| The purpose of this study was to determine how the Internet is currently used for purchasing in school foodservice operations, and more specifically to determine the online methods, items purchased, perceived cost savings, advantages, disadvantages, and barriers to using this process. A questionnaire was developed by the researcher, validated by 5 foodservice professionals, and pilot tested. The revised questionnaire was mailed to a stratified random sample of 500 foodservice managers who were members of the American School Food Service Association (ASFSA). Two hundred nine school foodservice directors returned surveys for a response rate of 42%. Most foodservice directors relied on more than one type of purchasing with co-op/group purchasing and the formal-bid process accompanied by line-item awarding of bids the most common methods (48% each). Among the 64 respondents using the Internet for purchasing, 42 utilized it only for researching products and specifications. No significant relationship was found between size of foodservice operations and the percentage of total food purchases made using the Internet. Respondents estimated their average food and labor cost savings associated with using the Internet for purchasing at 7.1% and 6.8% respectively. |
