How To Choose And Implement The Right Food Traceability System (Part One Of Two)

By Wayne Slater, co-author, Food Traceability For Dummies

If you intend to remain competitive as a food processor, there is one certainty: implementing a computerized plant floor data collection and traceability system is in your future.

The motivation for implementing an electronic traceability system may vary from company to company, with reasons such as pressure from your supply chain partners to meet their Electronic Data Exchange (EDI) or increasing recall requirements. You might be seeking improved readiness for food safety regulations, such as FSMA or the Safe Food for Canadians Act. You may already have the vision that a computerized system will not only minimize the potentially disastrous business impact resulting from a recall, but the data these systems produce can also be used to help streamline processes, control costs, and ultimately grow your profits.

With many motivating factors, you might think, “I am ready for my first automated traceability system.” If so, Great! But, getting going from the idea to fully-functioning traceability system at your company presents a lot of questions. “What actions will need to be taken to implement it? How do I ensure its success? What are the key elements of a system?” These are all question I am asked a lot. Since no two food processors I have ever worked with have operated exactly the same, I can tell you there is no cookie-cutter or one-size-fits-all solution available today that will simply work “out-of-the-box” for everyone. What I can tell you is there are some great steps and considerations to help make sure you are ready for traceability and its associated benefits.

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