SINGAPORE — In an attempt to help food companies transition towards more sustainable growth led by a leaner workforce and improved productivity, the Government will proactively help them adopt new digital initiatives across operations, be it in order taking, automated dishwashing or new dining formats, Minister for Trade and Industry (Trade) Lim Hng Kiang said.

These initiatives are part of the second Food Services Productivity Plan announced by Mr Lim at the Food Services Productivity Conference today (Oct 30). 

“The food services sector plays a vital role in Singapore’s economy as it meets a basic domestic need and supports the vibrancy of the tourism industry. The Government recognises the difficulties that food companies face in remaining competitive,” Mr Lim said.

The first plan was launched in 2011 as part of a nationwide plan to raise productivity. To date, Mr Lim noted, about 3,700 food establishments have received support on 940 productivity improvement and service upgrading projects, including in automation, workflow redesign and product innovation.

The second plan will focus on improving operational processes and promoting manpower-lean dining formats such as ready-to-eat meals, vending machines and grab-and-go.

At the front of the house, Mr Lim highlighted, digital service solutions such as mobile apps, kiosks and tablet ordering will facilitate self-service and reduce the manpower needed to take orders and payments. 

At the back of the house, automation and centralised dishwashing will be impactful in driving productivity growth.

“Beyond improving operational efficiency, it is also important for us to look at new, innovative dining formats. This is the third key initiative of the plan. In addition to providing more choices for the consumer, companies that adopt these formats also stand to increase their profit margins,” he added.

Mr Lim also suggested that companies consider new dining formats such as food vending machines and grab-and-go kiosks to work around the manpower, space and table-turn constraints faced by traditional full-service F&B outlets.

The nationwide SkillsFuture effort, Mr Lim noted, will play an active role in equipping the local workforce with the skills to take on emerging job functions and support the sector’s transformation.