Fowler Welch achieves top rating following virtual audit
FMCG giant Fowler Welch has retained its BRCGS at AA rating at their Kent operations – the highest level of certification.
This globally-recognised standard underscores the Company values and offers customers and colleagues best practice quality and safety procedures throughout the entire Fowler Welch network. The BRC Global Standard – Storage and Distribution reflects best practice and facilitates a process of continual improvement through well-designed, risk-based product safety management systems. It ensures quality and safety of products during their storage and distribution throughout the supply chain1
Following an extension to their existing certificate in 2020 due to COVID restrictions, the audit in January 2021 was somewhat unconventional. Auditors were still unable to visit the sites in person so the audit was carried out virtually;
By use of WhatsApp for video attendance of the auditor through the warehouses and across the sites.
Using Microsoft Teams to share and review documents; talking through the auditing standard with the auditor.
Through the use of a web-based portal for the uploading of documents on request.
The sites, located in Paddock Wood and Teynham had previously been audited separately but were combined under 1 certificate in 2018. Their joint-audit in 2019 saw the sites receive a total of 2 minor non-conformances and, demonstrating the Company ethos of continuous improvement, this was reduced to just 1 minor non-conformance in the 2021 audit.
Mike Fisher, General Manager Kent says;
“This is a fantastic result and I would like to say a big thank you to my teams at Teynham & Paddock Wood, along with the Central SHEQ team for all of their hard work, dedication and efforts continually throughout the year, ensuring the compliance of our sites – thank you all and very well done!”
The BRC certification applies to all processes across the sites’ operations; goods in, product audit, picking, stock control, administration, health, safety and quality and the transport operations. All sites within the Fowler Welch network are graded at AA standard and several of the sites have achieved zero non-conformance audits in 2019 and 2020.
John Kerrigan, CEO adds;
“It is our commitment to delivering industry leading services that drives our approach to continuous improvement across our sites. Ensuring that our facilities are of the highest standards is of vital importance to us and our customers and it is thanks to our hard-working teams that, even under extremely difficult circumstances, we were able to achieve this top result.”
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