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One of the downsides of off-shoring was lack of confidence in the quality systems of the overseas partners. Many large food CPG’s reevaluated and requalified their partners frequently over the years to balance risk to their brand equity against cost and scheduling considerations. Afterall, Brand Equity is the most valuable component of a successful product and it can be damaged very quickly with an adverse event.
Every company that produces consumables, from infant products to snacks and even to pet products, has to ensure their partners’ quality systems are up to standard.
Often this meant sending state-side quality teams to train the overseas partners on systems, software, reporting and philosophy. In the end, quality production requires a quality philosophy and every decision has to be made within that framework. As Quality Directors always say, you cannot inspect quality into a product. Quality is the responsibility of every person in every function.
With the current supply chain disruptions CPG managers are looking for new partners here at home to close the gaps left in the supply chain. Quality is no less critical here at home although it is more reliable and easier to monitor.
When qualifying a new partner there are several key points to consider:
Quality philosophy. There should be a clear and well distributed Statement of Quality that every associate is trained on and familiar with.
Quality Systems. All systems from vendor qualification to purchasing to receiving to ultimately production should be covered by clear SOP’s.
Adherence. The quality system should be audited regularly and gaps closed. It should be set up so that if it is followed, mistakes and non-conformances are not possible.
All Critical Control Points should be clearly identified and monitored. A working HACCP plan is crucial.
Certifications. All claimed certifications such as gluten-free and an allergen program should be up to date and aggressively followed.
Third party audits. SQF and BRC are the current gold standards. It is preferred that partners have one of these certifications.
Today’s unprecedented situation requires new ways of thinking and new ways of protecting the business. In the end, nothing is more important than Quality. It should be the underpinning of every decision made in an effort to ensure steady supply.
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