My experience: Technology changed my work in food service

Authored by Joshua Krakowka

I have worked in retail as a department manager for more than 15 years. In 2005, I worked as a DM for Loblaw's, and 15 years later I was a DM for Askew's Foods.

When I started working for Loblaw's, many jobs were done on paper and by phone. Schedules, prep lists, and inventory counts were written down, and orders to suppliers were made by phone. Workers in the generation before me did their whole careers that way.

At Askew's, the same work was done with technology. Schedules, budgets, inventory, and ordering were done on computers, and cell phones were used for almost every administrative task. My college work is the same — I search, write, and hand in my work online.

Technology made the work faster and cut down on paper, but I had to keep learning new systems to keep up.