Dan DaranciangAs hungry, hurried students enter Subway, the slow-moving, long lines often shoot down the possibility of enjoying a sandwich without a significant wait.
“Waiting in line at Subway is like a shot in the dark,” said sophomore Tony Lett. “I’ve been late to many classes because I mistakenly thought I could make it in time.”
When he transferred from the University of Florida last fall, Alex Sigal immediately realized that Subway’s system could stand to be improved.
“When I came to Wash. U., after visiting the on campus Subway, I noticed the line was somewhat sluggish,” said Sigal. “The university from which I transferred was pushing about 44,000 students and has half the size of Subway [at Wash. U.]. The number here in terms of students is smaller.”
Suspecting that others might agree with him that something needed to be done to improve an inefficient system, Sigal has instigated an efficiency study project he hopes will shorten Subway’s lines.
Researchers have been observing the lines and workers at Subway throughout the semester. After analyzing the data, they will propose improvements for Subway to implement.
Sigal’s first step was contacting Kathleen and David Moses, the brother and sister Subway consulting team at the University of Florida. When he asked them to take part in a project he hoped would increase the efficiency of the Subway here, both answered with a resounding “yes,” adding that they truly have a passion for getting sandwiches wrapped quickly and productively.
“David is manager and Kathleen has won numerous awards from competitions held by Subway to time your speed as being the quickest sandwich wrapper,” said Sigal.
With the Florida team’s agreement to participate in the project under his belt, Sigal then contacted the franchise owner of the Subway on campus, Loren Grossman.
“[Grossman] heard what I had to say and the services we could offer him,” said Sigal. “He agreed to bring Kathleen and David to campus to consult for Subway.”
Sigal then contacted Sergio Chayet, professor of Operations and Manufacturing Management at the University’s Olin School of Business. Chayet readily agreed to assist with the project.
“One of the topics we cover in class is Queuing Theory, which is the mathematical study of waiting lines of people or production parts,” said Chayet. “Everyone brings in the example of Subway and how long the lines are, saying something needs to be done.”
Chayet assisted Sigal in developing the appropriate method of research and provided information on how to best analyze and collect data.
“He spent several hours with me and essentially gave me a quick introduction to the operations management class in a short meeting we had on campus one day,” said Sigal. “He provided a tremendous amount of help.”
Earlier this semester, the Moses’ team arrived on campus for a one-week stay. After analyzing the way Subway operated, the team held a meeting with all its employees. Employees have been cooperative and understand that changes are necessary in order to create a more efficient process, said Sigal.
“[The Florida team] trained the [employees] with the unique methodology used by the number one Subway in the nation,” said Sigal. “They looked at all aspects of Subway and served as true consultants.”
The team’s main strategy is the trial and error process. Both Chayet and Sigal expressed the importance of analyzing each and every aspect of Subway’s service.
“The team switched various things in the Subway around including the way food is served, back room preparation and even things as simple as seating arrangements,” said Sigal.
Subway customers may have noticed a video camera in the corner of the restaurant filming the line. Chayet suggested using a camera to collect and analyze data more accurately. The video camera, however, has been viewed negatively by some.
“Some students have complained privacy was being violated by having cameras in Subway,” said Chayet. “The camera’s purpose is to help measure key queuing parameters before and after implementing different changes to Subway’s processes.”
As a result, flyers have been posted in Subway informing customers about the presence of the camera in the restaurant.
Currently, the data collected from the study is still being analyzed and evaluated. According to Sigal, however, the strategies implemented so far have been successful. In addition, the project is slowly hitting the national market, providing similar consulting services to Subways nationwide.
“I’ve heard from several people that have eaten at Subways outside of St. Louis that Subway is slow getting their food out to them,” said Sigal. “I believe that Subways nationwide, regardless of their method of preparation, should be able to get customers in and out as quickly as possible. A ‘fast-food’ restaurant should be just that – a grab, eat and go experience.”
Sigal and the rest of the team are excited about the progress of the project as well as the possibilities beyond the University’s campus.
“This concept, through its unique methodology, has the potential to revolutionize the way Subway restaurants serve their customers,” said Sigal. “My plan creates a more efficient, optimized service line that will provide customers with a more enjoyable experience.”