Keys to Success by Making Best Practices Policy - Essay Example

Keys to Success by Making Best Practices Policy

There are organizations that are striving hard to go global by implementing various strategies. For that, owners of the organization with the collaboration of management try to design comprehensive best practices policy. By including a compiled task list that can handle regular or unexpected issues, the best practices policy should be finalized. While conducting business within a foreign country food industry, there needs to apply some strict policies and set long-term objectives. It is necessary to survive in the food industry that the policy list should be designed in a way that it can take any unique challenges that a company may face into consideration.

Therefore, in this paper, a list of best practices policies will be presented for a food production company from the food industry. The food industry needs to follow a certain type of policies that can deal with unique challenges for the long-term sustainability. Therefore, a comprehensive best practices policy list must include policies related to sanitation, production, processing, distribution, and purchasing. There is a need for properly defined processing techniques, security measures, Emergency evacuation procedures, and eating/drinking rules. Moreover, to operate successfully there should be conflict resolution strategies, and in-house and online teams to provide complete coverage to company procedures.

Discussion on Best Practice Policies in a Food Industry

Sanitation policy

The first most important thing to run food business successfully within the food industry it is necessary that the sanitation procedures should be free from contamination. From the production to purchasing processes sanitation procedures should be followed strictly and adequately (Troller, 2012). The reason to use sanitation procedures is that it ensures that the food is free from any contamination especially during the production process. Also, packaging process needs to be done by following strict sanitation policy procedures because it is also a sensitive phase that should be free from contamination. Therefore, for the production of clean food and packaging procedure, the staff including the managers and workers needs to follow the following policies.

• In case any worker has any infectious disease then, the manager should look after them and do not let them start to work until they get rid of that infection.

• It is also necessary that the operations manager should be aware of the typical symptoms of infections and other diseases (Hui, 2014).

• It is the responsibility of the worker as well that he should inform about his infectious disease to the operations manager before starting work on the field.

• Proper medical treatment should be provided to the worker if he is at work and not feeling well.

• In case any worker has small cuts and wounds, it is the responsibility of the operations manager to make sure that the worker is using an appropriate waterproof bandage.

• However, workers with some serious cuts and wounds should not be allowed to operate in food production or handling of fresh food.

• The industry will be responsible for providing proper training programs to its workers so that they can understand the significance of sanitation for clean work procedures or personal hygiene.

• The food protection methods should also be delivered through training programs to new employees so that they can know the importance of hygiene on the personal or professional level before they start work.

• Employee’s personal cleanliness is also significant to eliminate food contaminants. Therefore, the company should provide hand washing soaps and sanitizers convenient to food handling areas.

• For hygiene practices, personal cleanliness must be maintained. Therefore, workers should be wearing sanitary protective clothes, sanitized glows, and footwear must be maintained clean under the food handling areas.

Eating and drinking

• Things like tobacco, gum, and any food item should not be allowed in food handling areas.

• Having food or beverages in a packaging area is also not allowed as they could be contaminated with toxic or infectious materials.

• There should be a specific area or canteen to have food at workplace other than that it is not allowed.

• The usage of stored/refrigerated lunches, snacks or drinks should also not be avoided to save the employees from any possible diseases.

• Usage of fresh food items should be promoted and for that, the canteen should provide safe and healthy food items.

• It is necessary that the employees should follow rules regarding eating and drinking so that the food does not get contaminated with toxic or infectious materials.

• Having food within the office over the desk is also not allowed due to the precautionary measures.

Conflict resolution

• It is necessary that all employee must work as a team for that the organization needs to make such policies that all employees should be aware to avoid conflicts and violence at the workplace.

• Increased resources and alternatives should be available for employees to share their workload in case of emergency.

• The regular meeting should be arranged to discuss any issues that workers might face during their work process.

• The meeting agenda should be focused to discuss and resolve such issues that can be converted into a serious conflict or violent behavior among employees.

• Arbitration with designated mediator on staff is required to control the situation incase any dispute happens at the workplace.

• Proper mechanisms should be designed to resolve conflicts and settle disputes at the lowest level of the organization.

• Employee consent is necessary before giving them extra shift of work to avoid conflicts.

• Distribution of working hours should be done evenly or else the uneven distribution will lead the employee to resentment.

In-house and online teams

• The availability of employee 24/7 is necessary to handle the company processes.

• The number of employees should be decided during the meeting after employee consent for their duties.

• Employee training sessions should be increased to keep them motivated.

• Before conducting any meeting the meeting agenda and meeting minutes must be designed properly to avoid possible misunderstandings.

• The selection of leaders or supervisors should be made after a suggestions session in which employees will be free to give their opinion for the upcoming leader or supervisor.

• 24-hour coverage should be provided to cover the time differences with the collaboration of staff.

• A call center should be created that works for better customer relations and for that online team should be working for it efficiently round the clock.

Security

• It is necessary that the security measures for the company should be designed effectively to protect the company from possible crime, theft, entrance of unauthorized personnel and attacks.

• A security camera should be placed for security measures.

• By applying physical security policy, the company can easily track and monitor the productivity and security of their employees.

• Anything that has been recorded can be used to deal with legal matters.

• It is also necessary that employees should be aware of their responsibility that they shut the door and lock their lockers to save their stuff.

• Security of equipment off-premises is also necessary for the protection of assets and equipment off-premise as food is outsourced under containers and special trucks that can keep the food items fresh and healthy.

• Incase the supervisor or inspector is on duty the information he collects should also be secured and protected thus, information security system should also be designed.

• For the information security system, it is also necessary that the system is protected from hackers, and viruses (Johnson, 2014).

• For security purpose, a company should use dressings that can be detected easily by a metal detector for the workers of the processing line. It will allow the radar to discover the coverings especially when it has fallen, and it allows enabling corrective measures to be taken easily.

Emergency Evacuation Procedures

• There should be a proper Emergency evacuation procedure design that must be placed within the building that shows emergency exits and emergency equipment (such as fire extinguishers).

• An employee at work should be trained and clearly and repeatedly told about the emergency and evacuation procedures.

• The must be guided to use fire extinguishers and directed to learn maps for evacuation routes and emergency assembly areas (Burtles & Noakes-Fry, 2014).

Herein, it will not be incorrect to state that by creating such policies any company can work effectively. Creation of such policies is necessary for organizations to survive in a competitive world where each organization within the industry is following such policies to make their workforce effective and their organization safe and secure from possible threats. In other words, it can also be said that these policies contribute towards the long-term sustainability of the company. By applying such policies organizations within the food industry can easily provide safe and healthy food products. It will give a competitive advantage to the company, and it will eventually help the company to create a positive image within the industry. It becomes easy for the company to assure that the food they are providing is prepared and packed under the sanitized environment by following the certain rules and regulations that help them to keep the quality of their products on a high level. Moreover, conflict resolution strategies keep the workplace environment free from conflicts, disputes, and violence. Also, it makes a positive impact on the performance of employees. It also gives a competitive edge to the company within the industry for applying the appropriate rules and policies.

If such policies are not created an implemented the there are various threats to the company that can impact the image and processes of the company. For example, if sanitary policies are not implemented adequately then there is a possibility that the customers may find food unhealthy or unsafe. Moreover, it will impact the sales of the food items. Other than that, for not taking proper security measures, there is a possibility that they may face some serious loss of important equipment or information. Similarly, by not having a proper crisis management plan or emergency evacuation procedures chances of damages usually increases.

It should be noted that there are companies within the food industry who are applying such policies for their long-term sustainability as well as for the good image. For example, Starbucks is one of those companies within the food industry that is using applying such policies to attain competitive advantage within the international food industry. Similarly, McDonalds or Dunkin Donuts are also applying best practices policies to survive in the international food industry. As to attain competitive advantage and to sustain the food industry it is necessary that the sanitary policy is implemented to assure customers that the food they are having is entirely safe and healthy.