January 24th 2023, Release Notes: RME | Menu Cycles: 'Remove' Items From Published Menu Cycles, Report Refinements – Fourth & HotSchedules Customer Success Portal

Summary

Select the release feature from the table below to be taken directly to that section of the release note.

Feature 1

Feature 2

Feature 3

Remove Recipes and Menus from Published Menu Cycles

Central users with the required permission can add recipes and menus to published menu cycles.

Report Refinements

Consumer-Facing Report
Location Gap Check Report
Menu Cycle Calendar Report

New 'History' Report

'Added / Removed Items Report for Central User

Release date for all features: January 24th 2023

Remove Recipes and Menus From Published Menu Cycles

Enabled by Default? - No
Set up by customer Admin? - Yes
Enable via Support ticket? - No
Affects configuration or data? - No
Roles Affected: - Central users who are responsible for updating local menu cycles and Local users who are interested in updates of added and removed items

What's Changing?

This functionality will allow the removal of recipes and menus from published menu cycles without the need to unpublish, copy and republish the menu cycle when an update is required. Added and Removed Items will be indicated in the Local menu cycle 'Updates' list.

Reason for the Change

Increases efficiency: saves time for Central users by simplifying the update process; saves additional 'planning data' entry time for Local users.

Customers Affected

Optional. Available to all organisations using the Menu Cycles app.

Release Note Info/Steps

Configuration

Central users require Update MC permission to be enabled within one of their RME (Recipe and Menu Engineering) user groups to have access to the new functionality. Once this permission is enabled, the Central user can access the Add Items' and Remove Items tabs.

Note: The Update MC tab has been replaced by the two tabs Add Items and Remove Items.

Note: After Mass Update is selected, the user is navigated to the History tab, where the history of added and removed items is displayed (read-only).

Fig.1 - Mass Update new tabs: History, Add Items, Remove Items

Path

Log in as a Central user
Select a published menu cycle
Check the menu cycle dates to ensure it is still active for the locations requiring an update (i.e., that the 'end date' for the location(s) is not in the past)
Select Mass Update

When the screen refreshes, the History tab will be displayed.

Select Remove Items and use the Search bar to find the required recipes or menus to be removed

Note: When the 'remove' instruction is transmitted to local menu cycles, the items selected for removal will be removed from all local menu cycles at all locations that have previously received the central menu cycle in which the 'remove' workflow has been executed.

Select recipes and/or menus for removal by using the tickbox on the left-hand side of the item name

When an item is selected, the row will turn light blue.

Please note: Removing a recipe will not remove it from any menus to which that recipe belongs. Only the 'stand-alone' recipe will be removed. To help identify where the recipe is used within menus, select the usage expand arrow in the search results. Menus in which the recipe is used will then be displayed.

To deselect an item, untick the box (left-hand side)
To deselect all items, use the Discard button at the bottom right corner
When all items for the 'remove' operation are selected, select Review from the bottom right corner (or use the Review now button near the top)

Fig.2 - The row of the item(s) selected for removal will turn blue.

On the Review screen (Fig.3), make sure that the selected items for removal are correct and then transmit the remove instruction to the local menu cycle by selecting Publish

Fig.3 - Select Publish button on the Review screen to transmit the 'remove' instruction to all locations

A final confirmation to Proceed is then required (Fig.4)

The confirmation message reminds Central users that Local user save actions could be interrupted by the remove operation (this is most relevant when there are many items to be removed) so care should be taken regarding timing.

Caution_before_proceeding_with_remove_operation_to_remind_central_user_of_local_impact.png
Fig.4 - Final confirmation is required to send the 'remove' instruction to locations

Recipes and menus created in the RME application are used to populate meal periods within the menu cycles app. If it is required that a recipe be removed from a menu, the menu in RME should be updated by removing the required recipe.

Coming soon: When a menu is updated, added or removed in RME, the update will be transmitted to local menu cycles.

Add Items / Remove Items tabs

The Add Items / Remove Items tabs are active when the menu cycle is in a 'Published' state. They will not be active when the menu cycle is 'new' (not yet published), 'unpublished', 'archived' or 'locked'. If a Central user does not have permission to 'Update MC', the Add Items / Remove Items pages will not function for them.

Searching

Searching matches on recipe names, menu names and recipe categories. Search results will be ordered alphabetically by name with recipes listed first, then menus. Search results will include only those recipes and menus that were part of the original published menu cycle or that were added to the menu cycle as part of the 'Add Items' workflow.

History tab

The History tab is always visible and enabled for the Central user. If the 'Add Items' or 'Remove Items' functions have not been used, the tab will be empty. Results are ordered by the most recent update date and then alphabetically by name. Recipes will be displayed first, then menus.

Local 'Updates' List

'Added' and 'Removed' item statuses are visible in the local 'Updates' list - see Fig.5.

Fig.5 - Added and Removed item statuses

Additional Resources

September 29th 2022, RME | Menu Cycles: Add Recipes and Menus to Published Menu Cycles, Copy Past Date Meal Periods, Report Refinements