KENYA · GUIDE 0010 · EDITION 4.2
Courgette growing - Operations, capacity and quality
Deliver the agreed result consistently
Build the courgette offer around the cook's chosen dish and delivery rhythm, allowing picking decisions to follow that use rather than simply waiting for heavier fruit.
The operating sequence for this offer is:
- Ask the buyer to approve a courgette size sample and use that reference when checking which fruit is ready for picking.
- Keep picking rounds and labour against the plot record, separating oversized or scratched fruit before weighing the kitchen-grade harvest.
- Arrange shallow protective packing, record accepted weights at handover and compare missed picking losses with the labour needed for future rounds.
Put acceptance into the job record
The saleable grade should be agreed by size and visible condition, not just gross harvest weight.
Ask the cook to slice and prepare trial courgettes at different maturity stages, then identify the stage that gives acceptable texture and portion consistency.
Inspect at the point where a correction is still possible, then again at handover. Record rejected or incomplete output separately from accepted output. A completed task is not automatically an accepted task, and an invoice does not establish that the customer received the right result.
Measure real capacity
Time preparation, the main operation, transport, cleaning, approvals and correction as applicable. The slowest stage determines how much you can promise. Where two orders need the same person, space or equipment at the same time, resolve the conflict before confirming both deadlines. An additional enquiry should not erase a commitment already made.
| Operating checkpoint | Evidence for this business |
|---|---|
| Before starting | Build the courgette offer around the cook's chosen dish and delivery rhythm, allowing picking decisions to follow that use rather than simply waiting for heavier fruit. |
| During delivery | Keep picking rounds and labour against the plot record, separating oversized or scratched fruit before weighing the kitchen-grade harvest. |
| At acceptance | Ask the cook to slice and prepare trial courgettes at different maturity stages, then identify the stage that gives acceptable texture and portion consistency. |
| At the pilot review | Record each picking interval, fruit sizes, kitchen acceptance and alternative sales of oversized fruit, making the cost of a missed visit visible in the pilot. |
Keep a correction and escalation rule
When inputs, access, specifications or customer instructions change, pause the affected work and confirm the effect on time and cost. Do not quietly lower the acceptance standard to avoid a delayed delivery. Keep rework caused by your error distinct from a customer-requested change of scope and agree the remedy clearly.
Skipping a picking visit can create oversized stock that increases harvested kilograms while reducing the quantity the intended kitchen is willing to purchase that week.
Retain the minimum records needed to investigate a complaint without disclosing unrelated personal information. Use measured delivery and actual acceptance as the basis for expanding capacity, rather than the maximum theoretical output of a tool or production line.