- About the Cost Summary Report (Menus)
- Selecting Menu and its Settings to Determine Items to be in the Report
- Report Settings: Cost Summary Report
- Report Header Information
- Report Calculations
- What Does the Asterisk Mean Beside a Cost in the Report?
- FAQs
About the Cost Summary Report (Menus)
The cost summary report generates a cost summary of each choice on the menu selected in the menu report settings.
The report generates a column for each meal period (Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner), with a row for each weekday (1), a weekly average row (2), and a total average row (3).
Selecting Menu and its Settings to Determine Items to be in the Report
Via Menus > Reports, select the menu and its associated settings (weeks, choices, diet/texture combinations, menu categories) to determine the items to be included in the report. See the separate article Accessing the Menu Report Settings for more information and specific instructions.
Report Settings: Cost Summary Report
After selecting the menu and its settings, then from the left side of the screen select the Cost Summary Report option (under the Cost Analysis expandable section). The Cost Summary section appears for you to select the report settings.
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Format - select if the report is to be generated in letter size (8.5 x 11) or an Excel® document.
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Analysis Type:
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True Cost - for each meal period/day combination, generates the cost for each choice (the sum of all item costs in a choice) selected in the menu report settings, along with weekly averages of each choice, and the total average of each choice for the menu cycle.
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Average Between Choices - for each meal period/day combination, generates the average cost of all choices selected in the menu report settings, along with weekly averages of all choices, and the total average of all choices for the menu cycle.
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Choice Range - for each meal period/day combination, generates a cost range from the lowest cost choice to the highest cost choice of the choices selected in the menu report settings, along with the average range for each week, and the total average range for the menu cycle.
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True Cost - for each meal period/day combination, generates the cost for each choice (the sum of all item costs in a choice) selected in the menu report settings, along with weekly averages of each choice, and the total average of each choice for the menu cycle.
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Print As - if you are corporate account with child accounts (including DC review unit accounts), then you can include the cost summaries from those accounts in your report by selecting the accounts from the Print As drop-down.
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Print Multiple Account As - this setting is available if you selected more than on MealSuite account in the Print As drop-down. It provides two options: Range and Individually.
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Range - the report generates a range of the lowest cost to the highest cost extracted from all the selected MealSuite accounts. The range functionality for each analysis type is as follows:
- Analysis Type: True Cost - range consists of the lowest true cost choice to the highest true cost choice from all the selected MealSuite accounts.
- Analysis Type: Average Between Choices - range consists of the lowest average cost choice to the highest average cost choice from all selected MealSuite accounts.
- Analysis Type: Choice Range - range consists of the lowest cost choice to the highest cost choice from all the selected MealSuite accounts.
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Individually - individual reports are generated per MealSuite account.
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Range - the report generates a range of the lowest cost to the highest cost extracted from all the selected MealSuite accounts. The range functionality for each analysis type is as follows:
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Include Snack Menu (option available if the selected menu is a standard menu and is scheduled, and if a snack menu is scheduled for same menu service location of the selected menu) - select the Include Snack Menu option to include the cost summaries of the choices on the snack menu items. If so, snack columns are generated in the report, as per screenshot below.
- Include Also Available (option available if the selected menu is a standard menu and is scheduled, and if an also available (AA) menu is scheduled for same menu service location of the selected menu) - select the Include Also Available option to include the AA menu items in the calculations of the report.
Report Header Information
The header at the top of the report includes the following:
- Analysis type (true cost, average between choices, choice range) of the report.
- Menu name. If snack menu is selected to be included, then header also includes the snack menu name.
- Choices selected in the menu report settings.
- Number of categories selected for each meal period (breakfast, lunch, dinner) selected in the menu report settings. This means if some categories are excluded, then a fraction displays beside the associated meal period to indicate the number of menu categories selected. If all categories are selected for a meal period, then “(All)” is stated for that meal period. See screenshot below for example.
- The diet and texture combinations selected in the menu report settings.
Report Calculations
Weekly Average for Meal Period
The weekly average for a meal period (breakfast, lunch, dinner) is the sum of a meal period in the week divided by the number days in the week (i.e., seven). For example, the weekly average for breakfast is as follows:
- Monday $1.00
- Tuesday $1.75
- Wednesday $1.00
- Thursday $2.00
- Friday $1.00
- Saturday $1.85
- Sunday $2.00
- = $10.60
Divide the total ($10.60) by days per week (7) = weekly average ($1.51).
Total Average for Meal Period
The total average for a meal period (breakfast, lunch, dinner) is sum of the weekly averages divided by the number of weeks. For example, the total average for breakfast is as follows:
- Week 1 average is $1.51
- Week 2 average is $3.45
- = $4.96
Divide the total ($4.96) by the number of weeks (2) = total average ($2.48).
What Does the Asterisk Mean Beside a Cost in the Report?
If an asterisk is displayed beside a cost, it indicates at least one of the recipes in the choice is based on an estimated cost and not the actual cost (see About Recipe Costs > Actual Cost vs Estimated Cost for more information).
FAQs
I don't see the Include Snack Menu option to include snack items in my cost summary report?
The Include Snack Menu option will be available if the selected menu is a standard menu and is scheduled, and if a snack menu is scheduled for the same menu service location of the selected menu.
I don't see the Include Also Available option to include also available items in my cost summary report?
The Include Also Available option will be available if the selected menu is a standard menu and is scheduled, and if an also available (AA) menu is scheduled for the same menu service location of the selected menu.