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In manufacturing, both ethics and quality come into play in important ways. But, it’s important to be able to differentiate the two. They are intimately related to each other, as  arises from three main factors: moral attitudes as a result of consciousness or awareness raising, culture as a result of education, and the application of standards as results of learning and training. Ethics amount to fundamental moral attitudes, binding values, and irrevocable standards.  […]

The need for manufacturing traceability is increasing globally as commercial pressures grow to meet regulatory requirements. By mitigating the risk of product recalls, reducing manufacturing costs, and quality controlling end-to-end traceability of processes, organizations can reduce inefficiencies across the supply chain.

The key purpose of traceable manufacturing is its ability to help manufacturers easily determine when a problem occurred and its associated details. It takes two forms. The first is known as product tracking, which is the capability to follow the path of a specified unit of a product through the supply chain as it moves between organizations. Products are routinely tracked for obsolescence, inventory management, and logistical purposes.

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Good manufacturing practices (GMP) are the practices required in order to conform to guidelines recommended by agencies that control authorization and licensing for manufacture and sale of food, drug products, and active pharmaceutical products (typically). These guidelines provide minimum requirements that a product must meet to assure that it is of high quality and do not pose any risk to the consumer or public. Here, we’ll cover five key lessons in GMP applicable to any consumer product.

1. Clearly defined manufacturing processes

GMP covers all aspects of production from the starting materials, premises and equipment to the training and personal hygiene of staff. Detailed, written procedures are essential for each process that could affect the quality of the finished product. There must be systems to provide documented proof that correct procedures are consistently followed at each step in the manufacturing process – every time a product is made.   […]