32 replies to this topic

[Simon]

What's become apparent with our BRC audit finishing yesterday is that senior team see the certification only as a means to an end.

None of them really backed up our findings in the weeks and months leading up to it.

 

Every week I gently reminded engineering about things we need to get on top of, and every week came away slightly deflated.

(I'm working on the premise of perseverance beats resistance though!) 

 

4 of our 6 minors came from engineering (+1 for out of date organogram and 1 for film batch codes not always recorded)

 

Feeling a bit of 'I told you so' doesn't feel right; SMT intervention earlier could have had a potential of 4 less non-cons.......

 

Hi John,

 

Unless and until you get downgraded by getting a B instead of an A in an audit nobody will hear you. If you do then senior management suddenly become interested because it could have a negative affect in the marketplace. You need to send this message loud and clear every time you have a customer or internal audit as well.  It's very easy on any given day to pick up a handful of minor NC's and that could be the difference.  To be 'audit ready' 24/7/365 requires everyone to be on board.  If you have everything that you are responsible for in order such as your food safety management system documentation, pest control, internal audits etc. then the holes will be in operations.  I'm not saying you should set them up to fail, obviously work with them and give them every opportunity, every which way you can, but they have to take responsibility and accountability.

 

Good luck.

 

By the way in BRC Food what is the grading structure now, is it 5 or less for an A?

 

Regards,

Simon

[JohnWheat]

Getting everyone 'audit ready' is the real challenge ahead. 1 or 2 need moving on from their positions for that to happen!

Luckily the auditor we had, took a pragmatic approach as all the systems were in place and no slip ups on the 2 days.

Took a lot of coaching to get there and already many have the attitude of 'phew that's out of the way, lets carry on as before'......

Unannounced next year will shake that mind set up!

 

I remember having an M&S site where the technologist must have been blind and did us no favours what so ever (why were Technical/QA making a fuss)?!

When they a had move around we got well and truly 'beaten up' by the next audit/visit. Everyone acted in such shock and surprise!

 

Simon - IIRC less than 5 for a AA? 6 to 10 for A grade.......I stand to be corrected of course!

[rose32]

I would have to say its a resounding NO! My boss seems to be focused on our ozone levels and thats it, we are currently just starting the process of working towards our first SQF certification, and he seems to think that all of the paperwork (schedules, SOP's, SSOP's etc.) are all a b*s waste of time and that I should be able to only come in on saturday mornings for a couple of hours and thats all the time I need to set up this program from scratch. He also doesn't believe that being an SQF Practitioner is a "full time" job. And that I should be working production a minimum of about 6 hours a day and only doing SQF for about 2 hours a day. I think I am going to need to sit down and have a pretty serious chat with him about it, as he is currently tying my hands on most things. (most of which are mandatory for certification) Any advice on how to get him to understand how much work this is going to be?

 

Thanks!

Ashley

[The Food Scientist]

I would have to say its a resounding NO! My boss seems to be focused on our ozone levels and thats it, we are currently just starting the process of working towards our first SQF certification, and he seems to think that all of the paperwork (schedules, SOP's, SSOP's etc.) are all a b*s waste of time and that I should be able to only come in on saturday mornings for a couple of hours and thats all the time I need to set up this program from scratch. He also doesn't believe that being an SQF Practitioner is a "full time" job. And that I should be working production a minimum of about 6 hours a day and only doing SQF for about 2 hours a day. I think I am going to need to sit down and have a pretty serious chat with him about it, as he is currently tying my hands on most things. (most of which are mandatory for certification) Any advice on how to get him to understand how much work this is going to be?

 

Thanks!

Ashley

 

 

I know this doesn't sound like an answer you'd want to hear but leave. These types of bosses won't change (you're lucky if they did). One of the toughest types! I have been there. Try opening up your options into applying somewhere else. That sounds dead end to me. Hang in there!

[Ryan M.]

When you have a director tell you, "I can't control personnel in other departments" when you ask for assistance with things then you don't have support.

 

Unfortunately, this is a shared sentiment in a number of senior management folks in the company.  Whilst, the VP of Operations says we shouldn't operate in silos, there is little done to influence across departments to do the right thing.

[Padfoot]

I  voted no... they want to care more than they actually do I think. everything is questioned? everything that has to do with with food safety always has to be proven as a MUST and then we do the bare minimum just to get by. One person i feel actually cares but its always an argument with every other manager

[TimG]

The no's are winning!!

[QAKat]

I  voted no... they want to care more than they actually do I think. everything is questioned? everything that has to do with with food safety always has to be proven as a MUST and then we do the bare minimum just to get by. One person i feel actually cares but its always an argument with every other manager

This is how it is at my current company there is ALWAYS a push back on EVERYTHING even if can prove why something is needed or not and I honestly feel burnt out. Fighting all the time to get your point across with senior management that doesn't WANT to understand is getting mentally draining. The sad part is that I actually care and actually want to see the company grow. Sigh. 

The company is small and one of the owners tries to have my back as I am the only QA person in the facility and I can see that he cares about food safety (to a certain extent) but at the end him and the main owner just end up almost beating each other up (causing everyone else around stress and discomfort). Some of the decisions they make are also questionable and have not been lining up with my values and ethics (e.g getting out of spec results on finished product and lying to customers so product doesn't get potentially disposed). Not pathogens but like APC and coliforms which to me doesn't matter because it is still not ok! And then trying to gaslight me into their thinking by saying some high or out of customer specs APC and coliform isn't going to kill anybody  So after the SQF audit we have coming up I think I will be moving on to hopefully better things. 

 

Sorry for the rant lol

I just feel alone here but I know most of you understand >.<