Resources

Compliance made easier

‘Reportdrop can be accessed any time, anywhere’

Where did you get the idea from?Reportdrop was born from my experience of handling thousands of reports from regulators, mostly by email. I am sure most EHPs would agree with me that the system is inefficient, costly, and prone to errors and omissions. One of the worst problems is missing deadlines, which creates real risks.

In 2013, I decided to create a product to sort out the communication issues and help tasks to be organised. A year later, I had funding, two partners and a development team.

Reportdrop is an online document sharing tool that enables users to share reports, have discussions, assign and track tasks against deadlines and access data to inform compliance strategy. Reportdrop stores everything securely and can be accessed any time, anywhere.

How does it work?The regulator ‘drops’ into the system its report to a business, which then uses management tools to swiftly assign, track and manage ‘must do’ requirements in the report through to close-out. Once completed, the business evidences its compliance simply by uploading a photo or document, saving everyone a revisit.

What are the benefits?I believe that this product will change the way regulators and businesses communicate, and will make compliance easier for all parties.

As well as offering an efficient way of working, the money savings for regulators have to be the prime advantage in today’s cost-cutting climate. According to Food Standards Agency (FSA) figures, each regulatory visit costs £150, so if only 10 per cent of visits or revisits were avoided because compliance or progress towards it could be demonstrated, that would equate to savings of more than

£1m a year. If all interventions are calculated, the savings rise to more than £6m a year.

Are there any other benefits?Reportdrop also provides improved oversight of the whole compliance picture in an area, and having no admin errors leads to improved trust through better communications.

Multi-site retail business, primary authorities and trade associations could benefit. It also potentially offers a vehicle to open up safety-related information to consumers.

We have had a positive response from key stakeholders, such as the Food Standards Agency and the Better Regulation Delivery Office, which are supportive of our objectives.

We have also partnered with NSF International to provide technical helpline services through Reportdrop. Trade associations, for example, can use this

mechanism to give their members access to expert advice on compliance issues in a cost-effective and innovative way.

Tell us about your career as an EHPLooking back, my career has been fast-paced and varied. Exeter City Council sponsored my degree at University of Wales Institute, Cardiff, and after graduating, I worked there in the commercial team for two years. I was then lured to the private sector, attracted by the cut and thrust of the commercial world. I joined the team at CMi (now NSF International) in food assurance, working with the CIEH’s own David Edwards.

Working with and advising clients was a steep learning curve. It was demanding but I gained extremely valuable experience, dealing with everything from developing policies and training material through to

managing crises and liaising at every level of the business. It has given me an insight into the psychology of compliance and business culture, and the confidence to lead and influence others.

I then spent another spell in local government, where I was involved in developing the ‘Stress-Free Eastleigh’ Project, winning runner-up prize at the CIEH Awards. After that, I started a family and moved back to Devon, but continued to work on a self-employed basis for local clients and NSF.

What’s next on the agenda? I am continuing EHP work, supporting TGI Friday’s in a safety and risk role, and I am proud to be part of the team that achieved ‘perfect’ hygiene ratings across all its restaurants — the first brand to do so. E

If you have any questions or want more information about Reportdrop, you can contact Angeline at angeline@reportdrop.com

Angeline Wolfe has developed a new online resource for the food industry. William Hatchett talked to her about Reportdrop

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