The COVID-19 pandemic and other recent disruptions taught an important lesson: Siloed companies create fragile supply chains. Without standardized, modernized systems to connect the supply chain and streamline crisis response, companies struggle to effectively keep consumers safe, and protect their brand reputation when something goes wrong

Rather than avoiding every problem that could cause a recall — which is impossible to achieve and impractical to expect — there’s an urgent need for resilient supply chain systems that support effective recall management, minimize public health risks and help negate the negative repercussions from these incidents. 

We’ve all seen the devastating impact of a poorly managed recall, with heightened risks to consumer health, business disruptions, staggering costs, damage to companies’ reputations and loss of consumer trust. Resilience is often thought of as making the best of a situation you weren’t prepared for, but in food safety, it means doing the work in advance. For food companies and their supply chain partners, resilience is what determines whether a recall is contained effectively or spirals into something far more damaging.

Once a recall has been issued, it’s essential to accurately describe the products that need to be removed from the supply chain and marketplace. As part of these efforts, tailor your communication to each target audience, including trading partners, consumers and regulators. Wherever you are in the supply chain, you’ll need to clearly communicate which products are affected. 

For each trading partner, visibility has two directions — incoming and outgoing. In other words, consider what you’re being told to recall, what you’re telling key audiences about the incident, and next steps. Often, what you’re being told and the messages you’re communicating will differ. If you sent exactly the same message to two retail chains, it wouldn’t necessarily get the job done. Pay attention to the details, such as the shipping information — for example, what’s on the purchase order — to ensure it’s airtight. 

From that point, documentation becomes a critical part of effective communication. Your protocols must ensure that your message is being received. Monitor this documentation, including timestamps and delivery reports, to provide accountability across the supply chain. For instance, a company doesn’t get a lot of brand protection by recalling product from distribution centers if points of sale continue to have recalled items on store shelves. Rely on digital systems for real-time, multilayered documentation and an accurate audit trail.

Many of the issues that plague the recall process exist in the gaps between trading partners. To reduce them, you must be able to monitor how your partners are performing. A business isn’t doing the public any service if it’s not sure how distribution points are carrying the message forward. If a company can’t guarantee that proper recall messages are being distributed to key audiences, it’s not really protecting the brand. Supply chains’ shared expectations must include ways to measure this performance and hold trading partners accountable. 

Because recalls move across organizations, not just within them, resilience has to be built at the supply chain level. The following actions reflect the shared capabilities that allow trading partners to act quickly, stay aligned and limit disruption when something goes wrong:

Ensure built-in visibility. Real-time insight into product movement, testing and crisis response is instantly available to all trading partners, allowing them to track recalled items and pull them from the supply chain and marketplace.

Use accurate, actionable data. Trading partners openly share systems and data, which enables better decision-making, data-sharing, and proper recall response. Resilient supply chains close the gaps, collaborating seamlessly, sharing information proactively, communicating clearly, aligning systems and data and planning properly.

Communicate properly. Streamlined recall management depends on distributing the right messages to the right audiences, quickly and accurately. To accomplish this, trading partners must plan ahead, developing predefined protocols, customized communication templates and shared systems that ensure quick access to updated contact information. Disseminating clear recall messages helps key stakeholders, including trading partners, consumers and regulators, to take quick, proper action.

Ensure adaptability. Recall management requires flexibility and the ability to pivot based on changing circumstances, such as an expanded recall scope. Resilient trading partners are able to shift sourcing, adjust operations or re-route product without compromising safety or traceability.

Prioritize interoperability. Trading partners utilize integrated systems, so that they’re working together instead of operating in silos. Further, these systems work together across functions, including testing, traceability and recall execution, to ensure alignment when every moment counts.

Train continuously. To be truly resilient, trading partners must prioritize ongoing training, including mock recalls, to ensure that their teams understand what to do and are confident enough to follow proper protocols in a recall situation. Partners must work proactively and collaboratively to prepare for recalls so they can act quickly, confidently and properly to reduce risks, damage and disruption.

Commit to continuous improvement.  Supply chain partners must conduct post-incident reviews to test, learn and improve. Consider what worked well, plus areas that need improvement. Collaborate with trading partners to adjust plans, templates and protocols, as necessary, based on lessons learned.

Coordinate responses with trading partners.  Individual companies can’t be truly resilient on their own, so start thinking about recall management as supply chain activities, not individual company activities. Resilient supply chains work together, ensuring a coordinated, integrated response to recall management. This helps all trading partners reduce risks, protect public health and maintain a strong brand reputation.

Be proactive, not reactive.  Resilient supply chains work continuously to improve safety and quality, mitigate risks and address issues before they become widespread problems. While many recall management activities focus on responding effectively once a recall has been issued, truly resilient supply chains also work to minimize the chances of a recall occurring in the first place. For instance, proactive risk monitoring uses technology tools to monitor environmental and pathogen risks, identifying potential problems earlier, before contaminated products reach the retail level. 

 Taken together, these actions show that resilience is an ongoing, collaborative effort that combines visibility, communication, interoperability and practice across the supply chain. When trading partners invest in these fundamentals ahead of time, recalls become more controlled, response becomes more consistent, and recovery becomes faster. Resilience is built through preparation, and it only works when it’s built together.

The benefits of resiliency are significant, as resilient supply chains are better able to:

• Protect public health;
• Anticipate and mitigate risks;
• Adapt and recover from recall disruptions;
• Reduce risk exposure, damage, and costs when incidents occur;
• Work proactively to identify and contain risks before contaminated products reach the retail level;
• Absorb disruption, adapt quickly, recover swiftly, and continue operating;
• Minimize brand impact and reputational damage, and maintain consumer trust;
• Enable fast, accurate data flow;
• Ensure compliance with evolving regulations;
• Strengthen partner relationships, and
• Improve processes and foster continuous improvement.

Resilient supply chains protect people. They are better prepared to manage a recall, thanks to proper preparation and training, integrated systems and data, and alignment with trading partners. Modern technologies strengthen that foundation by improving visibility, traceability and coordination across the supply chain. The result is fewer disruptions, lower risk to public health and greater trust with consumers. It’s in every food company’s best interest to do the work now for safer, more resilient supply chains.

Roger Hancock is chief executive officer of Recall InfoLink, and a steering committee member of the Alliance for Recall Ready Communities.