11 replies to this topic

[GFW01]

Hi all.

 

Has anyone else had an experience with challenges providing the up to 10 blocked-out dates to your CB BEFORE your audit window opens?

 

Where the audit window is 4 months of the year, it is impossible to anticipate the likes of customer-requested audits that may arise in this period, where human resource is limited in a small company to accommodate them. Our CB was good in accommodating later notifications within the audit window last year, but has been less so this year. 

 

Your thoughts would be appreciated.  Thank you.

 

 

[Scampi]

There really isn't a lot of wiggle room re: black out dates

 

Generally speaking, things like planned shutdowns are the only reason they will grant black outs

[GFW01]

@Scampi Thank you. Likewise ref. wiggle room for resourcing for smaller businesses, which it would be well for BRCGS to take into account.

[Scampi]

#1 problem with GFSI, a cookie cutter approach with no consideration for real variances in food manufacturing facilities 120 day window is absolute bonkers

[DFFS]

I'm currently waiting for a SMETA auditor to show up as part of an unannounced audit (with a given 2 week window) for a 2.5 day audit...if they don't show up today then I likely won't be able to go to a training next week that I would really like to attend and could be hugely beneficial for ongoing personal development that didn't get announced until after I had given them my blackout dates. As CB's get backed up further and further it is making it harder to be able to go to trainings or plan for the other parts of my job as things arise. 

[GFW01]

I'm currently waiting for a SMETA auditor to show up as part of an unannounced audit (with a given 2 week window) for a 2.5 day audit...if they don't show up today then I likely won't be able to go to a training next week that I would really like to attend and could be hugely beneficial for ongoing personal development that didn't get announced until after I had given them my blackout dates. As CB's get backed up further and further it is making it harder to be able to go to trainings or plan for the other parts of my job as things arise. 

 

Absolutely. I appreciate that CBs have to juggle schedules for unannounced audits, but IMO the standard should support businesses rather than shackle them

, particularly for smaller enterprises that don't have full standby teams. 

[GMO]

Hi all.

 

Has anyone else had an experience with challenges providing the up to 10 blocked-out dates to your CB BEFORE your audit window opens?

 

Where the audit window is 4 months of the year, it is impossible to anticipate the likes of customer-requested audits that may arise in this period, where human resource is limited in a small company to accommodate them. Our CB was good in accommodating later notifications within the audit window last year, but has been less so this year. 

 

Your thoughts would be appreciated.  Thank you.

 

Most retailers have it written into their standard in the UK that they will leave if your BRCGS / GFSI auditor turns up and I've found they did in practice.  One even offered to stay and help bless her.  What they don't do is leave if they turn up the same day as another retailer.  I once had three on site at once.  And fortunately we were audited so heavily that I had three people including me who could lead an audit so we just split it between us.  At least they were soon over and done with.

[GFW01]

Most retailers have it written into their standard in the UK that they will leave if your BRCGS / GFSI auditor turns up and I've found they did in practice.  One even offered to stay and help bless her.  What they don't do is leave if they turn up the same day as another retailer.  I once had three on site at once.  And fortunately we were audited so heavily that I had three people including me who could lead an audit so we just split it between us.  At least they were soon over and done with.

 

Thanks, that's interesting. I guess the retailers are still dependent somewhat on BRCGS as a safety net.

[GMO]

Thanks, that's interesting. I guess the retailers are still dependent somewhat on BRCGS as a safety net.

 

I think they're still pretending it does what originally described, i.e. offer a way for sites to comply without 100s of audits.  To be fair to Morrisons, they're the only retailer I can think of who do the "do what BRCGS does and then this extra bit" which makes far more sense.

 

M&S of course never recognised anybody else's standards.

 

This isn't your common or garden GFSI audit, no this is a two day M&S food safety and hygiene audit with an auditor who never seems to f**king sleep.

 

(You're going to have to imagine the voice.)

[Bojan75]

I think they're still pretending it does what originally described, i.e. offer a way for sites to comply without 100s of audits.  To be fair to Morrisons, they're the only retailer I can think of who do the "do what BRCGS does and then this extra bit" which makes far more sense.

 

M&S of course never recognised anybody else's standards.

 

This isn't your common or garden GFSI audit, no this is a two day M&S food safety and hygiene audit with an auditor who never seems to f**king sleep.

 

(You're going to have to imagine the voice.)

 

Or combined Integrity/Food safety ones...3 days of fun.

No sleep either.

[CateMcG]

The standard does allow you to block dates out within your audit window as long as you give at least 28 days notice.

 

Our audit window had opened last year with no blocked out dates with the exception of our shutdown weeks & we were able to block 2 days out for another audit for a new scheme that we joined without any hassle from our CB.

 

What they won't allow you to do is block all 10 days and then move them around about.

 

They should also ask for the reason for the change - in our case it was still straightforward as we could provide evidence of the confirmed audit booking.

 

It is restrictive with regards to training requirements and personal time off but the 4 month window is much more manageable than the original 9 month window when they introduced the unannounced scheme. 

[LPali]

I used to work in a UK retailer and we were told that our announced audit would still be carried out even if BRC or other retailer would show up unannounced. The same for our 2nd party audit in our behalf, they wouldn't cancel the audit even if BRC would also show up on site. I always found that being very unfair as you are stretching the resources from the site and risk them having a bad result on both audits.