1. Electronic Production records
Electronic production records can:
Save Time
Require Less Writing
Reduce Data Entry
Are Easier to Read
Encourage Advanced
Simple, production records reflect your plan for the day’s menu; your intention to meet the daily meal pattern requirements for breakfast and lunch.
You should be able to look at your productions records for the week, and see that you have also met the weekly meal pattern requirements. For example, did you remember to plan at least ½ cup of beans over the course of the week?
They are a fantastic planning tool for you, besides they are required.
Production records need to include all information necessary to support the claiming of reimbursable meals.
How many meals were served? To which grades? How many adults were served? What is your planned serving size? What components are included in your planned meal? Which meal is it (breakfast or lunch)? What day did you serve the meal?
For notes about changes to meals such as substitutions, make sure you reflect those clearly on your production records daily. Changes happen. We need you to describe the meal using the production records, electronic or otherwise.
Planning
Electronic Production records

2. To start, we need to talk about data management
To start, we need to talk about data management. How are we going to maintain these files in a way we can remember?
We need a way that makes sense.
If you are going to save documents to your computer, we need to think through how we’re going to do that clearly. We need to be able to find what we’re looking for when we need it.
For ease, I’m going to show you how to create a folder on your Desktop. I’m making two! One for breakfast and one for lunch.
Data Management

3. On your desktop screen, right click
On your desktop screen, right click. You will see the following dialogue box.
Click New.

4. A side list will open. Click Folder.

5. A new folder will appear. It is named New Folder.
You can start typing right away to name that folder. If you need it to be highlighted blue, double click on the file name.

6. Name one Breakfast and go through the same process with the other to name it Lunch.
This is where we will store our Breakfast production records and our Lunch production records.

7. If you so choose, you could put both of these in a parent file named Production Records. See here.

8. If you double click on the production records folder it opens as such.
Inside the parent folder, you can see I have a folder for both breakfast and lunch.

9. To find a blank template production record.
Look in MAPS computer system for a blank production record template.
The production record will download and open as such.

10. In order to work in this document and make changes, you need to Enable Editing.

11. When you Enable Editing the form will allow you to type and edit as you wish.
To make this form bigger on your screen click on the box in the upper right corner.

12. We need to save this form before doing anything else
We need to save this form before doing anything else. Saving often preserves your work. It is VITAL to the success of electronic production records.
As we save the blank template we will rename it to read: “Breakfast Blank Template” and “Lunch Blank Template” in the lunch folder.
These templates are what we will build off of, like I said, they are our foundation.
Saving

13. Click File.

14. Click Save As.

15. Click Desktop.

16. Scroll to find the Production Record folder we created originally.
Double click on the Production Record folder.

17. This is the folder we created before.
We know what folder it’s in by looking up at the top.
Click Save.

18. Vegetable Subgroups: Salad Bar Other: Condiments Milk: Nonfat Plain
Milk: Nonfat Flavored
Grain: Granola Bar
Planned Serving Sizes
Fruit: Canned/Fresh
Vegetable Subgroups: Salad Bar
Other: Condiments
Milk: Nonfat Plain
Milk: 1% Plain
What are some things you always serve in school meals for both breakfast and lunch?
These are things we need to add to our blank template production record. We want them to be pre-populated when we open our blank production records.
One thing we’ll need to consider is what is served for breakfast and lunch.
Do you serve salad bar at breakfast?
Do you serve granola bars at lunch?
Be sure you are pre-populating the correct template.
The things that work for both meal services save to the blank template.
Things that apply to breakfast, save to a blank breakfast template.
Things that apply to lunch, save to a blank lunch template.
ITEMS TO PRE-POPULATE

19. Options Partially electronic and partially handwritten
All electronic (files saved on the computer)
All electronic with records printed daily with notes and changes documented by hand saved in binders
There is no right or wrong way to keep electronic production records. I’m going to show you a few ways to consider.
Some of these will look different than others. Find a system that works best for you.
Partially electronic and partially handwritten
All electronic (files saved on the computer)
All electronic with records printed daily with notes and changes documented by hand saved in binders

20. Notice on this handwritten production record, the milk is already typed in at the bottom.
The more you can prepopulate on the blank template record (things you always do) the more time you will save.
You don’t have to jump all the way into electronic production records. This is a good middle ground to start with.

21. This record is mostly electronic with some handwritten notes on the side for clarification and reminders for the Food Service Director and Staff.

22. Medicine Lake School Advice:
I bring my production report up for that meal, and make the changes for that day. As I take temps, I go to the computer and fill it in. After the meal I put in my numbers and print it off and file it.
This production record is completely electronic. See the Food Service Director’s advice, here.
I bring my production report up for that meal, and make the changes for that day. As I take temps, I go to the computer and fill it in. After the meal I put in my numbers and print it off and file it.

23. Forecasting
Forecasting, or future thinking, when doing electronic production records is necessary.
If you create a bank of electronic production records in advance, this work is partially done for you – and it’s very beneficial!
Think of some of the most common meals you serve for breakfast and lunch. These are the records we are going to want to create and bank for use in the future.
Help me make a list. (go to ACTIVITY slide)

24. This is a sample salad bar production record from a school
This is a sample salad bar production record from a school. Typed up in advance, but amounts used are written in daily.

25. Another option would be as follows
Another option would be as follows. You would have recipe #10 Salad Bar on file staff or yourself could refer to.
Please note the serving sizes are prepopulated under Planned Serving Size. This is an option you could include on your blank production record template or an area you could handwrite in, daily.

26. Use standardized recipes
Remember!
Use cycle menus
Use standardized recipes
Remember our data management plan?
If you create all your records in advance (you created your bank of records already) as a new month approaches, when you are setting your menu, print all records needed.
Handwrite in dates, food temperatures, changes, meal counts, food used, etc.
This production record is now a living document in your kitchen!
Remember, save electronic versions of the production record on the computer. You can also choose to print them out and keep them in binders. If you are worried about losing them electronically (on your computer), you can back them up onto a disk or USB.
You must keep production records for 3 + current year. 4 years total.
With cycle menus, your most common menu items will become clear. Note daily menus that work well consistently. If it isn’t broken, don’t fix it!
Standardized recipes improve consistency of meals.
Electronic production records decrease paperwork and increases efficiency.
It takes work on the front end but will be worth it in the end.