The NACUFS Industry Research Committee recently conducted a membership survey exploring attitudes about issues facing the industry. They are listed below in order of concern. Each scored between 4.09 and 3.64 on a 1-5 scale, with 1 meaning "not a challenge at all" and 5 meaning "an overwhelming challenge."
When these same concerns were ranked by how challenging they are today, the Top 10 is slightly different: the same two issues are at the top and bottom, while the other 8 bunch together between them in close cluster (only 0.20 separates #2 from #9). Further, only the top issue scores higher as a concern for today than any of the others do for the future. So it looks like college FSDS are more concerned about what's ahead than about the present.
1. Finding and keeping qualified foodservice personnel
2. Finding and keeping qualified foodservice managers
3. dealing with the rising cost of healthcare
4. Generating resources to fund needed capital improvement
5. dealing with the increasing costs of institutional overhead
6. Finding funds to keep facilities in good repair and decor
7. increasing the technical skills of the foodservice staff
8. improving the customer service skills of the foodservice staff
9. running an operation that must deliver a net return within the nonprofit educational institution environment
10. dealing with increased pressure to convert/increase foodservice as a revenue center for our institution