How can an industrial engineer assist you in keeping the costs of implementing a food safety and quality management system as low as possible. This article gives us some points to consider.
Food safety is not for free
Implementing a Food Safety Management System can be a daunting task. The requirements set by the International Standard ISO 22000 are generic as it is intended to be applicable to all organisations in the food chain. Involving an Industrial Engineering Company will enable your organisation to not only gain compliance to the International Standard ISO 22000, but also extract value from your Food Safety Management System.
So what do industrial engineers do?
According to the Institute of Industrial and Systems engineers, Industrial engineers figure out how to do things better. They engineer processes and systems that improve quality and productivity. They work to eliminate waste of time, money, materials, energy and other commodities. This is why many industrial engineers end up being promoted into management positions.
Many people are misled by the term industrial engineer. It's not just about manufacturing. It also encompasses service industries, with many ISEs employed in entertainment industries, shipping and logistics businesses, and healthcare organizations.
Industrial Engineers have a long history for adding value in a wide range of industries, specifically in the highly competitive FMCG industry. In such industries, application of basic industrial engineering principles such as process mapping, work standardisation and measurement and value engineering does not only have the ability to add value but multiply it.
So how do Industrial engineers make things better?
As trained engineers they are able to assist you identify and implement:
- More efficient and more profitable business practices
- Better customer service and product quality
- Improved efficiency
- Increased ability to do more with less
- Making work safer, faster, easier and more rewarding
- Helping companies produce more products quickly
- Making the world safer through better designed products
- Reducing costs associated with new technologies
How can an industrial engineer assist with your food safety management system?
The goal of a Food Safety Management System is to increase food safety and quality, but will most likely also increase production cost and reduce productivity. The negative impact the introduction of the ISO 22000 requirements will have on your cost and productivity can be mitigated by involving an Industrial Engineering Company to assist with the following:
- Mapping of the business processes from procurement to delivery to the customer.
- Integrating of Critical Control Points (CCP) into the production process by giving equal priority to product flow and food safety.
- Developing of Operational Prerequisite Programs (OPRP) that will mitigate negative impact on productivity.
- Designing of a facilities plan that will comply with the food safety requirements and facilitate product flow.
Don’t be confused with the services of a management system consultant. An industrial engineer works on the facility, the consultant works on the paperwork. A good industrial engineer will be able to help you with both – and save you money in the process.
References: https://www.iienet2.org/details.aspx?id=716
Author
Thean van den Berg
