Forecast by meal
Estimate demand at the menu-item level rather than relying only on a total lunch count.
Counteen for canteens
Balance the menu before shortages and surplus diverge.
Counteen is exploring how canteen teams can anticipate uneven meal demand and make clearer preparation decisions across a limited lunch service.
In development
Meal-level demand has to be balanced within one lunch window.
- Status
- In development
- Current work
- Operator discovery
- Boundary
- No released module
Product direction
The workflow being evaluated.
This workspace shows the product questions under evaluation. It is intentionally not presented as an available Canteens application.
See the shape before choosing the quantity.
Menu preferenceDay-of-week mixRemaining portions
Connect every quantity to the signal behind it.
| Item | Demand | Plan | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Vegetable curry | 168 | 150 | -18 |
| Pasta | 142 | 150 | +8 |
| Seasonal bowl | 110 | 120 | +10 |
Illustrative values for interface demonstration only.
Put attention where a decision can still help.
Potential surplusSeasonal bowl
+10 portionsIllustrative portions exceed the concept demand signal.
Recommend the move. Keep approval human.
Suggested next move
Review the meal mix before prep closes
This concept demonstrates how an imbalance could be surfaced; it is not a released recommendation engine.
- Decision owner
- Kitchen lead
- Status
- Awaiting review
Preview interaction only. No operational action is sent.
The operating problem
Total demand is not the same as demand for each meal.
A canteen can prepare enough portions overall and still disappoint guests when popular meals run out while other choices remain full.
The intended Counteen workflow will connect menu-level demand, remaining portions and preparation constraints. Product validation and implementation are still required.
The direction under evaluation
This page describes a product direction, not a released Canteens module. Discovery work must establish the available data, decision cadence and operational constraints before implementation.
Show the imbalance
Make projected shortages and surplus visible in the same service view.
Respect preparation reality
Account for remaining portions, replenishment time and practical kitchen constraints.
Learn with operators
Validate recommendations with canteen teams before treating any workflow as production-ready.