When a recall is started at the manufacturing level, work has just begun. The initial notice of recall gets the ball rolling, but that is only the beginning for tens of thousands or potentially millions of people, depending on the product(s) and scope of the recall.
At distribution centers and points of sale (retail, foodservice, online) are countless people who must receive the message, get the product out of inventory, and pay attention to documentation – not to mention manage disposal, credit requests, consumer notification, press, and more. The number of people and entities who are involved creates a uniquely complex process that can become a hard-to-manage hassle.
Communication is the thing that can make or break a recall, and while an array of communication solutions are being implemented across the supply chain, one solution has risen above the rest as an emerging best practice: regular mock recalls.
Mock recalls that practice the entire recall process will prepare your team to communicate quickly and accurately every time. To truly be successful, the mock recall needs to become more than a traceability exercise and instead take you into the event. Doing this allows your team to gather all item attributes and have customer contact information ready. You can prepare your messaging and have specific instructions built into your communications so your customers can act quickly to protect your brand and consumers.
Taking the time now to make your recall process a normal business operation will keep it from becoming a crisis event later. To learn more about the simple process improvements, technology implementation, and what you need to know to modernize your recall process, I invite you to join me at AFFI’s upcoming webinar Tuesday, September 21, at 2 p.m. (EST).
