Ideagen to host two ‘thought leading’ webinars for UK food and drink industry

Sep 30, 19

The company’s Paul Hastings – who has over 20 years’ experience in quality management within the industry – will present to members of the UK Food & Drink Federation

Ideagen is to work with the Food & Drink Federation to present two thought leading webinars to its members.

Paul Hastings, a Food & Drink Quality and Compliance Consultant with Ideagen, will host the webinars following an invitation from the leading industry body, which describes itself as “the voice” of the industry.

The webinars – entitled ‘ISO 9001:2015 and The Impacts on Your Supply Chain’ and ‘Quality in the Digital Age’ – will touch on key areas affecting the industry, which is the largest manufacturing sector in the UK.

Paul (pictured above), who has over two decades of experience and has advised some of the largest companies in the world on quality and regulatory requirements, said: “Food and drink businesses are having to modernise due to changes in modern society, and with regulatory evolution. But what is clear, is that no matter where the change is coming from, they need to become more productive, more efficient and more streamlined and to be able to respond faster as well.

“Quality and regulatory compliance are becoming more focussed because people are now more aware of the product choices out there and the strict requirements associated with producing those products.

“If you look back to quality as it was in years gone by, there were limited choices – or limited knowledge of choices – and so businesses weren’t under as much competition for market share.”

Paul continued: “For example, if you were buying a computer, you bought an IBM or Compaq or if you're going to get a soft drink you bought a Pepsi or a Coke.

“But now, when you look at the competition, there is so much choice and knowledge for consumers that any business not maintaining consistent quality levels or operating to the appropriate standards will struggle.

“If quality is poor due to regulatory requirements not being strictly adhered to – or worse, at all – then news can quickly spread socially across the world. That in itself is literally forcing every single business to do things better to stay ahead of the game.”

In his ‘ISO 9001:2015’ themed webinar, he touches on how organisations need to identify key stakeholders in its supply chain, including identifying where potential risks are and how to measure and manage those risks effectively.

In the ”Quality in the Digital Age” webinar he will describe how the developments within modern society – including the explosion of social media and general consumer and business awareness – and that quality and compliance are becoming more inclusive.

The Food and Drink Federation (FDF) is the voice of the UK food and drink industry, the largest manufacturing sector in the UK. The UK’s food and drink industry accounts for 19% of the total manufacturing sector by turnover and employs over 450,000 people in the UK across 7,000 businesses. The Body communicates the industry's values and concerns to Government, regulators, consumers and the media and works in partnership with key players in the food chain to ensure food is safe and that consumers can have trust in it.

You can find out more about the Food & Drink Federation and its events here.