Food-Service-Manual-for-Health-Care-Institutions

Food Service Manual for Health Care Institutions
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Processing
Processing involves the actions or treatments required to convert data into useful information.
Processing usually involves sorting and classifying data into categories, performing calculations,
summarizing results, and storing both data and information for further processing. In the
accounts payable example described above, data manipulation involves determining the dollar
value of all purchases made from individual vendors, as documented by invoices, to determine
what is owed each vendor.
Data may be further coded by classifying each purchase by type of commodity (such as
produce, meat, dairy product, chemicals, or paper supplies). This allows the system not only to
produce checks for vendors but also to generate information that allows the food service director
to monitor the dollar value of different categories of purchases.
Data-processing functions are similar for all the various units of a food service operation—
such as marketing, purchasing, inventory control, and meal service. According to Stair, all processing
elements have a number of characteristics in common, including:
• A large volume of input data
• A large volume of output
• Numerous users affected by the system
• A need for efficient processing
• Large-volume storage requirements
• Fast input and output capabilities
• Low computational complexity
• A high degree of repetition in processing
• A high potential for problems related to security
• A severe adverse effect on the organization if the processing element breaks down or
fails to operate correctly
Each of these characteristics must be considered when developing the MIS and particularly
when designing the system’s processing element.
Output
In an MIS, output involves producing information, usually in the form of report documents,
that is appropriately relevant for the food service operation and its decision makers. Other outputs
may include vendor checks, reports of purchases by food category, and analyses of patient
food costs for the administration’s use. The MIS can produce reports required by local, state,
or federal agencies—for example, sales tax reports for cafeteria operations. Three broad report
categories are described briefly below.
Types of Reports
The reports output by an MIS can be classified as scheduled, demand, or exception reports.
Scheduled reports are produced periodically based on a set schedule (daily, weekly, or
monthly). For example, the food service manager might receive a weekly report of sales for
each revenue-producing food unit in the health care operation. Or, an inventory report might
be produced on a monthly basis so that the value of each category of food inventory can be
monitored.
Demand reports, on the other hand, are developed and produced to provide specific information
requested by a manager. In other words, these reports are not generated on a routine
basis. Thus, a manager who needed to know total sales for a specific menu item during the year
would rely on the information generated by a demand report.
Exception reports are produced when a situation occurs outside the limits set by management
and require manager action. For example, an exception report could be generated