Kitchen

The Chicken Tracking System (CTS) is designed to account for each case of chicken from the time the product is received by the Restaurant through the thawing process.  This will provide for proper rotation of chicken (FIFO), as well as provide a method by which inventory mishandling would be identified.

• Set-up:  Create one sheet for each type of chicken (Filets, Grilled Filets, Nuggets, Grilled Nuggets, Strips, Breakfast Filets and Spicy Breakfast Filets).  Additionally, you will need a supply of blank Day Dots (to transfer numbers to trays and pans in thawing cabinets), pens, and a clipboard (for easy completion of the CTS).

• Product Receipt:  When the product is received, note the date the product was received.  Do this in one row per case of chicken received.  Number each case received as they are stored in the freezer.  Rotate cases in order of the number given when they were received.  The employee receiving the chicken should initial each row corresponding to the number of cases received.

• Rotation - Thawing Cabinet:  When product is rotated to the Thawing Cabinet, the employee rotating chicken should note the date and initial the box for the corresponding case number.

• Rotation - Breading Table:  When the product is rotated to the Breading Table, the employee should note the number of bags moved to the breading table under the day of the week the bags were moved.  When the entire case is moved to the breading table, the employee should write the total number of bags moved, e.g. "6", in the column labeled "Total # of bags". 

• Verification:  Inventory on hand should be compared with the record on this sheet daily to identify proper rotation or inventory mishandling.  For any case numbers that have been received but have nothing entered in Thaw Cabinet, these cases should still be in the Freezer.  All cases showing dates and initials in Thaw Cabinet but not in Breading Table should still be in the Thawing Cabinet.  Cases showing that they have been moved out of the Thaw Cabinet should be in the Breading Table or should be in use.

For easy and consistent use:  Assign one or two key people with the responsibility of receiving and rotating chicken.  These employees can then be properly trained on the system and held accountable for its completion and correctness.