What do you get with AFIS Services First and Second Party Audits?

 AFIS Services website.

With or without external certifications, every operation needs more than routine inspections. Thorough internal audits to identify areas of system and operation weaknesses for required attention are essential. Internal audits are also necessary for highlighting system and operation strengths on which to capitalize. AFIS Services first and second party audits essentially serve as internal audits.

The main rational for having strong internal audits is to ensure a viable and beneficial continuous improvement program. Many of the recognized external audit programs also list internal audits as part of the requirements but internal audits are not just to satisfy or even impress external auditors.

AFIS Services is currently offering more than the typical documents review plus plant inspection and interviews. With the evolution of the SSQA concept, AFIS Services has developed a first and second party audits with benefits that are immediately recognizable. The main features are the same as outlined in sections 2.6 .1.1 to 2.6.1.3 of the SSQA Implementation Manual. These features include the categorization of scheduled audits according the specific purposes, the use of customized (non-monotonous) audit guidelines, etc.

Although the AFIS Services internal audits project is bound to satisfy or even impress external auditors, the purpose is more to eliminate the root-causes of failure. The design, expectation and determination are to continuously see measurable and permanent reduction in failure incidents as well as the efficient harnessing of identified strengths. Success is viewed differently in the AFIS Services first and second party audits program. It is not simply verified according to the scores obtained during external certification audits. Success is first of all verified according to the actual reduction in failure incidents, and according to the positive experience of customers/consumers with the operation’s products. Excellent external certification audit scores are important but of secondary consideration.

If you are interested in setting up first and second party audits for your operation or organization or you have any questions, contact AFIS Services. 

Diagramatic Representation of the Food Safety Cost Burden

This blog post has been moved to the author's eBook.

The Make-it-Real Link

This blog post has been moved to the author's eBook.

Posted by Felix Amiri

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Felix Amiri is currently the chair of GCSE-Food & Health Protection, and a sworn SSQA advocate.

The CYB Problem

Sadly, in the current marketplace, responsibility, blame and liability dodging trails can continue to no end. As I have proposed elsewhere, the industry would do well to avoid wasting its resources on CYB - Cover Your Back Antics - and use these resources on the plant floor to actually make safe products that also meet quality expectations. The industry needs effective and efficient systems. Therefore, determined efforts are needed to eliminate inefficiencies and ineffectiveness. I believe this to be the point (if not the intention) of the Referenced Articles and Blog Posts as expressed in the observations of the authors. 

Posted By Felix Amiri

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Felix Amiri is the current Food Sector Chair of GCSE-Food & Health Protection 

Root Cause Analysis – A Simple Example of the SSQA Style:

Floor cleaning utensils placed on a food handling table could have a root-cause that is not corrected by simply re-training the operator to follow good hygiene practices. Suppose the operator inappropriately placed the floor cleaning utensils due to a hurried work activity, what could cause such a hurried work activity? What could cause what caused the hurried work activity, etc.?  What if the operator acted in that manner because he or she has not been properly motivated to consistently follow the rules about good practices? What could have caused the improper motivation? What could cause what caused the improper motivation? This style of thinking is typical of SSQA managers.

SSQA Managers critically view incidences that may appear insignificant. They understand that incidences that may appear to have straight-forward causes require thorough assessment and investigation. The SSQA manager knows that seemingly insignificant issues sometimes have hidden causes with the potential of causing significant setbacks to an operation. Knowledge, experience and expertise through the adoption of the SSQA concept help managers dig deeper to the root causes of detected issues. This way of thinking and the associated problem-solving techniques are driven by the SSQA implementation step 5 (FACTS).

Posted By Felix Amiri

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Felix Amiri is the current Food Sector Chair of GCSE-Food & Health Protection

Safety, Security and Quality Assurance (SSQA) - Short Intro Video

If you own or run a food business anywhere, of any type and any size, and there is a strategy for improving what you are already doing to meet government regulations and produce safe food without stressful external impositions, would you go for it? What if the strategy also helps you reduce cost at the same time? Take a look:

Program enrolment opportunities currently exist for food businesses and managers, as well as opportunities for individuals to participate as facilitators, trainers, presenters and/or commissioned consultants.

Contact 

GCSE-Food & Health Protection (SSQA Development) Team 

for information about the  Enrolment Program 
or for other general Inquiries 

SSQA Introduction Video

You are invited to post questions or comments below if you wish: