New Enhancement: Uploading technical documentation against specifications in Erudus

Why have we made this change?

When we first launched the new version of Erudus we gave Manufacturers the facility to upload additional technical documentation against their specification, but this documentation was only visible to users of the Manufacturer account. This was introduced because of feedback from our Manufacturer users requesting somewhere in Erudus to keep a record of additional documentation like risk assessments and HACCP documentation, and copies of technical specifications for products which may not be appropriate for public eyes.The ability to house this documentation in Erudus saves the need for using multiple resources to manage product information, and makes Erudus a more robust internal tool.

As time has gone on, some of our Wholesale customers have been making product specific documentation requests of Manufacturers, who in turn have indicated that having the functionality to upload documentation to product specifications visible to Wholesalers and Caterers would make satisfying these requests easier. Essentially, making this documentation visible to Wholesalers allows them to self-serve product information and removes the need for Manufacturers to constantly respond to individual requests.

And with our new Specification Type: Chemicals soon to launch, plus feedback from Wholesalers that they want to be able to access COSHH and Safety Data sheets for this category of specification, now seemed like the perfect time to make such an enhancement to the feature.

What are some examples of the technical documentation that can now be uploaded?

Some examples of technical documentation for food and drink product manufacture include (but are not limited to):

• Technical Specifications
• HACCAP Plans
• SOPs for production methods and recipes
• Compliance Documentation
• Process
• Food Safety Management Systems
• Packaging Artwork Specifications
• COSHH Sheets
• Safety Data Sheets

How does this new enhancement benefit Erudus users?

This enhancement is beneficial to all of our users, because it removes friction through the supply chain for additional data requirements outside of a finished Erudus specification.

More specifically:

Manufacturers

Manufacturers are now able to provide more documentation to their Wholesale customers (and by extension the Wholesaler’s Caterer customers), meaning they no longer have to respond to individual requests for documentation from multiple Wholesalers that use Erudus (while still being able to keep their internal documentation visible to internal eyes only).

Wholesalers

Wholesalers have the benefit of not needing to contact Manufacturers regularly to get the product specific documentation that they require - should the Manufacturer have made this additional documentation available to their Wholesalers via Erudus.

Can Manufacturers choose to continue to keep everything private?

Of course! It’s completely up to the Manufacturer - the original technical documentation area has been renamed “Private Documentation” but the functionality hasn’t changed and no documents have been altered.

Everything that has been uploaded is still private, and users can upload documents to the private document area moving forward to ensure everything remains private.

If users want public documentation what do they do differently when uploading?

All Manufacturers have to do is upload documentation to the “Public Documentation” section of the Product Editor and any document uploaded there will be available to Wholesalers and Caterers as well as the Manufacturer that uploaded it.

Still got questions?

Should you still have questions about this new enhancement or anything else relating to documentation and specifications, you can contact Erudus Support via support@erudus.com or on 0333 121 89 99.