Software Solutions
Q: What software solutions are you currently working on?
There are three systems and one protocol currently planned to
address:
(1) Food Safety Plans
(2) Food Safety Data Collection
(3) Food Traceability
(4) FL7 Communication Protocol
The names and requirements of these systems will continue to
evolve as we receive more information from the FDA and input from you,
our contributing members.
Q: What will be required to utilize the systems?
Your computer and a web browser. Our systems are web based applications. We are planning on hosting the software online so you don't have to worry about loading software on multiple computers, deploying servers, security updates or backing up data.
Q: What will be cost?
Cost has not been determined as of yet. We are planning on providing some aspects of the systems for free. Other components will require a reasonable monthly subscription fee that will be based on your company's utilization and number of users.
Q: What is the schedule for availability?
The Food Safety Plans software is being worked on now and is close to completion. We anticipate that it will be available at the beginning of 2010 when you will be required to start working on this documentation for your facilities. The other programs do not have a scheduled delivery date since we do not have a final list of requirements from the FDA. Your suggestions and feedback will be used to determine the final scope and feature set requirements of the systems.
Q: Tell me more about your Food Safety Plan software?
When you are required to document your Food Safety Plan you may not know where to start. Many companies will hire expensive consultants to assist with the creation of the documentation. This may be unnecessary. We will provide you with an online system that will tell you what you need to document according to regulations and walk you through the process of capturing required details. Your company profile that is entered in the process will give us information to determine what is needed and will link you to documentation samples from other similar organizations so best practices can be shared or used as a starting point for you own documentation. This will greatly streamline the process and minimize the need for or amount of external assistance required.
Q: Tell me about the Food Safety Data Collection software?
Documenting Food Safety Plans within an organization is the beginning. Maintaining a Food Safety program requires capturing and organizing information daily. Companies find it difficult to monitor procedures and organize Food Safety information on an ongoing basis. The FDA will require that you store records documenting the following activities for no less than 2 years:
- Sanitation procedures and practices
- Supervisor, manager and employee hygiene training
- Process controls
- Allergen control program
- Good manufacturing practices
- Verification procedures, practices, and processes for suppliers and incoming ingredients
- Other procedures, practices and processes established by the Secretary
Our software will save you time and effort by allowing you to effectively manage your Food
Safety program.
The Food Safety Data Collection system automatically alerts
workers when they need to perform food safety related tasks.
Tasks may include filling out electronic forms, updating logs,
performing maintenance, assisting in investigating a deviation
that has occurred, etc.
Many people work together to perform food safety related tasks.
Having one person assign, track, enter and follow up on food safety
tasks using software that resides on a single office
computer is not practical. Our system is accessible to all
authorized workers in the office, in remote warehouses or on the
production floor.
When you are ready to move from documenting your Food Safety
Plans to managing food safety tasks daily we'll be able to get
you there quickly. If you already have your Food Safety Plans
documented in our system you will be able to work through a
quick wizard and have the system start tracking your forms,
procedures, people and alerts according to your schedule.
Q: Tell me about the Food Traceability software?
The FDA will require that facilities:
- Maintain a pedigree of the origin and previous distribution history of food
- Link the history with the subsequent distribution of the food
- Establish and maintain a system for tracing the food that is interoperable with the system established by others (see next question)
- Use a unique identifier for each facility
The Food Traceability system will track all incoming ingredients through to shipped products and will be interoperable with other systems as well as government systems.
Q: Tell me about the FL7 Communication Protocol?
FL7.org will be providing food safety systems to manage documentation, data collection and traceability requirements. The FL7 Communication Protocol will be used to allow these systems to communicate and share data internally and externally with 3rd party and government systems.
