CACFP & SFSP Offline functionality

Link2Feed’s CACFP/SFSP application has offline functionality. This allows sites with no connectivity to still record their meal service in real-time and then later sync them to the live site once they get access to the internet.

Offline Functionality can only happen if an online connection has already been established. For Example:
If you were to be on WIFI and you start a meal service then you lose connectivity (or travel to your offsite meal service location with a mobile device), you will be able to continue to access the meal service as long as the browser is not refreshed. When you regain connectivity, it will sync back. 

This article covers the following topic

• Overall Offline Functionality
  • What is available offline
  • What is not available offline
  • Handling technical issues while offline 
• Participants - Offline
• School Year - Offline
• Summer - Offline
• Network Meal Service Log - Offline
  • School Year Meal Service Log - Offline
  • Summer Meal Service Log - Offline
• Reports - Offline
• Messages - Offline
• Administration - Offline
• How do I know when I'm in Offline Mode?

Overall Offline Functionality

While some functions of CACFP/SFSP are available Offline, this does not include all parts.
Please take a look at the lists below to figure out what can and can't be used while offline. 

What is available offline 

• Creating and recording meals for School Year Meal services 
  • Only one user in a meal service at a time if started offline.
  • If two meal services are created offline, there will be two meal services synced when back online.
  • If the meal service ends up being started online, two people can be in it and their actions in that meal service will be merged.
  • Search for participants within meal service.
• Creating and recording meals for Summer Meal services 
  • Only one user in a meal service at a time if started offline.
  • If two meal services are created offline, there will be two meal services synced when back online.
  • If the meal service ends up being started online, two people can be in it and their actions in that meal service will be merged.
• Adding Participants (on the Participants list AND during the meal service)
• Search for participants within meal service. 
• Accessing Meal Service Logs. 

What is not available offline

• Logging In
• Reports 
• Messages
• Administrative Options 
• Classrooms Feature
• Error Log Entries
  • Meal services created offline do not end up replacing error log entries.
• Backdating: CACFP/SFSP Offline is designed for point-of-service live data collection. If backdating, users should wait until they’re online before backdating.

Handling technical issues while offline 

We understand that submitting a support ticket while offline is a little tougher. You can always take screenshots of the issue and then submit a support ticket to our team when you are back online. 

Participants - Offline

Adding/Removing

You can add a new participant in the same way you would online. All of the same fields will appear. When you go back online, the participant's name will be synced to that site's participants list.

The following actions CANNOT be done offline: 

• How do I bulk upload Participants? 
• How do I export a List of Participants? 
• How do I edit a Participant's Profile?
• How do I set a Participant's Status to Inactive? (or vice versa) 

Managing Duplicates

Managing participant duplicates (including in-line duplicate check) cannot be done offline.

School Year - Offline

• You can start a new meal service in the same way you would online. All of the same fields will appear.
• Editing and ending a meal service is also the same process as you would online.
• You can view in-progress and completed meal services, but they cannot be exported.
• When you go back online, the meal service will be synced to that site’s meal service log.

Error Log Feature

• Since agency settings are not available while offline, you cannot set up hours of operation for sites while offline.
• You can start a new meal service in the same way you would online. All of the same fields will appear.
• You can also still record a past school year meal service.
• You cannot delete a completed meal service while offline.
• When you go back online, the meal service will be synced to that site’s meal service log.

Summer - Offline

• You can start a new meal service in the same way you would online. All of the same fields will appear.
• Editing and ending a meal service is also the same process as you would online.
• You can view in-progress and completed meal services, but they cannot be exported.
• When you go back online, the meal service will be synced to that site’s meal service log.

Error Log Feature

• Since agency settings are not available while offline, you cannot set up hours of operation for sites while offline.
• You can start a new meal service in the same way you would online. All of the same fields will appear.
• You can also still record a past summer meal service.
• You cannot delete a completed meal service while offline.
• When you go back online, the meal service will be synced to that site’s meal service log

Network Meal Services Log - Offline

Filters

You can filter your list using any of the dropdown lists above the log. Leave as Any to include all options in that list.

• Location: list of the sites in your network.
• Program Type: School Year or Summer.
• Meal Type: Breakfast, Lunch, Snack, Supper, AM Snack, PM Snack, NR Snack.
• Planned Menu: Yes or No.
• Comments: Yes or No.
• Start Date: type in the date or use the calendar widget.
• End Date: type in the date or use the calendar widget.

The start and end dates default to the 1st of the current month to the present date.

Columns

• Organization & User: the name of the user and the organization where the meal service took place.
• Date: the date the meal service took place.
• Start Time: the time the meal service started.
• End Time: the time the meal service ended.
• Status: the status of the meal service (completed, in-progress, offline, closed).
• Meal Type: the type of meal provided (Breakfast, Lunch, Snack, Supper, AM Snack, PM Snack, NR Snack).
• Meals Available from Previous Day: the total amount of meals available from the previous meal service.
• Meals Delivered: the total amount of meals delivered meant for this specific meal service.
• First Meals: the total amount of first meals provided in the meal service.
• Second Meals: the total amount of second meals provided in the meal service.
• Field Trip Meals: the total amount of field trip meals provided in the meal service.
• Total Meals: the total amount of meals provided in the meal service.
• Eligible Carryover Meals: the total amount of meals eligible to be carried over into another meal service.
• Damaged/Incomplete/Nonreimburseable Meals: the total amount of meals damaged, incomplete, or nonreimbursable in that meal service.
• Notes/Comments: This column will display only 70 characters/letters; to see additional text, click on Read More.
• Actions: Ability to view or edit the meal service.
  • View - View the meal service log in an uneditable format.
  • Edit - Make a change to the meal service. (NOTE: viewable to network managers or network administrators)

Offline: This log cannot be exported while offline.

School Year Meal Service Log - Offline

• User & Organization: the name of the user and the organization where the meal service took place.
• Date: the date the meal service took place.
• Start Time: the time the meal service started.
• End Time: the time the meal service ended.
• Status: the status of the meal service (Offline & In progress, Offline & Closed).
• Meals: the total amount of meals provided in the meal service.
• Notes/Comments: this column will display only 70 characters/letters; to see additional text, click on Read More.
• Actions: Ability to view or edit the meal service.
  • View - View the meal service log in an uneditable format.

Summer Meal Service Log - Offline 

• User & Organization: the name of the user and the organization where the meal service took place.
• Date: the date the meal service took place.
• Start Time: the time the meal service started.
• End Time: the time the meal service ended.
• Status: the status of the meal service (Offline & In progress, Offline & Closed).
• Meals: the total amount of meals provided in the meal service.
• Notes/Comments: this column will display only 70 characters/letters; to see additional text, click on Read More.
• Actions: Ability to view or edit the meal service.
  • View - View the meal service log an undatable format

Reports - Offline 

No reporting features are available when offline. This includes any options under the Reports heading. The heading itself will not appear at all when offline.

Messages - Offline

No messaging features are available when offline. This includes any options under the Messages heading. The heading itself will not appear at all when offline.

Administration - Offline

No administrative features are available when offline. This includes any options under the Administration heading. The heading itself will not appear at all when offline. These options include:

• Adding/Deactivating Organizations
• Adding/Deactivating Users
• Managing Lists
• Settings (Both Agency and Network)
• Running Exports

How do I know when I'm in Offline Mode?

When your organization is in offline mode, you will see Offline Mode underneath the Meal Service heading on the left menu.

OFFLINE MODE will also appear on the top right of your screen.