CNCentral
Our flagship feature, CNCentral Menu Planning, was the first software platform certified by USDA for compliance with the HHKFA meal pattern.
An all-in-one software solution that provides a streamlined user experience, CNCentral Menu Planning software is connected to the largest industry-wide product GDSN® data base, Nourish to Flourish, forming the core module. This engine powers all other interoperable modules including Production Records, Forecasting, Purchasing & Inventory, Meal Counting & Claiming and Choosi Online Menus & Mobile Ordering.
Interoperability within all of CNCentral’s modules and customer facing products means eliminating redundancies. Additionally, menu plan and production record usage is automatically incorporated into inventory forecasts to better predict item availability to reduce shortages. This approach minimizes potential connectivity issues and other risks associated with multiple software products from different vendors.
Users can continuously monitor daily and weekly compliance in real-time as they build their menus instead of spending time on manual data entry tasks most other software applications require. The system allows users to analyze “complex menus” (e.g., food court style cafeterias and menus), accounting for multiple meal combinations to accurately assess meal pattern compliance that may be flagged during administrative reviews.
To learn more, reach out to inTEAM, today!
CNCentral Menu Planning Included Features
Additional features included at no additional cost within the Menu Planning module include:
Item Database
Users populate their unique local item database to make it easy to build recipes and menus. Setup is fast and easy and can be accomplished with uploads of vendor bid lists that include GTINs, the “common language ” used across the supply chain. More
Recipe Module
Recipes include ingredients, nutrition, allergens, CN crediting information, instructions, images, HACCP, etc. The Recipe and Menu Planning modules are connected, making adding recipes to a school’s menu plan a breeze. More than 500 recipes from USDA, National Dairy Council, and suppliers are pre-populated to provide new ideas to easily select, scale, and use. Go to CNCentral Recipes to search and use our recipes, FREE.
Forecasting
Automatically generate a usage forecast of items used on menus as a guide for how much to order from each vendor. This functionality is further enhanced by the optional Purchasing and Inventory module. The Magic Forecast uses an advanced algorithm to assess planned values with reported inventory and production records for spot-on ordering capabilities. See this powerful tool in action by contacting an inTEAM representative.
Production Records
Menu information flows directly from the Menu Planning module and pre-populates the corresponding production record data fields, connecting the menu planning and production record process into one simple procedure. Record time and temperature, labor hours, and notes quickly using a web browser or tablet. Cloud-based systems make data storage and retrieval an effortless task. More
Data Analytics
View key performance indicators (KPIs) on a dashboard, including total revenue by operating day, MPLH, and average daily participation trends based on eligibility and enrollment. All data is based on active menu plans, production records, and other data collected in various CNCentral modules. This enables proactive monitoring to improve program compliance, financial stability, and business productivity.
CN Central Menu Planning Optional Upgrades
These additional CNCentral modules and applications are available at an additional cost:
Purchasing & Inventory
CNCentral’s Purchasing & Inventory module is an optional add-on that is integrated with the Item Data and the N2F Database and will save your users time and effort while providing greater visibility and control over your inventory and purchasing processes. You can perform physical inventory counts, track orders from vendors, and manage transfers between sites.
Orders include the ability to easily estimate the required order quantities from projected menu usage via the “Magic Forecasting” functionality, saving your staff time and energy. Maintaining the accurate relationship between menu items and purchase units is only feasible with the standardized data from the N2F Database since that data is updated directly by the manufacturer. Move from documenting your inventory to managing it! More
Bid Management
The Bid Management module is an optional add-on makes it simple to create bid specifications for your new RFPs from items that you already have setup in your Item Database. Additionally, you can search the N2F Database and pre-define “Equivalent Items” to help meet procurement regulations, improve competition, and reduce your costs. Once you are complete, you can easily produce Excel or PDF reports containing specifications for all items to attached to each RFP.
On Line Menus
Online Menus is an optional add-on to the Menu Planning product. Online Menus are displayed within the Choosi mobile app and website can easily display a school’s daily menu items along with all the available nutrient and allergen information associated with those items. Once a district’s menu information is entered in CNCentral and copied out to a building and week, the menu information will automatically appear in Choosi. As these menus are updated, the menus will automatically be updated in Choosi, as well, so that parents and students are kept up to date with any changes. More
Mobile Ordering
Mobile Ordering in Choosi is an optional add-on to CNCentral that allows students to customize and pre-order grab & go meals from their school cafeteria. Menu planners can use Mobile Ordering to streamline a made-to-order sandwich or salad bar within their cafeteria and shorten wait times or deliver fully reimbursable grab & go meals for pickup anywhere on campus to increase participation. Students have a school-defined window during which they can place their order, and the order cut-off time can be configured independently for each building to optimize meal preparation operations. Grab & go meal options are configured in CNCentral Menu Planning, making it easy to ensure that each meal meets the meal pattern requirements as a standalone weekly menu or integrated with a school’s full lunch menu. Choosi orders are automatically recorded in CNCentral and after the order cut-off time, CNCentral provides all the necessary reports for cafeteria staff to prepare the grab & go meals, pre-printed labels to speed up meal identification by students during pickup, and automated production records to simplify record keeping. More