Among the myriad commodities and subsections of the food industry facing FSMA 204 compliance, tropical fruit distributors have a unique set of challenges and needs. Keeping tabs on documentation and supplier data is difficult enough with a handful of suppliers, but most tropical fruit distributors work with hundreds if not thousands of small growers. With the data needs (and associated organizational challenges) thus increasing exponentially, FSMA 204 compliance needs to be approached strategically.

Smart Tactics for Modern Problems

1.

Minimize Integrations

While GFSI scheme compliance is often as fundamental as gathering certificates from suppliers once a year, FSMA is changing the game. Tropical fruit distributors must capture every granular piece of data along the way. This poses new challenges that call for a concise approach. 

The Silent Killer: Missing Data

At scale, Critical Tracking Events (CTEs) can’t be requested, received, and uploaded manually. Supplier data must flow into the distributor’s central software automatically; this requires API integrations to connect software platforms. But each integration to supplier software carries a cost for the distributor to analyze, map, and build the data connections. And each connection requires ongoing maintenance as software continually evolves. The more maintenance is required, the more likely it is that some data goes missing. 

The Daily Burden: Varying Data

Each FSMA software will structure and describe data differently. The more software options allowed among suppliers, the more traceability breaks down due to differing formats, schemes, names, and identifiers. Tropical fruit distributors risk having – but not finding – their Key Data Elements (KDEs). 

The Proven Way: Approved Software Vendors

Five or Fewer Integrations: The Benefits

For Tropical Fruit Distributors

For Small Suppliers

2.

Prioritize Accessibility

Latin American operations face additional obstacles to implement the newest technologies and tools. Managing limited digital infrastructure and literacy, tropical fruit distributors must choose their approved FSMA software carefully. 

Mobile-First: Adapting to Constraints

According to the World Economic Forum, less than 50% of Latin Americans have access to fixed broadband. The good news? 87% are in range of a 4G mobile internet connection. However, many of America’s software options are built for desktop, being too clunky and overbearing to use on a mobile phone. When considering FSMA 204 software, tropical fruit distributors must approve vendors that are mobile-first.

Meet You Where You Are: Digital Literacy

The World Economic Forum has also highlighted that only 5-15% of adults have medium or strong digital problem-solving skills in Latin America. Advanced compliance software may be a paralyzing problem. However, GSMA reporting shows that 86% of Latin Americans use SMS texts, web-browsing, and pictures on their devices. To succeed in tropical fruit, FSMA 204 software must be equally simple. 

The Proven Way: FSMA in a Text

Intuitive & Mobile-First: The Benefits

For Tropical Fruit Distributors

For Small Suppliers

3.

Boots on the Ground

Digital data capture is a people challenge inasmuch as a software challenge. If a dynamic tool from Silicon Valley is dropped in an inbox in Sinaloa, will that work? Likely not. But tropical fruit distributors shouldn’t plan to support hundreds to thousands of small suppliers themselves. Localizing the tools becomes a critical piece of the puzzle. 

¿Lo entiendes?

Are your small suppliers forced to memorize the meaning of English words in their CTE records? Too many software options are locked in one language, prompting guesswork that hinders data quality. Other software attempts to replace natural language with unintuitive codes; in practice, this memorization is actually harder, and hinders adoption. Tropical fruit suppliers need easily-localized language options in FSMA 204 software. 

Beyond Training Day: Continuous Support

Field operations tend to have regular turnover, so small suppliers need year-round training to ensure continuous adoption of FSMA software. Tropical fruit distributors can’t solely rely on new operators finding past webinars or help sites; however, tropical fruit distributors also can’t carry staff to provide ongoing personal support. It’s critical for these services to be bundled with the FSMA software. Support must be sensitive to the culture, the conditions, the language, and the timezone.  

The Proven Way: Localization & Support

International Support: The Benefits

For Tropical Fruit Distributors

For Small Suppliers

Getting in Action

It’s rare for one company to be best-in-class at intuitive mobile data capture, scalable data integrations, and international support services. Tropical fruit distributors would be wise to take a best-in-breed approach, combining the ideal offering for each of the three challenges.

FDA Traceability Challenge winner, Kezzler, has teamed up with Provision and DNV for this very purpose. 

Provision

Provision is an intuitive, mobile-first tool for capturing compliance documentation. The average small supplier is audit-ready in 54% less time than their prior method. 

Kezzler

Kezzler allows tropical fruit distributors to structure and unify disparate data from a network of small suppliers. It integrates to any number of Provision accounts. 

DNV

With 15,000 staff spanning 100 countries, DNV can assure the human element of FSMA 204 compliance. Its services guide the implementation and support of the Provision-Kezzler solution.

In Conclusion

The stress of achieving FSMA 204 compliance is understandable. Tropical fruit distributors can mitigate their risk by approving one to five FSMA software options for their supplier networks. Prioritizing simplicity and localization, tropical fruit distributors can navigate compliance throughout their supplier networks, while ensuring the safety and quality of their products.