NSW Food Authority Orders Information To Go

• Application Infrastructure & Middleware - Data Exchange & Integration
• Functional Applications - Remote Monitoring & Control Systems
• Platform as a Service (PaaS) - Connectivity Platforms

• Food & Beverage

• Field Services
• Quality Assurance

• Predictive Maintenance
• Regulatory Compliance Monitoring
• Remote Asset Management

• System Integration
• Training

The New South Wales Food Authority (NSWFA) faced significant inefficiencies in their field operations. With a team of 50 field workers responsible for conducting inspections, investigating complaints, and ensuring compliance with food regulations, the process was cumbersome and involved a lot of duplication. Field staff spent three days a week in the field and two days in the office, sorting through up to 300 forms and checklists per visit. This manual process required printing information before visits and entering data into the system only when back in the office. The need for a more efficient, mobile solution was evident, but the technology to support such a transformation affordably was not available until recently.

The New South Wales Food Authority (NSWFA) is a state government agency in Australia responsible for ensuring that food sold within the state is safe, correctly labeled, and that consumers can make informed choices about the food they eat. The Authority serves as a single point of contact for food safety and regulation for industry, local government, and consumers. It regulates and monitors food safety comprehensively, from primary production to point-of-sale. NSWFA deals with over 14,000 licensed food businesses annually, conducts more than 12,000 audits and inspections, and responds to over 2,000 complaints each year. The agency employs a team of 50 field workers who travel across the state to conduct inspections, investigate complaints, and ensure compliance with food regulations.

In 2012, NSWFA's Business Systems Manager, Debbie Brookfield, attended a mobility conference where she learned about the OneBlink field access solution. This revelation led to the development of a business case and a formal procurement process for a field access solution. NSWFA selected a solution based on the OneBlink platform, with back-end development and implementation services from Rype, a business mobility and cloud specialist. The solution included a total managed service covering iPad handheld devices, help desk support, warranties, and monthly management reports. The pilot project focused on inspections, using the Blink Mobility Platform to create highly customized electronic forms for data capture. Rype developed interfaces and an adapter to connect the forms with NSWFA's existing CRM system. Training was provided to all officers, and the pilot was rolled out for testing in late 2012. The solution allowed field staff to access records, retrieve new inspection forms, fill in data, and upload completed forms to the CRM system without returning to the office. The iPads also enabled staff to take and upload photos to accompany reports and review past inspections.

• The implementation of the OneBlink platform significantly reduced the time field staff spent in the office from two days per week to just half a day per week.
• Field staff now have more time to engage with food businesses and provide proactive food safety education.
• The mobility solution allowed for more efficient scheduling and job searching based on proximity, leading to better time management.

• In the month prior to the introduction of the audit module, NSWFA completed just over 300 audits.
• In the month immediately following the rollout, staff logged more than 450 audits.
• One month later, there were 420 audits, and the numbers have remained high ever since.