Using the Audit Portal
In this article you will learn:
- What is Safefood 360° and what is the Audit Portal?
- How to log in to the portal?
- What does the Main Dashboard Show?
- How to find open actions?
- How to complete Site Self-Assessments?
- How to work on Site Audits?
- How to respond to Site Corrective Actions?
- How to change the system language in My Profile?
What is Safefood 360°?
Safefood360° is a software platform for the management of food safety and quality related matters.
One of your related sites is using Safefood360° to manage auditing related records such as internal audits, site audits/site self-assessments, corrective actions, etc., and would like you to work with the system to make the process more reliable and efficient for each of you.
What is the Audit Portal?
The Audit Portal is a part of the Safefood360° software solution called the Audit Solution that allows you to securely log in and complete work in real-time together with your related sites. You can, for example, fill in self-assessments, work on site audits and respond to site corrective actions and the results will be immediately received by your site.
In the Audit Portal, you will only see records and activities that are open and have been assigned to you - so it is the perfect way to manage the communication between you and your sister site.
The Audit Portal allows you to be notified whenever new tasks are opened and you might receive an email or an SMS depending on the type of alert that is configured. These alerts will make sure you know when there is a job waiting for completion.
Once you log in and complete the outstanding task, your sister site will then receive a finished record in their system without you having to contact them directly.
How do you Log in to the Audit Portal?
Accept Initial Invite
You should first receive an invitation to your email. After clicking the link in the email, you are directed to your invitation where you create a password for logging into the system and accept the terms of use. Click Accept Invitation after creating the password and accepting the terms and conditions (click Terms and Conditions to view them).
Passwords need to have:
- At least 10 characters
- Contain at least one uppercase letter
- Contain a character (e.g., @, !)
- Contain at least one number e.g., 2
Proceed to Sign-In [These steps are completed for all future Sign-Ins]
Proceed to Sign-In [These steps are completed for all future Sign-Ins]
After clicking Accept Invitation you will be greeted with the login landing page which contains a field to add your Email Address. Click Continue after adding your email address.
The sign-in screen will appear with your email address already completed. You are required to add your Safefood360 password you created and then click Sign In. You will then enter your audit portal.
Note: After 3 attempts of signing into the system you will be temporarily locked out for a set amount of time.
How to Log into Safefood360 [After Initial Invite has been Accepted]
After you accept an initial invite to the system, from then on you can login by clicking Login on the top-right of the website https://safefood360.com/.
You will then proceed to complete the two login steps above as previously detailed.
After these steps, if you have Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA) enabled you will need to complete some additional steps. This is an extra step in the login process whereby a user receives a 6-digit code by email, SMS, or Authenticator App to enter while logging into the system each time.
Please click here for details on turning on Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA) for your profile.
What can I do in My Audit Portal?
1. In the above picture, you will see the name of the related site that set you up with the portal.
2. The "Dashboard" is the page you will land on when you log in - it shows you all your open actions that need to be completed & alerts which were sent to you.
3. "Auditing" contains site audits and site self-assessment audits.
4. "Corrective Actions" contains the site corrective actions sent to your portal.
5. "Contacts" allows you to view your site details such as the main contacts of your site.
6. Your name will appear here. You can click on your name to update settings e.g. language.
7. 'Go-To' allows you to move between portals you have been invited to by your different sites/customers.
8. This menu allows you to access lots of helpful resources if you need support such as our customer support team.
9. Click Log Out to leave the portal.
Accessing Open Actions from the My Actions Tab on the Dashboard
Open actions can be accessed through the "Dashboard" where actions are collected in the "My Actions" tab. The actions tab contains 3 dashlets providing analytics on your actions and a grid at the bottom where the actions will appear and can be accessed by clicking on the name of the record.
1. My Actions Volume: This dashlet will show you how many actions you have, of those how many are overdue, and how many are considered significant i.e. medium or high risk.
2. My Actions Open by Module: This dashlet will show you the number of open actions per module in the audit portal.
3. My Overdue Actions by Module: The dashlet analyses the overdue actions showing which module they are in.
4. Search: You can use the search bar to search for an action.
5. Name: The grid will show you the name of the records which require your attention e.g. site corrective actions. You can filter any of the headings in the grid by clicking on the heading. Click the name of the record to access it.
6. Show Entries: You can select how many actions you would like to see in the grid e.g., 10, 20, 30, 40, All.
Accessing Open Actions From the Modules
Actions can also be accessed by clicking on the relevant module tab at the top of the page e.g. self assessment audits and clicking into the 'Action's Tab' opposite the complete tab. You can click any of the links in the "Action Required" column to open the task in that line. Accessing the actions in this way allows you to see specifically all the actions for that module.
Working with Self-Assessment Audits
From time to time your sister site might ask you to complete a self-assessment. The main task in the audit is providing answers to some checklist questionnaires. You may also have the option to add self-assessments records yourself.
Access the Self-Assessment Record or Generate the Record Manually
In the Auditing module you can raise a self-assessment record by clicking Add Audit > Site Self-Assessment. If a site has sent you a self-assessment to complete you will see it in the Actions tab of the Auditing module and also the contact assigned the record will have received an email notification with a link to the record or will see the record in their My Actions tab on the Dashboard.
Filling in the Details Stage
- Select the sites main contact person from the list of site contacts.
- Select your name from the list of site contacts.
- Enter your position within the company e.g., QA Manager.
- Documents may be linked here for you to view.
- You then need to press Save & Submit to move on to the next stage.
Completing the Audit Record Stage
Work your way through the checklist. The checklist is nothing more than a list of questions that require you to give a response to using options in the response drop-down and providing detailed responses in the Comments/Observation field.
- Work through the checklist and select the correct answer in the response column. Remember that different rating methods are used so some self-assessments might use a simple Yes / No scale, whereas some other self-assessments will have different answering options.
- You can add notes and comments in this column to support your answer.
- Sometimes you might be asked to submit a file as a part of the audit, or perhaps you want to add some supporting evidence yourself. You may do so by clicking the "Add File" link. This attachment will be associated with the particular audit check you have selected.
- As this is a self-assessment, you can raise a site corrective action against any non-conformance you find. Tick the box against the relevant question/requirement. In the next stage the site corrective action can be assigned to the site contact who needs to complete it.
- If you see the document icon here, you can click and download the document.
Saving the Self-Assessment Record
- Use the report field for any overall comments.
- Pressing "Save" will allow you to save a draft version of the record before submitting it to the next stage. Clicking Save allows you to complete information, save it, and then come back later to continue working on completing the self-assessment. Remember the record will stay in the Actions tab of the 'Auditing' Module and you will be able to access it from there.
- When you are happy with everything and you are ready to move to the next stage click Save & Submit.
Raise Site Corrective Actions
As this is a self-assessment you can raise your own site corrective actions. The non-conformance report lists all the non-conformances uncovered by the assessment in the previous stage.
- Notes detailed in the previous stage populate here. If no notes were added previously add notes here about the non-conformance.
- Select the category of non-conformance - Critical, Major, or Minor.
- List the responsible employee for investigating the non-conformance.
- Select a due date.
- You can provide a small report when necessary.
Audit Result
The Audit Result stage will be completed by your sister site. Users of the Audit Portal will not be able to edit this stage, only view the results.
Working with Site Corrective Actions
Site corrective actions may be sent to you by your sister site after conducting site audits or they may be raised through Site Self-Assessment records.
Once a site corrective action generates it will be accessible in the Corrective Action Module Actions tab or from within the specific self-assessment audit or site audit it was generated from. The site contact assigned to investigate the corrective action will also see an action on their My Actions tab on the Dashboard.
Corrective Actions Showing up on the Dashboard
When you log in to the Audit Portal you will see any open tasks. In the example above, an outstanding Site Corrective Action that must be responded to is highlighted. You will also receive an email notification if you have been assigned a site corrective action. Click the name of the record to access it.
Corrective Action Details
This section gives you background information for the Site Corrective Action that has been filed by your sister site or raised yourself through a self-assessment. This section of the record will be collapsed when you click into it and you can open and view this section by clicking on the arrow on the right-hand side. This section will not be editable - only your sister site can edit this section.
- The source where the site corrective action came from is displayed.
- The requirement or question from which the corrective action generated from is shown here.
- These are comments/observations given by the site on the non-conformance.
- This is the risk category for the corrective action record e.g. high, major, critical, etc.
- The person who is responsible for the Corrective Action Response. This is the next stage that you are required to complete.
- This the person who is responsible for reviewing your response.
- The date this Site Corrective Action is due to be completed by.
Fill in the Corrective Action Response
This section is your opportunity to respond to the corrective action.
- Enter a short overview of the investigation you conducted concerning the corrective action.
- Detail the activities you have taken to correct the situation.
- List any preventive actions that will prevent the problem from re-occurring in the future.
- The date you completed this Corrective Action Response.
- You can submit files or documents by clicking "Add file" and sourcing the relevant documents from your computer.
- Click Save while working on completing the record.
- Click Save & Submit only when you are happy to send the response back.
Wait for a Response
Once you have responded to the site corrective action, it is time for your sister site to review your response. They will notify you if they need anything more.
If your sister site requires more information, the corrective action will remain open and you can respond to the customer, otherwise, if everything was fine, the record will be closed.
Complete Additional Information - If Required
If your sister site requires more information you will receive notification for completing the Additional Information stage.
- Read the review details completed by the site.
- Add any additional information you want the site to see.
- Attach and related documents using the Add File button.
- Click Save while working on completing the stage.
- Click Save & Submit only when you are happy to send the response back.
Working on Site Audits
From time to time your sister site might ask you to collaborate on a site audit. They may request for you to complete some preliminary details about your site e.g. number of food safety plans etc., and work on the audit record itself.
Site Audits you have been asked to collaborate on will be located in the Actions tab of the Auditing module. The User specifically assigned to work on the audit will be able to see an action in their My Actions tab on the Main Dashboard and may have also received an email notification with a link to the record.
If required, in the Auditing module you can raise a site audit by clicking Add Audit > Site Audit.
Audit Planning
- The date the audit planning will commence.
- Assign responsibility for the audit to a user.
- Give the audit programme a name that describes the nature of the audit.
- Categorise the audit type for the system, i.e. is it an initial audit or a follow up etc.?
- Define the scope of the audit.
- Define what is excluded from the scope of the audit.
Give Information Regarding the Site
- Define the plant size.
- How many employees work in this site/company?
- How many HACCP/ Food Safety plans does the plant have?
- Has the site subcontracted some of its processes to third parties?
- Has something changed since the last audit was conducted?
- Give a brief description of the site and the nature of the business.
- Describe which product categories the company represents or handles.
Provide Information Regarding Food Safety
- What is the rationale of the finished product safety for this site?
- Is the company or the supplied materials high care?
- Is the company or the supplied materials high risk?
- List all allergens that are handled on-site.
- Are there any product claims e.g. organic, HALAL, Kosher, Vegan, etc.?
- Has the site had any product recalls during the last year?
- List the products that were in production during the audit.
Define Audit Team Members and Site Audit Attendance
- Specify who was in the audit team, as well as who from the site attended the audit. Use the Add Line button.
- It is also possible to define which parts of the audit attendees were present for. Use the Add Line button.
- Click to view any documents.
Enter Audit Report
- The audit items are listed individually and in sequence for you to work through and ensure compliance.
- Select the correct answer from the Response column.
- Enter any notes and comments that are relevant to the audit.
- For non-conforming items you may split your findings into two items - this way you can create two separate non-conformances from a single audit item but deal with them separately.
- You may attach audit evidence and documents to each audit item.
- Generate corrective actions for the non-conforming audit items that require it.
Save as you Work
- Add any overall comments in the Report field.
- While working through the audit click Save to save your work - remember open records are located in the Actions tab of the Auditing module in the portal.
- Once you are ready to close out the stage click Save & Submit.
Non-Conformance & Corrective Action Report
This stage lists the non-conformance's uncovered by the audit and which are due for action and follow-up. Any observation comments completed in the previous stage show up here. If no comments were completed they should be entered now.
- Any non-conformance details completed in the stage previous show up here automatically. If none were completed add details on the issue now.
- Select the category of non-conformance - Critical, Major, Minor or Recommendation.
- Select the contact of the site responsible for each corrective action.
- Define a due date for the site corrective action(s).
- Enter a quick report on the site corrective actions.
Audit Result
The Audit Result stage is completed by the relevant site who is conducting the audit on you/the site from which your audit portal is connected to (if your sister site has given you edit access then you will be able to complete details in the section). The stage simply will display the audit score (if enabled), the overall audit result and rating, any scope of approval defined by the sister site
A Summary table tells you the audit scores, ratings, results, and number of non-conformances in each section of the audit. The Responses table tells you how many answers have been given with each answer category in each section of the audit. The site may also prepare a short report on the result of the audit.
Post Audit Report
This section is view only by you (unless your sister site has given you access to make edits). This section displays details on the audit duration. The record will automatically calculate how many hours were spent in each activity. Any previous audit result is displayed. This helps to keep track of the development of the site and grow a dataset to use in the future for trends to seek out improvement. Your sister site may schedule the next audit and define how often it should be repeated. Your sister site my detail a quick post-audit report that captures their feelings on the success of the audit, or what should be taken away from it.
Contacts
The Contacts module in the Audit Portal displays your site name which you can click to access and view your sites details e.g. contacts list, address, etc.
My Profile
My Profile is where you can update details such as your phone number, language the system is displayed in, change your password, and turn on Multi-Factor Authentication.
Click on your name located on the top of your portal to access your profile.
1. Click Edit Profile to make changes to your profile such as the portal language and turn on multi-factor authentication.
2. If you want to change your password click Change Password.
1. If you would like to update your first or second name, you can do so here.
2. Update or add your phone number here. If you are enabling Multi-Factor Authentication and you want to receive the code by SMS, ensure you add your phone number here. Ensure that format of your phone number is as you would dial it internationally e.g., +16463600210. Ensure to add the + at the start of the number.
3. If you wish to change the language of the system interface, you can click the drop-down and choose from the list of languages.
4. For added security you may enable the Multi Factor Authentication (MFA). During the login process, you will then be requested to choose a method to receive your authentication code e.g. SMS, Email,or App.
5. After you make your change click Save.
Note: If you need to change your email address, please open a ticket with the support team - [email protected].
Logging with Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA) Enabled
Multi-Factor Authentication is a security process in which you provide two means of identifying yourself to the Safefood360° software.
The first stage requires memorization (Username and Password). This second requires physical possession through your mobile or smartphone. In this context, the two factors involved are sometimes spoken of as ‘something you know’ and ‘something you have’.
MFA greatly reduces the likelihood of an unauthorized user gaining access to your account. To do so they would need to have both your login credentials as well as access to your personal smartphone.
Please refer to the section My Profile for details on enabling MFA for your profile.
With MFA enabled, after you complete the first two sign in steps as detailed in the section on how to log into the portal, you will then be asked to choose your MFA method. Choose the method by which you want to receive a the authentication code when logging into Safefood360; By Phone(SMS/Call), by Email, or using an Authenticator app on your phone. Click Continue after choosing.
Authenticator Application (App)
NOTE: STEP 1-3 BELOW IS COMPLETED ONLY ONCE ON SETTING UP THE APP TO RECEIVE THE CODE.
1. Install Authenticator App
Follow the instructions for installing the authenticator app (You may already have an app installed which you can open). This step you will only need to complete once.
From your Smartphone open the app store and search for the Microsoft Authenticator app or any other authenticator app such as Google Authenticator. There is an app available for all Smartphones including iPhone, Android, Blackberry and Windows.
2. Add Safefood360° to Authenticator App.
Open the authenticator app you installed. The following instructions will differ slightly depending on your device and chosen app.
In the Authenticator app, click the PLUS icon in the bottom right-hand corner. Click "Scan Barcode“.
Point the camera at the barcode. Once complete you will see a random 6-digit number in the app which will automatically change every 30 seconds. Each time you log into the system you will type in the code that appears in the app.
3. Click Continue
Click the Continue button after scanning the QR code.
4. Add the Code from Authenticator App
Open your app and add the code from the app to log into the system after clicking continue. After adding the code click Verify.
Authentication by Email
If you would like to receive your code by email choose the Email method for authentication and click Continue.
1. Send Verification Code
If you choose Email as the preferred MFA method, you will see your email address you will need to verify your email address by clicking Send Verification Code.
2. Add Code to the Verification Code Box
You will receive the code by email. Type the code into the verification code box and then click Verify Code.
If your code has expired as you failed to add it on time, click Send New Code.
3. Click Continue
Once your code is verified, you will see your email address with a message above it to confirm your email address has been verified.
Simply click Continue to access the system.
AUTHENTICATION BY PHONE
If you choose Phone as the preferred MFA method, you can choose to receive a SMS message with the code or choose for a call to be made to you.
After choosing Phone as the MFA method, you may see the below message appear instructing that your user profile requires your phone number to be added.
You can contact the support team to request them to add your phone number to your profile – [email protected].
If possible before you enable MFA, add your phone number to your profile. Click here for details on how to do this.
1. After choosing Phone as the method of authentication, and there is no issue with your phone number as it in place, you can choose for the code to be received to your phone by SMS (send code) or to conduct the authentication by a call.
If you choose Send Code, type in the code you receive by SMS and click Verify Code.
If you choose to authenticate by a call (Call Me), you will need to follow the instruction on the call after answering (you will be instructed to press the pound # key on your phone) and after you will be automatically signed in.
