FoodLogiQ’s Spring ‘21 Release Introduces Connect Data Links, UI Enhancements and Intricate Withdrawal Communication

FoodLogiQ’s commitment to our customers and industry partners is a driving force in advancing innovation and technology within the FoodLogiQ Connect platform, as well as throughout the food industry. Together with valued customer input, this commitment is one that drives and guides each of our product developments and releases – and one that is especially apparent in the delivery of our latest release. FoodLogiQ’s Spring Release has a heightened focus on Audits and Assessments functionality, bridging relationships across a connected platform and enhanced recall communication for streamlined resolution. Review the highlights of our latest product enhancements and innovation, below.

Key Elements of the Spring 2021 Release

Connect Data Links

With FoodLogiQ’s Spring Release comes a new foundational element for the platform: Connect Data Links. FoodLogiQ Connect hosts an immense quantity and array of data, ranging from supplier documentation to quality management incidents, traceability events and investigations, to product holds, withdrawals and removals. This data corresponds with a wide variety of use cases, many of which are related in some form or fashion. 

Connect Data Links provide the ability to identify relationships between different items or pieces of information across the platform, and associate them with one another. In such, these links consolidate information, provide additional context surrounding a data relationship, and improve the navigation between these elements. The Spring Release features the introduction of Connect Data Links to documents and assessments, specifically. 

This functionality allows users to link documents to audits or assessments for a consolidated view of related information. For example, when conducting a material inspection, users may need to reference other documentation, such as a COA, to respond to specific questions. In this case, adding a link to necessary, referential documentation allows the auditor to conduct the inspection in a much more efficient and effective manner. 

Links can also be used to tie related information or issues together, such as CAPAs, certificates and third-party audits. In addition, the FoodLogiQ team plans to extend Connect Data Links to other areas of the platform in upcoming releases.

Supplier Self-Assessment To-Dos

Since the launch of the Supplier To-Do List, FoodLogiQ has seen great success in To-Do adoption and task completion by the supplier network, both through the Connect dashboard and via the corresponding weekly To-Do Digest. With the Spring Release, suppliers will now also receive To-Dos and corresponding notifications for scheduled self-assessments.

In addition to requirements, expiring documents and items with missing attributes, this new type of To-Do will accelerate the completion of scheduled supplier self-assessments. Suppliers can access and complete the assessment(s) at hand directly from the Supplier To-Do List, and will also receive notifications surrounding these tasks via the weekly To-Do Digest. 

Event Details UI Enhancements

Over the course of the past several releases, FoodLogiQ has placed significant emphasis on normalizing critical tracking event data and key data elements within Track + Trace. This focus continues with the Spring ‘21 Release, and is central to supporting future reporting and analytics initiatives. 

The release features updates to the Event Details user interface (UI), with improved legibility and the ability to display more information without scrolling. Consistent with elsewhere in the platform, FoodLogiQ has designed and optimized separate user experiences for taking action on data (such as creating, editing or deleting) and viewing it. This is because, in the case of event data, users spend the majority of their time viewing this information. The improved UI presents data, including normalized fields from prior releases, in an easily digestible manner, and also displays more content-level information. As such, FoodLogiQ’s goal is to make this view as legible and compact as possible. 

Users will still be able to add events through the UI, however will do so through a new, dedicated window. Furthermore, as the FoodLogiQ team works to incorporate enhancements related to the FDA’s proposed FSMA 204 ruling, we will continue to focus on standards and data normalization, and seek additional ways to convert traceability data into valuable insights for subscribers.

Rich-Text Email Notifications

In the event of a product recall, removal or withdrawal, it’s important to not only communicate quickly with stakeholders but to also communicate effectively. This is to ensure that individuals at key locations such as stores, restaurants and distribution centers understand precisely what action needs to be taken and when. 

FoodLogiQ’s Spring ‘21 Release introduces the addition of rich-text formatting for withdrawal emails in Recall + Response. This new email editor enables community owners to visually organize and call out critical information. Users can configure withdrawal email notifications with rich text to ease communication, drive action and improve response with added clarity – for swift and complete recall resolution.

Templatize Instructions

In addition to the introduction of rich-text formatting, FoodLogiQ has also added the ability to insert withdrawal instructions and notes to withdrawal templates within Recall + Response. Administrative users can add relevant instructions and helpful notes surrounding a recall or withdrawal to the withdrawal template. Upon launching a withdrawal, these added details will populate automatically, guiding location respondents through necessary actions and steps.

This novel functionality enables users to initiate a product removal quickly and communicate event details to stakeholders as swiftly as possible. Storing these instructions and notes on the withdrawal template can save precious time, especially since these fields pre-populate upon recall initiation.

Tiered Notification & Escalation

For many FoodLogiQ customers, multi-level or tiered escalations are a necessary component of recall management and execution. Within Recall + Response, organizations have the ability to designate key contacts, including specific escalation contacts, and set customized notifications to deploy at designated time intervals. 

FoodLogiQ’s Spring Release introduces the ability to add delays to scheduled withdrawal communications for locations within Connect, creating the ability to tier notifications. Notifications can be set to deploy at certain time intervals after a predetermined delay, as well as specific local times. This is in addition to the existing ability to schedule automatic escalations after a specified amount of time has passed.

The ability to deploy tiered notifications allows brands to notify the appropriate individuals at the appropriate time(s), as well as involve more of the organization to ensure that the affected product is removed from circulation as quickly as possible.

The above functionality, along with additional features delivered in FoodLogiQ’s Spring 2021 Release, is currently live in FoodLogiQ Connect. We encourage you to log in to Connect to experience the new features, as well as consult our Knowledge Base for more information and accompanying resources. Keep an eye on FoodLogiQ’s blog for more information on product innovation and development, food industry news and FoodLogiQ events, including our upcoming virtual user group meeting, reCONNECT 2021. Register to reserve your spot here