Keep Data When Changing or Adding Safety Systems

Here’s a simple exercise. Take a common procedure such as good manufacturing practices or a critical control point (CCP) instruction in the HACCP program. Give it to a supervisor who is not involved in the authoring process. Does this person understand it or even know what it is? How much worse will it get if you give it to a line worker? Can the line worker explain what to do, as well as why it is important? Learn the lessons from this exercise, as it will make life easier for all.

Is it possible to oversimplify? Of course it is. Here’s an example: Which instructions would you prefer to have?

1. Cut the wires.
2. Cut the red wire, then the blue wire, to disable the explosive device.

The choice is clear, especially when safety is the issue.

Continuous Improvement

Now that your quality management system is cleaned up and under control, it’s safe to assume that your work is done, right? Wrong. Keep in mind the goal of a documented, effective, and continuously improving food safety system. Anything worth doing is worth measuring and perfecting. As your system continues to mature and improve, you should ask yourself the following questions: How do we measure and demonstrate performance of the system? Are we getting better? Are we focused on the critical issues? Though some do not understand the purpose of increasing performance, there are many benefits that come with a mature system:

1. Better quality control processes minimize losses such as products rejected because of CCP failures as well as those returned due to customer complaints.
2. Increased control allows companies to better manage their processes and make a higher quality product with fewer resources.
3. Effective systems, such as preventive maintenance, reduce expenditures for equipment and facility repairs, saving the company money.
4. As systems become more predict- able, companies can effectively decrease monitoring costs, because failures are less likely and control is more assured.

Although this is only a partial list, it illustrates some of the many benefits of a mature system.

Another important element is the record retention policy. If your system is working, just write down what you do. Yes, it’s that simple. Still not sure? Ask an expert or an attorney to guide you. When I suggest expert guidance, I do not mean that you should have a consultant create the system, thinking you will save a lot of time because you won’t have to put any effort into it. When the expert is gone, your company still has to understand, use, and maintain the system.

At first glance, the task of putting an effective food quality management system into place looks daunting. Simply looking at all of those binders and stacks of paperwork can make teams shudder, close their eyes, and hope it all goes away. Unfortunately, it won’t—unless you take the appropriate steps.

First, know your rules. Do the research on the appropriate regulations and codes, and understand what the customer and corporate requirements are. Next, it’s important to make the system manageable. Continue to maintain the documents and records that are vital to meeting regulatory requirements and keeping the customers and corporation happy.

When you are changing or adding systems, keep your focus on the intent, with the final goal being a safe product. By making sure that the message is clear for all, including the auditor, inspector, and even the line personnel, you will help create a more effective system. Finally, measure the system’s performance and find ways to improve it. Continue to strive to make the system better in order to keep the team focused on the task at hand. Keeping these issues in mind will help your company reach the important goals of producing not only safe, quality food, but food that will keep the customer satisfied and your company profitable.