IT Support in Foodservice is Integral

IT Support in
foodservice is integral

From implementation to system maintenance and routine troubleshooting, automating your operation is multifaceted. In healthcare food and nutrition services, ensuring technology is accessible and functional is necessary for staff productivity, but more importantly, for the proper nourishment of patients. For that reason, IT support in foodservice is integral.

During a past customer User Conference, we had the privilege of gleaning insights from Douglas Bom, IT Analyst at Providence St. Joseph Health, and we want to share the wealth of knowledge on IT Help Best Practices in case you missed it!

Graphic of various information technology support staff using a headphone, megaphone, smartphone, and laptop.

IT Help Best Practices

Clear communication between system users and IT support in foodservice operations help proactively resolve issues. By establishing an understanding of system users’ needs as well as deliverables from the IT role, you can set the groundwork for troubleshooting. 

Prime System User Desires:

  1. Continual accessibility
  2. Optimal functionality

Main IT Analyst Deliverables:

  • Oversee issues via remote connection
  • Find appropriate work-around
  • Install updates and/or upgrades
  • Reduce system down-time
  • Minimize operational impact
  • Prevent future issues

5 Steps for Effective Troubleshooting

Defining realistic expectations helps set the groundwork for collaborative troubleshooting. Achieve optimal IT support in foodservice by following these five simple steps!

 

1

When did the problem start? Verify if this is the first incident or a repeat problem. Reference any past cases.

Where is the issue occurring? Identify the software (features/functions/parts) in which the issue occurs and if it happens on multiple computers or devices.

2

3

What was happening before it began? Take note of your before and after steps to compare them with the normal experience.

Why did the problem happen? Consider if you did something different or if there were any system changes.

4

5

How did you try to resolve it? Provide any examples of fixes that were attempted, the steps taken, and the outcomes. 

Helpful Takeaway!

Download the following infographic as a resource to reference for optimizing IT support in foodservice.

Douglas Bom has a BS degree in Administrative Dietetics and Food Service and worked in various positions, including Food Production Manager, Catering Manager, Registered Dietitian, and Food Services Director. Doug has experience in software support, training, systems implementation, and project management. He joined Providence in 2005, implementing Computrition’s Room Service for the Food and Nutrition Services teams at sites in Washington, Oregon, and California. Since then, Doug transitioned to Information Services, where he supports multiple clinical and hospitality systems for Providence St. Joseph Health.