The Peanut Butter and Pistachio Paradox

Another key factor that dramatically affects a manufacturer’s ability to ensure product quality, according to AMR’s findings, is a lack of tools that can analyze and measure the complex data relationships between the multiple sources, systems, and workflows in the food and beverage supply chain. The fallout from this deficiency can be poor food quality, lost revenue due to insufficient product supply on the shelves, and even product recall, potentially disastrous in terms of financial and brand impact.

A quality management system implemented in such a complex supply chain environment can not only streamline and tighten up a manufacturer’s own product operation but can also help foster better supplier collaboration, translating into benefits for all parties involved, including the consumer.

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A score card function can help companies track and manage supplier qualifications, non-conformances, and corrective actions.

Centralized Enterprise Quality Management

A centralized approach to enterprise quality management can help a food or beverage manufacturer manage and track goods, information, and resources across the enterprise and the supply chain, while adhering to stringent quality standards. These systems can provide a global view of quality management—across all facilities, suppliers, and departments—as well as environmental health and safety. In addition, centralized and consolidated tracking, workflow management, and reporting of all critical quality processes provides a production environment in which the right information and analytical output are available to those who need them when they need them.

There are a number of other critical functions a centralized and integrated enterprise quality management solution should provide, including:

• Supporting both internal and external auditing of a manufacturer’s entire supply chain as well as tracking and management of supplier qualifications, non-conformances, and corrective actions for a holistic approach to overall supplier quality management;
• Automated tracking and verification of the manufacturer’s compliance with industry regulations to avoid non-compliance penalties and minimize risk;
• Inspection management of materials that are received, including tracking inspection results, item received date, material information, and quantity, to eliminate product quality issues before they can become problematic; and
• Tracking and managing complaints and related investigations and corrective actions to help ensure customer satisfaction and ensure product safety.

No company can afford to let its guard down when it comes to product quality—especially in the food and beverage industry. Unlike the highly regulated pharmaceutical industry, food and beverage enforcement of regulations just

isn’t that strict; the real burden is on the product manufacturers themselves. Their products are not luxuries but are consumed by regular people each and every day, making the need for food and beverage safety not just a residual business luxury, but a moral company imperative.

By implementing a centralized, integrated, and holistic enterprise quality management system in the production environment and supplier management function, companies can help to ensure that safer food reaches the shelves. They will also benefit as organizations and receive tangible results that include increased revenue, heightened brand loyalty, happier customers, improved regulatory compliance, and much more.

By clamping down on product quality and food safety as an industry, we can start to put an end to the troubling daily headlines we see concerning food contamination, product recalls, failing manufacturers, and consumer health issues.

Jovanis is vice president of product management at Sparta Systems. Reach him at [email protected] or (732) 203-0400.