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Importance of filling paperwork correctly

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karina.j

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Posted 18 December 2019 - 09:53 AM

hi

We are having an issue with the staff not filling in paperwork correctly. Wrong column (major NC on recent audit for wrong table for CCP test pieces), wrong weights (not within target) and total lack of understanding consequences of their behaviour.

Can someone please share SOP/policy that I could train the staff on regarding importance of correct information on the paperwork? Paperwork is simple and easy to follow, they just do not care.

 

karina 



Simon

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Posted 18 December 2019 - 10:41 AM

The SOP really is an example record showing how it should be filled correctly and also an example record showing how it shoud not be filled e.g. gaps, strike throughs, wrong information etc.  Also should be small training sessions to discuss the implications of incorrect records.  After that anyone found to be consistently not completing records as required should be disciplined.  Records are as important as the checks themselves, they go hand in hand.

 

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Simon


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karina.j

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Posted 18 December 2019 - 11:02 AM

Thank you Simon.

the implications of incorrect records - this is what I am looking for, I dont know how and what to include in it

I am retraining the staff every single week and they just dont care

there is no disciplinary action so I thought if I present management with training sheet stating the implications and that there will be disciplinary action maybe they will start doing something

 

kind regards

karina 



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Posted 18 December 2019 - 11:12 AM

The implications are that if the record keeping is poor then in all likelihood the checks are also poor and that could have a negative impact on food safety and quality and perhaps even harm consumers. It is a culture of ill-discipline. 

 

To change this culture needs management effort.  Are the checks and records all required, are the documents logical and easy to follow, is everyone trained and supervised with errors and omissions followed up quickly with retraining and discipline if required?


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Posted 18 December 2019 - 11:21 AM

Hi Karina,

 

The idea that someone might just be a bit thick only has a certain amount of legs in it before you start to wonder why else these mistakes keep happening- I'll assume you've made the sheets so easy to follow that a 10 year old could fill them in? If you have and you've trained staff to use them one or more times what can you really do, particularly if upper management aren't willing to go down the disciplinary route?

 

In my experience it may take more major NCs in audits to trigger any action- if they become a regular thing people will soon start sitting up and taking notice! Problem is its very embarrassing for you to have to face the auditor and not have a decent answer when they ask why the paperwork has been done incorrectly.


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AmeliaJacobs

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Posted 18 December 2019 - 02:07 PM

I have had this problem. 

We recently came up with a novel way to address it that (fingers crossed!) just might work.

I created tests. I divvied up 42 of my co-workers who fill out this paperwork with 6 examples of their own handiwork - completed batches of paperwork.

Then I told them to find the errors, find a specific tote, find the blend(recipe) ratios, etc... the sort of things I have to find when I go through their paperwork.

They were absolutely stymied and it took them ages to come up with anything useful. I think they learned a lot. Got a lot of good feedback.

As far as metal detector records and other critical factors, quality verifies those before they hit positive release. If those records aren't good, they immediately go back to the operator and the lot is held or re-worked until the records make sense. 

Hope that helps! 



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Posted 18 December 2019 - 04:34 PM

If it is reoccurring and you've exhausted possibilities other than the staff 'can't be bothered', I'd suggest returning incomplete paperwork to the area managers. I've had this issue before, and once we starting returning the paperwork, the area managers don't want to spend a lot of time correcting/re-writing the records so they very quickly become more involved in making sure it is completed correctly the first time.

In an ideal world the food safety & quality implications would be enough to motivate the staff to complete the records properly, though I've found that if the implications also involve themselves having to re-write paperwork then they will do it correctly the first time.



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Posted 21 December 2019 - 03:03 PM

You need the support of the managers and supervisors in operations, and other areas, to get this corrected.  Without their support you won't have any long-term improvement.

 

I had this issue and it took a number of meetings with the production manager and supervisors.  Then they started covering the topic in their pre-shift meetings and reviewing all production records at end of shift before employees went home.  It dramatically improved the paperwork and quality of the records.

 

It isn't perfect, mainly because we keep adding new people (we have a bit of turnover), but it is far better than a year ago.



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Posted 23 December 2019 - 01:49 PM

Attached is a simple presentation that might be useful to you.  You will have to edit as it mentions US law and I am not on the same scheme as you are.

 

For the most part, my group does a decent job, but I've seen some laziness lately, so decided to train on the topic during our last food safety committee meeting.  I was nice and didn't call anyone out specifically in the presentation, but just gave generic verbal examples to illustrate my points.  I could have called them out, but prefer to do that as a last resort.  They know that I could have, which works sometimes just as well. 

 

The good news is that I've seen improvement in several areas since then. 

 

Anyway, good luck.  People are the same everywhere.

 

Todd

 

 

Attached Files


Edited by tsebring, 23 December 2019 - 01:49 PM.


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Kit2019

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Posted 21 February 2020 - 04:03 PM

I cant tell you the struggles I've had with paperwork.

 

Some techniques that have worked for me in the past:

 

  1. Filling out a blank document as an "example" that stays on the clipboard/binder/etc. and INCLUDES ERRORS properly corrected with GDP.
  2. Bilingual: the research I've looked into suggests to have both(/all) languages on the same page wherever possible. I think this helps not only with aiding employee understanding and language proficiency. Perhaps more important on our end, it ensures that there aren't multiple versions floating around half-filled in different languages -- which sounds like one of my worst nightmares  :roflmao:
  3. Consulting the employees, often multiple times, to see what works best for them and what they like or prefer. Sometimes this even means making a couple of versions if I'm changing a form. I consider the cost of the time I spend making multiple versions to be worth it when compared to the time I've wasted explaining and re-working things I thought were fine but didn't work for our employees. Not to mention further confusing them by implementing multiple versions.
  4. This seems drastic, but depending on the situation is sometimes worth it (I worked in a lab with a LOT of documents where the sheer volume necessitated doing this): When forms are returned to you improperly, make piles to give back to the person who filled them out wrong. Periodically (weekly or whenever), return the stacks to all those people and have them fill it out properly. Errors drop dramatically once accountability and follow-through are firm.

Some things that haven't worked for me:

  1. Asking management, because they're not the ones filling out those forms every day.
  2. Long instructions on the form itself.
  3. Multiple areas / time periods on one form.

Generally, change tends to improve morale if morale is low. Sometimes a change is needed, even if the forms seem perfectly adequate. After all, if the forms aren't working, we can hem and haw all day about how great we think they are, but they're still not getting completed and completed properly.





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