Recordkeeping and storage has been basically the same for many years.  Record the data/information needed then file the document in a file cabinet for required number of years.  The document then sits in the cabinet for years with the chance of it being viewed again very slim.  In the off-chance that a document needs to be retrieved the time spent looking for it is often much more costly than the actual value of the information on the document retrieved.

As the Food Safety Modernization Act moves forward, the ease of records documentation and storage is going to become more critical.  A recent ruling found that the FDA will be allowed to request additional information, documentation and records if they feel the other processes are affected in a similar manner as the concern they are originally investigating.  This puts pressure on organizations to be able to produce records easily.

One way to do this is with an online data management tool.  Inspections, audits and observations are on record that are often kept stored in their paper-form in rows upon rows of file cabinets.  The implementation of an automated tool, such as inspectiTRAC, can reduce the file storage requirements, improved responsiveness to data, and allow for easier record keeping.  Just imagine an easy way to get information to those who need it easily and efficiently, without having to dig through a file cabinet.

How else are you ensuring you can retrieve vital documentation/records easily and efficiently?

The implementation of FSMA affects thousands. Visit our sister sites’ blog to read an interesting post about how FSMA is changing verification requirements.

http://www.inspectitrac.com/blog/

“Safety First” has been the focus of organizations for many years.  We recently read an interesting article about how the idea of “Safety First” can cause conflict between the safety and production in many organizations.  Being safe and improving safe work practices are not always seen as improvements that improve the bottom line of the organization in the eyes of production, especially organizations that are working to implement lean processes.

Lean organizations want to reduce and eliminate unproductive “waste” as much as possible while still maintaining a safety work environment. These organizations want to improve quality and production by ensuring they are using all resources available in the most effective way possible and eliminating resources that are time drains and that are not impacting the bottom line positively.

As regulating bodies are requiring more and more inspections and audits of facilities and operations, more human resources times is being shifted from production to ensuring compliance with regulations; thus reducing the ability to be a lean as possible. One way to improve and be lean is by making sure all employees are being used in the most efficient and effective way possible.  One way to improve the use of the human resource time available is by implementing an advanced mobile inspection and audit system.  An automated system for inspections and audits allows the process to be completed much faster and with more accuracy then a traditional paper-based system.  The time saved by automating the task can then be reallocated to the organizations other needs.

For organizations who want to stress safety first and still go lean, an automated inspections system is the best of both worlds.  They can complete all the preventative inspections, audits, and observations of equipment, people and processes in only a fraction of the time required with paper-based data collection, meaning the safety and production teams can be in harmony rather that conflict.

For more information about inspectiTRAC, a unique system designed to automated the inspection, audit and observation process visit www.inspectiTRAC.com

Safety is a not a new topic or a topic that will ever disappear from the minds of many professionals in any manufacturing, construction and service industry.  What may change is how organizations plan for safety.  We recently read an interesting article about how the occupational health and safety of organizations is shifting from a reactive to more proactive approach.  The goal of the organization is to spend less time reacting to situations and to spend more time on tactics that will prevent safety issues.  These prevention initiatives include spending more time on employee training, assessment of risks and adoption of a management or prevention system.

Read more here.

The study also indicates that the number one driver of organizations to develop their safety plan is to comply with laws and regulations.  This shouldn’t be a surprise to anyone, but if the goal is to be more proactive it is critical that organizations find a cost effective method of implementation to manage the regulations that they face on a day to day basis.  Many of the regulations and laws require some sort of time and resource consuming audit, observation, or inspection be completed and recorded to ensure that the “rules” are being followed.

One way organizations can help manage the regulations and be more proactive to safety needs is to implement a mobile inspection, audit and observation system.  A mobile system can help complete and document faster and more efficiently the inspections and audits required to comply with many regulations and laws.  It can also help manage the assessment of safety risks that occurring in an organization by allowing the organization to complete an inspection of the facilities and ensure that the resolutions of concerns are dealt with in a time efficient manner.

One mobile inspection system that can help organizations is inspectiTRAC.  inspectiTRAC™ tablet-based software is designed to make the inspection and auditing process trouble-free by integrating the inspection/audit criteria and location visuals directly into the program design, thus reduces the time needed to complete inspections while also reducing errors in data entry. The system links seamlessly with inspectiTRAC™ manager, a cloud-based management tool for reporting, alerting and scheduling audits and inspections, and inspectiTRAC™ administrator, a platform for creating and editing the maps and inspection criteria used by the inspectiTRAC™ program.   Read more about how inspectiTRAC is helping a Fortune 500 organization manage their safety inspections then visit the inspectiTRAC website to learn more about how it help your organization be more practice in managing safety.