- Overview
- Applying Different Forecasting (or no Forecasting) to Specific Meal Periods/Snack Times
- Applying Forecasting to a Menu
- Video Tutorial (1:27)
- See Also
Overview
You can configure separate sets of default forecasting percentages for a specific meal period (breakfast, lunch, dinner) or snack time (snack am, snack pm, snack hs).
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You can configure the census forecast method for a specific meal period (breakfast, lunch, dinner) or snack time (snack am, snack pm, snack hs).
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You can configure a specific meal period (breakfast, lunch, dinner) or snack time (snack am, snack pm, snack hs) to not be forecast.
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Configuring Different Forecasting (or no Forecasting) for Specific Meal Periods/Snack Times
To configure different forecasting (or no forecasting) for specific meal periods/snack times, complete the first steps as follows:
- Select Production > Forecasting. The Forecasting screen appears.
- Click the Forecasting Settings button at the top right. The Production & Forecasting Settings screen appears. Note: Another means to access forecast settings is Tools & Setup > Manage Facility > Forecasting Settings tab.
- Click the Forecast Method button. The Forecast method section appears.
- From the Forecast Method field, select Set Method By Meal. The Set Method By Meal section appears.
- Assuming the forecasting is set up to include the advance ordering census, then you can configure different forecasting (or no forecasting) for specific meal periods by each service type census: table select and advance ordering. To do so, select the Set Method by Service Type button, and the Table Select and Advanced Ordering tabs appear.
Note: If forecasting is not set up to include the advance ordering census, then the Set Method by Service Type button is not available; only the table select census is used.
- Assuming your MealSuite account has more than one menu service location (MSL), then you can configure different forecasting (or no forecasting) for specific meal periods/snack times by each MSL. To do so, select the Set Method by Menu Service Location button, and tabs appear for each MSL.
Note that a menu service location (MSL) identifies one or more dining areas in your facility in which a menu of a specific type is used. When different forecasting (or no forecasting) for specific meal periods/snack times by each MSL is applied, then that forecasting comes into effect when the associated menu of the meal period/snack time is assigned to the MSL.
- To configure percentage forecasting to a meal period or snack time, select the Percentage option and then click the adjacent gear icon. The screen refreshes accordingly. Proceed to step 10.
- To configure census forecasting to a meal period or snack time, select the Census option
- To not apply forecasting to a meal period or snack time, select the Do Not Forecast option.
- If percentage forecasting was configured for a meal period or snack time, then the next steps are to enter the default percentages, which can be done by entering a percentage for each choice that applies across all menu categories or by entering percentages for each choice of each menu category. Refer to the appropriate section below.
For Percentages Forecasting: Entering Percentages for Each Choice
When entering percentages for each choice, the percentages are applied across all menu categories in the menu.
- Select the Choice button
- In each Choice [X] field, enter the percentage you anticipate your residents/patients will choose. For example, if you anticipate that 75% of your patients/residents would select choice 1, then enter 75 in Choice 1, and enter the remaining percentage (25%) in the remaining Choice [X] fields.
Note: You can enter percentage numbers that equal more than 100%, so as to “pad” or “buffer” your serving numbers accordingly.
- If you have more than two choices on a menu, then click the Add Choice link to add additional choice percentage fields (choice 3, choice 4, and choice 5) and enter the percentages in each.
- Click the Save button to apply your changes. Note: If you want to remove a choice 3, 4 or 5 percentage field, then clear the percentage from the field (i.e., keep it blank), click Save, and then refresh the screen.
For Percentages Forecasting: Entering Percentages for Each Choice of Each Menu Category
When forecasting by choice percentages for each menu category, you must enter separate percentages for each choice of each menu category. For example, an entrée is typically portioned out with 75% of people choosing choice 1 and 25% people choosing choice 2. However with dessert, assume choice 1 is a slice of cake and choice 2 is a bowl of fruit; therefore (as an example) you enter 90% for choice 1 and 10% for choice 2 because a higher percentage will choose the slice of cake.
Tip! Entering choice percentages for a menu category is also a means to generate no items on the forecasting worksheet and productions reports; this is accomplished by entering 0 for the choice percentage fields for the category. For example, condiments is a category that you may not want serving amounts to be generated for; therefore you would enter 0 in the choice percentage fields for the condiments category.
- Select the Menu Categories button.
- In each Choice [X] field for each menu category, enter the percentage you anticipate your residents/patients will choose.
Note: You can enter percentage numbers that equal more than 100%, so as to “pad” or “buffer” your serving numbers accordingly.
- Click the Save button to apply your changes.
Applying Forecasting to a Menu
After the forecasting is configured, you must apply it to the menu. To do so, see Applying Forecasting to a Menu.