Equipment Training

Rollover Hotdogs planned to introduce new bain-marie and heating equipment to enhance product quality and service. This upgrade necessitated retraining on the new equipment.

The cooking procedure shifted from a heated roller system to steaming hotdogs in a bain-marie. Consequently, the training had to cover changes in handling and cooking hotdogs, as well as cleaning and maintaining the new equipment. The bain-marie system posed additional risks, requiring employees to be cautious of hot steam and boiling water to prevent injuries.

Additionally, the hotdog preparation and packaging process changed. Instead of assembling hotdogs in their buns at the point of sale, they would now be pre-assembled, kept in sealed foil bags, and stored in a heated cabinet until sold. This heated cabinet was also a new piece of equipment that needed to be included in the training.

Given Rollover’s strong brand reputation, it was crucial that these changes did not compromise food quality or hygiene standards. The primary goal was to improve quality, hygiene, and speed of service.

Rollover Hotdogs is a food supplier that sells its products to leisure businesses such as cinemas, football stadiums, and other national leisure locations. They do not directly employ the staff who operate their equipment, cook, or serve their products. 

Since Rollover Hotdogs has no visibility into who these third parties employ, conducting a training needs analysis to identify skill gaps was practically impossible. However, it was known that these businesses were successfully cooking and selling Rollover hotdogs using the current heated roller system.

Given this situation, the training needs analysis focused on identifying the key differences between the old and new practices. The training aimed to address these differences while reinforcing the brand and emphasising the importance of food safety.

Given the complexity of rolling out the new equipment to multiple businesses and locations nationwide, the ideal solution needed to be concise and easy for each business to use and distribute to their employees while effectively communicating key messages. The two obvious options were a job aid/Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) or a training video.

The best method for training was determined to be a training video because:

• It is flexible and low-cost to distribute via email or USB.

• Businesses can share it on their internal social channels, intranet, or Learning Management System (LMS).

• The playful nature of the Rollover brand can be depicted in the video, appealing to a wide range of demographics and learning needs.

Following the training needs analysis, it was clear that to keep the instructional videos short and cover the necessary topics, three videos were needed: Preparing Hotdogs, Assembling Hotdogs, and Cleaning Down.

The usual storyboarding and scripting were completed before identifying a suitable location for filming. During the editing process, it was crucial to ensure that the Rollover branding, with its playful nature, was evident in each of the three videos.

Each video came together relatively easily, but after a review cycle, it was decided that the original idea of having a job aid would be an ideal accompaniment to the videos. A physical printed job aid would provide employees with a quick reference tool that could be used at the sales point, where it would be impractical to stop and rewatch the training video.

Both solutions would complement each other, ensuring effective training and adherence to the new procedures.

The transition from the old equipment and procedures to the new ones went very well. The training videos were distributed to all relevant businesses and received positively by the staff.

Feedback from the businesses indicated that the videos were engaging and easy to understand. Employees appreciated the clear instructions and the playful, branded approach, which made the learning process enjoyable. 

I am confident that these videos significantly improved employees’ knowledge about hotdog preparation and positively impacted the end customers’ experience. The improved training ensured that employees were well-prepared to handle the new equipment safely and efficiently, maintaining high standards of food quality and hygiene.

The example images above are taken from just one of the three videos. They demonstrate how a light-hearted, branded video can grab attention while effectively showing employees how to operate new equipment safely, ahead of an in-person installation and demonstration. This approach not only reinforced the training but also helped in building a consistent brand image across all locations.

Moreover, the addition of a physical printed job aid provided a quick reference tool for employees. The combination of videos and job aids ensured that employees had access to the information they needed, whenever they needed it.

Overall, the training initiative was a success, leading to a smooth transition to the new equipment and procedures.

• Camtasia

• Audacity