Applying Forecasting to a Menu
When you schedule a menu, one of the steps is to apply a forecast method, which calculates the serving numbers for each menu item to be prepared by production staff. The forecasted serving numbers are reflected in forecasting worksheets and production reports. The forecast method you apply to your menu depends on your dining scenario; for more information see What Forecasting Method Do I Use?
If a forecast method was not applied to the menu, or you need to change the forecasting method, complete 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.
From the Forecast By field, the following options are available:-
Percentage (available if menu has choices) - the percentage forecast method is applied to the menu, which 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.
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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 periods/snack times.
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Total Needed (available if menu has no choices) - the total needed forecast method is applied to the menu. 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.
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Census - the census forecast method is applied to the menu. 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.
Note: The percentage forecasting method includes items from all choices on a menu; whereas census forecasting only includes choice 2 items if they are personal menus (due to choice 1 item being DNS due to allergen or being manually marked as DNS). Therefore, if a production report is not displaying choice 2 items, then it means you applied the census forecast method to the menu rather than the percentages forecast method.
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Do Not Forecast - forecasting is not applied to the menu. Scenarios in which you would not forecast a menu include the following:
- If your menu is only serving residents/patients with the non-select service type, then it is not necessary to forecast the menu because production numbers from residents/patients with the non-select service type are automatically summed and included in production reports. Note that if forecasting is applied to a menu that serves residents/patients with the non-select service type, then the system just ignores them (i.e., they will not be included in the forecasting numbers).
- An Also Available (AA) menu that is used to offer its items as fallback substitutes when the personal menu item selection logic excludes an item for a resident/patient (as opposed to the AA menu being used as an addition to the standard menu). 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, which 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.
- Click the Save button to close the pop-up and return to the menu.
Forecasting an Also Available (AA) Menu or Not?
If Using the AA Menu to Offer Items as Fallback Substitutes: Do Not Forecast
If you are using your AA menu to offer its items as fallback substitutes (i.e., item is offered to a resident/patient when the menu item selection logic excludes an item from the regular menu and there is no personal substitute), then you will set the AA menu to not forecast (see Setting a Menu to Not Forecast).
By not forecasting the AA menu, its non-ordered items will not be included in the forecasting worksheets and the production reports.
If Using the AA Menu as an Addition to the Standard Menu: Forecast
A common scenario in which you can forecast an AA menu is as follows:
- It is a non-ordering environment in which the general population is being served, such as a cafeteria or catering setting
- Production staff just need to know the total amounts to produce; therefore the Total Needed forecasting method is applied to the standard menu,*
- To accompany the standard menu, you could have an AA menu that offers some items as a backup, or items that can be prepared easily. The Total Needed forecasting method would be applied to the AA menu.
*The Total Needed forecasting method can only be applied to a menu that is non-extended (i.e., does not support therapeutic substitute recipes) and has no choices.