5 Timesavers for Busy Food Safety Professionals

Forgive us the restaurant pun, but as a food safety professional, you have a lot on your plate. With the Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) taking effect this year, and customer scrutiny at an all-time high, sometimes it can feel like you’re constantly racing against the clock just to complete even the most basic daily tasks. It’s enough to make even the most organized and hardworking person feel stretched razor-thin.

But what if you could save time without sacrificing job performance?

To help you avoid burnout and work more efficiently, we’ve compiled a list of the top five timesavers. Read on to discover how you can maximize time management, streamline your busy schedule and still thrive in the fast-paced, high-pressure environment of your job.

1. Time Tracking

If you’ve ever wondered where all the hours in the day go, you’ll be happy to know “there’s an app for that.” Knowing how you spend your time is the first step to finding more to dedicate to top priority items, like building stronger relationships with suppliers. By time tracking—either on a simple piece of paper or through apps like Toggl or My Hours—you can determine where you have time to spare in your day, where you may be overbooking yourself and what daily tasks eat up most of your workday.

2. Delegating

You may have a lot to do, but you don’t have to do it all. Finding employees and coworkers you can trust to take on some of your less essential tasks can free you up for the parts of your job where you are needed most. This can be a difficult adjustment for someone who is used to taking on more than their fair share, so start by delegating small tasks and move to clearing more from your schedule as you get more comfortable.

3. Avoiding Multitasking

Our world is primed for multitasking. With so many different devices and options to communicate, your mind can quickly begin to feel like a browser with too many tabs open. Unfortunately, this tendency to do more than one thing at the same time can actually end up making you less effective in the long run. Instead, try doing one task at a time and see how much faster you can get things done when you narrow your focus.

4. Taking Breaks

It may seem counterintuitive to take more breaks if you want to get more done, but giving your mind and body an opportunity to recharge can do wonders for your productivity. Even simply taking a few minutes to sit quietly with a cup of coffee or chat with a coworker about something unrelated to work could be the recharge you need to power through the rest of your day.

5. Taking Advantage of Technology

Dozens of technological innovations can make your job easier—from the alarm clock that wakes you up in the morning to the smartphone that stays with you all day—but one innovation worthy of your investment is whole supply chain traceability software.

By taking the guesswork out of your supply chain, you can ensure your restaurants and food service organization is getting the best products from the best places. Plus, if a food safety issue arises, you’ll be armed with the knowledge to handle it more quickly and efficiently.

So don’t let your busy schedule get the best of you. Save time and take control by working smarter and making the most of the resources available.

Having the right tools is essential to your success. Learn how to build a compelling case for traceability in our guide, Selling the C-Suite on Supply Chain Traceability Software.