About Forecasting

About Forecasting
What Forecasting Method Do I Use?

In the MealSuite system, a forecasting method can be applied to a menu to generate the serving numbers required by your production staff. The MealSuite system offers three forecasting methods that can be applied to a menu depending on how your clientele is served.

Percentages forecasting - Percentages forecasting uses a calculation to generate the number of servings to be produced per menu item. Percentages forecasting is for accounts with resident profiles with the table select service type (i.e., restaurant service environment) because its calculations take the guess work out of predicting how many items your diners will order when they sit down. In the system, percentages forecasting is applied to a menu with choices, which is commonly used in table select environments.
Total needed forecasting - Total needed forecasting is used in a cafeteria or catering environment where you are serving the general population, and therefore production staff just need to know the total amount of servings to produce. In the system, the total needed forecasting method can only be applied to a menu that has no choices, which is commonly used in a cafeteria or catering environment.
Census forecasting - Census forecasting generates serving amounts of each menu item equal to the diet order census in your account. In the system, census forecasting can be applied to either a choice menu or a no-choice menu.
- Typically, census forecasting is applied to a no-choice menu in an account without resident/patient profiles, and instead uses a dining area with a manual census, such as would be the case with an adult daycare, or a cafeteria type setting in which the general population is being served, such as for staff meals or non-resident clientele.
- However, census forecasting can also be applied to a choice menu in an account with resident/patient profiles. If so, the census forecasting includes choice 1 items, and will include a choice 2 item if a resident/patient's choice 1 item is precluded due to an allergen or item manually marked as DNS.

A forecast method automatically generates the baseline number of servings needed, which then can be manually adjusted if needed to increase or decrease the serving amounts.

To apply forecasting to a menu see Applying Forecasting to a Menu.

What Forecasting Method Do I Use?

To gain a better understanding of how forecast methods can be used, below are some dining scenarios with the matching forecasting method to apply to the menu.

Scenario	Forecasting Method to Use
Facility has residents with the table select service type and the menu is a choice menu.	Percentages forecasting, which allows percentages to be applied to each choice. If needing the percentages forecasting to be different for meal periods, then use the Set Method by Meal option to apply the percentages forecasting.
A small facility using Culinary Pro/Culinary Prime for their cafeteria. There are no resident/patient profiles in the account. The menu is a no-choice menu but does have multiple options.	Total needed forecasting, which allows the facility to enter exact amounts needed for categories or items, regardless of the number of people.
A facility with a no-choice menu and no resident/patient profiles in their account, but rather a dining area set up with a manual census, such as an adult daycare, or a cafeteria type setting in which the general population is being served, such as for staff meals or non-resident clientele.	Census forecasting, as this generates serving amounts of each menu item equal to the diet order census in your account, which in turn is determined by the dining area set up with a manual census.
A memory care facility with residents who are unable to make their own selections, and as such are on the non-select service type.	Forecasting is not needed for residents/patients with the non-select service type because production numbers are automatically summed and included in production reports. However, you can apply the census forecasting method to the menu (either a no-choice or choice menu) if needed. If the percentages forecasting is applied to the menu (i.e., a choice menu), then any residents/patients with the non-select service type are ignored (i.e., not included in forecasting calculations).
A facility with a choice menu, and resident/patients are only offered a choice 2 if a choice 1 item is DNS on their personal menu (due to an allergen or being manually marked as DNS).	Although typically the census forecasting method is used for a dining area with a manual census (such as an adult daycare), it can be applied to a choice menu in an account with resident/patient profiles. If so, the census forecasting includes choice 1 items, and will include a choice 2 item if a resident/patient's choice 1 item is precluded due to an allergen or item manually marked as DNS.