Like getting from Stone Age to nowadays! Digi-HACCP is our daily tool

 

The retail leader of Estonia, Selver, sees that the digital HACCP system is a solution to how to make daily tasks more effective and how the paper solution does not enable that. When getting to know FoodDocs, they had no doubt to digitalize all their 54 stores. Iris Hansom, the regional manager of the North region, is sharing what the digitalization brought along.

First and foremost, Selver saw a solution in our digital platform, to change their everyday work more efficient, to cut off the need for paper content. Usually, every store has a HACCP plan on paper that gets changed a lot and what You can only read on the spot. “Digital system seemed to be exactly what we were looking for. Easy and convenient, where You can get the necessary data and real-time overview quickly. All the documents and instructions are in the same place with explanatory pictures, it also makes training the personnel significantly more comfortable,” says Hansom.

The decision was quickly adapted
Last autumn, Selver decided to put the FoodDocs food management system to test in the first supermarket, where everything went fast and smoothly. After that, the next supermarket became the first completely paper-free open store. All the food safety requirements were fulfilled digitally and the activity license was sent to the officials digitally. As a result of a positive experience, all the other stores across the country were added to FoodDocs.

“We saw that FoodDocs helps to create an understanding, how food safety and HACCP plan are not just bureaucracy, but a tool to use daily. Continuous overview and uniformed processes are necessary for offering high-quality services and products,” admits Hansom. She considers the biggest challenge to make the person understand why they have to follow certain requirements and what can be the result of doing something differently or not following the requirements at all.

Time saved and mind at ease
FoodDocs has become a practical tool for supermarkets' managers. For example, You can translate Your HACCP plan in suitable language with the correct terms in the FoodDocs system with a blink of an eye. That gives the personnel an opportunity to get to know the requirements and instructions in their native language. “You can translate the plan on paper to the employees, but it is time-consuming and because of human factors the translation might end up wrong. We have grounded those issues with FoodDocs,” adds Hansom.
She does not consider the fact of getting all the changes of requirements by the law to the system to be in less importance, being seen and uniformly understandable to all the stores. “All the 54 stores do not have to waste time anymore, to think about how and what to change,” says Hansom in relief.
Even if the change of the requirements brings on a need to change the plans of the store and the product placement, it is easier to do to it digitally, than draw everything again on the paper. A good example is the Advertising Act by what You have to place alcohol separately from other goods in the way that customers can avoid passing them, should they choose so. Hansom admits that in supermarkets, drawing all the plans again on the paper would have been time-consuming, but with FoodDocs You can save tons of time with that.

Beneficial for all parties
Aside from serving the customers, the employees must spend their time monitoring the quality of food at certain times. Especially in the ready-to-eat food section. They need to measure the temperature, change the display, and fill the monitoring sheets constantly. The digital system allows us to enter the data fast leaving more time for main activities and lessens the human error factor by automatic reminders. For that, FoodDocs is currently developing monitoring sheets for Selver, taking into account their specific needs.

Using the digital system has brought on surprising benefits, that You would not even think about right away. You can send the FoodDocs’ HACCP plan with the monitoring sheets to the Veterinary and Food Board so that the official can look it through before the inspection of the supermarket.
“If the officer comes to our store, they already have an overview and specific questions ready. The time saved is remarkable compared to the situation, where the official with the manager starts to look through the folders on spot,” describes Hansom the efficiency of the work process. She also makes the groundwork in FoodDocs before visiting the stores and goes to the spot with questions ready. “It is like getting from Stone Age to nowadays!” she admits.
“The consumer wants cleanliness, order, and high quality. Just like us. Selver is a big enough retail chain and a good example, how You can make all the stores uniform. Why would anyone say that they cannot do that?” says Hansom in conclusion.