TECHNICAL FIELD

Example embodiments generally relate to enterprise management and, more particularly, relate to the distribution of recipe or other food product related information associated with a particular asset in the context of a communication network.

BACKGROUND

Many food service companies are enterprises which conduct operations at numerous locations, some of which may be in different geographic regions. However, such companies often strive to provide consistency and quality across the entirety of their organization. To achieve consistency and quality, many such enterprises generate recipes and/or processes to standardize the use of equipment that is shared across the enterprise for use in food preparation.

While standardization of certain processes and/or recipes may have some advantages, it may also be desirable to foster the proliferation of creative processes and technical improvements. Moreover, many chefs are inquisitive and creative by nature as well as being familiar with the creation and consumption of content associated with modern network communication tools such as social networking sites, blogs, and/or the like. Thus, it may be desirable to implement network communication tools into enterprise management for food service companies.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF SOME EXAMPLES

Some example embodiments may provide an enterprise management system that may enable enterprise wide sharing of content to improve utilization of network assets. In one example, a particular network asset such as an oven that may employ multiple cooking sources that are electronically controlled via processing circuitry may be a focal point of such a system. In this regard, for example, ovens may be distributed to numerous customers. In some cases, a plurality of ovens may be provided to individual customers with standard (e.g., company generated) recipes and/or cooking signatures being provided to operators (e.g., chefs) from the corporate level. The operators may be enabled, either directly via the ovens or via other computer based access terminals, to communicate with each other, with the organizational leadership, or enterprise management entities in order to share content such as recipes and/or cooking signatures across the enterprise relating to the ovens. The system may therefore enable standardization to be provided by company driven dissemination of procedures, recipes and/or cooking signatures. However, feedback and process improvement data may also be easily shared throughout the system to enable synergistic cooperation across the enterprise. Furthermore, such a system may enable integration with other parties outside the organization, such as distributors, manufacturers, or even professionals from other food service companies, which could be either competitors or partners. The network asset, such as the oven, may therefore become the focal point for a network of parties that service or use the oven in one way or another to share in a cooperative experience that can be mutually beneficial to all parties.

In an example embodiment, a method for enabling network communication relating to a food preparation asset is provided. The method may include receiving, from a third party participant, a registration request to join a community including asset operators that operate at least one food preparation asset, registering the third party participant as a community member, providing the third party participant with access to a communication network for sharing information related to the asset, receiving data indicative of asset related activity, providing the third party participant with data indicative of asset related activity, and enabling the third party participant to establish communications with the asset or asset operators via the communication network based on the data indicative of asset related activity. Some or all of the operations of the method may be executed via processing circuitry configured accordingly.

In another example embodiment, a usage data analysis platform is provided. The platform may include processing circuitry having a processor and memory. The processor may be configured for receiving, from a third party participant, a registration request to join a community including asset operators that operate at least one food preparation asset, registering the third party participant as a community member, providing the third party participant with access to a communication network for sharing information related to the asset, receiving data indicative of asset related activity, providing the third party participant with data indicative of asset related activity, and enabling the third party participant to establish communications with the asset or asset operators via the communication network based on the data indicative of asset related activity.

