Video: 5 key audit checks for autocoding compliance

Discover the five key audit checks to ensure your autocoding and automation systems comply with retailers code of practice. Faye Louch, Trainer at OAL Connected, explains the five key areas she looks at when auditing food manufacturers label and date code verification systems.

1. System security

It's critical that access to the label and date code verification system is controlled and managed. Controlled access ensures there is a full audit trail for any decisions made on the line and people can be held accountable for their decisions. My key watch-outs are:

• Multiple users

• Generic accounts

• Shared accounts

2. Fail-safe checks

Food manufacturers must ensure fail-safe checks are in place and they are conducted on a daily basis. Fail-safe checks ensure the system is running correctly prior and not susceptible to errors.

It's important engineering are involved so if they are carrying out works on a packaging line, the fail-safe checks are run afterwards.

3. Printers

Access to printers on the line needs to be limited with operators prohibited from changing date codes.

4. Operator interaction

Simply observing operators using the system provides a clear view of their level of understanding and potential training requirements. Spending time asking questions ensures operators fully understand the system.

5. Continuous improvement

Sites should use system reports to drive improvements. For instance, if the site has had a near miss, it should be added to the fail-safe checks to mitigate the risk.