When you schedule a menu, you can assign it a forecast method, which determines the serving numbers to be generated for each menu item in the forecasting worksheets and production reports. If a menu is already scheduled, then you can assign it a forecast method via the following steps:
- On the Menus Listing screen, locate the menu you want to schedule.
- 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).
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 Edit Menu Properties button. Once opened, click the Start Date & Forecasting tab.
- From the Forecast By field, select the forecast method to apply to the menu. The options are as follows:
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Percentage (available if menu has choices) - the Percentage Forecast method is applied to the menu, meaning the servings number for each menu item in production will be automatically generated by the percentage assigned to the item.
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Other: Honor Forecasting Settings (available if menu has choices) - the Set Method by Meal Forecast method is applied to the menu, which honours the different forecasting (or no forecasting) applied to individual meal period/snack times.
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Total Needed (available if menu has no choices and is non-extended (i.e., does not support therapeutic substitute recipes) ) - the Total Needed Forecast method is applied to the menu. The Total Needed forecast method 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.
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Census - the Census Forecast method is applied to the menu, meaning the serving number for each menu item in production will be equal to the diet order census in your account. The Census Forecasting method is commonly used if your account does not have resident profiles in the system, such as would be the case with an adult daycare. Alternatively, the Census Forecasting method may be used when there are people in the system, but their assigned service types are non-select, so that the system can automatically calculate the forecasting.
Note: The Percentage Forecasting method includes items from all choices on a menu; whereas the Census Forecasting method only includes non-choice 1 items if a resident/patient's assigned diet order warrants it via the item selection logic. Therefore, if a production report is not displaying choice 2 items, then it means you applied the Census Forecasting method to the menu rather than the Percentages Forecasting method.
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Do Not Forecast - forecasting is not applied to the menu.
Note: If you are not using an AA menu as an addition to the standard menu, but rather using the AA menu to offer its items as fallback substitutes when the menu item selection logic excludes an item for a resident/patient, you will want set the AA menu to Do Not Forecast. By not forecasting the AA menu, you ensure that its non-ordered items do not appear on the forecasting worksheet and the production reports.
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Percentage (available if menu has choices) - the Percentage Forecast method is applied to the menu, meaning the servings number for each menu item in production will be automatically generated by the percentage assigned to the item.
- Click the Save button to close the pop-up and return to the menu.