Why is OPRA the Best Choice for Creating Food Production Records?
OPRA uses a weekly cycle menu based approach. After your menus have been created, time is freed for food program staff to review and revise the menus to meet changing needs such as holidays, vacations, changes in personnel or unavailability of a food item. Rotation through a multi-week cycle of menus allows for the standardization of food preparation procedures and the efficient use of kitchen equipment and supplies. It also simplifies the forecasting and budgeting processes.
OPRA is web-based. When you use web-based software you don't have to worry about anything technical — you can just do your work. You don't have to install any CDs, download any software, or worry about upgrades. We handle all the security, backups, upgrades (so that you are always using our latest and greatest), and other "IT guy" stuff. You can stay focused on what you're good at and we'll handle the rest. Another key advantage to web-based software is that all your data is centralized and accessible over the web from any computer at any time (from home if you have to and your favorite coffee shop if you want to). You can't leave something on the wrong computer since everything is stored in one place on the web. And, since everyone you work with logs into the same centralized account, you have a single database with everything in one place. No more worrying about who has the latest information: everyone has it.
Call CCS at (866)792-1047 for a personal consultation on how OPRA can improve your food program's production recordkeeping.
How Much Does It Cost to Prepare Food Production Records?
Child care centers and Head Starts required to complete food production records spend, on average, over an hour each day generating all the relevant paperwork. That amounts to over 20 hours every month. At the hourly federal minimum wage rate of $7.25, a facility will spend more than $150 every month (or $1,800 per year) simply proving that enough food was prepared for each meal. This is a substantial sum, considering that none of the funds are actually used to buy the food or prepare the meal. Even when factoring in the $35 monthly license fee, implementing OPRA can cut monthly production recordkeeping costs by more than half. Let the friendly staff at Comprehensive Child Care Solutions explain how OPRA can help you save time and money ... and, most importantly, avoid disallowed CACFP claims.
Tired of production record paperwork testing your math skills ... and your patience? Use CCS' Online Production Record Assistant (OPRA). It's simple. It's accurate. And, best of all, OPRA can be implemented and maintained for just a fraction of the cost of manual food production recordkeeping systems.
How Can OPRA Help You and Your Food Program?
Designed by CACFP experts, OPRA streamlines your paperwork process by addressing the most common problems associated with food production and food production records. OPRA provides you and your staff with:
- Fast Production Planning
- Using planned participation numbers (including allowances for seconds and additional participants), OPRA instantly calculates the production quantities necessary to meet CACFP requirements. With no changes to a meal's components, it takes less than five minutes to complete production records using OPRA. Think it sounds too good to be true? Watch our video to see just how quickly you can create production records with OPRA (trust us...we timed our demonstration).
- Accurate Calculations
- OPRA provides computerized calculations based on the USDA's Food Buying Guide. No more worries about transposition errors, decimal shifts or sticky calculator keys. Your production quantities will be correct each and every time.
- No more Missing Components
- OPRA will not save a production record for any meal that does not meet CACFP component requirements. It even makes sure that lunches (or dinners) meet the fruit/vegetable requirements with two different items.
- Safe Recordkeeping
- Never worry about your production records getting lost, misfiled or accidentally destroyed. OPRA backs up your data every day and stores it for three years so you always have instant access to your files. Also, because OPRA is web-based, your records are available from any Internet-accessible computer. You will be able to rest easy knowing that your records are safe and that you can get your work done from anywhere, and at your convenience.
- Measurable Time Savings
- On average, food program personnel spend a little over an hour each day on production-related documentation. OPRA can reduce that burden by over 75 percent. Your program could save more than twice what it would cost to implement OPRA. Just imagine what you could do with all that extra time and money!
- Reduced Food Production Overages
- Using the planning and reporting capabilities built into OPRA, a number of our clients have been able to substantially reduce food production overages. Limiting these overages saves our clients over 5% on their monthly food bills. With food prices on the rise nationwide, you can't afford to not pursue the opportunity OPRA provides to save money on your food program.
Want to Find Out More?
Find out how a small investment in OPRA can provide a big return for your center or Head Start. Call Comprehensive Childcare Solutions toll-free at (866) 792-1047 for a personal consultation on how OPRA can help your bottom line ... and your peace of mind.