Here’s how it works:

1. Risk Based EMP

Smart EMP simplifies the risk assessment process by analyzing data to identify critical zones and linking them to potential microorganisms. This prioritization helps in focusing monitoring efforts on areas that pose the highest risk, ensuring stringent control measures are in place.

Smart EMP enables food and beverage facilities to maintain a risk-based EMP, designed to include:

⇒ Sampling Location Identification – With Smart EMP users can visualize plausible areas of concern by graphically representing the plant in a digital format by creating or uploading the layout of the floor plan. Smart EMP includes drag-and-drop identifiers representing machines, drains, and equipment within the plant.

⇒ Target Organism & Test Methods – Appropriate target organisms can be effectively focused using Smart EMP as it allows the user to configure the sampling zones, prevailing environmental risks, required tests, and specifications, conforming to respective regulatory guidelines. This brings a risk-based approach by understanding the prevalence of different microorganisms in particular food production environments and executing environmental monitoring accordingly.

⇒ Sampling Procedure – Smart EMP helps in achieving the objective of increasing the chances of detecting contaminants by not limiting them to a small surface area. Smart EMP standardizes sampling protocols by defining and managing the types of samples, tools, techniques, locations, and methods, reducing the risk of human error and ensuring reliable sampling.

⇒ Swab and Surface Types – As part of the sampling protocols, Smart EMP assists in establishing suitable swabs and surface types relevant to the sampling location and microorganism in question. It is also possible to configure multiple surface types such as equipment, floor, drain, and traffic for swabbing with Smart EMP.

⇒ Scheduling to Manage Monitoring Frequencies – Smart EMP automates the scheduling of monitoring environmental risks to ensure that identified sites are examined in a periodic manner, utilizing both fixed and random scheduling. Smart EMP is built with an emphasis on randomness by randomly scheduling test selections from a larger group on a date determined by the schedule, guaranteeing repetition and higher chances of contaminant identification. 

⇒ Specification for Results Compliance – Smart EMP assists in defining and managing zone-based as well as microorganism-based action limits by incorporating requirements from legal standards, customer specifications, and internal policies. It automatically flags any results that exceed these limits, triggering predefined corrective actions.

⇒ Non-Compliance Management – Configure corrective actions for non-compliance within Smart EMP to ascertain prompt and effective measures. Smart EMP also accommodates the functionality for vector swabbing to detect pathogens in specific areas, and assign and oversee corrective action schedules including resampling procedures. The non-compliance management activities can be scheduled and followed efficiently with Smart EMP.

2. Documentation of EMP

Set up a well-defined and detailed documentation process for EMP by outlining the environmental monitoring tasks, and the corresponding roles and responsibilities within Smart EMP’s scheduling feature. Track and alert relevant personnel about upcoming sampling and testing, ensuring adherence to predefined schedules and preventing any lapses in monitoring.

3. Built-in FDA Listeria Guidelines

With Smart EMP, identifying potential microorganisms, including pathogens, spoilage organisms, and indicators, becomes seamless. The software integrates FDA Listeria guidelines, providing real-time updates and precise identification, which helps in managing the risks associated with these microorganisms effectively.

4. Integration with Internal Instruments and External Labs

Integrate internal and external laboratory analyses into environmental monitoring sampling procedures with Smart EMP by configuring third-party labs using master data features. Moreover, Smart EMP also enables users to generate and share chain of custody forms for sample submissions, perform in-house analysis with appropriate methods documented in the audit log, and effortlessly update results with a built-in Excel template upload feature.

5. Alerts and Notifications 

Alerts and notifications in Smart EMP are important for ensuring that no critical tasks are missed and hence, maintain compliance. It encompasses scheduling alerts to remind users of monitoring tasks, notifications for non-conformance (NC) results, and alerts for NC actions to ascertain corrective measures are taken. NC review notifications help in managing the review process, and reporting notifications keep stakeholders informed with regular updates. 

6. EMP Workflow 

Smart EMP brings onboard an automated workflow for EMP,  streamlining the investigation and management of environmental risks for a systematic environmental monitoring strategy. The entire workflow actions for an EMP can be configured and followed with Smart EMP, ensuring that every step, from initial detection to final resolution, is meticulously managed without manual intervention.

7. Heat and Harbourage Map 

Smart EMP leverages picturizing capabilities to monitor the environmental monitoring activities of the plant surroundings through built-in heat and harborage maps to pinpoint harborage sites. They aid in providing valuable insights into contamination patterns and put in place corrective controls by visualizing trend analysis of environmental test results.

8. Trend Analysis of Results, Periodic Review & Reporting

Smart EMP ensures accurate recording, analysis, and review of all data. Advanced analytics and reporting tools provide valuable insights into trends and patterns, facilitating continuous improvement. The software’s ability to store historical data and generate intuitive reports is crucial for audits and compliance verification.