agribusinessreview.comJAN - MARCH - 20229for an emerging concern? Horizon scanning tools are great at bringing large amounts of information to you, but your quality and food safety function needs to build out the process for making these insights actionable; otherwise, it is just a lot of information that won't provide you the value that you're paying for.Workforce Enablement and Digital TransformationThe area of technology and digitalization opens up a whole new vocabulary and toolbox of possibilities to integrate into quality and food safety processes. In many cases, you'll have varying levels of knowledge and understanding of what these technologies are, what they can offer now, and what they could do for you in the future. You may need to bring people along this journey by building competency and understanding as well as building up skillsets in your workforce to ensure successful integration. Start Somewhere, Even if it's SmallWhen selecting new technologies to deploy, be realistic about the resources needed to implement them into existing systems and processes, and determine what support is going to be needed within the quality function, but also consider the support needed from other functions such as IT.Take inventory of where you already have implemented technologies or digitalizationalong the supply chain. You may already be collecting data that can be further analyzed to gain insights. Depending on the scale, you may need to pick one thing and move forward with a pilot, leveraging small wins and successes vs. undertaking a massive and broad-reaching technology that impacts multiple functions and requires significant change management initiatives. An example of starting very small may not require the purchase of anything "new," perse. You may be able to leverage existing data that is already collected and utilize data analytics tools to help you see trends better or to be predictive of the data. Building the Broader StrategyTo manage the digital and technology transformation into the quality and food safety function, you will need to build out your broader strategy. Your strategy will need to ensure it supports or drives existing company strategy to ensure you will gain the support and resources as you deploy. Consider all aspects of the function, including but not limited to supplier quality, factory quality, raw material quality, and laboratory functions. Your strategy will also need to include building out the governance and organizational support for your digital transformation. These are some basic thoughts and considerations that will help with digital transformation in the quality and food safety space within your organization. When selecting new technologies to deploy, be realistic about the resources needed to implement them into existing systems and processes, and determine what support is going to be needed within the quality function, but also consider the support needed from other functions such as IT
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