Bringing Food Safety Into the 21st Century

Many food service organizations today are considering how they can use technology to advance their business. More and more of them are turning to task management solutions to improve communication and execution outcomes. But how, specifically, can such tools be used to address challenges like food safety compliance?

Without a robust food safety solution, store associates typically fill in a paper log when checking the holding temperatures of food. Instructions on the log are meant to guide the associate to take temperatures of the right items at the right times of the day, but ultimately there’s no way to confirm that these instructions are being followed. Furthermore, systemic problems within a department or across the chain are not visible, due to the inherent difficulty in collecting and tabulating all the temperature check records.

These challenges can be overcome by using task management based Food Safety Compliance Management tool. Instead of paper logs that must be filled in manually, store associates can use mobile devices and wireless temperature probes to automatically record temperatures. Users are prompted to complete these activities at specified times during the day, and the specific times of execution are automatically saved.

Perhaps the greatest benefit, however, is how this data can be used. In the event of out-of-compliance conditions, follow-up tasks can be immediately triggered to ensure a quick resolution. Messages alert store, regional, and corporate personnel when configurable conditions are met, ensuring that systemic issues gain visibility. And all temperature records are available on demand: corporate employees can analyze chain wide trends, while stores can review their own results and make records available to food safety auditors.

All this leads to improved execution, which drives key business goals: less foodborne illness, higher customer satisfaction and lower shrink. Food service organizations need to be aware that the technology to achieve these goals is available!