Netherlands, Europe On the road with Q-Point: Fabienne

𝗠𝗼𝗻𝗱𝗮𝘆 – 𝗙𝗦𝗦𝗖 𝟮𝟮𝟬𝟬𝟬 𝗶𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗺𝗲𝗮𝘁 𝘀𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗼𝗿

We start the week at a meat processing company, where the annual management review for FSSC 22000 certification is on the agenda. Q-Point is providing interim support to help the organisation maintain and further implement its quality management system.

And, of course, the management review isn’t the only item on the list. New legislation means that several documents in the quality manual need updating. In addition, the NVWA (Netherlands Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority) has requested new protocols for a process the organisation is looking to introduce. Plenty to work on!

𝗧𝘂𝗲𝘀𝗱𝗮𝘆 – 𝗲𝘅𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗻𝗮𝗹 𝗜𝗙𝗦 𝗕𝗿𝗼𝗸𝗲𝗿 𝗮𝘂𝗱𝗶𝘁

A very different role today: joining an external IFS Broker audit at a client in the fresh produce sector. Together with the quality manager, the auditor and a colleague in training, we take a close look at the system.

And the result is something to be pleased with: just one minor non-conformity. Even better, by the end of the week, the corrective action has already been submitted and accepted.

𝗪𝗲𝗱𝗻𝗲𝘀𝗱𝗮𝘆 – 𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗳𝗿𝗼𝗺 𝗵𝗼𝗺𝗲

Tuesday is normally my regular work-from-home day, but audits take priority, so this week it moves by a day. Working from home certainly doesn’t mean it’s a quiet day. The focus is on finalising reports, including those from the internal audits we carried out last week at a fresh produce packing company.

There are also emails, client queries and, of course, plenty of legislation to keep up with. The new Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation (PPWR) remains an important topic. What do the requirements mean for our clients, and what information do they need to request from their suppliers? New rules are one thing; translating them into day-to-day practice is just as important.

𝗧𝗵𝘂𝗿𝘀𝗱𝗮𝘆 – 𝗕𝗥𝗖𝗚𝗦 𝗙𝗼𝗼𝗱 𝗶𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗻𝗮𝗹 𝗮𝘂𝗱𝗶𝘁𝘀

Today we’re off to a snack cucumber packing company to carry out several internal audits as part of its BRCGS Food system. We don’t just look at the requirements of the standard; we also consider how processes can work better in practice and align more closely with the company’s needs.

Our newest colleague, Maaike, is joining us today as well. It’s a great opportunity for her to get to know the work we do in the Dutch market and see first-hand what an internal audit looks like in practice.

And sometimes the timing works out perfectly: we finished at 1 pm, the sun was shining, so we rounded off our day together with lunch in a nearby park. After that, it was back home to finish off a few calls with colleagues about shared clients and ongoing queries.

𝗙𝗿𝗶𝗱𝗮𝘆 – 𝗼𝗳𝗳𝗶𝗰𝗲 𝗱𝗮𝘆

After a week of various client visits, Friday is an office day. Time to catch up on emails, finalise reports, work on product development and prepare for the week ahead. The questions we receive from clients are a good reflection of just how varied our work is. This Friday, they include:

• fertiliser labelling: what information needs to appear on the label, and which claims can and cannot be made?
• PPWR documentation requirements: are the documents received complete, or is further information still required?

Meanwhile, preparations are already under way for a GMP+ internal audit scheduled for Monday.

And that brings us full circle: from FSSC 22000 and NVWA protocols to IFS Broker, BRCGS Food, PPWR, fertilisers and GMP+.

For me, that variety is perhaps the best part of working as a consultant at Q-Point. You get to work with a wide range of companies, deal with different standards and legislation, and translate all of that into practical solutions that organisations can actually use.

Here’s to another varied week!