Chilled Foods Association
Services provided
Full Metal Software Working with CFA’s World-Leading Unique Database
Background – the client
Chilled Food Association (CFA) is the voice of the UK’s leading chilled food manufacturers.
The Association’s members-only, confidential microbiological databases collect and store members’ sampling data for Listeria monocytogenes (Lm) and Bacillus cereus (B. cereus).
CFA’s Lm survey was established in 2003 to assess and demonstrate the efficacy of the industry’s controls and provide for benchmarking. It comprises some 5 million food and production environment datapoints entered by CFA members, shared with fellow member contributors on a consolidated basis. This provides valuable benchmarking information for members and, when appropriate, the wider food industry via briefings by CFA.
The B. cereus dataset of CFA members’ routine testing of fully thermally processed non-High Care foods has been compiled since 2014. It is particularly used by CFA to monitor foods that have been produced using the SUSSLE Process – a specific thermal process developed through CFA/Government research giving chilled foods extended shelf life without detriment to product quality.
The Issue
The platform used to host the databases was no longer big enough to support the ever-increasing amount of data being stored. Put simply the databases had outgrown the platform and not working to full effect, with a lack of updates slowing down an already overloaded system. What had worked well for many years had become technically out-dated.
At the same time the system was hosted on third-party infrastructure, limiting control and scalability.
CFA needed to regain control, stabilise the platform, and future-proof its operations. A fresh approach was needed for the benefit of CFA Members: to speed up response times; reduce the time spent by the CFA team dealing with queries and issues; maximise the capabilities of the current system and future proof it for the coming decades.
Full Metal Software’s Intervention
Full Metal Software stepped in with a three-phase recovery plan.
- First, the team migrated CFA’s platform to independent hosting, eliminating reliance on third-party infrastructure. This gave the CFA complete control over security, scalability, and data management.
- Next, Full Metal Software upgraded the platform’s technical framework, moving to the latest .NET and Umbraco long-term support versions. The upgrade further improved system security, reduced potential vulnerabilities, and ensured compatibility with future features.
- Finally, Full Metal Software launched an aggressive bug resolution process. Within weeks, several issues were identified, replicated, and fixed. The result? A fully stabilised system that runs without workarounds, processes data 30 percent faster, and is ready for long-term growth.
The Results: A Platform for 2025 and Beyond
After the Full Metal Software intervention:
- Data processing is 30 percent faster.
- CFA gained full ownership of its hosting infrastructure.
- New utilities and functions are being identified and added.
- System crashes dropped to zero.
- Manual workarounds were eliminated.
- Microbiological reporting became seamless and with enhanced accuracy.
- Communication has improved with a quicker turnaround on issues and queries.
Why CFA Chose Full Metal Software
CFA needed a team that could act fast and get to the root of the problem, they interviewed a number of companies before appointing Full Metal Software. The company’s work with CFA has now delivered:
- Immediate action on priority issues identified by the CFA team and its Members.
- Proven expertise in the most current technical developments.
- A future-proof approach that ensures CFA’s databases are ready for the next decades.
- Freedom from third-party hosting limitations.
Client Testimonial
“We wanted a company that really understood our unique systems. Using the most current thinking the successful company had to be able to enhance what we have established and help us adapt to future changes to meet our Members’ needs.
Full Metal Software met that brief. We like the team and are especially impressed with the quick response times, their use of ‘dummy’ platforms to try out changes and fixes and the online system for tracking work in progress. We look forward to working with them on their suggestions to further enhance our databases.” – Karin Goodburn, MBE, Chilled Food Association Director General
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