Mobilizing for USDA Inspectors
Upon entering a grocery store, the general public is typically not pondering whether they feel protected by the safety, efficacy, and security of the food supply presented to them, but that is in fact what the FDA is responsible for. When it comes to meat, labels now inform us of how the animal was fed, the conditions they were raised in, and a myriad of other miscellaneous facts that manufacturers capitalize on in order to gain consumer loyalty. However, when dealing specifically with field-based meat inspectors, how data is generated is never a thought – not even an afterthought.
Having so many nuanced compliance regulations within agriculture, mobility means always knowing what is necessary to complete inspections. USDA inspectors are the prime example of hurry up and wait—whether it be improper paper documentation, waiting for a form sign off, or lag time in getting meat over the border because of regulatory laws, inspectors need mobile apps to simply know how to do their job. Mobile solutions provide clarity on when, where, and how meat inspections can occur safely and securely, while still getting the product to its end destination in a timely manner.
Mobility at the tactical edge is typically reserved for discussions surrounding Pilots or military operations as a whole – but what about the everyday person trying to do their job safely and effectively? It makes no difference if the mission is deemed dangerous or safe, the end goal should always be to get data to the point of use to either consume or generate. Mobility is a powerful tool for any and every field-based operation, including USDA inspectors.
The act of inspecting meat is similar to life in a post Covid-19 world – the environment must be sterilized, secure and highly scrutinized. Everything is inspected from the animal (pre and post slaughter) and the processing plant, down to the managing foreman of plant employees.
Not surprisingly, people aren’t chomping at the bit to become meat inspectors these days. The reality is that inspectors are overworked and understaffed, resulting in shortages and concerns surrounding the completion and efficacy of every inspection.
The instant and obvious benefit of mobility is that it allows for data to be collected and recorded in real time instead of after, resulting in better on task efficiency and less human related error. Similar to any field-based position, inspectors have always had to collect and record their data in the field and then come back to a central location and re-enter recorded information. Cloud based computing in the form of a mobile application, would interact with the inspector’s records and support the capturing of data at any time, in any location.
In an effort to increase productivity even further, when information needs to be “handed off” to an alternate inspector, the data would transfer to them. This solution alone would significantly reduce costs in redundancy of tasks performed while supporting a productive workflow during the transference of data.
With each inspection comes different regulations, and sometimes one regulation can halt an inspection before it ever takes place. The power of mobility is that it would stop those roadblocks from ever occurring. Mobile applications as a solution enable meat inspectors, along with the FDA, to define what is required for every task beforehand, simultaneously promoting collaboration and a reduction in errors and wasted time.
Tactical edge mobility is more than Pilots and covert operations. It’s about ensuring the health and safety of the general public by removing antiquated paper-based processes fraught with errors and waste, and intern replacing it with streamlined, automated solutions that support a safer working environment for everyone involved.
