Product recalls impact all departments within an organization, but those working in supply and distribution will feel the effects more than most. The truth is, recalls influence every aspect of a supply chain, from sourcing materials and ingredients to distributing products to retailers and customers. So what is the supply and distribution department’s role in produce recall planning and mock recall exercises?

As we continue our 12-part series about the impact of product recalls on organizations, we examine the challenges faced by supply and distribution departments in various sectors.

What Does a Supply and Distribution Department Do?

Supply and distribution (or distribution management) departments source materials and ingredients and distribute products to retailers and customers. Many organizations have intricate supply chains that facilitate all the tasks associated with getting products to market. A product recall notice from the FDA (or another government department) can disrupt every aspect of these supply chains, often without a moment’s notice.

Imagine the scenario: The FDA issues a notice that an ingredient you source from a supplier is dangerous and could put lives at risk. You have days, perhaps just hours, to take action. If you don’t, you could face thousands of dollars of fines. Or, even worse, put customers at risk.

After a recall notice, you might communicate with your supply and distribution team, who sourced the dangerous ingredient in the first place. It’s their job to notify suppliers, warehouse staff, and other people and halt distribution until you safely remove the dangerous ingredient from supply chains.

This is a monumental challenge, especially if you rely on outdated software or, worse, manual methods.

The Challenges of Product Recall Management for the Supply and Distribution Team

Your supply and distribution team will face many challenges during the product recall management process. Supply chains are intricate and complex and involve many moving parts. A contaminated ingredient could have found its way into many different products, and these products could already be on their way to retailers.

Some organizations use inadequate workflows and find it difficult to pinpoint where a dangerous material or ingredient originated from. Outdated software and manual methods make this problem worse.

Technology exists that helps supply and distribution employees manage product recalls more effectively. This technology speeds up recall response times considerably, so you avoid fines and safeguard the general public.

How Supply and Distribution Teams Can Speed Up Recall Responses

Use recall reports

Recall reports let supply and distribution teams quickly identify which retailers and customers receive recalled products. This makes it easier to remove recalled products and respond to recall notices.

On the flip side, recall reports let teams identify where recalled products, ingredients, and materials originated from in the first place. Teams can communicate with these suppliers and remove dangerous items from supply chains and warehouses.

To successfully execute recall reports, supply and distribution teams need software they can trust. Manual methods result in human error, which could make the problem worse.

Communicate with other departments

Communication is crucial during a product recall. Supply and distribution teams that want to improve recall responses should communicate with other departments within their organization clearly and quickly. These other departments include:

  • Legal teams
  • Customer service teams
  • Product management teams

Teams should share recall notices, lot numbers, batch numbers, and other information that expedite product recall responses.

Develop a Recall Plan and Mock Recall Exercises

The FDA recently published its final guidance outlining steps companies should take to develop recall policies and procedures that include training, planning, and record-keeping to help significantly reduce the time a recalled product remains on the market.

The FDA guidance describes an array of best practices for creating, testing, and executing a recall plan. Because of the FDA’s heightened expectations, along with the greater risk and complexity involved in today’s recalls, training – including regular mock recall exercises – has become an essential part of the recall preparation process.

It is imperative that your organization plan, train and test for a product recall.  This includes developing and executing mock recalls at least twice a year.

MockRecalls is a mock recall planning, training and consulting company focused to test your recall readiness.

We are purely focused on protecting your product investment by working with you to create a new recall plan or analyze your current recall plan and then put it through a mock recall or recall simulation test to insure you are prepared for a possible product recall.

Our program can analyze your company’s readiness in many of the typical elements of the recall process including:

  • Initiation, investigation, and communication process
  • Recall working team and decision team composition and dynamics
  • Team roles and responsibilities
  • Process flow and lot traceability
  • And retrieval capability and effectiveness checks

Our recall simulation program is conducted as an escalating model using real product facts and potential issues, with multiple inputs such as consumer complaints, social media, FDA/USDA/local health department and law enforcement. Conducting a recall simulation will also allow the recall team and all involved personnel to become familiar with their responsibilities throughout the recall procedure. This gives them time to effectively communicate any concerns about the plan while the company isn’t dealing with the pressure of an actual recall.

Use a product recall management system

Mock Recalls product recall management system  Trievr Recall Management, is by far the most effective method for speeding up recall response times. This platform keep all recall information in one place so supply and distribution teams can access vital data when the clock is ticking.

Not all recall management platforms are the same, however. Organizations should invest in one that safeguards sensitive company information like batch numbers and customer details, preferably in a secure cloud environment.

Trievr improves recall communication times for any supply and distribution department with a suite of smart tools such as auto-reminders, recall templates, real-time reports, and real-time dashboards. This on-demand platform only charges you when you use the software, and there are no monthly/annual fees.

Trievr suits supply and distribution teams (as well as other departments) in almost any industry, including:

  • Pharmaceuticals
  • Chemicals
  • Medical devices
  • Retail

Final Word

Supply and distribution teams face many challenges when it comes to product recalls. These employees must respond to recall notices quickly and take action that protects the public and adheres to government guidance. If they don’t, the consequences can be disastrous for your entire organization.

Looking to test your product recall readiness across your organization and improve communication times across all departments with our recall management system? MockRecalls will help create and/or test your recall program. Click here to learn more or call us!

Learn more about each department’s role during a product recall