A food company needs strict inventory control if it wants to avoid raw material losses and errors in the manufacturing process — not to mention penalties and other serious problems.
The issue is that, because it involves so many steps, doing this control well can be extremely challenging. Even more so if the company does not use technology to optimize its management.
Want to know what care your food business needs to take with its perishables inventory? Then stay with us and find out!
Ineffective inventory control: examples of companies that were penalized
When we talk about ineffective stock management, people think misplaced and lost materials are the only problems. But when it comes to perishables, the matter is even more serious. After all, improper food storage can cause contamination and affect the health of hundreds of consumers.
A recent case happened in the Riviera complex, in Goiânia. The consumer protection agency Procon seized products from a wholesale and retail cold-cuts distributor that simply did not label its packages with expiration dates, production dates, or origin. Besides the seized products, the establishment will also have to pay a fine that can range from R$ 680 to R$ 10.2 million.
Cases like this also occurred in the Trapiche neighborhood, in Maceió (AL), where a bakery was shut down for lack of hygiene and improper product storage. The establishment was fined and given 30 days to comply with health regulations.
Certainly, no company wants to go through this kind of situation, right? Acting preventively, with effective inventory control, is still the best way to protect against it and keep the company's brand from being damaged.
Risks the food industry runs with ineffective inventory control
Having the establishment shut down is the biggest danger of neglecting the perishables inventory. But it is not the only problem. Below we list all the risks a food company can face because of ineffective control. Check them out!
Fines
Keeping the perishables inventory organized is important to prevent products from spoiling and from being stored in unsanitary conditions. If health authorities find out the company lacks this control, it can receive a visit from inspectors and be severely penalized.
Defective production runs
Besides being penalized, the company also risks seeing errors repeat themselves in manufacturing. If any ingredient is past its expiration date or improperly stored, an entire batch can be lost — resulting in waste and late deliveries.
Customer dissatisfaction
When a manufacturer gets production wrong, it has to postpone deliveries and start producing another batch. That means customers will have to wait longer than agreed to receive their goods, leaving them thoroughly dissatisfied.
Raw material waste
Defective production runs, as well as storing expired items, mean wasted raw material. The warehouse is where a good share of the company's investment sits, so if the business has no control over this area, it runs a serious risk of booking losses.
Loss of quality
Imagine delivering a batch of products and having the customer find problems with the goods. They will certainly start doubting the quality of the items — and whether it is still worth doing business with the company. Even if the company has made a single mistake, that error is enough to lose customers and opportunities.
Precautions for controlling perishables inventory
Now that you know the main risks of ineffective management, see what precautions are needed when controlling a perishables inventory:
Keep the warehouse clean
Keeping the warehouse clean is the first step in managing perishables. Cleanliness prevents items from degrading, reduces contamination risks, and keeps the company clear of trouble with inspectors.
Manage products by batch
The batch shows the production time and date, as well as the goods' identification code. Managing products by batch is the best way for the company to track the shelf life of items and prevent expired materials from being sent to production or to the customer.
Take care with handling and internal movement of products
Perishable products are fragile, and any rough movement can damage their packaging and compromise their composition. Training the team to handle goods carefully is another important point to avoid losses and poor-quality items.
Provide a suitable storage environment
What are the products' characteristics? Do they need refrigeration, or can they be stored at room temperature? Since each item has its own particularities, the company needs to provide a suitable environment to ensure the proper preservation of every type of material.
Train the team
Managers will not always have the time or availability to monitor the plant. That is why it is important to train the whole team to ensure the inventory is always in order and that production suffers as few errors as possible.
Invest in technology for effective management
Since inventory control involves many steps (receiving products, checking items, storing, order picking, packaging and shipping), managing these processes can be challenging without the support of a good tool. Investing in technology, such as management software, is a way for the company to integrate departments, minimize human error, and ensure highly effective control of perishables.
See how managing a perishables inventory can be simple? If you enjoyed this content, read our post on food industry growth: numbers and trends, and see what lies ahead for the sector.
Originally published in Portuguese at useall.com.br.