Optimizing University Dining Hall Profitability During Inflation: A Case Study of UW-Madison
- DOI
- 10.2991/978-94-6463-368-9_54How to use a DOI?
- Keywords
- University Dining Optimization; Linear Programming; Mixed-Integer Linear Program
- Abstract
Facing rising operational costs and the need to balance student satisfaction, university dining halls are under the challenge of optimizing their meal plans. Existing approaches commonly rely on fixed meal plans with limited choices and suppliers, leading to potential student dissatisfaction. However, such methods often suffer from the trade-off between supply and demand, potentially exacerbating conflicts and diminishing student satisfaction. This paper proposes an innovative approach that leverages an optimization model to adjust portion sizes and caloric compositions dynamically. The methodology involves mathematical modeling, allowing for precise adjustments in portion sizes and food composition. This dynamic approach offers the potential to improve both cost-effectiveness and student satisfaction. Validation of the model’s performance demonstrates its ability to resolve institutional contradictions and enhance overall satisfaction, offering substantial potential value for university dining operations. Future improvements to the model could explore incorporating real-time market data, improving sensitivity analysis, and considering external factors such as student feedback and competitor pricing, further refining its ability to navigate economic uncertainty and optimize dining hall profitability.
- Copyright
- © 2024 The Author(s)
- Open Access
- Open Access This chapter is licensed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/), which permits any noncommercial use, sharing, adaptation, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, as long as you give appropriate credit to the original author(s) and the source, provide a link to the Creative Commons license and indicate if changes were made.
Cite this article
TY - CONF AU - Qisheng Su PY - 2024 DA - 2024/02/14 TI - Optimizing University Dining Hall Profitability During Inflation: A Case Study of UW-Madison BT - Proceedings of the 2023 5th International Conference on Economic Management and Cultural Industry (ICEMCI 2023) PB - Atlantis Press SP - 466 EP - 473 SN - 2352-5428 UR - https://doi.org/10.2991/978-94-6463-368-9_54 DO - 10.2991/978-94-6463-368-9_54 ID - Su2024 ER -