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How it works.
The above and next three screen shots
will illustrate how the information is made available using the
Dashboard to review scheduled work. Each image shows how the
information becomes more specific so that the data for a control
point is available for review.
A list of products that are currently in
each category represented by one of the bars on the Dashboard is
available by clicking the bar.
Each product on that inventory list has a report
called Job Info that details the data obtained from each control
point that the scheduled product passed through. The Job Info
report is accessed by clicking on the Lot Code of the
product.
The detailed data collected from each of the control
points can be obtained by clicking on the control point.
The detail shows each time the control
point produced data. It also shows the status of the control
point at that time. Using Red, Green and Yellow as indicators,
the above form shows that control point was in control throughout
the process.
Access to Data at the
Dashboard
The data is just a click away as you dial
down through the hierarchy of product scheduled, product control
points, control point detail and corrective action steps , if
needed, on the detail. However, it is not necessary to look at
the data for each control point to determine if all the points were
within pre-set limits during the production run. Whenever an
out-of-limit condition occurs, an incident description will appear
in the Incident section of the Job Info Report. In
addition, there will be an acknowledgement of the status of the
incident along with the detail involved. No incidents present
means that all the data from the control points was within the
pre-set limits.
Marketing Advantages
Data! Data! Data! Data
is the buzzword in today's information hungry
society. When pressed for
information, there never seems to be enough data or the right
data. The problem
is finding the right data when you need it. If the data
is available, then timeliness becomes the issue. If readily
available, then credibility.
When a customer calls with questions, it is imperative that accurate
information is presented in a timely manner. The need to
respond while the product is still in the warehouse and not "on the
road" can be a matter of keeping or losing an
account.
Digital
Certificate of Analysis (COA)
The requirements for COA's for receipt of
ingredients and for receipt of finished product has become a routine
part of quality systems. They are a pre-requisite in HACCP
plans. They often are a requirement for receipt of a
potentially hazardous product or ingredient.
A COA is generated after a product has
been produced and verified ready for sale or shipment. Data is
transcribed from HACCP forms, from laboratory test result forms,
from sensory evaluation forms and possibly others. The
Dashboard eliminates all the transcription. As data is
collected for a control point, it is readily available on the
manufacturer's Dashboard. As the production run is completed,
the data review shows no incidents and is released by the Quality
Department. The data is released to the customer's Dashboard
to satisfy the COA requirements for each specific production
run.
All of the above information can be
garnered from the Job Info report. This allows the report to
serve as a digital COA (Certificate of Analysis) for each production
run. The information for a specific production run can be released
by the processing facility to a customer as the production steps are
completed and the product is ready for shipment. The Job Info
reports will be available on a separate Dashboard for each
designated customer that can only be accessed by secure means. Over
time, the digital COA will serve as a Virtual Audit because all the
data from the control points that are shared between producer and
customer is available on the Job Info form. There is a Job
Info form for each production run so the data is continuous between
runs as well as discrete for each run.
The data on the Job Info form is
Real-Time for the processing facility, and may contain more control
points than are made available to the customer. These may
include production key point indicators such as line rate, product
count and other parameters used to measure efficiencies. The
same may be true for quality or food safety attributes that are
necessary for production such as ingredient lot tracking data and
ingredient quantities on batch sheet forms that are not transferred
to the customer COA. The Job Info Report is a pedigree for the
scheduled production run from start to finish with data collected to
verify the food safety, quality and production attributes as well as
subjective data such as sensory information.
The customer's Dashboard may reflect the
categories such as "Product Available", "Product in Transit",
"Product Received". Now the customer has more than production
information. They now have a tool that they can use to track
their purchases which can be beneficial for their inventory
control, operations, cash flow, and other business
concerns.
Digital data for a COA when received can
be incorporated directly into the FoodHorizon system.
Naturally we would prefer that both customer and supplier had
FoodHorizon systems to make this step completely effortless in that
not only does the Job Info Report appear on the customer's
Dashboard, but the data is made available to the customer's
Receiving Forms. When that Lot Code arrives at the dock, and
is entered onto the Receiving Form, an automatic query will confirm
that a COA has arrived and meets the limits established for that
ingredient or product.
Can you offer that to your customers
today with the ease of a click of a button on a keyboard? Can
you and the customer see the value of having access to digital
data produced by your process rather than by a clerk? Can you
see the advantage for you as a manufacturer to show your customers
the integral aspects of your food safety and quality systems on a
routine basis? Can you see the advantage for you as a customer
if your supplier can supply you information in this
manner?
Dynamics of Operation
The dynamics of operation will now
change. Not only from the administrative side, but also from
the physical side of receiving. This will affect production
personnel, quality control personnel and laboratory personnel.
The effect is very positive. There will not be a question of
whether a COA is available for receipt, or if the ingredient has to
be received and placed on HOLD awaiting the COA. Quality
personnel will not have to collate and verify the presence of a COA
and then file it. They will not start making calls for COA's to be
faxed when not present. Laboratory personnel will know that a
product or ingredient has arrived and will know if and what analyses
are required.
The dynamics change because of
information. The data needed by each aspect of safely
receiving products is satisfied automatically.
Timing
The time is now. In today's competitive market you
cannot over invest
in customer service. The only difference between you and the
competition may be service. Give your company the
advantage it needs in order to succeed in this climate; "have
the better mousetrap. The Foodhorizon advantage directly
translates into dollars saved by positively influencing the
dynamics of your operation.
This advantage can serve as a showcase to distinguish your business
from the competition. | 
