4 KEY WAYS - SafetyChain Software · Copg Saea Swae Page 7 4 Key Wa eg e Ee S ae FSSC 22000: More...

4 KEY WAYS TECHNOLOGY HELPS ENSURE

GFSI COMPLIANCE

Callie Smith

Copyright © 2018 SafetyChain Software

4 Key Ways Technology Helps Ensure GFSI Compliance

To remain competitive and consistently deliver the safest food possible, more food and beverage

companies are pursuing certification through The Global Food Safety Initiative (GFSI). GFSI certification

is accepted by retailers and food service companies worldwide and helps to demonstrate a company’s

commitment to mitigating food safety risks. In fact, GFSI schemes have become the standard by

which food companies are judged for food safety during third-party inspections. They implement a

consistent and measurable program to assess and manage risks, and help companies achieve continuous

improvement.

Yet, while becoming GFSI certified is advantageous for an overwhelming majority of food and beverage

companies, it also presents a set of challenges. The most notable obstacles companies face when

considering certification are managing a robust program and being audit-ready on demand – using only

the existing resources they have at their disposal.

To manage the complexities of managing a GFSI program with limited resources, many companies are

turning to technology. Today’s tools achieve visibility into operations and ensure ongoing compliance

with GFSI requirements. Throughout this guide, we’ll explore some of the key concepts of GFSI program

management, including:

The benefits of becoming GFSI certified

The challenges of GFSI program management

How to leverage technology to manage GFSI certification requirements

How SafetyChain supports GFSI management and audit readiness

Let’s start by reviewing some of the most noteworthy advantages of GFSI certification.



Advantages of GFSI Certification

The benefits of GFSI certification span far and wide. Not only can maintaining GFSI compliance boost

your company’s performance, but the initiative also benefits consumers and the food system as a whole.

Let’s explore the ways in which your company can benefit from certification.

Competitiveness

GFSI certification helps your company stay competitive. It is especially beneficial for food manufacturers

in the B2B space, as many companies have stringent vendor requirements, including GFSI certification.

Certification therefore yields broader access to markets. Moreover, many purchasing companies accept

GFSI certificates, which can reduce duplicated audits.

Many of today’s leading companies seek GFSI-recognized programs in their supply chain, including

Amazon, The Coca-Cola Company, Nestle, Target, and Walmart, among others. In fact, the leading

reasons many food and beverage companies seek certification are to continue doing business with an

existing customer or to begin doing business with a new customer. Ultimately, to contend with leading

brands, today’s food and beverage companies can leverage GFSI certification to demonstrate their

commitment to quality and safety.



Better Performance

In addition to staying competitive in the market, certification can also drive internal business results

as well. The aforementioned study, in which 15,000 members of GFSI-certified food manufacturing

facilities and food suppliers across the globe were surveyed, revealed that nearly 90% of respondents

felt becoming certified aided in addressing food safety concerns, and 74% would become certified again

even if their customers did not require it. The majority of companies also witnessed an improvement in

Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) in the year directly following GFSI certification.

Safer Food

The reason more and more buying companies are seeking GFSI-certified suppliers is simple: the

standards help to ensure a safer product. GFSI-recognized schemes provide shared risk management

tools, so food safety management is optimized across all levels of the supply chain. When your company

becomes certified, your food safety management system will continuously improve with evolving

standards. You’ll therefore be positioned to keep up with the latest requirements in safety at any given

time. This also provides a foundation for a strong legal defense, and it can even work side-by-side with

any efforts you’ve already put in place for compliance with the Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA).

Resource Optimization

While becoming certified requires an initial investment of time and labor, the benefits of certification

have a lasting impact. It gives the food industry a comparable approach to audits, which can prevent

audit fatigue. With fewer redundancies in audits, you can focus your company’s time and efforts on more

strategic initiatives. Additionally, complying with GFSI standards helps you achieve reduced failure, which

can also positively impact your bottom line.

With all of these benefits comes a caveat: managing a comprehensive GFSI program is complex and

challenging. Read through the most noteworthy challenges in the upcoming section.



Key Challenges of Meeting GFSI Compliance Standards

Five of the most overwhelming challenges companies face in becoming GFSI certified are as follows:

Document Management

Maintenance and management of records and documents are a key requirement to GFSI

certification, and relying on paper-based processes can be a barrier against an effective GFSI

program. Paper records are notoriously difficult to manage and make it challenging to ensure

the most up-to-date forms for critical activities are in place. More importantly, the use of

spreadsheets and binders isn’t just cumbersome and time-intensive; it poses risks of human error.

Missing and incomplete records could lead to audit deductions. Worse, they could compromise a

key aspect of your overall food safety program, potentially leading to severe consequences.

Scheduling & Monitoring Required Activities

To effectively manage a GFSI program, every component must be documented and monitored.

As with any food safety program, this creates a set of challenges in terms of ensuring:

HACCP (and HARPC with FSMA) plans, Prerequisite Programs (PRPs) Good Agricultural

Practices (GAPs), and Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) are scheduled and

completed to specification.

Non-conformances are reported in a timely manner so that Corrective/Preventive

Actions (CAPAs) can be put in place.

Managing a timeline to ensure each of the above factors are scheduled and monitored can be

complex and resource-intensive.

Ongoing Improvement

Performance trending for continuous improvement is essential to compliance with GFSI

standards. Yet, without a centralized repository for FSQA data, sifting through information is

time-consuming and inefficient. While this holds true for paper-based systems, it also applies

to many electronic systems. When multiple systems are not integrated, the challenges of

performing thorough assessments of KPIs still linger. Not all electronic systems are automated

or designed for effective trending and performance analyses.



Audit Preparedness

To become certified, your company must achieve a successful third-party audit against a GFSI-

recognized program. True audit preparedness means being ready to pass an audit – not simply

produce the necessary documentation. Readying your company for an audit can be time-

consuming and disruptive to daily operations.

You’ll also need to first assess your operation to determine which program best aligns with your

activities. Use factors like the number of your locations and employees, whether your company

produces high- or low-risk products, and how many HACCP plans your company has to inform

your decision. Here are some of the GFSI-recognized certification programs to choose from:

SQF: To be certified through the Safe Quality Food (SQF) Institute, food companies

must go through a three-step process to ultimately demonstrate comprehensive

implementation of food safety and quality management systems. SQF is the only

scheme that integrates a quality component in addition to safety.



FSSC 22000: More than 18,000 companies in over 140 nations have received

certification in FSSC 22000, which is based on existing ISO standards. There are more

than 1,500 auditors across the globe and 110 licensed certification bodies in place.

BRC: BRC Global Standards is the largest global GFSI scheme. It is divided into seven

sections: senior management commitment and continual improvement, HACCP, food

safety and quality management system, site standards, product control, process control,

and personnel.

Primus: PrimusGFS is a GFSI benchmarked standard, best known for its recognition by

buyers in the Western Hemisphere. The audit scheme is endorsed by more than 2,000

growers and provides total produce supply chain coverage.

IFS: International Featured Standards (IFS) is used to audit food manufacturers

regarding safety and quality of processes. Requirements are organized into six

categories, including: senior management responsibility; quality and food safety

management system; resource management; planning and production process;

measurements, analysis, and improvements; and food defense.

Global GAP: Global Good Agricultural Practice (GAP) is a global standard promoting

safe, sustainable agriculture. Certification is available for three scopes of production:

crops, livestock, and aquaculture.

Vendor Management

Managing suppliers continues to be one of the most resource-intensive challenges in the

industry. Yet, monitoring vendors against GFSI standards adds an additional layer of complexity.

With binders, filing cabinets, and clipboards, executing vendor management against your GFSI

program will be cumbersome and time-consuming.

Ultimately, pursuing GFSI certification will mean your company will have more regulatory, third-

party, and customer requirements to oversee. Yet, your company must manage these factors

with the same limited resources it has now. Technology allows you to do more with less, making

it easier for your teams to manage GFSI certification requirements. Let’s find out how in the

upcoming segment.



4 Key Ways to Leverage Technology to Manage GFSI Certification Requirements

More and more companies are deploying technology to manage their GFSI certification requirements.

Take a look at how automated solutions can aid in your ability to achieve compliance:

Program Adherence & Early Detection

Rework caused by missed or late tasks, out-of-date forms and specs, or delays in catching

conformances can be avoided altogether by implementing technology. Today’s solutions

ensure all program requirements are being met on a daily basis. Automated task scheduling

and workflows save your teams a significant amount

of time, while also verifying all tasks are completed.

“One and done” data collection via mobile app can

give your teams the tools and capabilities needed

to upload or retrieve information from anywhere.

Additionally, online portals can simplify data

retrieval for remote teams and multiple locations.

You can also use equipment data extraction to

ensure efficiency and accuracy. Plus, with real-time

data analysis and program specifications, you can

receive instant non-conformance alerts to achieve

timely, documented CAPAs.

Supplier Compliance & Supply Chain Controls

Effective management of supplier

documents is a challenge in itself.

Technology doesn’t just centralize all of your

documents, however. It also achieves automated

vendor program management by ensuring suppliers

follow your GFSI, FSMA, and internal supplier program

requirements. In doing so, it helps you take a preventive,

instead of reactive, approach to non-conformances

throughout the supply chain. Today’s tools allow you

to automate activities like vendor onboarding and

provide ongoing visibility to achieve the greatest level

of confidence in knowing your suppliers are complying

with all of your program requirements.

1

2



24/7 Audit & Inquiry Readiness

Audits are among the most time-intensive and stress-inducing activities for food and

beverage teams, but they are necessary facets of certification. From FDA to GFSI audits, the

saying often goes, “if it’s not documented, it’s not done.” Yet, manually documenting all of

your program data is not only inefficient, it also creates

risks of inaccuracy. As part of an automated system,

every form, spec, task, NCR/CAPA, supplier notification

or document, finished product release, and virtually all

other data is time- and date-stamped. The data then

becomes a permanent record in an easy-to-access,

centralized online repository. This approach ties all of

your records to your food safety plan components and

ensures your company is ready to respond to inquiries

at a moment’s notice. You’ll also be prepared for audits

at any time, even if they are unannounced.

Continuous Improvement

GFSI programs (and FSMA) require continuous assessment and reevaluation of risks and

preventive measures. Yet, silos and manual processes act as a barrier for effective trending

of food safety and quality data. To overcome these challenges and inefficiencies, companies adopt

technology with real-time capabilities for accessing all food safety and quality data. Information can be

retrieved instantly through interactive dashboards, reporting, and SPC charts. Actionable data becomes

a tool you can leverage to make decisions that align with your company goals and strategy, leading to

continuous improvement in performance.

3

4



How SafetyChain Supports GFSI Management & Audit Readiness

SafetyChain Analytics goes beyond collecting and storing your GFSI program information and

transforms your records into real-time data intelligence. Not only does this intelligence make your

company better prepared for audits, but it also achieves the following objectives:

Drive Customer SuccessSafetyChain Analytics provide 24/7 on-demand access to safety and quality data intelligence.

With the system, you are perennially prepared to respond to inquiries. Easy-to-use ad-hoc query,

reporting, and drill-down capabilities allow users to retrieve any piece of information with ease.

You will also receive visibility into suppliers and food safety tasks to ensure all of your operations

are consistently aligning with your GFSI program requirements. This ongoing compliance helps

you maintain strong partnerships with your customers.

Maximize ProductivityWith live operational monitoring, SafetyChain Analytics provides a holistic view of both

equipment performance data and food safety and quality tasks. You can also live-stream

attribute checks, trending, and process control to oversee completion of daily program

requirements. In addition to giving managers the visibility needed to manage teams and

processes more efficiently, the tool’s automated functions also free up a significant amount

of time for managers, allowing them to become more effective in their roles. As a result, your

management teams can dedicate their focus to compliance efforts and ongoing improvement.

Continuously Improve PerformanceInsights provided by pre-configured operational and compliance dashboards and reports

not only help you measure performance at any moment in time; they also help you track

performance over a specific timeframe to help you pinpoint on-target compliance efforts

versus areas needing improvement. You can identify macro and micro tends based on specific

targets or KPIs, and monitor tolerance levels and quality metrics by item, line, location, shift,

or attribute. This visibility allows you to make decisions supporting operational excellence and

ongoing improvement in GFSI compliance efforts, which must be demonstrated during audits.

Additionally, you can share reports and charts with auditors, inspectors, and key stakeholders to

present your GFSI program data in a comprehensive format.



Summary

Within this guide, we’ve discussed some of the ways technology can be leveraged to help you manage

GFSI certification requirements and ensure a safer product for your customers. Although there are many

GFSI schemes available to align with each company’s unique processes, they all share a common goal of

mitigating food safety risks. Effectively managing these risks under a robust GFSI program using your

company’s existing resources can add new challenges, which is why organizations are implementing

technology as a solution.

To leave you with some actionable takeaways, let’s take a moment to revisit some key concepts:

The advantages of GFSI certification include, but are not limited to, competitiveness, better

performance, safer food, and resource optimization.

There are also many challenges associated with GFSI certification, such as paper-intensive

processes, scheduling and monitoring required activities, continuous improvement, audit

readiness, and effective vendor management.

Leveraging technology allows companies to achieve the following objectives: program adherence

and early detection, supplier compliance, 24/7 audit and inquiry readiness, and continuous

improvement.

SafetyChain supports GFSI management and audit readiness with analytics, which can be used to

drive customer success, maximize productivity, and continuously improve operations.

It has become increasingly clear to the food and beverage industry that the advantages of GFSI

certification far outweigh its challenges. Yet, these advantages can only be fully realized when the proper

management tools are in place. By implementing automated technology and analytics, your company

can do more with less and meet the complexities of GFSI certification requirements, while also achieving

better bottom-line results.



About SafetyChainSafetyChain is a Quality Management System (QMS) that helps food and beverage companies improve

productivity, profitability, and compliance with a flexible, user-friendly software platform that captures,

manages, and analyzes real-time operations data.

Learn more at www.safetychain.com.

4 KEY WAYS - SafetyChain Software · Copg Saea Swae Page 7 4 Key Wa eg e Ee S ae FSSC 22000: More...

Documents

Transcript of 4 KEY WAYS - SafetyChain Software · Copg Saea Swae Page 7 4 Key Wa eg e Ee S ae FSSC 22000: More...