The challenge
As a growing company, one challenge that Manitoba Harvest found itself faced with was document control. Its processes, equipment, products and employees are constantly evolving to improve the productivity, safety and quality of its products. In line with Global Food Safety Initiative (GFSI) program requirements, internal standards, and external regulations, the company has developed more than 400 procedures and forms to control its operations.
To ensure compliance with GFSI initiatives, Manitoba Harvest established a paper based Document Control process. The company found that reviewing documents, making revisions, filing records and storing all documents took tremendous time and effort to manage.
The company recognized a need for improvement and determined that an automated system was the way to go.
Filling the gap
When Manitoba Harvest began looking into automated solutions, they had several criteria in mind, including ease of use, multi-functionality, strong technical support and cost efficiency. The intent was to use this system for a variety of functions within its Food Safety and Quality Management System. This system would be used by all team members so the company was looking for a system that was simple and user friendly.
Reliance Solutions proved to have the best solution for them.
Octave Reliance (formerly ETQ Reliance) is multifunctional and links various aspects of the Quality Management System together, such as document revision, employee training, audit management and corrective action. Manitoba Harvest considers Reliance to be “user friendly” citing its ability to be modified to suit different users’ needs.
Prior to selecting Reliance, Manitoba Harvest did not have a software system in place for its food safety management system. A few systems were tested, but Reliance stood out because of the “great customer service.”
Manitoba Harvest determined Reliance was the user friendly solution that it was looking for. With minimal guidance from Octave, Manitoba Harvest was able to understand how the system would work to fit to its needs.
Reaping the benefits
Since using the Reliance system, Manitoba Harvest’s initial challenge, Document Control, has improved significantly. Previously, the company would have to sort through binders of paperwork to find documents needed during an audit. During a recent third-party audit, the company was able to retrieve its documents quickly and easily by navigating through Reliance.
Manitoba Harvest was organized and the audit went smoothly, without additional worrying about documents being misfiled, or having to sort through binders looking for documents.
While the company’s initial focus with Reliance was document control within Quality Assurance, it now sees opportunities for expanding this module into other departments of the organization as a company-wide tool for document control.
Manitoba Harvest plans to expand into other out of the box modules available in Reliance, such as Audit Management, Corrective Action and Employee Training.
Looking forward
One of Manitoba Harvest’s long-term strategies is to fully transition its operations into electronic systems (e.g., handheld devices are replacing records on clipboards). Reliance Solution’s cloud-based system enables easy access to all Quality Management System modules from anywhere in the plant. Tools like Quality Records will further play a role in moving toward electronic.
Conclusion
Since using Reliance, Manitoba Harvest has reaped the benefits of a cloud-based quality system that is easy on the end user and cost effective, while allowing the company to meet its food safety and quality requirements. Manitoba Harvest considers Reliance a great fit for the food industry.
About Manitoba Harvest
Manitoba Harvest Hemp Foods is the world’s largest hemp food manufacturer to grow, make and sell their own brand of hemp food products. A B Corp Certified company, Manitoba Harvest educates on the health and environmental benefits of hemp and strives to support sustainability in all that they do. Award-winning products include Hemp Hearts (raw shelled hemp seeds) and HEMP PRO 70® (hemp protein concentrate). www.manitobaharvest.com.
