When our tortilla customer took a proactive approach to solving potential quality concerns and preventing product returns before they could even happen, we jumped at the chance to help them—with a deep level of support.
Troubleshooting, before there’s real trouble
With an eye on the future, our tortilla customer was keeping careful watch on their retains, knowing that any issues revealed there could point to potential problems down the road. When they encountered some minor quality and textural challenges, they contacted us to help them determine the causes. We knew that their usage of our tortilla mold inhibitor was in spec and sprang into action to help this lean-running Quality Assurance team get to the bottom of their concern.
Critical evaluation, without disrupting production
We started by visiting their plant to use our own services for onsite troubleshooting. Phase 1: We executed an environmental study to identify any potential sources of problems that might manifest in their product. We conducted microplate comparisons through various locations throughout the plant, which were tested and evaluated by our Customer Lab Services team, and provided our customer the resulting report. If necessary, Phase 2 would have included testing of the tortillas themselves.
Turns out, the environmental study revealed the issue at hand: the culprit was actually the seasonal atmosphere in the plant’s hot, humid, subtropical part of the country. A simple increase in dosage brought the desired result: the quality and texture they always want to provide. We kept working, so that our customer could do the same. Our efficient process never slowed their production.
