red tractor harmonisation
standards authoring, publishing and information management
In 2009 Assured Food Standards, licensors of the Red Tractor food assurance logo, started a major programme to draw together the assurance of the major farming sectors; Beef & Lamb (ABM), Dairy (ADF), Fresh Produce (AP), Combinable Crops & Sugar Beet (ACCS), Pigs (ABP), Poultry (ACP). All the schemes were developed separately during the 1990s and there were differences in terminology, approach and content. The aim of the project was to bring them in-line with one another.
Following industry consultation and engagement with each sector's technical advisory group AFS used everysite's online standards management tools to allow them to implement the proposed harmonised assurance standards.
The harmonisation management tool was based on our CASI standard management technology. It allowed authorised AFS technical staff to log in to a secure standards authoring website. The tools allowed AFS to create standard assurance points which were then tagged as applicable to relevant sectors along with sector-specific guidance and advice.
Once they had created the master structure and tagged the elements for each relevant sector we then generated print-quality standards manuals dynamically from the system.
The system allowed AFS staff to collaborate effectively on the harmonisation task and deliver the project to industry.
In addition to the developments to produce the standards everysite also developed a range of new monitoring and reporting services for AFS to manage the implementation of these standards with their licenced certification and inspection companies. These developments were put in place to ensure the highest standards of food certification and monitoring were maintained during the whole project.