A Management System - The framework of good practice

In the last two decades, suppliers from Asia, and from central & South America, not only have to satisfy regulatory demands of North America and Europe, but must also acquire third party certification(s) in order to increase competitiveness in the world marketplace.

The current major Aquaculture farm standards, BAP, ASC and Global GAP, are goal oriented. Acquiring certification is like passing an exam and all topics are contained in the Standard’s manual. There are Yes-No questions with conditions to be satisfied. Also, there are measurable objectives including discharge limits. There are project research requirements as well, such as an Animal Health Management Plan.

Even though this is an open book exam, there is no text book from which to reference standard answers. Some questions could have more than one answer and multiple ways to achieve the same result. In addition, based on their origins, auditors may employ various modes of questioning and differences in their perspectives. For this reason, a significant number of certified farms still get all types of non-conformities every year.???

In all the farms that I have visited in past audits, there was one company with 8 grow-out farms that really impressed me. From the initial audit to the re-certification audit, two years in a row, involving three separate auditors, there was not even one non-conformity. The management were also very forthcoming in introducing their technologies and operations during the interview. The reason this company was able to pass these audits was because its management system had been effectively implemented.

A management system is similar to an academic study plan. It provides a consistent platform to perform, review and improve work activities on a regular basis. When a management system is implemented, staff members are more confident as to what is required of them on a daily basis and managers are able to gauge the progress.

Set goals and establish ONE management system

Many facilities prepare several sets of SOPs simultaneouslyto meet the requirements of each standard in the industry. It is confusing to staff members to keep up to several systems in one operation. It is necessary for a business to combine government regulations, certification requirements, customer demands and community interests in the overall operational system. This system includes setting of objectives, action planning, review and time management.