Field Audits & Reporting
Throughout the growing season, more than 300 Leafy Greens Program handlers must be audited multiple times to ensure that they are in compliance with food and safety practices accepted by the Leafy Green Marketing Agreement (LGMA). Auditors used a manual scheduling process that was inconsistent and cumbersome. The manual scheduling process was generating repeat audits that were too close together in frequency.
The auditors use a checklist derived from the industry developed metrics as a tool of best practices for their audits. They make their observations, may divert from checklist if an answer to a question leads them to ask more question(s). Upon completion of the audit, the auditor creates an audit results report. The audit is submitted to the Leafy Greens Marketing Agreement (LGMA) staff and to the Handler. A Service Mark is awarded to the Handler who must provide it on their invoices to product purchasers, such as Safeway and Raley’s/Bel Air.
Looking to improve the tracking of audits, results, and corrective action plans (CAPS), the LGMA and it’s partner states engaged M Corp to deliver a COTS/MOTS solution that would transform the data gathering and reporting process. M Corp worked closely with the LGMA, state, and industry handler stakeholders to deliver a web based solution that allows each handler to view and manage the audits that being performed on their growing sites. The states and LGMA can now manage workflow efficiently and are successfully collecting the necessary metrics to measure quality and safety in leafy green food production.
