Specification management: What is it and why is it so important?

Specification management is an essential process within the quality department of food companies. It ensures that all product information, from recipe to packaging specifications, is correct, up-to-date and compliant with legislation and retailer and consumer requirements. Yet it remains a time-consuming and administrative task, requiring specialist knowledge in addition to experience. The person responsible for specification management must not only be able to draw up specifications quickly and efficiently, but also to obtain the correct data from suppliers.

Why is specification management so challenging?

One of the biggest challenges of specification managementis updating data. The amount of information needed for a complete product description is growing, and the administrative burden is increasing. Companies must continuously request data from raw material and packaging suppliers and ensure product information meets regulatory requirements such as allergen information, nutritional values, packaging details, origin and more.

Overdue maintenance in specification management

Many food companies struggle with "backlog maintenance" in their specification management. This means that changes in recipes, raw material substitutions or packaging changes are often not implemented in the systems in a timely manner. The result? It becomes more difficult to stay up-to-date and retrieve the correct data quickly.

The solution: temporary specification management support

To help companies update specifications and reduce administrative burden, Précon offers the option of hiring specification management consultants. Our consultants have years of experience in various systems such as ERP, Quasydoc, SIM, PIMDAM, PS in Foodservice and TraceOne. They understand the complex requirements of both producers and retailers, and ensure that specifications are met quickly and without unnecessary delays.

Our consultants are also familiar with the protocols of different retailers and the specific requirements for, for example, product registrations in GS1, BLK, SKAL or Rainforest Alliance. Their expertise allows them to ensure that the specification does not have to be sent back and forth endlessly, saving a lot of time.

Need help with specification management?

If you are facing backlogs in specification management, please contact us at info@precongroup.com, NL +31 (0)30 308 0618 or BE +32 (0)11 26 99 07. We will be happy to discuss options for temporary support and help you get specification management back on track!