Effective foodservice management software gives organizations a new gateway to focus on health and safety with automated checks, digitized reporting, and real-time risk assessments By Fred Whipp, VP of Business Development at mpro5 – June 17, 2024
Food safety can affect the health of people of all ages, races, genders and income levels around the world, and lack of Food Safety and Quality (FSQ) compliance always poses a significant risk to organizations. Whether it's tracking ingredient usage or food labels, organizations are constantly striving to maintain compliance standards while also meeting the needs of their customers.
Modern advances in process management and advances in technologies such as the Internet of Things (IoT) and Artificial Intelligence (AI) now enable organizations to conduct comprehensive audits in real time across all sites, providing instant visibility into compliance status and automatically alerting on any anomalies to trigger corrective actions.
By leveraging technology and intelligent food traceability software, organizations can make foodservice operations more efficient, streamline important compliance steps with clear documentation, and achieve Grade A distribution across all facilities. Additionally, food management software can increase the efficiency of Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point (HACCP) systems, simplifying the process of implementing and managing food safety protocols.
The future of your restaurant's success is on your side
Like a chef in the kitchen, technologies such as AI and IoT are no longer optional but essential tools to stay in business in the competitive restaurant industry. Rapid advancements in technology bring incredible opportunities.
Minimise FSQ risks due to human error, boost team productivity, communication and task efficiency through digital logbooks, provide real-time insights through smart monitoring systems to ensure standards are maintained, and improve monitoring of health and safety for staff and customers.
Let’s take a closer look at these opportunity areas and the ROI they can bring.
Food Safety and Quality Audits
Ensuring safety and quality is a top priority for any type of food business. Conducting daily digital audits of Critical Control Points (CCPs) like allergen checks and refrigeration monitoring (you don't want to accidentally leave your freezer open, do you? Don't worry about that anymore!) can help detect quality concerns and food safety issues early, ensuring safe meals and quality service at all times. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has an online Safe Food Handling Guide and a Consumer Complaint System for reporting reactions or other issues with FDA-regulated foods and products.
Regular audits also identify areas for improvement across food handling methods, quality control, and sanitation procedures while ensuring compliance with regulatory requirements. Many organizations are moving away from using paper and pen for manual food checks, which are understandably time-consuming and make restaurants more prone to errors. Food safety compliance software like mpro5 makes it easy to track regulatory requirements, conduct compliance audits, and maintain ongoing compliance documentation to help avoid regulatory violations and fines.
Additionally, in a food business, it's important to ensure that everyone is on the right page when it comes to priorities. With manual processes, small mistakes can jeopardize the integrity of your food and your business, leaving consumers with something they can't forgive. Regularly training your staff on food safety protocols and quality standards can help you quickly identify the root cause of quality issues or non-compliance. Such audits document findings and help determine whether the issue was due to improper training, supplier issues, equipment failure, or other factors.
Introducing a digital logbook
Moving from cumbersome paper filing systems (where important information often gets lost) to modern digital logbooks saves time, reduces errors, and provides a more efficient and effective approach to restaurant operations. By digitizing and standardizing key documentation, managers can not only streamline the process of data entry and retrieval, but also ensure accuracy and enable real-time monitoring of critical food safety parameters such as temperature, humidity, and more.
For example, digital logbooks allow foodservice companies to easily track and manage ingredients and update menus in real time to ensure accuracy at all locations. This ensures quality standards are met and reduces the risk of mislabeled or inaccurate menu items for consumers. Digitization isn't just about customer experience; with the right software, there's an opportunity to transform behind-the-scenes operations.
Utilizing IoT data to improve operations and increase efficiency
IoT sensors allow you to monitor various conditions in real time, including temperature, humidity, air quality index, etc. These sensors help you make data-driven decisions to prevent overall risk, derive actionable insights, improve food processing compliance, and increase productivity.
By leveraging the power of IoT data and smart monitoring technology, foodservice organizations can seamlessly monitor various CCP elements such as temperature in refrigerators, freezers and food storage areas via IoT-enabled sensors, food stock levels, expiry dates and usage patterns via IoT-based inventory management systems, and performance and usage of equipment such as fryers, ovens and dishwashers via IoT sensors.
Easily monitor the health and safety of your team and customers
Effective foodservice management software gives your organization new avenues to focus on health and safety with automated checks, digitized reporting, and real-time risk assessments. Implementing such checks makes it easier to prove ongoing compliance beyond doubt and mitigate the risks associated with FSQs.
Foodservice management software serves as a valuable tool for promoting a positive team culture that values ​​health and safety. Foodservice organizations can utilize the software to streamline communication, automate regular equipment inspection and cleaning across the team, and track health and safety training and certification.
If you were to be audited tomorrow, how long would it take you to prove that you have effectively eliminated FSQ risks? How confident are you in the accuracy and reliability of your data? Intelligent foodservice management software like mpro5 plays a key role in mitigating FSQ risks by providing enhanced reporting, centralized data, simplified workflows, compliance management, and more. Implementing such software provides monitoring, control, documentation, and reporting tools in compliance with HACCP standards, enabling your organization to maintain its commitment to providing safe, high-quality food products and services.
Fred Whipp is VP of Business Development at mpro5, the trusted process management app and customer-first solution for foodservice, retail and facility management. From digital daily food quality audits to logbooks to unlocking actionable insights from IoT data and smart monitoring, mpro5 streamlines foodservice operations, making critical compliance processes easily understood and evidenced to ensure high-quality foodservice delivery. An experienced business development executive who uses data to lead sales conversations, Fred is an expert on best practices and digital transformation in facility management.
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