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What is IFS?
IFS (International Featured Standards); It was established in 2003 to provide a uniform food, product and service. Since its inception, IFS has expanded its product standards further to become a globally recognized GFSI accredited certification program in both food and non-food categories. The standards and all information about IFS are published in five major languages: German, English, Spanish, French and Italian. IFS aims to provide comparability and transparency for the consumer and reduce costs for suppliers and retailers throughout the entire supply chain.
IFS document; It shows that the company holding the certificate is constantly trying to improve its processes while offering products and services in accordance with customer specifications. This provides the certified business with the opportunity to trust the customer more, to improve the commercial relations, to increase the export opportunity, to decrease the inspections made by the customers, and to keep the system dynamic.
The standards published by IFS;
IFS Food Safety
IFS PACsecure-Packaging Security
IFS HPC (House Hold and Personal Care)-Household and Personal Care Products
IFS Logistics-Shipping
IFS Brokers - Brokers
IFS Wholesale/ Cash & Carry – Wholesale
IFS ESG Check-ESG Check
For companies that want to reach these standards but are at the beginning of the road, IFS has 4 development programs, the “Global Markets” program. These programs are a standardized product/service safety assessment program for retailers and industry branded products. The program aims to support “small and/or less advanced businesses” in developing their management systems and taking the first step towards the implementation of IFS Standards.
IFS Global Markets Food-Food
IFS Global Markets PACsecure- Packaging Security
IFS Global Markets HPC (House Hold and Personal Care)-Household and Personal Care Products
IFS Global Markets Logictic-Shipping
The Global Markets program allows small and/or less advanced businesses to go step-by-step with two different level checklists to progress gradually. While businesses that are at the very beginning of the road begin to build their systems by starting with "Basic Level-Basic Level" question lists, companies that have passed the basic level and have come a long way continue their way with "Intermediate Level"-Intermediate Level" question lists. The aim is to progress step by step to have the IFS certificate of the relevant standard.
With IFS, Global Markets development program;
To facilitate access to the local market,
Creating mutual acceptance throughout the supply chain,
It aimed to offer mentorship, development and assessment to small and less developed companies.
Benefits of the Global Markets development Program
An IFS assessment protocol for small and less advanced companies.
A systematic approach to achieve the IFS Food Standard within a specified time period,
Determining the rules that need to be implemented and controlled level by level,
A uniform consistent evaluation system,
Contribution to the continuous improvement process with the IFS scoring system,
Comparability and transparency throughout the entire supply chain
Reducing costs and time for both suppliers and retailers,
A structured and consistent reporting system,
Provides tracking through the IFS Database to simplify tracking of suppliers and partners.
IFS Global Markets has designed the IFS Pathway program to develop its businesses in development. IFS Pathway; A program developed jointly by IFS and its international IFS Pathway partners to support companies within the IFS Global Markets development program as they move to the next level.
Why Are IFS Questionnaires Necessary?
Management systems are based on documents and good manufacturing practices. GFSI-approved standards such as IFS focus on documentation and good manufacturing practices to ensure the safety, legality and quality of products and services. In order to ensure uniform food, product and service in good manufacturing practices, you must document how the work is done so that everyone does the same work in the same way.
In order to determine the documents required in the IFS standard, it has been defined in the article that a documented information, record or monitoring system is required in the relevant standard article. In the 126-item question list of the standard, it is mentioned that about 100 questions, that is, about 80% of the standard, have a document, recording and monitoring system.
Why is the IFS Question List Required?
When you decide to install a system in your factory and choose the IFS standard to do so, you must first read and understand this standard. But at the beginning of the road, this is not an easy process. The standard language is similar to reading a drug package insert when you first start out. Since it is very difficult to understand, you should seek support from a knowledgeable professional, namely the pharmacist. When you start, you need a professional to explain the standard to you by simplifying it. At this very point, Suswise comes into play with the question lists that professionals who know the standard very well simplify and simplify this standard for you, and guide you during the system installation phase or how correctly you have installed the system.
Suswise; has developed QuickCheck (Question List) software, which you can use by purchasing ready-made question lists created by professionals who are experts in the field, or you can easily upload and use your own question lists. Thanks to QuickCheck, you can conduct your inspections in the field, assign tasks to your teammates for nonconformities, perform root cause analysis, report nonconformities in the field, and monitor the current status of your inspections with detailed graphic reports.
The QuickCheck application has been prepared in such a way that companies can easily carry out all audit processes without requiring almost any software knowledge. QuickCheck is a very powerful application for companies that want to digitally and archive their audits.
You can reach the list of questions you need by clicking the link below:
Prepared by: Sibel Taşhan Yurtseven, Lead Auditor for GFSI Approved Standards