Building a strategic forecasting system for hospital foodservice operations.

Forecasting, which involves the manipulation of operational data, is a critical task in foodservice management. We propose a strategic forecasting system for foodservice management, which may be expedited by using decision support systems. The most notable potential for improved forecast performance and decision flexibility may rest with increasing forecasting information. This article provides a framework for building a strategic forecasting system that can help managers select and use appropriate forecasting models for foodservice operations.