In the following article, we will explore five opportunities for you to optimise equipment management at your food production site - saving time and reducing costs.

Food factories are under an increasing amount of pressure to cut down on outgoing expenses and wasted time, all without compromising on food safety or product quality.

The effective management of your hygiene and production equipment will help to make this possible, reducing the need for costly repairs and replacements. The right process will also help you to save on wasted time when it comes to re-ordering your utensils.

The following guide highlights five opportunities for you to secure success in this area, covering everything from equipment storage to the importance of your company culture.

1. Introduce shadow board storage solutions

How visible is the equipment at your food factory? If your utensils are stored in plain sight of everyone who works at or visits your premises, it is more likely that damage or degradation will be noticed immediately. This will make it easier to manage repairs and replacements.

In contrast, if your equipment is hidden away or stored without a proper system, it will be harder to stay on top of this process. This could mean that some issues are only flagged during internal or even external audits. It will also increase the chances of damaged and degraded equipment being used at your site – a serious risk to food safety.

Shadow boards are one of the most popular solutions to consider. When placed strategically around your site, shadow boards ensure your equipment is easy to see, easy to access, and therefore easy to manage. Additionally, it will be extremely clear if equipment is missing, as each utensil has its own corresponding shadow.

The effective storage of your equipment should also help to extend its lifespan, as it is less likely that your utensils will be damaged or broken when not in use – knocked into by passers by or weakened by improper storage in disinfectant. This will reduce the frequency of repairs and replacements.

When the time does come to replace your equipment, an easy way to do this is by scanning the QR codes included on every shadow. If you scan the code, you will be taken directly to the relevant product page where you can place your order immediately. With most of our equipment held in stock for same-day despatch, the turnaround time for your new utensils should be incredibly short.

To learn more about shadow boards and the role they could play at your factory, take a look at our Shadow Board Inspiration Guide. It features over 70 designs for leading brands.

2. Embrace a digital approach to the management of your equipment

The right digital platform will help you to streamline the process of ordering, re-ordering, and managing your equipment. Designed with this purpose in mind, the Klipspringer Digital Portal allows you to access your order history, invoices, and statements all in one place. You can also create, view, and process quotations. As a result, the financial and budgeting aspects of equipment management will be much easier to track. There is even the option to order your essentials on credit, using just your PO reference. 

Embracing a digital approach should also make it easier for you to share the responsibility of equipment management, delegating to other team members where necessary. Using our Digital Portal, you can store your previous order lists for future reference and save your favourite products. This information will be available to anyone with permission to access the account, so if you are out of office or need to focus on another project, you can ask someone else to manage the re-ordering process without worrying that the wrong utensil will be selected.

As for the ongoing management of equipment, the Klipspringer Digital Portal will host the product conformity certificates for your products, helping you to prepare for upcoming audit inspections – even unannounced ones! You will also have direct access to the calibration certificates for your technical equipment. Again, this will help with audit preparation, especially if you sign up to receive our automatic calibration reminders.

Learn more about the Klipspringer Digital Portal

3. Consider the benefits of long-term vs single-use solutions

Another important step is to consider the benefits of long-term solutions when compared to single-use items of equipment. With single-use equipment often available at a cheaper price point, many factories will seize the opportunity to cut costs. However, this can often stand in the way of the long-term savings generated by equipment that was designed to last.

Unless there is a subscription service available, re-ordering single-use equipment can also be time-consuming, making the process of managing your equipment harder than it needs to be.

If sustainability is essential to your site’s equipment management plan, this could be another reason to consider durable solutions that has been developed with the harsh demands of a food factory in mind – leading to less waste through damage and breakages.

The three factors listed above are why an increasing number of sites are switching from e.g. single-use plastic covers to highly durable SegriCovers or single-use PPE to WashGuard Protective clothing. There is also a growing interest in durable hygiene and production equipment that offers the optimum lifespan.

4. Drive standards of traceability

Next, you should be on the lookout for opportunities to drive standards of traceability at your site. Instead of ordering in equipment just for it to be misplaced, lost, damaged, or broken, you need to have a system in place for ensuring your tools are reaching their maximum lifespan. Otherwise, you will have no control over the frequency and overall cost of replacements.

As mentioned above, shadow boards will help to resolve this issue, encouraging your team to return equipment to the correct storage space. Colour-coded equipment is another popular solution for ensuring your utensils are only used for the right application, in the relevant area of your site.

Then, for total peace of mind, we would recommend IndeliMarking your equipment – a process where specialist lasers are used to change the molecular structure of a surface without compromising any hygiene or food safety requirements.

When it comes to IndeliMarking your equipment, there are a range of options to explore:

  • The area of your site the equipment should be used in e.g. high risk
  • The allergen the equipment should/shouldn’t be used with e.g. gluten/gluten-free
  • The team responsible for the storage and management of the equipment
  • A sequential number that shows how many versions of the equipment have been used

Having any of these details imprinted on your equipment will not only drive standards of food safety, it will also help you to identify trends in equipment management. For example, you might notice that equipment keeps going missing from the same department. Or, you might discover that one team is breaking or damaging utensils at a much faster rate than another.

Using this information, you will be able to push for company-wide improvements, providing refresher training sessions, incentives for exceptional equipment management, and resolving any issues that could be responsible for negative trends.

Learn more about IndeliMarking your equipment

5. Make sure equipment management is a collective responsibility 

Finally, you need to nurture a culture of accountability at your site. After all, equipment management should be a collective responsibility, taken seriously by team members working across every department. Below are four ways that you can make this happen.

Ongoing training

It’s important that your team is familiar with the best approach to handling and storing equipment. The relevant operatives will also need to know the correct process for re-ordering. Training should be ongoing and should aim to address any behaviour that could be shortening the lifespan of your utensils.

Reinforce key messages

One of the best ways to reinforce key messages across your site is through the use of visual management tools. Highly-visible signage in key areas will help to keep the effective management of equipment at the forefront of everyone’s mind, especially if you include photos of acceptable/unacceptable practice. 

Highlight the ‘why?’

Another valuable approach is to highlight the ‘why?’ behind your push for optimal equipment management. This will help to motivate your team and encourage them to take personal responsibility. From cutting down on the cost of replacing utensils to improving standards of food safety, there are plenty of reasons to share.

Regular internal audits

Regular Audits are an essential part of securing compliance against auditing bodies such as BRCGS. They are also a valuable opportunity to identify areas for improvement. Your Internal Audit team should be on the lookout for instances where equipment is being stored or used incorrectly.

So there you have it, five ways that you can optimise equipment management at your food production site. From finding the right storage solutions to nurturing a culture of accountability, there are a range of opportunities to explore.

If you require further guidance in this area, the Klipspringer team would be happy to help with your enquiries. Our in-house experts will be on hand to provide support and relevant resources. You can contact us on 01473 461800 or sales@klipspringer.com. Alternatively, you can use the form below to arrange a consultation. 

If you would like further guidance relating to equipment management, the Klipspringer team would be happy to help. Share your details below to arrange a consultation.