Getting it right the first time

About five years ago, we moved into our newly constructed home. After one and a half years of building, our house was finally done. What a job! We thought about things we had never thought about before and knew very little of. All decisions were interconnected. Where should the sockets go? Did you know that wooden floors and floor heating are not a good combination? So we need a heating radiator after all, and oops, that is where we had drawn that extra socket. There seemed to be no end to the many considerations.

A construction project in the food industry is at least as complex. In an outdated factory, you need to ensure that you continue to meet the strict current food safety standards. Which means you will regularly be confronted with the question: “Can we repair this or should we replace it?”. Immediately followed by: “How do we do this without jeopardising food safety and production?”. 

If you engage in a new construction or renovation project, because of an expansion or consolidation, you want to make sure you get it right the first time. You know that today's decisions will last for many years. To deal with this carefully, you must know your products and production processes well. Rely on your experts for this, the people who are involved in production, cleaning, maintenance, quality, etc. on a daily basis. They have the best ideas about what is needed to optimise your specific process. Also work together with third-party specialists, as they can provide new insights and are well aware of the latest developments. 

We still live in our house with great pleasure. Unfortunately, if I said all decisions we made were the right ones, I would be lying. Circumstances change. We did not manage to get everything right the first time. As such, the first renovation projects have already been completed. Prepare yourself - whether it is a house or a food company -: construction and renovation, improvement and modifications; it is a continuous process. 

www.commercialfoodsanitation.com

Claudia Baenen works at Commercial Food Sanitation (an Intralox company)