Yo he preguntado a Claude.

ai a generar un reporte “sintético” ejemplar basado

en la guía para el primer parcial. Eso es lo que generó. Si bien no está perfecto,
está muy bien alineado con lo que yo esperaría de parte de ustedes. Por
supuesto, yo no he revisado las fuentes, algo que se tendría que hacer.
Además,

Problem Validation Report: Food Waste in Independent Restaurants

Executive Summary
Through extensive market research and customer interviews, this report
validates the critical problem of food waste management in independent
restaurants (10-30 seats). Our investigation reveals that small restaurant
owners struggle to predict ingredient needs accurately, resulting in significant
financial losses and operational stress. Initial assumptions about time-intensive
inventory management being the core issue evolved into understanding that
spoilage prediction and waste management represent the most pressing
challenges, with 82% of interviewed owners reporting it as a "severe" or "very
severe" problem.
1. Problem Evolution Portfolio
A. Initial Problem Statement
Original Problem Hypothesis
"Independent restaurant owners (10-30 seats) struggle with inventory
management because manual tracking methods are time-consuming and error-
prone, leading to waste and stockouts."
Initial Assumptions:
 Time spent on inventory was the primary pain point
 Digital solutions were too expensive for small restaurants
 Owners wanted automated tracking systems
Initial Market Context
 45,000 independent restaurants in Spain with 10-30 seats (Spanish
Restaurant Association, 2023)
 68% using manual inventory methods (Industry Survey 2023)
 Average food waste cost: €12,000/year per restaurant (EU Food Waste
Report 2023)
Initial Research Foundation
Secondary Research:
  Restaurant Industry Report 2023: "40% of food waste occurs due to poor
inventory management"
 Environmental Impact Study: "Small restaurants account for 23% of
commercial food waste"
 Social Media Analysis: Examined 200+ posts in restaurant owner forums
discussing inventory challenges
B. Problem Discovery Journey
Interview Insights Progression
Interview #1 - March 3
Profile: Owner, 20-seat Mediterranean restaurant, 5 years experience
Initial Understanding: Time-consuming inventory was main issue
Key Insights:
- Spends only 45 minutes on inventory daily
- Lost €1,200 last month on spoiled ingredients
- "I can handle the time, but I can't predict demand accurately"
Evolution: Shifted focus from time management to demand prediction
Interview #3 - March 5
Profile: Owner-chef, 15-seat fusion restaurant, 3 years experience
Key Insights:
- Complex menu requires 45+ ingredients
- Spoilage highest with specialty ingredients
- "I reduce menu options to manage waste, but it hurts creativity"
Evolution: Identified menu complexity as key factor in waste
Interview #7 - March 12
Profile: Owner, 25-seat traditional restaurant, 12 years experience
Key Insights:
- Developed manual system for basics but struggles with seasonal items
- Wastes 15-20% of specialty ingredients
- "Experience helps with regular items, but special events kill us"
Evolution: Understanding seasonal/event impact on waste
2. Problem Validation Evidence
A. Interview Documentation
Pattern Analysis (10 interviews)
Problem Frequency:
 Daily waste issues: 9/10 respondents
 Weekly significant loss: 7/10 respondents
 Monthly inventory write-offs: 10/10 respondents
Severity Rankings:
1. Very Severe (5/5): 4 respondents
2. Severe (4/5): 5 respondents
3. Moderate (3/5): 1 respondent
Key Quotes:
"I'm throwing away at least €200 in ingredients every week, but I can't narrow
my menu or I'll lose customers." - Owner, 28-seat restaurant
"The worst is special events. I over-order because running out is catastrophic,
but then I'm stuck with excess." - Chef-owner, 15-seat restaurant
"Experience helps, but seasonal changes wreck our predictions every time." -
Manager, 22-seat restaurant
B. Problem Analysis
Impact Categories
1. Financial Impact
 Average reported waste: €800-1,200/month
 Special event excess: €200-400/event
 Seasonal transition losses: €500-700/transition
2. Operational Impact
 Menu limitations to manage waste
 Reduced creativity in specials
 Conservative ordering affecting availability
3. Emotional Impact
 Stress over waste costs (9/10 respondents)
 Frustration with prediction difficulty (8/10)
 Anxiety about special events (7/10)
3. Final Problem Validation
A. Validated Problem Statement
"Independent restaurant owners (10-30 seats) struggle to predict ingredient
needs accurately because:
1. Customer demand varies significantly (cited by 90%)
2. Complex menus require many ingredients (cited by 80%)
3. Special events and seasonal changes disrupt patterns (cited by 70%)"
Evidence of Problem Significance:
 Financial: Average €12,000 annual loss
 Operational: 73% limit menu options to manage waste
 Environmental: 20-30% of purchased ingredients wasted
B. Validation Process Reflection
Key Learnings
1. Initial hypothesis about time management was incorrect
2. Problem has multiple interconnected components:
o Demand prediction

o Menu complexity

o Seasonal variation

3. Current solutions fail because they:

o Don't account for restaurant size

o Ignore seasonal patterns

o Miss special event impacts

Further Validation Needs

1. Quantify impact of menu complexity on waste
2. Investigate seasonal pattern variations
3. Analyze special event management strategies
Appendices