SafetyChain Blog

It’s no small effort to pursue Digital Transformation, but it’s becoming a necessity to keep pace in modern manufacturing. To remain efficient and competitive, it’s no longer a question of whether Digital Transformation is needed, but when. 

Many manufacturers recognize the importance of digital transformation for their operations, but are often unsure of where to start, how much to invest, and how to scale operational changes. Unfortunately, time is of the essence and businesses that fail to swiftly embrace digitized production risk falling behind the competition. 

The food and beverage industry is no stranger to changing regulations and requirements. However, the rapid evolution of today’s global food market and the rate of new food trends means manufacturers are constantly at risk of violating food safety standards.

Every manufacturer is familiar with Root Cause Analysis (RCA), yet even with well-known methods in place, plant management can struggle to identify incident trends and pinpoint areas of improvement. While you can’t improve anything that isn't measured and analyzed, misguided analysis can have adverse effects on operations and prevent safety improvements necessary to produce high-quality products. 

The number one reason for food-related recalls is due to product labeling mistakes. These mistakes are typically a result of the ever-changing food labeling regulations that continue to evolve and become more complex, forcing many manufacturers to quickly update their current operating practices. Without the proper checks in place, incorrect product information is being sent out. The risk of a label error goes beyond a recall - if not quickly detected, it could impact consumer health (for example, an undisclosed allergen), damaging your brand reputation.

Manufacturers are always at risk of recall because at any time, at any location along the supply chain, the FDA may sample a product for contamination.  Recall preparation involves more input and supply chain alignment than HACCP plans. This is mainly because recalls have elements that manufacturers cannot control, whereas HACCP plans run on their own if production is stable.

In November, the FDA released the final Food Traceability Rule, detailing the requirements for record-keeping of foods on the Food Traceability List (FTL). The purpose of the Food Traceability Rule is to make it faster and easier for the FDA and other regulators to pinpoint locations in the supply chain where food contamination occurs. 

The Dilemma

The process of turning raw materials into finished products is a massive team effort that requires the unification of all the people, processes, and equipment to achieve a common goal. Unfortunately, the systems traditionally used to facilitate efficiency often work in opposition to this goal, especially enterprise-class software.

Effective teams need a shared understanding of their goal and the progress across functions, including production, quality, and compliance. Only with a shared understanding can they take the right actions and make the needed course corrections. This level of coordination cannot happen with siloed information and data that is hours, days, or weeks old.

SafetyChain is proud to be recognized by our customers as a top Quality Management System (QMS) on the Winter 2023 G2 Grid® Report.

More than 60 million people worldwide use G2 to make smarter software decisions based on authentic, non-biased peer reviews. SafetyChain was recognized as a Leader on the Grid® Report for Quality Management (QMS) and a High Performer on the Mid-Market Grid® Report for Quality Management (QMS) for the winter 2023 reporting period. With 4.7 out of 5 stars overall, SafetyChain ranks above most other QMS solutions for ease of setup, usability, and high-quality support.

The manufacturing industry is no stranger to labor shortages. In our webinar, Addressing Labor Shortage: How to Increase Uptime While Empowering Employees attendees agreed that high turnover and an inability to hire skilled workers were their two largest challenges. Jeremy Tancredi, Partner at West Monroe consultancy with over 20 years of experience in operational productivity for large distribution clients, covered several methods to overcome these issues.