SQFI

Automating Food Safety Documentation: Practitioner Questions from SQF’s Product Spotlight Day

Oct 19, 2026

For food safety teams considering a move from paper-based records to digital documentation, knowing where to start  and how to choose the right technology partner can be challenging. 

SQFI's first Product Spotlight Day, focused on automation and digital documentation, attracted nearly 1,200 registrants interested in exploring solutions and hearing directly from seven providers: Allera Technologies, SafetyChain, SGS, AuditQ, Wherefour, Keychain, and FoodReady.  

Participants represented a wide range of industries, including food and beverage manufacturing, CPG manufacturing, agriculture, wholesale and distribution, warehousing and transportation, and grocery retail. Their organizations ranged from single-site operations with fewer than 100 employees to global enterprises with more than 10,000. 

Despite their different backgrounds, attendees shared a common challenge: How can food safety teams transition from paper-based documentation to more efficient, connected, and accessible digital systems? 

Rachel Anderson, SQF's Vice President of Business Development and Strategy, introduced this transition as moving from "notebook to network," emphasizing the opportunities digital tools offer to streamline processes, improve visibility, and support audit readiness. 

Four Key Questions to Ask Before Choosing a Digital Solution 

Anderson opened the event by outlining four important areas to consider when evaluating automation solutions: fit, implementation, integration, and audit readiness and growth. 

Throughout the day, attendee questions from the live Q&A reinforced the importance of each area. 

Fit: Does the Solution Meet Your Needs? 

  • Does this replace paper entirely, or can we use just the document-control piece and skip the rest? 

  • Is this built for processing plants, or does it also work for warehouse and distribution sites? 

  • What does a small single-site rollout look like compared with a large multi-site one? 

Implementation: How Easily Can Your Team Adapt? 

  • How steep is the learning curve for frontline staff who aren't comfortable with digital tools? 

  • What happens if the internet goes down mid-audit? Can forms still be filled out offline? 

  • Is pricing modular, or do we have to buy the whole platform to get the one piece we need? 

Integration: Will It Work with Existing Systems? 

  • Can this connect to an existing ERP, such as SAP or Cin7, or to a PLC system on the floor? 

  • Does it tie into supplier portals like TraceGains, so documents aren't uploaded twice? 

  • Who owns the data, and how easily can we get it back out? 

Audit Readiness and Growth: Can It Support Long-Term Compliance? 

  • Is this 21 CFR Part 11 and FSMA compliant? 

  • How does it track change history, document revisions, and who signed off on what? 

  • Auditors still expect a binder. How is GFSI helping auditors get comfortable with digital records? 

Cost was another recurring topic throughout the presentations. In accordance with SQF's antitrust policy, specific vendor pricing was not discussed or moderated during the event. Attendees were encouraged to contact providers directly for pricing information. 

What Attendees Had to Say 

Beyond the formal presentations, the live chat offered insight into the challenges food safety professionals face and the benefits some have experienced after transitioning to digital systems. 

One attendee described their current documentation process by commenting, "that's me right now, with my three-inch ring binders." 

Others shared positive experiences with digital platforms. A longtime SafetyChain user described the transition as "a great decision changing from paper to digital, especially for audits." Another attendee, who had used the platform for five years, highlighted the value of bilingual forms for employees. 

One particularly revealing comment came near the end of the event, after all seven providers had presented. An attendee shared that they wished they had access to this type of side-by-side overview four months earlier, before selecting a digital quality management partner. 

That feedback highlights one of the primary benefits of SQF Product Spotlight Days: giving food safety professionals an opportunity to explore multiple solutions, compare approaches, and ask providers questions in a single event. 

Three Key Takeaways for Your Digital Transformation 

Anderson emphasized three principles to keep in mind when planning an automation project: 

  1. Start with the problem you're trying to solve. Identify your organization's specific challenges before evaluating technology solutions. 

  1. Involve your operators early. Engage the employees who will use the technology every day to better understand their needs and potential barriers to adoption. 

  1. Evaluate how each solution fits your existing operations. Ask providers how their technology will integrate with your current systems, workflows, and documentation practices. 

These principles align with a six-step planning framework Anderson introduced during her opening presentation. 

Six Steps to Get Started

  1. Define the problem. Identify the documentation challenges or inefficiencies you want to address. 

  1. Map your current processes. Understand how work is actually performed today, rather than relying solely on established procedures. 

  1. Engage frontline employees. Include the people responsible for completing and maintaining records in the planning process. 

  1. Identify data and integration needs. Determine how the new solution will connect with existing systems and support information sharing. 

  1. Start small and plan for expansion. Consider a phased rollout that allows your team to test, learn, and adjust before scaling. 

  1. Keep audit readiness in focus. Ensure the solution supports accurate, accessible, and reliable documentation throughout implementation. 

Together, these steps provide a practical starting point for organizations evaluating their first digital documentation solution or looking to improve existing systems. 

Watch the Full Product Spotlight Day on Demand 

Missed the live event? The complete SQF Product Spotlight Day: Automation & Digital Documentation is now available to watch on demand for free. 

Access Rachel Anderson's opening presentation and demonstrations from Allera Technologies, SafetyChain, SGS, AuditQ, Wherefour, Keychain, and FoodReady. 

Explore the technologies, hear directly from providers, and discover solutions that can help streamline food safety documentation and strengthen audit readiness. 

Watch Now

Next Up: SQF Product Spotlight Day: Sanitation & Operational Services

Looking for solutions to keep your facility clean, compliant, and audit-ready? 

Join us on Wednesday, November 18, 2026, for our next free SQF Product Spotlight Day, focused on sanitation and operational services. 

Register Here

Recent Blog Posts

Digital Documentation Is Moving Food Safety From Reactive to Ready

Automation is helping food safety teams strengthen traceability, close gaps faster, and stay audit-ready before pressure hits.

The SQF Code Requirement That Was Always There, Just Never Named

See how SQF Edition 10's Clause 2.3.5 turns change management into a dedicated requirement.

SQF Edition 10: Why It Matters and How We’re Making Your Transition Easier

Edition 10 has a sharpened focus on the areas where data and experience showed we needed to raise the bar: food safety culture, change management, environmental monitoring, and audit scoring.