The production department is on the frontline of product recall management. Responsible for maintaining a series of workflows, these employees — mechanics, maintenance personnel, machine operators, etc. — need to remove faulty products and materials from production processes. Failing to do so could cause disastrous consequences for the entire organization, such as public health risks and lawsuits.

Recently, we’ve been looking at the responsibilities of various business departments for product recall management. In this post, we examine the production department and explain how a good product recall management system streamlines workflows.

What Does the Production Department Do?

The production department serves many functions, including converting raw materials into products for distribution. This department is a crucial component of an organization’s supply chain, producing physical goods for retail. One of the key responsibilities of production is identifying “bottlenecks” in day-to-day production processes. By closely monitoring raw materials and physical goods, the department minimizes public safety risks and complies with internal guidelines and government regulations.

When the government issues a product recall request, the production department has to act quickly. Here are some of the steps they might take:

  • Removing faulty materials, components, and physical goods from production processes.
  • Managing product recalls without limiting production.
  • Working with other departments on product recall management.

To communicate with other departments and supply chain partners (including suppliers and retailers) effectively, the production department requires the right digital tools. This includes a product recall management platform that makes it easy to access valuable information about recall notices.

Note: Although the production team shares tasks with the operations team, these are two separate departments. We covered the recall management obligations of the operations department in a previous post.

Optimize product recall management in your production department with Trievr. Click here for a free 15-day trial. 

Why is the Production Department So Important for Recall Management?

The production department is essential for keeping product recall response times to a minimum. Although there are other aspects of product recall management (such as communicating recall messages to customers), removing faulty materials and components from production processes saves lives.

The problem is, many production departments don’t act quickly enough after the government issues a recall notice. Some departments don’t communicate important messages with other teams effectively, which results in poor recall responses.

In these scenarios, slow response times can have a significant impact on an organization. Federal government agencies like the FDA impose strict civil penalties (and, in some cases, start criminal proceedings) on organizations that fail to act on a recall notice.

There are other consequences:

  • Customers (or even supply chain partners and investors) can take legal action against an organization for poor product recall management responses.
  • Customers might take their business elsewhere if organizations fail to handle recall management properly.
  • The media might report about organizations that fail to handle recall management properly, which could influence future sales.

How Do Production Departments Improve Recall Responses?

Communication is essential for product recall management. If product managers don’t share recall information with production departments, the entire organization could risk public safety and attract legal action. On the flip side, production departments that don’t communicate with other departments properly can endanger lives.

One way to improve recall management is to invest in a product recall management system, which automates many of the tasks associated with recalls. These programs improve communication between departments via tools such as product recall templates, auto-alert reminders, and real-time reports. Instead of relying on several pieces of software, product departments (and organizations) can centralize recall management and improve response times.

Trievr is a product recall management system that streamlines all aspects of recall management. Unlike some other systems, it’s really easy to use. Plus, it can take just 30 minutes to set up. Perfect for production departments in various industries, Trievr is a SaaS-based recall management system that uses the cloud, so production teams can access vital information no matter where they are in the world.

Final Word

Department roles during a recall vary, but production teams have some of the biggest responsibilities. These teams need to handle recall notices quickly and change workflows and production processes. Otherwise, they could risk public safety and trigger legal action from the government.

Trievr is a product recall management built for production departments that want to improve recall responses. With features like recall templates, real-time reports, collaborative tools, and enhanced security, production teams can take charge of recall management like never before.

Looking for product recall management tools for your production department? Click here to learn more about Trievr or sign up for a free 15-day trial.