Intelligent Checklist Platform Boosts Food Service Quality, Safety
In-store deployments of a food safety and intelligent checklist platform have a positive impact on food quality and safety performance, according to a recent case study released by the Center for Advancing Retail & Technology (CART) and the National Grocers Association (NGA).
The case study, “Intelligent Checklist for Quality and Safety in the Supermarket,” commenced in the summer of 2013, and involved two NGA member-retailers -- Niemann Foods, Inc. and Lee’s Market -- which provided the testing environment for the project.
Based on the pilot, CART found that the platform delivered improved product consistency, desirable process transparency, reliable data logs, reduced shrink and more satisfied shoppers.
CART worked with PAR, a provider of the SureCheck Intelligent Checklist, on the solution, which deployed the PAR intelligent checklist technology in deli food service departments within the two grocers’ stores.
Results from the study indicate improvements on several key performance dimensions over previous manual record keeping methods, including:
- Enabled superior workplace practices while reducing costs
- Provided better control and mitigation of risk
- Improved outcomes on health safety inspections
- Enabled the delivery of better quality prepared foods, leading to more satisfied customers and increased sales
A white paper based on the research includes several on-site photographs showing the SureCheck solution in use in the stores, and documents multiple direct benefits, including:
- Potential for labor savings of up to 60 percent
- No more paper – eliminates purchase and storage cost
- Increased visibility into stores and the ability to affect employee behavior more directly
- The system is not just suitable for food safety – the platform can be applied to virtually any type of operational checklist
- Ability to efficiently implement ad hoc activities such as product recalls
- Potential ability to reduce outside audit expense