Lessons from Colorado State University and Purdue University

Even the most carefully planned events can hit unexpected challenges: an AV glitch, a freezing cold room or missing catering items. For higher education institutions hosting hundreds of events each year, those moments can add up to real stress for organizers and staff.

In this webinar, leaders from Colorado State University and Purdue University shared how they’ve tackled those challenges head-on by transforming how their campuses manage event support. Hosted by Touchwork, and featuring Scott Anderson from 7 Point Solutions, the discussion explored practical strategies for improving coordination, communication, and response times — helping teams keep events running smoothly, no matter what comes up.

Download the webinar presentations

Turning Real-Time Support into Real Results

At Colorado State University, Jason Rogien, Director of Event Services, described how his team streamlined support across more than 30 event spaces in the Lory Student Center. By enabling quick, location-specific requests and connecting them directly to the operations team, CSU has seen faster responses, better communication, and more confident event organizers.

Meanwhile, Purdue University’s Travis Peters, Associate Director of Auxiliary Services Operations, highlighted how centralizing event support has reduced confusion and prevented issues from falling through the cracks. By integrating their support processes with 7 Point OPS, Purdue now manages requests more efficiently, identifies recurring issues, and uses data to improve planning and staff training.

As both institutions shared, even small improvements in how requests are handled can make a meaningful difference, helping teams work more smoothly, deliver more consistent service, and support stronger event experiences across campus.

Key Takeaways

The discussion reinforced several lessons that any institution can apply:

• Responsiveness matters. Real-time communication tools help event teams react faster and reduce disruptions.
• Centralized systems build clarity. Managing all requests in one place prevents confusion and duplication.
• Data creates insight. Tracking requests over time reveals trends that help guide training, technology improvements, and preventive planning.
• People make the difference. Empowering staff with simple, effective tools allows them to focus on what matters most — creating great experiences.

If you missed the live session, you can now watch the full recording or download the webinar presentations.

Reach out to us for further information or to book your personalized demo.

Webinar: Delivering Seamless Event Support in Higher Education:

Real-World Lessons from Colorado State and Purdue University

Featuring

• Jason Rogien, Director of Event Services, Colorado State University
• Travis Peters, Associate Director – Auxiliary Services Operations, Purdue University
• Scott Anderson, Principal, 7 Point Solutions

Hosted by Touchwork

Date: Wednesday, Dec. 3, 2025

Time: 10 am PT, 11 am MT, Noon CT, 1 pm ET

Register now 

Overview

Even the best-planned events face last-minute challenges, from AV issues to catering requests. For institutions managing hundreds of events a year, quick, coordinated responses make all the difference.

In this session, leaders from Colorado State University and Purdue University share how they’ve redefined event support using RequestIT, Touchwork’s real-time request and response platform, integrated with 7 Point OPS. Learn how these universities are improving responsiveness, reducing stress for organizers, and ensuring every event runs smoothly.

What You’ll Learn

• Real-world results: How Colorado State University improved response times, streamlined communication, and enhanced staff coordination across 30+ event spaces.
• Operational efficiency: How Purdue University uses RequestIT and OPS to centralize requests, prevent missed details, and proactively identify recurring issues.
• Smarter data, better planning: How both institutions are leveraging insights from RequestIT to guide training, technology investments, and event process improvements.
• Seamless integration: How RequestIT’s connection with 7 Point OPS ensures that every request is captured, tracked, and resolved — keeping events on schedule and stress-free.

Who Should Attend

Ideal for event and facilities managers, auxiliary services leaders, and campus operations teams seeking practical strategies to enhance responsiveness, communication, and attendee satisfaction.

Why Attend

Hear directly from your peers about proven, scalable approaches to improving event support operations. No sales pitches — just real experiences, measurable outcomes, and practical insights you can apply immediately.

Register now

Combine real-time feedback and operational audits to build accountability, improve efficiency, and drive measurable revenue growth.

What if you could identify an operational issue the moment it happens—and correct it before it impacts revenue, compliance, or customer trust? In fast-paced, service-driven environments, even small lapses can translate into lost revenue, higher costs, or reputational risk. For leadership teams, the challenge is ensuring operational performance aligns with customer expectations at all times. Companies that aren’t actively gathering feedback and performing regular operational audits risk falling behind industry standards, losing a competitive edge exposing themselves to regulatory risks.

The most effective way to achieve this is by combining two complementary tools: real-time customer feedback and structured operational audits. Feedback provides immediate insights into the customer experience, highlighting where things are falling short, while audits ensure that operational standards are consistently met. Together, they create a system that  prevents problems from escalating and drives continuous improvement, operational excellence, and measurable revenue growth.

The Value of Real-Time Feedback

Real-time feedback provides an immediate window into the customer experience. Whether through a QR code survey, SMS response, or kiosk interaction, real-time feedback highlights problems at the exact moment they occur:

• A student flags undercooked chicken in the dining hall.
• A traveler alerts airport staff about a restroom issue.
• A patient reports excessive wait times or unclear discharge instructions.
• A resident in a senior living facility mentions mealtime service was delayed.

Addressing these issues quickly not only prevents small problems from escalating, but also preserves loyalty, strengthens reputation, and protects revenue.

The Role of Operational Audits

Operational audits ensure consistency, compliance, and accountability. They verify that standards—whether related to cleanliness, safety, food quality, or operational processes—are met every time. For leadership, operational audits provide confidence that processes are being followed, risks are being managed, and teams are performing at a sustainable level.

Paper-based audits are a thing of the past. Today, having a digital auditing tool that not only captures results but also analyzes trends and tracks progress over time is critical for driving real improvements.

To illustrate, here are a few examples of where  operational audits make an impact across industries:

• Hospital tray assessments: Verify that patient meal trays match dietary requirements and are delivered correctly and on time.
• CDL driver inspections: Ensure drivers complete mandatory vehicle safety checks before going on the road.
• Bathroom inspections: Confirm restrooms are clean, stocked, and meet health and safety standards.
• Dining services audits: Check that food service areas follow proper hygiene, portioning, and presentation standards.
• Senior living facility checks: Review resident rooms for cleanliness, safety compliance, and comfort.

Why They Are Stronger Together

Individually, feedback and operational audits provide important insights. Together, they create a closed-loop system that drives lasting improvements and better financial outcomes:

• Catch and correct issues faster: Feedback identifies problems; audits ensure fixes address root causes.
• Turn data into action: Feedback trends guide where audits should focus, while audits validate if changes are effective.
• Allocate resources smarter: Data shows where to invest training, staffing, and budget for the highest impact.
• Build accountability: Teams understand that both customer sentiment and operational standards matter.

The combination means fewer repeat issues, stronger compliance, and improved customer satisfaction—all of which directly affect revenue and efficiency.

What This Means for Finance Leaders

The implications are clear. Combining real-time feedback with structured operational audits helps reduce risk from compliance failures or service breakdowns, while enabling a better use of resources by focusing spend on where data shows the greatest ROI. At the same time, it can drive stronger financial performance through improved customer loyalty, fewer operational inefficiencies, and reduced turnover.

How Touchwork Helps

At Touchwork, we connect real-time feedback and operational audit capabilities in a seamless, data-driven platform. Insights from customers and operations are centralized into customizable dashboards, making it easier for leaders to see what’s working, where issues exist, and how to act quickly.

The result: better decisions, faster improvements, and measurable ROI.

Discover how Touchwork can help you link insights to outcomes—book a personalized demo today.

By placing QR codes in event spaces for instant feedback and connecting Touchwork’s RequestIT with 7Point OPS, Colorado State University created a seamless workflow in the Lory Student Center that improved response times, boosted staff coordination, and delivered a faster, more reliable event support experience.

The Background

The Lory Student Center at Colorado State University is a central hub for campus life. With approximately 12,000 bookings each year, the venue hosts a wide range of events—from small gatherings to large conferences—across more than 30 locations. To run smoothly, these events depend on extensive behind-the-scenes support for AV/IT, catering, and room setup.

LSC had been using the EMS Accruent platform together with 7 Point OPS solutions for several years for room/event scheduling and management. However, responding to last minute requests was largely a manual process. Ad-hoc requests immediately prior to or during an event were submitted through phone calls, emails, or by tracking down staff in person. This fragmented approach often meant delays in resolving issues, with the risk of disrupting the flow of an event.

After the pandemic, the stakes were even higher. Expectations for speed, convenience, and contactless service grew, leaving the Lory team looking for a more efficient way to support event organizers and attendees.

The Challenge

The student center needed a solution that made it possible to request support immediately prior to and during events without leaving the room or interrupting the program.

At the same time, staff needed a centralized system that could capture and track all requests in real time. With communication spread across different channels, important details were sometimes missed and response times slowed. The lack of coordination created stress for both organizers and the service teams who worked hard to deliver a seamless experience.

“Our old process just wasn’t sustainable anymore. With requests coming in by phone, email, or even word-of-mouth, it was too easy for things to slip through the cracks. After the pandemic, expectations for speed and seamless service only grew, and we knew we needed a centralized system that would let our staff respond quickly without disrupting events.”

— Jason Rogien, Director of Event Services, Colorado State University

The Solution: RequestIT + 7Point Ops

To address these challenges, the Lory Student Center introduced Touchwork’s RequestIT solution and connected it directly with their existing operations software, 7Point Ops.

QR codes were placed in event spaces, giving organizers and attendees immediate access to support. A quick scan allowed them to log a request for AV/IT, catering, or room setup. Once submitted, the request triggered instant notifications to staff via text and email, while also being automatically logged in 7Point Ops.This integration ensured every request flowed into a single system where it could be tracked, assigned, and resolved without duplication or confusion. Instead of juggling multiple communication channels, staff now had one source for managing service delivery.

“RequestIT been a game-changer. Attendee and staff don’t need to figure out who to contact or stop their meetings or events to find someone. They scan, we respond! And everything is tracked in 7Point Ops so nothing falls through the cracks,” says one of the team members. 

The Results 

The impact was clear almost immediately. Response times improved, and delays during events were reduced. With all requests flowing into 7Point Ops, staff coordination became easier and more reliable. In addition, the team quickly found that this solution helped them identify failing technology, allowing them to address issues and implement long-term fixes.

“We’re getting to issues faster, and it shows. Events run more smoothly, and our team doesn’t feel overwhelmed.”

— Jason Rogien, Director of Event Services. 

For event organizers, the experience was just as positive. The ability to request help with a quick QR scan, versus picking up the phone or finding support,  gave them confidence that their needs would be handled promptly. The result was smoother events, higher satisfaction, and less stress for both organizers and attendees.

The new process also delivered operational benefits. By streamlining communication between RequestIT and 7Point Ops, the Lory team could manage requests seamlessly with less effort, freeing up time and resources. Just as importantly, the centralized system provided visibility into recurring issues. With better data, the team could identify trends—such as equipment that needed repair or areas where additional staff training was required. Addressing these root causes reduced the volume of incoming requests over time and further improved the efficiency of event support.

Key Takeaways for Other Institutions

The experience at Colorado State University highlights the value of RequestIT in ensuring that every request is captured, assigned, and tracked through to resolution. The system not only improves responsiveness in the moment but also provides visibility into recurring issues, helping teams address root causes before they impact future events. RequestIT can be used on its own or integrated with event management systems, adapting to the unique needs of each institution.

For institutions looking to modernize event support, Colorado State University demonstrates how technology can improve speed, accountability, and client satisfaction. 

As organizations look to streamline operations and enhance user experience, Touchwork continues to lead the way with powerful innovations. In line with our ongoing commitment to operational excellence, we’ve rolled out a set of key enhancements designed to give our partners greater control, flexibility, and consistency in how they serve their customers.

Here’s a look at some of the latest features making a real impact:

OrderIT: Smarter Pickup Scheduling with Time Slot Modules

(Released during Allergen Awareness Week, a timely upgrade for food service environments)

Dynamic Time Slot Management
Easily adjust pickup availability in real-time based on staffing, demand, or external factors like weather or traffic. Touchwork manages the scheduling, while allowing customers to quickly request updates when emergencies arise—ensuring flexibility without disrupting operations.

Flexible Scheduling Options
Whether you’re setting recurring weekly schedules or adding one-off exceptions for special events, our new module gives you full calendar control.

Improved Order Flow & Capacity Planning
To prevent overbooking, the system auto-caps orders as slots fill up, helping you maintain smooth operations, avoid bottlenecks, and enhance the customer experience.

Customer Transparency
End users only see the time slots that are actually available, reducing confusion, missed pickups, and unnecessary support inquiries.

Seamless, Secure Access with SSO Integration

Plug-and-Play with Your Existing Systems
Our Single Sign-On (SSO) support now integrates easily with identity providers like Okta and Google Workspace.

No More Password Overload
Employees use the same credentials they already know—removing friction from the login process and boosting platform adoption.

Faster Rollouts Across Teams
The familiar login experience builds user confidence and streamlines onboarding, especially for large or rotating teams.

Built on Enterprise-Grade Security
Leverage your existing MFA, access policies, and compliance standards. Our SSO integration respects and reinforces your organization’s security posture.

Simplified IT Management
Centralized access provisioning reduces administrative overhead and makes user management a breeze.

TxtTapScan&Tell: More Efficient Communication with Template (Canned) Responses

Maintain a Consistent Brand Voice
Ensure every response reflects your organization’s tone and professionalism, no matter which staff member is replying.

Respond in Seconds
With ready-to-use templates, staff can handle common inquiries or feedback faster, reducing response times and boosting satisfaction.

Lower Training Overhead
Staff members get up to speed quickly using pre-approved replies. No guesswork, just clear, confident communication.

Minimize Errors
Templates reduce the risk of typos, off-brand messages, or inconsistent information.

Scale Customer Engagement
Handle high volumes of feedback efficiently while still delivering a personal, polished experience.

TxtTapScan&Tell: Integration with Grubhub – Capturing Feedback from Online Orders

Expand Your Feedback Reach
TxtandTell now integrates directly with Grubhub, enabling customers who order through the Grubhub platform to share their feedback quickly and seamlessly.

Unified Experience Insights
Restaurants and operators can now gather valuable input from both in-person and online guests, ensuring a consistent, comprehensive view of customer satisfaction.

Drive Quality and Retention
This integration helps identify trends, address issues faster, and maintain the same high service standards across dine-in, pickup, and delivery experiences.

Trend analyses with month-to-Date vs. Year-to-Date Comparison Graphs

Focused Performance Tracking
You can now graph individual parameters and overlay them with trend lines such as Month-to-Date (MTD) or Year-to-Date (YTD) performance scores for deeper insights. 

Unit-to-Organization Comparisons
Easily compare specific units or programs against broader organizational trends to pinpoint where attention is needed.

Clear Trend Analysis
See at a glance whether key metrics are improving, declining, or holding steady over time.

Better Data-Driven Decisions
Spot patterns sooner, address challenges faster, and measure the impact of your initiatives with greater accuracy.

Efficiency through RequestIT’s integration with 7 Points Solutions

Break Down Silos

 Direct integration with 7 Points Solutions streamlines scheduling and coordination across different teams.

Centralized Management and Oversight
All requests and updates are consolidated in a single system, reducing missed communications and duplicated effort. Seamlessly manage events, facilities, and related service requests from one unified platform.

Faster Response Times
Centralized real-time alerts ensure requests are seen and actioned promptly.

Partnership with RevenueVision

Seamless Data Integration
Connect sales data—including transaction volumes and total revenue—directly into Touchwork’s reporting tools.

Deeper Insights
Combine financial performance metrics with customer experience data for a more complete operational picture.

Trend Identification
Easily spot patterns, seasonal fluctuations, and correlations between revenue and service quality.

Better Decision-Making
Use integrated insights to guide strategy, optimize resources, and improve both financial and experience outcomes.

Why It Matters

These enhancements are more than just feature updates—they’re tools designed to solve real-world operational challenges. Whether you’re managing food service logistics, simplifying enterprise access, or improving customer response workflows, Touchwork is focused on giving you greater control, better scalability, and more peace of mind.

Want to learn more or see these features in action? Contact us today to schedule a demo or speak with your account manager.

Navigating Food Service Challenges with Confidence

Food service providers across environments face mounting pressure to deliver exceptional dining experiences while navigating operational complexity. Whether serving students, patients, visitors or employees, providers must strive to exceed the expectations of both their client as well as the guests they serve in a cost effective manner while complying with safety standards and other regulations – all with limited resources. Failing to do so can result in the loss of an account and negative perceptions in the market place.

Touchwork’s tailored solutions empower food service companies to tackle operational challenges head-on—driving efficiency, boosting satisfaction, and delivering measurable improvements across diverse environments. From a Northeast-based provider of premium dining, refreshment, and catering services to global food service and facilities providers across Airports, Business & Industry (B&I), Healthcare, and Higher Education sectors, Touchwork enables real-time feedback collection and audit insights to quickly identify issues and elevate the overall customer experience.

Higher Education: Meeting Student Expectations While Managing Dietary Needs

Challenges

• Student perceptions of what is healthy or valuable in dining programs change frequently, making it challenging to stay up to date.
• Lack of real time engagement to identify likes/dislikes and address issues immediately.
• Gathering feedback and benchmarking performance across diverse dining locations can be complex and challenging to translate into actionable insights.
• Dietary needs and allergy management are critical to student safety and retention.

Smart Solutions in Practice

Monitoring and Benchmarking Across Multiple Sites
Campus dining providers are gaining greater visibility into performance with SurveyIT by conducting recurring surveys across multiple locations to evaluate satisfaction with menu variety, service quality, and facility cleanliness. This structured approach supports benchmarking, helps identify at-risk accounts, and enables timely, data-driven improvements to enhance service delivery and customer satisfaction.

Enhancing Real-Time Student Engagement
To stay responsive to student needs and preferences, food service teams are using TxtTapScanandTell for real-time feedback that allows students to share their dining experiences instantly. This ongoing engagement makes it easy to identify likes, dislikes, and service gaps as they happen—allowing staff to take immediate corrective action and demonstrate attentiveness to the student voice.

Turning Feedback into Strategy
AI-powered analysis with Abda, their AI assistant, helps providers uncover valuable insights hidden within open-ended feedback. These tools identify recurring themes, highlight training opportunities, and reveal trends across campuses. By transforming raw feedback into actionable data, providers can proactively address issues and continuously improve service quality.

Supporting Safe and Inclusive Dining
Dining teams are also prioritizing safety and inclusion by offering OrderIT a mobile food ordering solution that allows students with food allergies to confidently request meals that meet their dietary needs. This added layer of control not only reduces risk but also builds trust with students and families, supporting retention, increasing meal plan participation and enhancing the overall dining experience.

Results

Food service providers saw increased student satisfaction, reduced unnecessary program changes, and fewer negative social posts by acting on real-time feedback. Clear KPI dashboards supported ongoing improvements and client renewals, while enhanced allergy support encouraged long-term meal plan participation among students with dietary needs.

Healthcare: Enhancing Patient Satisfaction and Recovery

Healthcare Food Service Providers that are not only responsible for delivering quality dining experiences—they also contribute to HCAHPS scores that influence hospital reimbursements. Touchwork’s solutions—TxtandTell, AuditIT, and SurveyIT—help providers improve patient satisfaction, streamline operations, and boost performance in key survey areas that impact value-based payments.

Challenges

• Food quality and temperature directly impacts patient satisfaction and recovery.
• Maintaining positive dining staff and patient interactions is essential for a great experience and requires ongoing training and focus.
• Dietary compliance and meal accuracy are essential to clinical outcomes.
• Delayed responses to dining concerns can negatively impact  HCAHPS scores and result in a loss of revenue.
• Retail dining revenue is negatively impacted by poor food quality, service, and cleanliness

Smart Solutions in Practice

Capturing Patient Feedback in Real Time
To better manage the patient dining experience, food service teams are enabling instant feedback on tray delivery, meal temperature, taste, and order accuracy with TxtTapScanandTell. QR codes placed in patient rooms and used during staff rounding allow patients to easily share input as issues arise. This real-time responsiveness minimizes disruptions, increases patient satisfaction, and helps food service teams uphold high service standards.

Streamlining Quality Audits and Driving Accountability
Audit processes like tray assessments, food safety checks, and cleanliness reviews are being automated with AuditIT to reduce manual workload and ensure consistency. With centralized dashboards and instant scoring, providers gain immediate visibility into performance. Photo documentation adds a layer of accountability and supports targeted staff coaching—helping teams identify trends, optimize staffing, and meet compliance goals more efficiently.

Expanding Feedback Loops to Refine Service
To keep a pulse on the broader dining experience, providers are gathering ongoing feedback through SurveyIT from patients, staff and guests across hospital dining areas. This continuous input empowers food service teams to track evolving needs, adapt menu offerings, and maintain high service standards. Over time, these insights support continuous improvement and stronger alignment with patient expectations.

Enhancing Facility Cleanliness Through Smart Restroom Monitoring
Many food service providers who also oversee facilities management are leveraging FixIT to monitor restrooms more effectively. By enabling guests to scan a QR code in the restroom to instantly report issues, these providers ensure faster response times and maintain higher cleanliness standards. Clean, well-maintained restrooms not only promote hygiene but also reflect the overall quality and professionalism of the healthcare facility, significantly enhancing the patient and visitor experience.

Results

These efforts have led to significant improvements, including increased patient feedback and faster resolution of dining concerns. As a result, patient satisfaction has improved noticeably. Foodservice operations have become more efficient, while cleanliness in restrooms and common areas has been consistently enhanced, reflecting a higher standard of care throughout the facility.

Business & Industry (B&I): Delivering Quality and Insight at Scale

Challenges

• Corporate dining must appeal to a diverse workforce with evolving expectations.
• Delivering consistently high stands without feedback in retail locations
• A lack of centralized data and benchmarking to maintain consistency across regional and global operations.
• Robust performance tracking to prove value to clients

Solutions in Action

Continuous Feedback for Improved Dining Experience
Food service providers in corporate cafes and dining spaces use TxtTapScanandTell for real-time feedback that allow guests to share their thoughts on food quality, service, and overall experience instantly. This ongoing feedback is compiled into customizable dashboards, enabling teams to monitor key performance indicators (KPIs) and clearly demonstrate improvements to corporate clients.

Streamlined Multi-Location Performance Benchmarking
To effectively manage dining operations across multiple locations, providers use SurveyIT to implement streamlined survey processes conducted annually or bi-annually. These surveys help benchmark performance, identify at-risk accounts, and guide targeted improvements to ensure consistent service quality.

Data-Driven Insights for Operational Excellence
Advanced AI-powered analysis with Abda, their AI assistant, helps food service providers interpret feedback data, uncover trends, pinpoint training needs, and support evidence-based decision-making. By transforming complex data into actionable insights, these tools empower providers to continuously refine their dining services and enhance overall operational efficiency.

Results

Food service providers in corporate dining benefit from increased customer engagement and loyalty by leveraging real-time visibility into dining performance across multiple locations. This transparency not only helps teams monitor and improve service consistently but also strengthens partnerships with corporate clients through clear, data-driven reporting that builds trust and demonstrates value.

Industry-Wide Results: The Touchwork Impact

Touchwork is proud to support leading food service providers across industries with tools that are tailored to their environment, scalable, and easy to use.

Whether it’s providing ongoing insights into the guest experience, protecting students with dietary needs, supporting patient recovery through timely, quality meals, or ensuring corporate clients receive world-class dining, Touchwork is empowering food service providers to consistently deliver exceptional value every day.

Meet Armando—a passionate improviser, dedicated coach, and all-around creative spirit. Whether he’s inspiring new performers, running through forest trails, or diving into epic board game battles, Armando brings energy, curiosity, and a sense of play to everything he does. He thrives on connection, creativity, and the occasional monster movie.

Passion Project: Improv Workshop

Armando is currently channeling his creativity and experience into developing material for an upcoming Improv Workshop set to launch in the Fall/Winter season. With a strong background in coaching several improv teams within his local community, he’s now taking the next exciting step—teaching a class designed to inspire and guide new improvisers.

Life Beyond the Office

When he’s not immersed in improv, Armando enjoys hitting the trails or pounding the pavement—running is one of his biggest passions, occasionally paired with some hiking. His downtime also includes board games with friends and friendly Magic: The Gathering matches at his local game shop.

A Dream Dinner Guest

If given the chance, Armando would love to sit down with Haruo Nakajima, the original Godzilla suit actor. As a devoted fan of Toho’s Godzilla series, he’d be thrilled to hear firsthand stories about working in the iconic suit, performing monster battles, and maybe even get a chance to try on the legendary costume himself.

Superpower for a Day

Teleportation tops Armando’s list of dream superpowers. The ability to instantly travel anywhere would be his ticket to experiencing the world on a whim—an adventure-lover’s ultimate fantasy.

A Fun Fact You Might Not Know

Here’s a quirky tidbit: Armando had a huge crush on Britney Spears during his early teens, and she was the first artist he ever saw live in concert—a nostalgic milestone he fondly remembers.

On 11 February 2025, AHF hosted a Coffee Talk titled Enhancing Patient Feedback with Touchwork. The session brought together experts from Centra Health and Touchwork who discussed how Centra Health  has transformed the patient experience with Touchwork’s real-time feedback and audit solutions. The speakers included:

• Ryan Miller, Corporate Director of Food and Nutrition Services ,Centra Health
• Jennifer Wood, VP: Business Development, Touchwork 

Ryan shared details on how Centra Health implemented QR codes and a rounding app to collect and analyze patient feedback, as well as how they streamlined their tray assessments using the same app. Jennifer  covered practical strategies for integrating AI-driven tools into healthcare dining services to gain insights, save time and improve outcomes.

Ryan highlighted some challenges that led them to adopt  technology based solutions, including paper based processes, the need to get real-time data feedback for service recovery, enhanced analytics and sharing of results.

Why Centra Health Turned to Touchwork

To address these pain points, Centra Health turned to Touchwork’s innovative solutions. They needed a system that would offer real-time feedback, streamline audits, and drive operational improvements across food services and environmental services.

Real-time patient feedback 

The webinar reviewed how patients can provide real-time dining feedback by scanning a QR code, enabling immediate insights and quick issue resolution. This system alerts Centra staff by email and /or text message in real-time  improving patient satisfaction and decision-making. Fully customizable, the platform ensures flexible and efficient data collection.

In addition to QR codes, Centra also also uses an app for meal rounding. Using a cellphone or tablet, staff can visit patients and capture their feedback using the app. The combination of QR codes and the meal rounding app ensures that more patients are providing feedback about their dining experience enabling Centra Health to better monitor the customer experience and address issues as they occur.

Tray Assessment Audits:

Centra’s comprehensive Tray Assessments ensure that every patient receives meals tailored to their dietary needs. Using the same app designed for meal rounding, staff can also conduct Tray Assessment Audits to verify tray accuracy, ensuring that all items match the ticket. The app allows for checks on food quality and temperature, monitors adherence to quality standards, and eliminates the need for paper-based records. By streamlining these processes, the system enhances efficiency and contributes to improved patient satisfaction.

Centra also uses QR codes  to monitor issues in  restrooms, ensuring cleanliness and efficiency. Ensure real-time restroom management for cleanliness, timely maintenance, and improved user satisfaction by placing QR codes in restrooms. Patients, staff, and visitors can scan the codes to report issues, instantly alerting the appropriate personnel for resolution. Track response times and ensure swift problem resolution for a better restroom experience.

Jennifer and Ryan discussed the need for effective analytics, highlighting Abda, Touchwork’s  AI assistant built into its CX platform. Abda simplifies the analysis of feedback and audit data, helping organizations gain valuable insights and make data-driven decisions with ease.

We want to thank everyone who joined the webinar and our speakers for sharing their experiences. If you missed it, the full recording is available here. Check out the comprehensive case study for a deeper dive into the details.

If you’d like to find out more about collecting real-time patient feedback contact our team today to explore solutions tailored to your needs.

About Centra Health

Centra Health is a nonprofit healthcare system with four campuses in Central Virginia, operating outpatient facilities, and long-term care centers. Focused on a patient-centered approach, Centra Health is committed to delivering quality care and enhancing the healthcare experience for patients and their families.

Food services and environmental services at Centra Health

The goal of Centra Health’s food services (FS) and environmental services (EVS) divisions is to deliver the highest level of services possible to ensure patient satisfaction and support the hospital’s reputation for excellence. Ensuring meals consistently meet dietary needs while maintaining high standards of quality requires continuous monitoring. Additionally, providing clean, well-stocked restrooms for patients, visitors and staff remains a top priority. Existing methods for gathering and assessing feedback were considered to be inefficient, limiting Centra Health’s ability to make timely improvements.

Key challenges

Manual feedback and audit processes

Centra Health has relied on manual processes to collect feedback, track compliance and service quality. This inefficiency not only increased regulatory risks but also hindered the organization’s ability to implement meaningful operational improvements.

Paper-based results

Traditional feedback collection methods using paper surveys and audits led to low participation rates and difficulty in sharing results with team members. As a result, Centra Health struggled to gather sufficient actionable insights, making it difficult to gauge satisfaction levels and identify trends over time.

Delayed feedback

The organization depended on Press Ganey feedback, which often arrived long after patients had been discharged. This delay made it challenging to address patient concerns promptly and ensure their overall satisfaction during their stay.

Inconsistent service standards

Without real-time monitoring and data analysis, Centra Health experienced inconsistencies in food service quality and overall patient experience across its facilities. The lack of a standardized approach made it difficult to maintain uniform service levels and meet patient expectations.

Implementing solutions to overcome key challenges

To overcome these challenges, Centra Health sought a more efficient and data-driven approach to service quality management in its food services and environmental services divisions.

Starting in 2024 Centra Health collaborated with Touchwork to implement multiple solutions that directly tackled these challenges in their flagship Lynchburg General Hospital location.  It aimed to enhance patient experience, improve operational efficiency, and ensure compliance with regulatory standards. 

Getting real-time patient feedback via QR codes and a rounding app

Centra Health introduced QR codes on patient trays to streamline the feedback process. These codes enable patients to quickly share their thoughts on meal quality, temperature, and staff interactions. Feedback is given to the appropriate staff in real time, allowing for immediate action to address any concerns. Touchwork’s AI powered analysis capabilities enable valuable insights to be obtained from the feedback data helping to identify trends and recurring issues and continuous improvements in food service operations.

In addition to QR codes, Touchwork also provided an app for meal rounding. Using a cellphone or tablet, staff can visit patients and capture their feedback using the app. The combination of QR codes and the meal rounding app ensures that more patients are providing feedback about their dining experience enabling Centra Health to better monitor the customer experience and address issues as they occur.

Streamlining tray assessments using an audit app

To monitor the accuracy and quality of meal service trays, Centra has been using a paper-based tray assessment audit for many years. To streamline this process, Touchwork created an app to enable staff to perform these audits using a smartphone or tablet. Audits are automatically scored and are available in real-time in a web portal for review and analysis. 

The tool allows for checks of food quality, temperature, portion size, and overall presentation. Photos of trays are captured during audits, which provides accountability and support staff training. All the audit results are stored digitally eliminating the need for paper-based record keeping and enabling trends to be monitored over time on configurable dashboards.

Ensuring restroom cleanliness via QR codes and regular audits

Recognizing the role that clean well stocked restrooms have in ensuring a positive hospital experience, Centra Health implemented both QR codes and a restroom audit process.  Using QR codes in each restroom, patients, staff and visitors can report restroom problems as these are identified such as a leaking faucet, lack of certain supplies or cleanliness. Environmental service staff (EVS) are alerted in real time regarding these issues and can take immediate action ensuring that facilities remain clean and welcoming for both patients, visitors and staff. 

In addition to QR codes, Touch work provided an inspection webform enabling EVS staff to perform regular restroom audits. This checklist includes monitoring the key elements in a restroom to ensure custodial staff are complying with quality standards.

Positive outcomes from targeted interventions

The implementation of these tools has led to notable benefits for Centra Health. Access to real-time feedback from patients enables food related issues to be addressed before a patient leaves the hospital. This in turn can result in higher satisfaction ratings when patients complete a Press Ganey or HCAPHs survey. 

Operational efficiency improved through streamlined audits and the elimination of paper-based processes leading to better decision-making. Empowering staff to take proactive steps in addressing issues has fostered a culture of accountability and commitment to quality.

Setting a higher standard in patient experience

Centra Health’s efforts to improve patient experience, food quality, facility cleanliness, and responsiveness to feedback have led to a measurable enhancement in patient satisfaction. This case study highlights the potential for healthcare providers to achieve meaningful improvements by adopting technology-driven solutions tailored to their unique needs.

If you’re looking to optimize your hospital’s food service and facilities management, contact Touch work to explore how our solutions can help.

At Touchwork, we’re proud to collaborate with the National Association of College & University Food Services (NACUFS) to manage their Customer Satisfaction Benchmarking Survey. This initiative serves as a vital tool for higher education institutions seeking to elevate their campus dining experiences by collecting actionable feedback from students.

Why benchmarking matters

Understanding the evolving needs of students is critical for creating dining environments that resonate with diverse expectations. The NACUFS Benchmarking Survey empowers institutions to evaluate and benchmark their performance across a variety of dining options, from residential dining halls to retail units like food courts, marketplaces, and coffee shops.

With data spanning 25 key indicators – including food quality, menu variety, customer service, cleanliness, sustainability, and overall dining experience – the survey provides a comprehensive lens into student satisfaction. By focusing on what’s most important to students, campuses can align their services to better meet expectations.

Actionable insights from campus surveys

The survey includes standard questions with the option for up to three custom questions. It is distributed in a variety of ways, such as via email with weblinks or access codes, QR codes, posters, and more, ensuring accessibility and convenience for all participants. Institutions gain valuable insights through various detailed reports.

The Detailed Results section includes data tables that showcase frequency distributions, cross-tabulations, and medians, revealing trends based on institutional and student demographics such as institution type, geographic region, or student preferences. 

The Executive Summary provides a user-friendly overview with graphs, charts, and textual analysis, highlighting key findings, survey methodology, and demographic insights. Additionally, participants can access a Secure Online Portal, where they can view real-time results offering immediate insights as the survey progresses.

Driving meaningful change

By leveraging Touchwork’s expertise in real-time feedback solutions, the NACUFS Benchmarking Survey goes beyond traditional metrics. The inclusion of open-ended responses and dynamic benchmarking, along with AI-based analysis, equips institutions with the tools to make informed, data-driven decisions. This data helps campuses identify strengths, uncover opportunities for growth, and adapt to the changing needs of their dining community.

Partnering for success

Touchwork’s collaboration with NACUFS ensures that this survey not only gathers valuable feedback but also provides the actionable insights necessary to foster continuous improvement. With real-time data visualization and secure, accessible reporting, institutions can confidently chart their path toward dining excellence.

For institutions participating in the NACUFS Benchmarking Survey, this is more than a research initiative – it’s a strategic step toward creating dining experiences that students value and remember.

The survey is conducted during both the Fall and Spring semesters each year, based on the preferences of the institution.

Related content: The importance of benchmarking surveys in performance analysis