Logic of How a Food Item is Included in a Production Report
Prior to explaining how to set up your MealSuite account with multiple kitchens, it merits an understanding of how a food item is included in a production report. To start, first note the following conditions:
- A food item (recipes, prepared foods) is assigned to one or more menus.
- A menu of a single type (e.g., standard) is assigned to at least one menu service location (MSL).
- A food item is assigned to only a single production area (e.g., "hot" production area).
With the above conditions noted, then in the base settings of production reports you would select the MSLs and the production areas to determine the items to be printed in the report:
- The MSLs selected in the Menu Service Locations field determine the items that can be printed in a report, which is based on the orders from the people "connected" to the MSL via their assigned dining area (see diagram below).
- The production areas selected in the Production Areas field function as a filter to determine if the items will print in a report. In other words, if an item's assigned production area is not selected, then that item will not print in a report.
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Multiple Kitchen Configuration
When a facility has multiple kitchens, then the means to configure your MealSuite account is as follows:
- Create MSL Specific to Each Kitchen
- Create Single "Universal" Production Area of Each Specific Type
- Diagram of How it All Fits Together
Create MSL Specific to Each Kitchen
Create a menu service location (MSL) specific to each kitchen (i.e., name each MSL by the kitchen it represents).
Note in a facility where a kitchen is associated with more than one MSL in order to serve multiple menus of the same type (e.g., standard), then it is recommended to name the MSL using a combination of the kitchen name and the MSL name.
Create Single "Universal" Production Area of Each Specific Type
Create a single "universal" production area of each specific type (e.g., "hot" production area and "cold" production area) and assign appropriate items to each.
Having a single universal production area of a specific type negates the filtering capability of a production area when selecting it in the base settings of the production reports, and ensures the food item is included in a production report regardless of what kitchen (i.e., MSL) is producing it. See the following articles for more information:
Note: If one kitchen uses a more granular structure of its production areas over another kitchen (e.g., Kitchen A uses just a "cold" production area; whereas Kitchen B breaks its cold production into a "salad" production area, a "sandwiches" production area, and a "desserts" production area), then create production areas in your account to match the more granular kitchen.