Purchasing departments buy goods and services for their organizations. Like other departments, these teams need to adapt quickly to a product recall situation. Otherwise, the consequences could be disastrous.

In this post, we look at the role of the purchasing department in product recall management, and how digital tools help these talented teams.

What Does the Purchasing Department Do?

The purchasing department is responsible for the procurement of goods and services in their organization. This includes purchasing raw materials and components for manufacturing processes, as well as buying services for the day-to-day operations of a business. Purchasing departments communicate with vendors and suppliers in an organization’s supply chain so communication is paramount.

The responsibilities of the purchasing department, however, become more complex during a product recall management situation. When an organization receives a recall notice from the federal government, these teams might need to purchase alternative goods and services without a moment’s notice. Departments also have to communicate with other in-house teams (think production, operations, and management) and suppliers/vendors to ensure the safe removal of faulty materials and products.

Like many other departments within an organization, purchasing departments need to act fast. Delaying action can make a recall situation even worse, especially if teams purchase additional units of recalled products or materials. Here, public safety is the top concern. However, slow recall response times could cause legal action and government fines. Agencies like the FDA can also start criminal proceedings against organizations that fail to act quickly in a product recall situation.

Want to improve product recall management in your purchasing team? Try a free 15-day trial of Trievr, the recall management solution you can trust. 

What are the Challenges for Purchasing Teams?

In an ideal world, managers share information about product recalls with the entire organization, including purchasing teams. However, this is just not possible all the time. Larger companies with many computer systems and ineffective communications channels might not receive vital information until it’s too late. This can have a disastrous effect on public safety and, in cases of poor product recall responses, attract fines from the government.

One of the biggest challenges is, therefore, a lack of communication. Organizations that don’t collaborate on recall management properly can be slow to remove products from shelves and supply chains. For purchasing teams, a lack of communication can result in purchasing incorrect products and materials.

Unfortunately, many organizations rely on too many digital tools, which complicates things. For example, purchasing teams might use one system, while managers might use another. This results in poor recall responses.

Another problem is information comprehension. The FDA and other departments issue lots of information about product recalls, and much of this is irrelevant to purchasing teams. By streamlining product recall information, organizations can improve product recall response times in purchasing departments.

Recommended reading: Common FDA Recall Terms and Definitions

Why Does a Recall Management Platform Matter?

Currently, purchasing teams (and the rest of an organization) might use ERP systems to handle product recall management, but this can overcomplicate the process. Companies that invest in a recall management platform, however, can enhance communications and improve recall responses. This is why:

  • With a good recall management solution, purchasing teams can access information from one centralized database
  • Purchasing teams can safeguard sensitive information about product recalls.
  • Purchasing teams can collaborate on recall management with other departments and suppliers/vendors

Purchasing teams that rely on manual product recall management methods can’t respond to recall notices effectively. This can increase the chances of expensive fines from the federal government. The FDA (and other departments) issue both civil and criminal penalties to organizations that fail to manage a product recall effectively.

Recommended reading: Product Recall and Response Communication Steps: What You Should Know

Meet Trievr

Trievr is a recall management software solution for purchasing teams that want to enhance collaboration and communication during and after a recall. With features like product recall templates, deadline settings, unlimited lot reports, and auto-alert reminders, the purchasing department can respond to recall notices in a quicker timeframe.

Unlike other product recall management tools, Trievr provides an on-demand service, where users only pay for the features they require. This means there are no monthly or annual fees. With a tool like Trievr, purchasing teams can eliminate human error and other mistakes and automate various product recall tasks.

Final Word

The purchasing department might need to adjust their purchasing workflows during a product recall crisis. However, they need the right software to do this.

Looking for a product recall management solution for your hard-working purchasing department? Trievr simplifies many of the tasks associated with recall management for more effective response times. Click here to learn more or try a 15-day trial for free