# Software for collective catering

MEPO serves collective catering operators and self-managed operations in hospitals, factories, schools and other institutions. The Organization keeps the contract and the standard recipe sheets. Each Unit records its own stock, production and meal counts.

## Direct definition

Collective catering means meals produced at scale for an institution, such as a hospital, factory or school. In Brazil, "alimentação coletiva" is the equivalent technical term used in the sector.

## Who it is for

- Operators with one or several Units
- Self-managed operations in hospitals, factories and schools
- Operations management and contract owners
- Supply, stock and quality
- Finance, billing and controllership

## What stays in the Organization and what stays in the Unit

The Organization maintains catalogues, roles and standards. Each Unit records its own stock, production, meal counts and expenses. This way management follows the whole and knows in which Unit each event took place.

- Access by person and Unit
- Corporate recipe sheets and local versions
- Indicators by Unit and accounting period

## Contract, rates and validity periods

Services, sites, calendars, volumes, rates and validity periods in the contract feed the menu, meal counts and billing. An updated rate does not change a billing statement that has already been issued.

- Services and modalities identified
- Rates with a validity period
- Contract origin preserved in billing

## Standard recipe sheet and local version

Ingredients and recipe sheets stay in the Organization as the reference. When equipment, yield or composition differ in a Unit, it records its own version of the sheet, with its own period of use.

- Corporate recipe sheet as the Organization's standard
- Local version with its own period of use
- Scope of the version identified

## Meal counts, billing statement and results

The billable quantity comes from an explicit reconciliation. The billing statement uses that quantity and the valid rate. At closing, MEPO brings together revenue, cost of goods sold (COGS), waste and expenses, and reports when records are missing.

- Operational quantities kept separate
- Billing statement by contract and accounting period
- Result by Unit with pending items visible

## Example of management with several Units

Example: an operator has five Units and different contracts.

### 1. Standardize

The Organization registers the ingredients and recipe sheets that every Unit uses.

### 2. Adapt

A Unit creates a specific version when yield or composition really differ.

### 3. Execute

Each Unit records its own purchasing, stock, production and meal counts.

### 4. Check

The team reviews pending items and discrepancies before issuing billing statements.

### 5. Compare

Management compares costs and results only when the data for the accounting period is complete.

## Frequently asked questions

### Does MEPO allow Units to be compared?

Yes. The view by accounting period shows each Unit's numbers and warns when pending items could distort a comparison.

### Does MEPO issue invoices?

No. MEPO issues the operational billing statement. The number and date of a tax document issued outside the system can be recorded.

### How long does it take to get started?

Setup happens in the portal itself, with a first-steps checklist. The time depends on how many Units you register, how much of your records are ready and which routines you use first.

## Related reading

- [Unit management](https://www.mepo.so/en/solucoes/gestao-multi-uan)
- [Comparing costs between Units](https://www.mepo.so/en/conteudos/como-comparar-custos-e-rentabilidade-entre-uans)
- [Meal counts and billing in contracts](https://www.mepo.so/en/conteudos/medicao-e-faturamento-em-contratos-de-alimentacao-coletiva)