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      Welcome to Product Specification Management
      • 04 Aug 2023
      • 2 Minutes to read
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      Contents

      Welcome to Product Specification Management

      • Updated on 04 Aug 2023
      • 2 Minutes to read
      • Contributors
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      Article summary

      What is Product specifications management (PSM)?

      The Product Specifications Management module is the dedicated module in the FOSTER platform to manage the drafting, review and approval of Food specifications.

      Who can access PSM?

      PSM is accessible to Food Safety & Quality, Food Procurement and Nutrition staff who have completed the necessary training.

      Product Specifications Management Process

      The PSM business process embedded into FOSTER is aligned to the business process outlined by the SCOQ unit and the FSQ manual. 

      What is the Document Structure of the PSM Module?

      Record TypesDescription
      Specification DocumentsThe records that contain the appropriate sections and content for each unique specification, as well the GoDocs and PDF links related to it.
      Essentially the ‘Specification’ as it is considered by the organisation today.
      Specification TypesRecords, divided into categories, that manage common content across specifications which share similar characteristics.
      These Type records are used to push/pull updates to common content, to all related specifications, preventing the need for one-by-one updates of specifications.
      Analytical Test ParametersA central database of test parameters for selection when drafting a specification. This database standardizes test names and other attributes related to that test to maintain integrity of this data within the specifications module.
      Change Records

      Records which manage the change/revision process of a specification:

      - Revision Requests – requests to create a new revision of a specification, and push the existing version into the archive.
      - Change Request Log – A list of all updates suggested by stakeholder to be included in the next revision of a specification.

      Specification Types

      Each food specification is linked to a Specification Type. From this Type, the specification will inherit common content that is shared with other similar specifications. This shared content can be updated on the type level, and pushed to specifications when changes to this content is needed.

      The current list of Types for food specifications is listed below:

      No type
      Cereals
      Pulses
      SC and SC sugar
      SC+
      Canned food (animal product)
      Canned food (vegetable product)
      LNS_RUSF
      MNP
      Vegetable oils
      Sugar
      Fortified wheat flour
      Fortified maize meal
      Salt
      High Energy Biscuits
      Date Bars
      Fortified rice
      Ration
      Premix

      Document Phases

      The food specifications follow a FOSTER workflow consisting of the phases outlined below:

      Types of users

      There are four types of users in the PSM module: Owners, Reviewers, Endorsers and Approvers

      User TypeRoleTypical Members
      Owners
      • Responsible for drafting specification content and managing the review and approval workflow of a specification from Draft to Approval.
      • Responsible for inititaing new revisions of specifications when required.
      • SCOQ focal points for Food and Packaging
      • Regional and Local Food Technologists
      • Regional FSQ Officers
      Reviewers
      • Responsible for reviewing specification content in behalf of their functional area, and providing feedback comments.
      • Responsible to complete a Review Completion Checklist to verify their review is complete and accurate.
      • Nutrition
      • Food Procurement
      • Regional and Local Food Technologists
      • SCOQ focal points for Operations and R&D
      Endorsers
      • Responsible for reviewing specification content and its review status up to that point.
      • Responsible for endorsing or not endorsing a specification, prior to its approval.
      • Regional FSQ Officers or delegated authority
      Approvers
      • Responsible for reviewing specification content and its review and endorsement status up to that point.
      • Provides the final approval decision on whether the specification should be published for use or not.
      • Chief of Food Safety and Quality Unit or delegated authority

      Main User Journeys

      When using the Product Specification Management module, users will encounter the following user journeys:

      Specification OwnersNew Specifications
      1. Creating a new draft specification document
      2. Adding content to a specification document
      3. Setting up a supplier feedback survey
      4. Creating Review Completion Checklists
      5. Managing the review cycle of a specification
      Revising Existing Specifications
      1. Reviewing a Change Request Log
      2. Completing a Change Request Log
      3. Completing a Revision Request
      4. Beginning a new revision


      Specification ReviewersNew Specifications
      1. Reviewing the content of a specification document
      2. Adding review feedback comments
      3. Completing a Review Completion Checklist
      4. Finalizing review of a specification
      Revising Existing Specifications
      1. Requesting updates to an existing specification


      Specification EndorsersNew/Existing Specifications
      1. Reviewing the content of a specification document
      2. Completing endorsement status and comments


      Specification ApproversNew/Existing Specifications
      1. Reviewing the content of a specification document
      2. Completing approval status and comments






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