Planning of a Formal Training Program on a Menu Management System Designed for Food Service Employees

This study is focused on the planning process involved with developing a training program on a particular menu management program utilized in food service environments. The study aims to incorporate individual user’s direct experience and feedback utilizing the menu management system, FoodPro®, to help guide decision making on what to include in future training efforts. Through the framework of Cervero and Wilson’s program planning theory, employees within Virginia Tech Dining Services were asked to participate in focus groups using a qualitative research method. Final participants for this study included 13 Virginia Tech Dining Services employees who have access to and use the department’s menu management system, FoodPro. After focus groups were conducted, transcripts were reviewed and analyzed for themes. From the data, four themes emerged. The themes were user experience and interface, training and knowledge sharing, communication and responsibilities and importance and culture. Cervero and Wilson’s program planning theory helped understand the social, ethical and political aspects of designing a training focused on FoodPro within Virginia Tech Dining Services employees. This study can help guide future research focused directly on developing training on other menu management systems.