Skip to main content

Menu Service Locations (MSL's)

Kevin U
  • Updated

About Menu Service Locations (MSL's)

A menu is associated with a dining area, including a residence area enabled as a dining area for in-room service, via a menu service location (MSL). A menu service location can be thought of as the “connecting piece”: a menu is assigned to the menu service location and the dining area is assigned to the menu service location. 

people_profile_dining_area_MSL_menu2.png

When a person is assigned to a dining area, the menus available to that person are via the MSL that the dining area is assigned to. 

An MSL can support a menu of each menu type (i.e., standard, snack, special event, also available), but cannot support more than one menu of the same type (e.g., cannot support more than one standard menu, cannot support more than one snack menu). 

By using more than one MSL you have the flexibility of scheduling multiple menus of the same type at the same time. For example, a facility can have a standard menu served in its long-term care dining area (via “menu service location 1”), and another standard menu served in its residence dining area (via “menu service location 2”).

MSL1.png
MSL1_2.png

A menu can also be assigned to more than one MSL.

MSL_two_assignments.png

If your account is set up with multiple MSL's, then on the Menus Listing screen you can filter the menus onscreen by their MSL via the Service Locations filter.

service_locations.png

Seeing the MSL a Menu is Assigned To

To see the MSL a menu is assigned to, open the Menus Listing screen (Menus & Recipes > Menu Listing). If the menu is scheduled, then its MSL is listed in the Service Location column. 

service_location.png

Assigning Menu to an MSL

To assign a menu to a menu service location (MSL), complete the following steps:

  1. On the Menus Listing screen, locate the menu you want to schedule. 
     
  2. Click the cog wheel in the Action column and select Edit Start Date (first screenshot below). The Edit Menu slide-out panel appears with the Start Date & Forecasting tab automatically selected (second screenshot below). 

    edit_start_date.pngstart_date_forecasting.png

    Note: Another means to open the Edit Menu slide-out panel is to open the menu to the week-at-a-glance (WaaG) view and click the Settings button. Once opened, click the Start Date & Forecasting tab. 
     
  3. In the Menu Service Locations field, select the desired menu service location. More than one menu service location can be selected if needed.
     
  4. Click the Save button to apply your changes. 

Seeing the MSL a Dining Area is Assigned To

To see the menu service location (MSL) a dining area is assigned to, including a residence area enabled as a dining area for in-room service, complete the following steps:

  1. From the left navigation sidebar, select Tools & Setup > Facility Builder. The Facility Builder screen appears.
  2. Select the Dining Areas tab. The Dining Areas screen appears. The menu service location that a dining area is assigned to is displayed in the Menu Service Location column.

    dining_area_MSL.png

Note: A residence area that is enabled as a dining area (to allow for in-room service for residents) appears with the bed icon (icon_residence_area.png) in the Type column. 

residence_area_as_dining_area.png

Changing the MSL of a Dining Area

To change the menu service location (MSL) of a dining area, including a residence area enabled as a dining area for in-room service, complete the following steps:

  1. From the left navigation sidebar, select Tools & Setup > Facility Builder. The Facility Builder screen appears.
     
  2. Select the Dining Areas tab. The existing dining areas are listed.
     
  3. For the dining area to edit, click its name link in the Dining Area column. The slide-out panel specific to the dining area appears, with the General Settings tab opened by default (screenshot below).
     
  4. From the Menu Service Location field, select the menu service location of the dining area. 

    dining_area_MSL_change.png
     
  5. Click Save to apply the changes. 

Creating a New Menu Service Location (MSL)

By default your account consists of one menu service location (MSL) named “Default”. To rename the menu service location or create new menu service locations, complete the following steps:

  1. From the left navigation sidebar, select Tools & Setup > Manage Facility. The Manage Facility screen appears.
     
  2. Click the Menu Service Location tab.
     
  3. The system utilizes a “Default” menu service location. To rename this default menu service location, enter the new name in the existing field.
     
  4. To add other menu service locations, click the add button and a new field appears for you to enter the menu service location name. Repeat as needed. The system automatically saves your entries.
     
  5. With a menu service location created, it is available to be assigned to menus and dining areas. To do so, see the following articles:

Note: The Menu Service Location screen contains the control shown in screenshot below regarding your priority of determining which menu items to serve for people with a non-select service type:

priority_setting_MSL.png

For more information on this control, see Item Selection Logic for Non-Select Service Type.

FAQs

Can an MSL be Deleted?

A menu service location can be deleted if no dining area is assigned to it and if no menu is assigned to it. If an MSL can be deleted, it appears with the delete icon (remove_icon.png). Click the delete icon to remove the MSL.. 

MSL_delete.png

Can an MSL be created in the Touch Admin software?

No. A menu service location is created in the Core system software (as pre above steps) and not the Touch Admin software. 

How is a MSL represented in the Touch Admin software?

A menu service location is not represented in the Touch Admin software. Instead, the dining areas (including residence areas enabled as a dining area for in-room service), that in turn are associated with MSL's, are represented in the Touch Admin software as "meal delivery areas". 

Meal delivery areas in Touch Admin can be accessed via Ordering Settings > Meal Delivery Area Configuration. 

meal_delivery_area_configuration.png