I recently had a conversation with my friend who has been in the airline catering industry for the last three decades. We talked about his experiences from a food safety perspective in the industry. ” When I started my airline catering career in the 80s, I remember going around the base station flight kitchen with a piece of paper stuck to a clipboard and a pen, ticking checkboxes. Those were the days of Lockheed L1011 Tristar aircraft with catering loaded in the lower lobe galleys. Then there were B747s loaded in massive catering modules in the aircraft’s belly. That was in the last quarter of the 20th century. Here we are almost towards the end of the first quarter of the 21st century with modern aircraft such as the Airbus 380 Super Jumbo, and Boeing 777 Dreamliner flying the blue skies; and yet nothing much has changed in terms of technological advancement in the flight catering industry”, said my friend.

The entire world has been forced to live through an extended period of ‘downtime’ due to the pandemic. However, some organizations have, during the past year and a half, opted to turn the situation on its head, revisiting business processes with a view to implementing improvements.

These efforts have focused on new ways of working and collaboration as well as supplier and engagement. From the customers’ perspective, the demand was for greater value in the products and services they purchase but without having to incur increased costs. As such, we saw a more feverish use of corporate buzzwords such as Digital Tools and Digitization which of course have been around for a decade or so.

The pandemic, as we all know, hit the aviation and related industries especially hard, resulting in an unprecedented drop in demand. Naturally, this had a serious impact on Flight Caterers. They too have come under increased pressure from customers to create value without additional costs. Therefore, just like other industries similarly affected, they have also been looking at various ways to improve efficiencies and design new ways of generating revenue.

While health and safety are priorities for customers, as always it was vital for flight kitchens to maintain airlines’ confidence in their capacity to provide safe food. From a digital perspective, flight kitchens can pick up a few low-hanging fruits for digitization to improve business processes as well as create value that customers look for using technology.

He added, ” In my experience in the airline catering industry over the past three decades which includes visiting flight kitchens in various parts of the world, a hygiene inspection of a flight kitchen would take about half a day on average. This includes a physical hygiene audit followed by a documentation audit. This posed a challenge due to the limited time we could spend within each flight kitchen during a physical audit; we could only take a ‘snapshot’ of what was happening at a particular time. Documentation audits took much longer, but as always, it has always been cumbersome to flip through mountains of paper. Very often only hand-written records were maintained; they frequently missed some information and were not easy to read. As such it has been hard to develop a ‘feel’ about the day-to-day performance and efficiency of the food safety management system of the flight kitchen”

I believe we need a new approach to enable airline customers to monitor food safety systems and carry out routine in-depth audits at flight kitchens either on-site or even remotely. Customers should be able to do the current paper audit. In other words, they should be able to view the entire Food Safety Management process in the kitchen electronically from their computers or even iDevices. For Hygiene Managers of the flight kitchen, such a mechanism would do away with spreadsheets and binders, error-prone hand-written records, enable the provision of visibility with respect to corrective actions and most of all increase employee engagement in food safety and thereby build confidence in customer’s minds.

Swiss Advantage Systems (Pvt) Ltd is a limited liability company incorporated in Sri Lanka, in the business now for over 20 years.

A Business Process Re-engineering company, the company has been engaged in the business of providing ISO 22000 Consultant services for implementing Food Safety Management Systems across many industry verticals. Having worked with over 100 clients, the company has acquired a rich heritage of industry knowledge and expertise in the field of food safety management systems complying with HACCP / ISO 22000 / FSSC 22000 and BRC international standards.

Swiss Advantage commenced operations in 2001 in collaboration with Swisscontact – a foundation supported by many universities in Switzerland with the objective of developing and marketing a fully automated solution for the industry for the implementation of food safety management.

As Consultants for ISO 22000 and FSSC22000 food safety management systems, we have helped over 100 clients to implement fully automated FSMS systems. Swiss Advantage is the creator of PEx Software™ – a fully automated Food Safety Management System for business process management.

With over 7 years of research, product development, tested in all industry sectors and many satisfied customers, PEx Software™ is the winner of the National Best Quality Software Award in Sri Lanka.

Swiss Advantage Systems (Pvt) Ltd is a limited liability company incorporated in Sri Lanka, in the business now for over 20 years.

A Business Process Re-engineering company, the company has been engaged in the business of providing ISO 9001Consultant services for implementing Quality Management Systems across many industry verticals. Having worked with over 100 clients, the company has acquired a rich heritage of industry knowledge and expertise in the field of quality & food safety management systems.

Swiss Advantage commenced operations in 2001 in collaboration with Swisscontact – a foundation supported by many universities in Switzerland with the objective of developing and marketing a fully automated solution for the industry for the implementation of quality management. After the collaboration period ended the company became a single owner private company.

As Consultants for ISO 9001 quality management systems, we have helped over 100 clients to implement fully automated QMS systems. Swiss Advantage is the creator of PEx Software™ – a fully automated Quality Management System for business process management.

With over 7 years of research, product development, tested in all industry sectors and many satisfied customers, PEx Software™ is the winner of the National Best Quality Software Award in Sri Lanka.

Digital transformation continues to be an exciting and high-profile business initiative, but as with every business ‘revolution’ of the last few decades, it’s not a silver bullet.

In particular, many businesses have embraced automation as a technology to shift their organization to a new way of working, but failed to understand both the limits of the toolset and the support it requires.

It’s vital that companies grasp the potential of automation but realise its limitations too. By helping your staff come to terms with what these technologies offer, your teams can advocate for more intelligent and effective implementation across the business, and ensure the maximum benefit is derived from each tool.

Automation works

There’s no denying that business process automation pays dividends. It can remove or reduce laborious, repetitive work and bring greater accuracy and efficiency to processes and procedures in the workplace.

However, if an organization wants to see more than short term gains and truly realize the potential ROI of the technology, automation needs to be employed intelligently and with a supporting structure that looks at more than just new software.

Scaffolding for success

The first factor in successful process automation is the process. Without capturing and refining your business processes, even the most effective automation solutions can only achieve so much.

It’s another instance of the old programming mantra, ‘garbage in – garbage out.’ If the process itself is inefficient, lacks clarity or is poorly understood, then adding automation may in fact amplify the problems rather than reduce them.

Engage the people who know the process best in the practice of capturing the process, then provide avenues for feedback and continuous improvement. Once the process is clear, compliant and functioning as intended, there are opportunities to identify where automation can bring greater efficiency and effectiveness.

Identifying the systems and structures already in place can help indicate where automation will be beneficial. The users most familiar with the activities can link their steps to the platforms already in play, and this can provide a map of dependencies and connections. For Lean and Six Sigma advocates, utilizing tags or highlights can pinpoint elements that are ripe for optimization.

Reporting these markers across the processes is an effective way of spotting automation opportunities within the business.

Knowing the tools

There are various forms of automation available, and each has its own arena of effectiveness. Like any toolkit, you can’t expect any one solution to fit every problem and trying to apply blanket fixes can in fact create more problems.

Rather than grasp the latest trend, carefully consider what your needs are. This is where empowering your business teams helps; since they’re the everyday users of the processes, they know them best. By giving them an understanding of the various technologies, they will be able to identify use cases that best suit the tools.

Article by courtesy of Nintex

How PEx Software™ can make the most of energetic minds and new ideas

Much has been written about the place of Millennials in today’s business context, and while debates rage over the pros and cons of that generation’s contribution to the workforce, another group is quietly slipping into organizations and establishing careers for themselves. Gen Z are the recent graduates, the interns and new hires that will rapidly begin to have an impact on the world around them.

So how do we engage this next wave of energetic minds and new ideas in the essentials of business process management?

New kids on the (office) block

Conversations around compliance, the place of good process management and the value of continuous improvement don’t sound like the staple of Gen Z water-cooler talk. They are however vital topics for any organization to keep at the forefront for all their staff. It’s not that Gen Z don’t want to engage; it’s simply that many of the existing conversations feel irrelevant to them.

Companies need to think through how to raise the profile of business process management with this next generation of workers in a meaningful way in order to harness their inherent strengths and skills in the pursuit of process excellence.

Here are three key ways to leverage the enthusiasm and innovation of Gen Z in pursuit of great process management:

Make it visual

Gen Z are unarguably the most technologically savvy generation yet. They swim in the digital world that generations before are still only dipping their toes into. It’s a great strength, but it also means that traditional channels and process tools aren’t going to engage them.

A Gen Z workforce isn’t going to reach for a phonebook-sized procedure manual, and they won’t dig through complex directory trees to find the information they need. Their expectations for information have been set by Instagram and YouTube, and if we want to focus their attention on process matters, we need to follow suit.

That means visually appealing tools with simple, intuitive interfaces. Don’t give Gen Z a Visio diagram; give them an interactive portal that they can skim, and dive into where they need to. Don’t bury them in pages of procedures; a clean process map with key points and video tutorials is what they’re looking for.

Search capabilities and connected portals like SharePoint and intranets need to make it easy to find the essential data, in a quick-to-grasp format. Kyle Elliott, a consultant writing for Forbes believes a focus on utilizing effective and efficient technologies will be key to engaging Gen Z in the workforce. The bonus of such an approach is that it also brings the increasingly diverse workforce into the conversation; speakers of English as a second language can more readily participate in process management through visually simple tools.

Enable two-way conversation

Gen Z is probably the most connected generation we’ve seen, with the entire world only a screen away. While we could argue the merits of affirmations via Instagram, there is no denying that Gen Z thrives on the feedback and active engagement that similar environments provide.

Forbes describe this generation’s approach as “a collaborative mindset and a notable desire to apply their unique capabilities to enhance the workplace.” Gen Z workers expect to see some kind of response when they engage with the world around them. If their efforts, innovations and ideas are met with the stony silence of the status quo, they’ll soon look elsewhere.

That means making collaboration the norm in process management. There need to be clear channels for offering improvements, and an effective system for feedback on those ideas. It involves creating a conversation around continuous improvement, not a one-way street.

Gen Z may not have all the answers – a fact they’d readily admit – but they want to be involved in the pursuit of them with a voice that is heard. By utilizing feedback loops and notifications of change, a good process management approach will affirm their place in the environment and capture their fresh perspective on the organization’s business.

Create a dynamic environment

Gen Z believe in the power to change the world, and they have plenty of evidence that it can be done. Crowdsourcing is just one example of how these digital natives band together over a shared vision to turn it into a reality.

In a study on Gen Z in the workforce, it was found “Gen Z cares deeply about company culture… one in which Gen Z can play an active role in evolving processes and tools.” They want to see change, and an environment of continuous improvement provides just the context for it.

That means process management can’t be static. Process tools need to be dynamic, communicating change to users and encouraging engagement. Nothing will turn Gen Z off like an entrenched status quo. However, when every level of an organization celebrates the ongoing pursuit of process excellence, it creates a culture that energizes the newcomers to the workforce. By seeing change happen, Gen Z will be encouraged to be part of the ongoing evolution.

Simulate the app experience

One of the other hallmarks of Gen Z is their adaptability. Almost every week there seems to be a new app, and it’s no great feat for digital natives to switch between tools and platforms as they emerge.

Find the best tools available that foster collaboration, engage users in accessible ways, and communicate clearly the story of continuous improvement. Offer the newest generation in your workforce a doorway into continuous improvement in the ways they understand: digital, visual, clear, and engaging.

By recognizing the world that Gen Z inhabits and embracing its strengths, you can harness the energy and innovation of this emerging generation for the pursuit of process excellence.

Above article by courtesy of Nintex

Occupational Health & Safety Standard
ISO 45001 is the new ISO standard for occupational health and safety (OH&S). It has become one of the most eagerly awaited standards in the world, and is set to drastically improve levels of workplace safety. It aims to provide a safe and healthy workplace for employees and visitors.

Why is Health & Safety important
According to 2017 calculations by the International Labour Organization (ILO), 2.78 million fatal accidents and some 374 million non-fatal work-related injuries and illnesses each year.This paints a sober picture of the modern workplace – one where workers can suffer serious consequences as a result of simply “doing their job”.

Improve productivity through improved safety
Whether you are an employee, a manager or a business owner, you share a common goal – you don’t want anyone to get hurt on the job. Improved productivity stems from ensuring people operate in workplaces that provide transparency and build trust throughout their operation and supply chain. In addition, responsible practices are becoming increasingly important to brands and reputations.

Major differences between OHSAS 18001 and ISO 45001
1. ISO 45001 is process-based – OHSAS 18001 is procedure-based
2. ISO 45001 is dynamic in all clauses – OHSAS 18001 is not
3. ISO 45001 considers both risk and opportunities – OHSAS 18001 deals exclusively with risk
4. ISO 45001 includes the views of interested parties – OHSAS 18001 does not

Benefits
The benefits of ISO 45001 are endless when implemented correctly. While the standard requires that OH&S risks be addressed and controlled, it also takes a risk-based approach to the OH&S management system itself, to ensure that it is effective and that it is being continually improved to meet an organization’s ever-changing “context”. Moreover, it ensures compliance with current legislation worldwide. All these measures combined can establish an organization’s reputation as a “safe place to work”, bringing a host of corollary benefits, from reducing insurance costs to improving employee morale – all while continuing to meet your strategic targets.

Swiss Advantage Systems (Pvt) Ltd is an ISO 9001 Consultant company in Sri Lanka. Having commenced business in the year 2001 we have successfully carried out assignments for over 200 companies.

Our diverse range of clients include : Airlines, Banks,  Logistics, Education, Services, manufacturing, Engineering and a host of other sectors.

We are commonly known as  :

1. ISO 9001 consultants in Sri Lanka
2. ISO 14001 consultants in Sri Lanka
3. ISO 22000 consultants in Sri Lanka

We employ a team of professionally qualified personnel with experience in manufacturing and service sectors. All our employees are continually trained nationally and internationally to ensure that the products and services delivered by us meet with international standards.

Here are 3 tips to consider when transiting your 9001 QMS to the new ISO 9001 : 2015.

Reduce the volume of Documentation in ISO 9001:2015

One of the key improvements in the ISO 9001:2015 is that a Quality Manual is not mandatory. Did you know you can now reduce your ISO related documents by 70% ?

Top Management Engagement :

The new ISO 9001: 2015 requires greater participation of the Top Management. So make your QMS visible to them from their lap top or mobile so they too can get engaged.

Employee Engagement :

Make all employees excited to participate in QMS activities by making the QMS visible and easy to contribute with powerful employee engagement tools.

PEx Software by Swiss Advantage Systems is a powerful tool for you to achieve all above requirements when transiting to ISO 9001: 2015.