During this tender process, it became apparent to the Management team, that opportunities could be far greater enhanced if Speedpac were to explore the possibility of becoming certificated to a widely recognised 3rd party standard. Consideration was therefore given to both ISO 9000 and BRC (British Retail Consortium), with the latter being finally chosen, due to an indication of additional custom from other sources, specific to this standard.
Bob Waller Consultancy was therefore contacted, with a brief to achieve BRC certification within a short timeframe, with an initial indication of 6 months being requested.
Issues to resolve
- The seasonal nature of the business, with an obvious peak at Christmas time, meant that without achieving the BRC standard, opportunities for further business expansion were limited.
- Although the company had existing paperwork and systems in place in order to operate the business, there were neither HACCP plans nor a Quality Manual in place. Therefore, existing procedures needed to be formalised and strengthened.
Solution
- Bob Waller Consultancy commenced writing the procedures required in order to meet the BRC standard, incorporating existing policies and records, and creating any new documents as required.
- Internal audit systems were established, against the procedures within the Manual and newly written HACCP plans.
- Although unable to meet the originally requested 6 month target, within 9 months however, Speedpac had fully achieved the BRC certification that they coveted.
Outcome
During the first year meeting the BRC Storage & Distribution Standard, there was no grading system. During the 2nd year with a revised standard, Speedpac, with our ongoing consultancy support, achieved Grade B. The Company has since maintained their certification, impressively progressing to Grade AA in subsequent years.
The successful achievement of BRC Certification has undoubtedly opened doors that otherwise would have remained closed. As a result of this achievement, Speedpac have continued to grow their business and product range, to now include within their portfolio, the contract packing of breakfast cereal drinks and alcoholic gift sets. As this business is less seasonal and therefore provides business all year round, this has enabled growth and job security for their staff. Speedpac are currently in the position of considering increasing their capacity in order to meet growing demand.
