Client Success Story - University of Missouri-Columbia

The University of Missouri-Columbia (MU) implemented the Menu Management System® from CBORD® in 1988. The school was looking for an efficient, profitable way to analyze costs, reduce inventory, and standardize information available to management. MU upgraded to the Microsoft® Windows®-based Foodservice Suite® (FSS) in 2003.

“One of the biggest benefits we have seen is the ability to understand our costs before we begin a process,” says Susan Dayton, Manager of Computing and Recruiting Resources at MU. “Now, if we want to make a change in a recipe, we can quickly see exactly how that will impact prices as we move forward.”

The tech generation

MU started working with CBORD just a few years after computers were introduced to the campus, so naturally its CBORD operation has been through many changes over the years.

“We learned quickly that having a good data system in place helped to level the playing field for new management staff,” says Dayton. “We had managers who had been here for ten or fifteen years and knew from experience how many servings we would need for a certain number of people, but the new employees were at a real disadvantage. Our CBORD system helped teach these new managers how to calculate servings based on proportional relationships, so they could use a mathematical model with great accuracy, rather than relying on older managers’ experience.”

Valuable support and networking

MU has a long history with CBORD support services. “When you call and the support tech recognizes your voice, you know you have called frequently!” says Dayton. “I have very high regards for CBORD’s support staff. It’s a nice group of folks who can help with tech challenges ranging from simple questions I think I should know the answer to, all the way to the major issues. Our trainer has also been with us for years, so he really understands our account and works with us through the learning curves of each product.”

Another important avenue of CBORD support and education that Dayton takes advantage of is CBORD’s annual User Group Conference (UGC). “The great thing about the UGC is that I can talk about my system with other people who speak the CBORD language I speak,” says Dayton. “I have worked with people from schools across the country, asking and giving advice on how to use CBORD systems to handle athletic events, how to work with new databases in the Nutritional Accounting System, and much more.”

CBORD service

Would Dayton recommend CBORD to other colleges and universities? “Oh yes, and I have!” she says. “You’ve got some good folks there.”