholders to the company need to be more proactive as this mitigates excellent coordination among them. Deejays should develop a communication plan and matrix to keep all involved: satisfied; engage closely; influence actively; monitor; keep informed. The company developed an implementation timeline (overview and detailed) to ensure recommendations within the specified project timeline.
4.6 Health Considerations
Based on the analysis and information provided in objective three, the company should adopt interventions from other organisations and automation technologies such as artificial intelligence, robotics, and many more to increase the efficiency and products of its operation. In undertaking all the changes in its operation, the company should ensure that all measures it takes are environmentally sensitive by considering the most effective and appropriate measures for the company, the community, and the schools they serve. This move means that the company should take environmentally-friendly measures that do not pose a risk to the company, the community, and the schools served by the company. Deejays should adopt all strategies recommended by the World Health Organization, the UN Convention, and New Zealand. It regards the quality and health of food offered to schools to ensure a healthy society full of healthy children and students. The company can adopt these measures to help the New Zealand government fight child hunger and malnutrition among the people in the country. It should try to adopt as many options as possible to make it effective and efficient for the industry. Based on evaluation and assessment of company strengths and weaknesses, it will withstand most of the challenges posed by the current business environment. Deejays was the appropriate company that qualified to execute the project and develop sustainable solutions to health risks due to children consuming unhealthy foods even in schools.
4.7 Current and Desirable Outcomes
Deejays is existing under undesirable and unsettling situations, which have forced it to decline in its operations. The current times have been impacted by natural disasters such as the Covid-19 pandemic. This has put the business at financial risk. The internal structure of the company has posed some difficulties in its progress. There is inadequate clarity on understanding the purpose, implications and importance of the TS and independence.
Misunderstandings are evidenced by the conflicting roles and services provided by the company. There is a need for the Deejays team to remain focused and avoid divided mindsets. All these challenges have brought in a new understanding of managing and running a business. However, the company is looking forward to desirable results and making things run smoothly as expected.
The company wants to be a resourced company with working operating systems to prove its purpose in the market and achieve its goals. It is also aiming to be a company of difference and satisfy the school community. This implies that it is focusing on being the best in New Zealand. The stakeholders involved, including suppliers, employees, consumers (schools), local and central government, and industry, will be capable of understanding it better for its provision of trusted foods and quality products. This will be followed by its ability to be financially stable to run its services and operations independently.
The company wants to be at the top list of recognisable service providers of food in schools and offer efficient sales and distribution of non-in-house businesses.
4.8 Future Exploration
As a final recommendation, this project report requires more time to explore and analyse further options. This will be beneficial at explaining the possible areas of development and advancement of the services offered by the organisation. There will be a need of finding out the critical internal factors that strengthen Deejays to be a threat to other growing companies in New Zealand.
Conclusion
The Deejays company is focusing on improving its services to the different schools and the neighbouring communities. The ministry of health and education, respectively, have been on the rise to ensure that children at schools and in the community get quality and sufficient food materials when needed. From the analysis, the company is encountering challenges from the external environment, and that can be addressed for enhanced development. Stakeholders have had several strategies raised to boost its ability to thrive in the competitive environment. The internal factors have also struck its strategic operations, making it devalue in service provision. The financial crisis and the outbreak of the pandemic have pulled the company down even though it is looking for mechanisms of thriving and settling on another level such as improved operating systems, i.e., IT and eligible management team.
As an organisation, it is looking forward to improving its services to the schools as a school program. Deejays is looking forward to addressing the health issues raised or encountered by several people, including children in schools, and provide quality products that satisfy the whole population. New Zealand will be in a better position to have quality education and improved health statuses if the food programs are fully implemented despite the current threats.
There has to be plans and strategies to adopt the new technologies that are being developed and ensuring the restrictions resulting from Covid-19 are adhered to in respect to the ideal vision and mission of the Deejays organisation. The findings indicate the probability of the company prospering greatly and avoiding the issues that might arise. The employed team needs to provide ways and facilitate new experiences to facilitate quality production of foods and products to the schools and community.
Deejays is feeding millions of children, teachers and the community at large. The ministry of education has been involved in educating our children. The increasing number of schools in New Zealand is leading the children and teachers to face enormous challenges as far as the food supply is concerned. The shortage of food leading to hunger in the NZ community has made the Deejays come up with strategic plans that can help deal with such a situation.
The report explains the future risks that the New Zealand community will face, especially the children. The health issues have been identified, and the majority of them are diagnosed with obesity, diabetes, cancers, dietetics, and other food intolerances due to the lack of education in food health and well-being. The types of food provided by the company are aiming to balance the health concerns of the community and address any other relevant health intolerances.
From the analysis made in this report, there are several organisations or food industries in NZ. The problem that has been identified is that they are not following the indicated health regularities because their main concern is on the profit side. For instance, they can provide unhealthy meals, snacks and high sugar food contents in these schools. This is a health risk that they are posing to our beloved children. Deejays has been noted to consider the health and well-being of individuals rather than making huge profits.
The Deejays Limited has a history of food supply for a couple of years and supplies its products to Northland, Waikato, and Auckland. Their continued supply is resulting from the good relations the company is creating across its stakeholders and consumers in general. The quality of food and products is enhanced as the management has employed local staff members who understand the adjacent communities well. This has strengthened the connection and loyalty of a large population. Not only supplying food and products, Deejays limited is focusing on educating students by providing a tasty menu while ensuring that all the necessary nutritional components are met. The company’s internal management strategies utilise frameworks such as PESTEL, SWOT, McKinsey 7s to boost its service provision and food production and supply.
The organisation has utilised models and menus over numerous years, acquiring experience and obligation to effectively convey the day-by-day dinners to those schools that partake in the school health program. Deejays draw in with its partners through up close and personal gatherings, studies, and spotlight gatherings to acquire data on what the local area anticipates from its activities, reacting and improving in like manner to the local area.
Deejays utilise this criticism and data to improve and upgrade the normal results of the schools and networks they serve. Deejays have guaranteed parts; for example, a sanitation control plan is set up mostly in light of the fact that the security and nature of the snacks are fundamental. During food making, powerful testing and quality confirmation reviews are done in various stages before the dinners are dispatched and conveyed to the school before understudies can burn through those. Deejays are submitted and proactive inside the maintainability drives, whereby waste management is normally a basic part of diminishing its carbon impression. They ensure that every one of their dinners is stuffed in a carbon-unbiased and ecologically compostable bundle.
The acquisition of community focus allows limitless creativity and scope for a renewed fresh market contestant to challenge and react to these featured issues. This securing is a nervy move for a developed organisation whose serious scene is expected to guarantee New Zealand’s better future state. Deejays revived and restored entry in New Zealand offers an alternate yet for functional decision. Right off the bat, the zeroing in on better food alternatives in schools and better-teaching kids. Also, understudies will, without a doubt, further develop the current well-being condition of the kids and understudies. Deejays is focused on maintainability, which is just one of numerous perspectives that will give a total purge to the cutthroat scene. The Deejays is glad for its solid confidence in the Good Food Equals a Focused Mind for schools.
There has been no more excellent opportunity to address the arrangements and accessibility of food in schools in NZ. With critical reports of the current well-being status of our local area and as conditions demolish each day, the time has come to act. Through Deejays and with the arrangement of suggestions coming about because of this task, the business, children, more extensive local area, and surprisingly the Ministry of Health and Ministry of Education government divisions will see critical enhancements and advantages in food norms, quality, and prosperity, which has a direct onstream impact on better learning and better networks.
While meaning to accomplish the task’s definitive objective, this undertaking suggests how the framework could be intended to accomplish better well-being and prosperity results through kids, understudies and stream onto home life and the more extensive local area. It does this by; guaranteeing upgrades in well-being results of more extensive networks; guarantee enhancements in well-being results of other populace gatherings; lessen boundaries to get to solid nutritious food choices, and accomplish impartial results for all pieces of the school populace. The company is looking forward to executing enormous strategies to rule over the current battle of economic downfall and consider restoring to its initial state.
Comprehensive Appendices
Appendix 1– Stakeholders Power Interest Grid
Case Studies
The project made sure it explored multiple avenues to gain factual, relevant data and insights to ensure a robust set of recommendations are presented. Ethics is an important consideration for this project. It highlights, analyses, criticises the health and food industries, and recommends a potential way forward for the New Zealand population’s fundamental and significant portion/sect.
The report adopted an evidence-based system that makes the best use of available resources for this project and strives for quality in the supply of food in schools through Deejays in all it does. This report includes using data effectively and ethically across the system, valuing the expertise of communities in service delivery, and welcoming innovation and fresh thinking through critical stakeholders identified. AUT ABP Research ethics guidelines will also be adhered to.
General Ethics
Ethics play a significant role in maintaining trust and integrity, even after this project is completed. Information gathered from casual discussions, coffee discussions, meetings with government ministries, and small comments may be susceptible to the organisation and stakeholders.
According to the Managing Director, Stefan Crookes, personal aspects such as financially sensitive information, Intellectual property, trademarks, and trade secrets are filtering. This gave the stakeholders involved in this project reassurances that confidential information to the project and Deejays Limited to improve and recommend the Deejays operation ultimately.
Timelines for this project went beyond the project in that information was collated and contained in the proposal. The final report remains confidential and will not be discussed with any other party within or outside the industry.
Access to Information
New Zealand is fortunate to have publicly and widely available data and information available online regarding the health status of New Zealanders, general health, educations system, statistics, and other relevant data sets. There were multiple meetings held within industry contacts. In some cases, government agencies (most likely via video conference due to locations), including the Ministry of Health, Ministry of Education was required, however mostly with Deejays. The industry is a rapidly and constantly changing environment. Therefore, there was a need to meet with Deejays and others to extract the right and most up-to-date valid data for this project. This need followed a materiality assessment to identify, prioritise and validate gathered information relevant to the project.
Technology
The industry is and continues to change rapidly; there have been concerns from many key figures in the industry highlighting digital technologies and the transformational role they could play in the health and food sectors. Some see these technologies as a natural business-as-usual progression for a sector that is clinically driven. Others are concerned about the disruption and the ethical and governance challenges that may result. While this poses a challenge for the fear from robotics, digital disruption, artificial intelligence, there is optimism. These factors provide a powerful combination to fuel precision in providing better and healthier solutions to raise the food and health industry bar.
While costs were the most significant barrier for stakeholders, the food and health sectors in NZ should invest in data collection, research, and analytics capabilities to better understand the needs, prioritise resources, measure benefits using clear data ethics frameworks.
Other Considerations
Deejays Limited looks to be a sustainable company by maximising the positive impacts on all stakeholder groups. This is all while minimising the negative impacts throughout the value chain. Innovative spirit, passion, and integrity in the supply of quality food in schools to further build their belief in Healthy Food = Healthy Minds for healthier communities.
GRI content index was used and followed in line with global standards sustainability reporting. This is an interrelated, modular structure representing best practices globally for reporting economic, environmental, and social impacts. Please refer to Appendix 8 and 9 enclosed.
The following were considered to capture different dimensions to make and support informed business decisions for this project:
Social
Be a safe place to work and promote zero harm working environment for employees and contractors.
Strive to be a recognised “Best place to work” employer and promote employee engagement.
Promote multi-cultural days to promote diversity and inclusion across ethnic groups, i.e., Chinese New Year (Chicken Fried Rice), Eid, Ramadan, Diwali, Matariki Festival (Hangi), Waitangi Day, and many others.
Value creation through main stakeholders, investors, industries, government, and customers.
Ethical
Choice improvement – giving consumers the right choices to support sustainability while educating them and praising them for the right choices when consuming products.
Drive positive impact on the community, not only positive financial growth.
Promote and empower company values by giving back to the community through this project.
As part of sustainability development, Deejays needs to consider No Poverty; Zero Hunger; Good Health and Well Being; Quality Education; Gender Equality; Reduced inequalities; Climate Action; Partnerships to achieve sustainability goals.
Matauranga Maori
Lead by example to positively influence others to add value to communities, employees, suppliers, and society.
Include Iwi and critical members in society who support and drive change to better develop the health and well-being of Maori and indigenous people of New Zealand, i.e., Ngati Whatua O Orakei. Internal perspectives and accurate reflections of health challenges within these sects across New Zealand will be captured through Māori cultural concepts, values, and practices, including Mana (honour), Manaakitanga (mutual respect and hospitality), Utu (maintenance and balance in society), and Tapu (sacred).
Through Maori-centred design thinking, Maori will ensure Whanau and Tangata’s needs are considered. Mautaranga Maori needs to be considered in business decision-making to ensure and promote Maori equity and health.
Internationalisation
Global demand for food has significantly increased with demand outstripping supply, threatening the future ability to meet demand on a regional basis. This presents an economic opportunity for Deejays to explore intercontinental opportunities to supply this Food in School concept to various channels globally.
Proactivity – monitor and respond to other market needs and address them before these surfaces.
Environment Contribution
There is a real opportunity to impact sustainability as a strategy by changing how the industry produces, distributes, consumes, and disposes of food and beverages to overcome environmental challenges we face and mitigate accordingly, i.e., Responsible consumption and production.
New products and innovations need to be environmentally friendly to support components such as climate change, water impact, reduce and recycle, i.e., compostable food packaging and strive for 90% of waste to be reused or recycled.
Sustainability
Organic revenue growth that can be achieved through increasing outputs will enhance sales. This ties in closely to winning Ministry of Education contracts to supply food into schools.
Use sustainable technology to reduce and streamline product costs.
Understand, embrace, and build an inclusive place to work and promote diversity and inclusion through leveraging the talent, ideas, and insights of Deejays employees. This will then set an example for others in the market and industry to follow while supporting a long-term sustainable business.
Support health and safety through sustainably sourced food ingredients and products.
People, environment, and community are essential focuses to ensure the sustainability of Deejays Limited.
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Diary of Activities
All meetings conducted were planned every week with Stefan Crooks. Activities took place before or following meetings on dates mentioned:
14 April 2021
During a conversation with MoE – Deejays follow the Vulnerable children’s act.
Who is Deejays?
PLAN
Prepare for your catchups (write down your main concerns or questions)
Listen and share (say if you are having problems)
Ask questions (the team is there to help)
Note down what you need to do next (how the team can help)
21 April 2021
Management if through a Top-down approach to ensure controls. Use upside-down triangle (Stefan’s real-life theory). For example, things at the bottom of the triangle are the foundation, and priority should be at the top.
What is the most worrying about the future of Deejays?
If Deejays were to announce the business is at risk of going belly up, would it have the same plans for today?
What are staff or Deejays terrified of?
Is Deejays holding on to something it needs to let go of?
28 April 2021
Food in schools is heightening sustainability and educating consumers and the broader community on the importance of sustainability.
We provide a carbon footprint certificate for each site which supports New Zealand’s sustainability, environmental, and carbon emissions mandates set by the government.
5 May 2021
Do not tell me what I know; tell me what I do not know.
Dragnet – walk with me/beside me – not in front or behind me
We have no limitations, but we must understand what they are.
Execution = Planning, Doing = Operations, Strategy = creation
If not now, then when?
12 May 2021
The market has changed and will continue to change. We must continue to adapt and be agile, therefore our competitive edge.
Start with a win and end with a win – the ultimate success formula which has repeatedly worked for Stefan.
What matters most in the life of Deejays?
What is Deejays doing about the things that matter most in its operations?
Why does Deejays matter?
19 May 2021
Manage by walking around – is the best way to realise the situation.
MOE – (Ministry of education) – meeting, challenged that meals and healthy food are all about the kids and not the adults. Adults intervene in what we are trying to achieve in providing healthy food options.
Has Deejays done anything lately that is worth remembering? i.e. celebrating a win/milestones together as a team.
What has Deejays given up on?
When did Deejays last push the boundaries of my comfort zone?
If I had to instil one piece of advice in a newborn baby, what advice would I give deejays if it were to be that baby?
26 May 2021
The Food in-school program is all about MOE guidelines and no one else!
Ministry of Education now wants to see Deejays fail and will continue to support as much as possible.
Deejays have to put in effort in adapting to stay relevant – meeting with MoE.
What does Deejays need to change about its culture?
How many of the Deejays team trust each other with their life?
Who has had the most significant impact on the life of Deejays and why?
2 June 2021
+5% – 3% Stefan’s theory of success (add +5% to sales and decrease costs by -3%). Sales will increase while costs decrease, equating to an increasingly more significant gap between sales and costs
Focus on profitable aspects of the operations
Remove distractions and non-profitable aspects of the business c
9 June 2021
How do we close the gaps in non-operating weeks between school terms, i.e., July, October, December, January, and February = follow the masses (where do kids go during the school holidays?).
What does Deejays want most in its life?
What is Deejays asking of me?
Which is worse for Deejays: failing or never trying?
If I try to fail and succeed, what have I done?
16 June 2021
What drives humans? Culture:
SOC = Sense of occasion = Purpose = warm fuzzies
BFS = Be food smart = Process = bulletproof
Mind Fuel = Systems = controls measures
Human capital = protects the business activity
Promotion can be an insult for a job well done
What is the one thing I would like others to remember about me at the end of the project?
Does it matter what others think about me during this project?
23 June 2021
Key questions always needing to be at the forefront of what we do:
What is your why (why are you doing it, why are you here, and your purpose?)
What are we doing?
Where are we going?
What should we be doing?
What do we know versus what we do not know?
30 June 2021
Keeping in mind as we go, we must not lose sight of our purpose:
Customer-first
Communication, communication, communication
Power of one – we are all on the same boat as a team and achieve a common goal together.
The stroke is an essential part of every rowing race. It determines who takes the lead and who falls behind.
To what degree will I impact or control the course of Deejays direction at the end of my project?
When all is said and done, what will I have said more than I have done?
7 July 2021
When buying a business – two factors that determine a good business:
Shares (past and historical data).
Activity (whatever you make it to be – future potential).
“If your persistent – you’ll get it / If your consistent you’ll keep it.”
14 July 2021
Do not get mistaken between management and corporate governance. “Helicopter and having a birds eye view of the operation is leading the business into the future by making the business bullet proof” whereas “Managing the day to day can bog you down in how the business should operate, causing the business to be misled into believing it is future proof”.
Am I using my time wisely?
Am I taking anything for granted?
21 July 2021
We strive to think outside the box and focus on three critical areas for our kids, parents, teachers, caregivers, and the broader community:
Sense of Occasion (Drives the Menu)
Be Food Smart (Drives the System)
Mindful (Drives the Process)
28 July 2021
Am I engaging a healthy perspective?
Am I putting enough effort into relationships I have developed throughout this project?
Am I letting matters that are out of my control stress me out?
Am I achieving the goals that I have set for myself?
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