An Expert’s Take on Modern Workforce Management with Frank Pereira of Coleman Consulting

In the modern world, most companies are looking to evolve and optimize the world of work, and there are many drivers motivating significant changes. Cost savings, capacity, employee retention, and efficiency are all things that companies are striving to achieve.

On today's Food & Beverage Podcast, we were joined by Frank Pereira, managing partner at Coleman Consulting Group. Coleman delivers workforce management solutions with shift schedule design and other tactics to benefit companies and their employees.

Pereira, a Naval Academy grad, Gulf War vet, and UC-Berkley MBA alum, shares how he became part of the company. "After getting my MBA, I did all the 'right' things to land a job. I had been a nuclear engineer in the Navy and had a business background with my MBA, so I wanted to find a consulting role. I had a lot of rejection, but I answered an ad in the newspaper, got the interview, and have now been with the company 25 years," he said.

In those 25 years, he has had the opportunity to work with clients in a variety of industries from dining to manufacturing. No matter the industry, these businesses want to improve their workforce management. "For us, it's all about the data. It tells the story, and we follow it. Most internal managers have a hard time understanding the mechanics behind managing resources. So that's where we step in," Pereira said.

On the podcast, Pereira talked about working with restaurants and how a change in perspective can help them realize opportunities. "In a traditional restaurant setting, we start out looking at the data and business drivers.

Then we talk to the people about what they want and need. Then we implement solutions," Pereira said. "For example, with shift schedules, many times it makes more sense to have employees work longer shifts and fewer days. We help them figure out how to do this."

Pereira offers his thoughts on the future of work, specifically in the Food & Beverage industry, and why the "status quo" is really just another phrase for "stagnation."