Customised Processes

In the large and complex food industry, with its many segments and countless businesses, even similar organisations are bound to differ in some way. This is why, when it comes to increasing the efficiency of their audit processes, companies often struggle to find the solution that caters to all their needs without offering anything that isn't necessary for those processes. Yet, in this dynamic and highly regulated industry, stable and functional auditing tools that fully support the company's operations are a must for maintaining regulatory compliance and staying relevant. It is therefore not surprising that more and more companies, in their search for the right solution, ultimately turn to smart audit software that meets their requirements. Ideally, they work closely with the software provider to define the specific additional components that help them, on the one hand, to use the industry standard and, at the same time, to implement their own processes, which set them apart from other companies.

What advantages can a smart auditing solution offer? 

A modern, modular smart auditing solution allows for adaptation to the individual needs of an organisation. Depending on the size, purpose, and structure of the company, different business areas, departments, and user groups may have varying requirements, which should be reflected in a software solution. This potential for customisation enables companies to enhance the efficiency of their workflows and processes by tailoring individual functions or entire modules to their specific operations.

Some practical examples of how audits, checks, and inspections can be made significantly more efficient with a smart auditing software.

Detection, correction, prevention - different aspects play an important role in quality and safety within the food industry. To detect, rectify, and prevent deficiencies, a company must develop audit processes that meet both its own requirements and regulatory standards while also ensuring stakeholder satisfaction. Therefore, purely "out-of-the-box solutions" are often less suitable than tailored approaches built on a specialised standard system. A flexible solution allows for the creation of custom questionnaires and evaluation criteria, as well as the implementation of individual scoring systems and calculation rules. Processes for documentation, deficiency correction, and workflows for corrective and preventive actions can be individually adapted and extended. At the same time, the company establishes its own standard, ensuring comparable results.

For example, a food retailer can assess and evaluate various aspects during store inspections, such as the quality of sales items, stock pressure, cleanliness, friendliness, etc. All details of deviations can be documented on-site using multimedia. Specific information, processes, and automations can be integrated, turning an audit into an integrated process. The consistency of the sales channel at the point of sale is ensured, and the rectification of deficiencies is effectively supported by the smart auditing solution.

Data management - this can be quite complex, particularly in large organisations that regularly update their extensive operational data. A smart auditing solution that seamlessly integrates into existing systems allows for automatic data exchange, making it available on-site and enabling real-time updates during the audit if needed.

For instance, during a routine inspection at an industrial bakery, it might be discovered that one of the ovens is not functioning properly. The inspector could not only document the defect immediately but also use equipment data to clearly identify the affected machine and key components. All relevant information could be checked to inform the responsible personnel with precise equipment details and trigger a work order for inspection. All of this happens seamlessly, without any interruptions in the internal audit process.

Documentation, reports, and analyses - for continuous improvement while maintaining cost responsibility, it is crucial for a company to design processes efficiently. Therefore, companies organise and structure information, and should establish standards that are ideally tailored to the recipients and automatically distributed.

For example, in an international distribution centre, safety audits are regularly conducted, including in compliance with occupational health and safety regulations. Documentation is carried out directly on-site, with assessments, evaluations, comments, images, and, if needed, videos. The audit report is automatically generated upon completion of the audit and sent to various recipients such as the site manager, department heads, health and safety officers, and the technical department for defect resolution. The structure, content, and language of the report are customised by the smart auditing system according to the recipient.

In later detailed analyses and when presenting condensed data to management, the system's ability to tailor the presentation to the recipient is also utilised. This ensures that everyone receives exactly the information relevant to their specific responsibilities.

A flexibly adaptable smart auditing software should always focus on the end user. When each module and function is tailored to the specific needs of users within the company, businesses can be confident that they receive exactly the solutions they truly need – no more and no less. This ensures that audit process efficiency is maintained, even in complex industries such as the food sector. With custom adaptations, workflows can be optimised, and the software precisely supports the requirements of the users.