5 replies to this topic

[Quality Supervisor]

Hello, I am looking for a way to perform a mock recall, trace, and withdrawal from the company I am working for. We just had our audit and we got dinged on Mock Recall, Traceability. (2.6.2 & 2.6.3 and are trying to implement new ways of tracking our products for shipping. We do shipping by retail stores with purchase orders, online/web, and some other shipping. Let me explain a little about the company: We do not have any electronic tracking process for products we ship on our webstore. It is a one person department and it is difficult to obtain information for tracking during our busy times (like Christmas) when she is shipping out 150 orders and each order can range between 1-10 or more products. Can anyone please help with this?

[Scampi]

Short answer

 

You CANNOT not track your sales. Period   If that means you need to hire additional staff at Christmas, then that is what you need to do.  

 

You have a LEGAL obligation here.....not just SQF

 

So walk us through the actual process you currently use so we can assist

[Quality Supervisor]

Short answer

 

You CANNOT not track your sales. Period   If that means you need to hire additional staff at Christmas, then that is what you need to do.  

 

You have a LEGAL obligation here.....not just SQF

 

So walk us through the actual process you currently use so we can assist

 

I am talking in regards to lot code traceability. We currently use square, shipstation, and shopify for shipping over the web. It is difficult for our shipper to write down lot codes for every packing sheet. So we are looking for ways to make it easier to track by order how what when to who and how much. 

[Scampi]

The lot code is the easiest way. As you're already using a computerized system, it should be really simple, and cost effective to implement a QR code system or a barcode system 

 

You assign a QR or barcode to each lot, it contains the information. The shipper just has to scan the code when filling orders.

 

There are TONS of options to chose from. If you're not willing or able to make a manual entry in something as easy as excel, then this is the next best thing

 

 

I still don't understand how one small code is a dealbreaker in your process, when the easiest thing to do is feed ALL orders into 1 platform and remove those layers or complexity, than your shipper WILL have time to add it

 

This sort of thing is a personnel pet peeve. I worked through Canada's worst recall in history, and it bothers me when companies see this as "one more f**** thing" INSTEAD of viewing it as something that PROTECTS me and my business

 

We have time for what we make time for

[SQFconsultant]

I am assuming this was the first time that you had an audit and got marked off for this.

 

And, unless the Auditor very extremely nice I imagine it was a MAJOR finding and not MINOR.

 

If it was minor, consider yourself extremely lucky.

 

As Scampi said you CANNOT NOT do this.

 

There are no excuses in this area.

 

Add more people and/or install an electronic tracing/recall system.

 

Your excuse can not be afterfact - well, sorry about killing the kids and grandma but she got busy with orders.

[SQFconsultant]

There was grower of nuts in California some years back.

 

They were shipping gift orders, thousands a day on top of their normal wholesale business.

 

Their product was found to be tainted and more than 10,000 got sick and 10 died.

 

They did not have a tracing program/recall plan in place - too much work to do.

 

Regulatory got called in to handle a forensic recall.

 

Interestingly enough it was two growers that were SQF certified that helped the company to put together a great tracing program.