A model for statistical forecasting of menu item demand

Abstract

Foodservice planning necessarily begins with a forecast of demand. Menu item demand forecasts are needed to make food item production decisions, work force and facility acquisition plans, and resource allocation and scheduling decisions. As these forecasts become more accurate, the tasks of adjusting original plans are minimized. Forecasting menu item demand need no longer be the tedious and inaccurate chore which is so prevalent in hospital food management systems today. In most instances, data may be easily collected as a by-product of existing activities to support accurate statistical time series predictions. Forecasts of meal tray count, based on a rather sophisticated model, multiplied by average menu item preference percentages can provide accurate predictions of demand. Once the forecasting models for tray count have been developed, simple worksheets can be prepared to facilitate manual generation of the forecasts on a continuing basis. These forecasts can then be recorded on a worksheet that reflects average patient preference percentages (of tray count), so that the product of the percentages with the tray count prediction produces menu item predictions on the same worksheet. As the patient preference percentages stabilize, data collection can be reduced to the daily recording of tray count and one-step-ahead forecase errors for each meal with a periodic gathering of patient preference percentages to update and/or verify the existing date. The author is more thoroughly investigating the cost/benefit relationship of such a system through the analysis of new empirical data. It is clear that the system offers potential for reducing costs at the diet category or total tray count levels. It is felt that these benefits transfer down to the meal item level as well as offer ways of generating more accurate predictions, with perhaps only minor (if any) labor time increments. Research in progress will delineate expected savings more explicitly. The approach requires statistical and computer expertise primarily during the development of the tray count model and patient preference percentage table. The results of this effort can be transferred to a form that is easily utilized by food management personnel manually to generate menu item demand forecasts.