Common Sense in GMPs

With few exceptions, governments have recognised the importance of liberalising agricultural markets. Countries have turned to the promotion of market-oriented economic activities carried out by the private sector from a situation of dominant state control. The process is, not complete and continued effort is required to ensure that government policy effectively incorporates and addresses issues of marketing liberalisation and helps to overcome the constraints faced by the private sector.

The private sector is now more or less universally acknowledged for its dynamism in carrying out marketing functions. In many countries, the so-called "informal" sector must be encouraged for its efficient use of limited resources vitality and adaptability, witnessed by the way it has responded to opportunities presented by the liberalisation of markets. "Quality product" in affordable price is the message for the companies to survive in market place.

One of the basic ingredients is mindset in ensuring food quality. Commonsense is widely applied in quality management in food industry.

What is Commonsense?

English dictionary defines common sense as conforming of practical wisdom and judgement or practical good sense gained by experience of life and not by special study. In practice, it is the art of making judgements and decisions or doing sound things with existing knowledge, and expected to exercise common sense regularly if proper job is to be done.

Common sense is not a sixth sense, intuition or extra-ordinary perception. Rather, it is an integration of all the knowledge a person possesses on a given subject at a given moment regardless of whether the knowledge is technical, scientific (pure or applied, supported by theory or is empirical) or based on personal experience. Furthermore, this knowledge does not always have to be specially related to the subject in question, provided some analogy can be firmly established between the subject to be analysed and some previous experience or knowledge.

The main ingredients in applying common sense are:

A. Observation: Sharp observers tend to possess more common sense. As someone said, it is one thing to look, another thing to see and a different thing to rationalise what one sees.

B. Objectives and Knowledge: Simple observation is not enough. One must have clear objectives and knowledge of clear objectives and knowledge of a given subject - the knowledge and experience accumulated by people in general and oneself in particular. Of course, it is not possible to know every thing, but the clear the objective and more knowledgeable one is the better.

C. Judgement: Good judgement is a prerequisite of common sense. Comparing observation, objective and knowledge will give us a difference that must be judged and analysed. Priority should be given to things observed and their relative impact on the goal pursued assessed before issuing an effective statement and/or deciding on the next course of action. Obviously, judgement is the most difficult link in the chain which forms common sense, particularly when dealing with uncertainties, incomplete knowledge (not to mention ignorance) using analogies that are sometimes imperfect.

Common sense is not taught at school but studies can help, provided emphasis on the banking of knowledge, dogmatic attachment to fashionable theories or bewitchment with the beauty of figures do not preclude free and creative thinking.

Common sense is also necessary when deciding what to test and the best way to do so. The tests should be quick, simple and relatively cheap. Technical and scientific knowledge has to be combined with common sense. There should be clear-cut distinction between quality and implication of the end use.

Awareness is only a part of what is involved. One should take into account quality targets, review the knowledge and experience available on the problem in question and then decide how to solve it.

A basic criterion is opting for the most economical solution befitting prevailing information needs or action. Common sense implies a process of economic optimisation of the cost of achieving and sustaining a given quality. It certainly does not mean instant saving but rather savings in the long run and avoiding quality problems.

Limit of Common Sense

Generalisations are not necessarily a common sense exercise and if applied to specific problems are certainly harmful.

Undoubtedly, rational thinking and evaluation should be used as much as possible when trying to solve a problem, but solutions chosen should be the most simple and viable. Common sense is necessary, especially in the absence of tangible scientific and technical knowledge.

Common sense is essential for understanding and solving quality problems arising from different socio-cultural situations. However, the main application is probably to be found in bridging the knowledge of people trained in different subjects but involved in similar areas of work.

Increasing Common Sense

Common sense cannot be taught, but there are ways by which it can be enhanced.

Increasing Practical Knowledge: This does not mean only studying books, journals or magazines but also making an effort to adopt existing knowledge to our conditions (especially in countries like India). Informal training such as visiting other factories to observe operations and routines can, in this case, be more useful than formal training. A planned visit to established factories which produces more or less the same type of product or facing same types of problems is an investment in common sense.

Management should also be aware of what happens to the product from the time it leaves the factory to the time it is consumed / utilised to better understand the requirements and complaints of brokers and consumers alike.

Practical knowledge can also be increased through simple applied research carried out in factory. For example, Shelf-life studies by variable processing parameters in different conditions, Packaging material suitability for long distance transportation, etc.

Co-operative Effort: To take full advantage of common sense in decision-making exercises, working, as a group is ideal. All good managers are aware of this but perhaps the Japanese idea of 'Quality Circles' whereby the experience and knowledge of everyone are drawn upon, is the best example of co-operative effort and also working very well in many Indian companies. It does not only mean a sharing of knowledge but also an increase in observation and judgement capabilities.

Efficient Use of Communication: The interaction between research institutes or universities and industries is unsatisfactory in many countries, particularly in underdeveloped and developing countries, including India. Communication between these two is virtually non-existent. It must be changed if we want to transform theory into practical knowledge and apply it to production.

As in other cases, it would probably need a book to define the idea but what can be said is:

a) Industry should take the initiative, without looking for excuses for not adopting quality requirements, and

b) Industry should ask the questions and hope for right answers. It is due to lack of common sense that knowledge is left on the shelf. Very often emerging concepts are ignored not only by industry but also institutions. It is a lack of common sense that makes institutes concentrate on fashionable research subjects or remain idle while industries (or even producers at artisanal level) seek technical advice on simple matters. Finally, it does not make sense that industry, which helps the institutes, does not use their services because there is a serious gap and lack of trust between industry and institutions.

The views outlined above are some of the more important ones. It is definitely not easy to talk about common sense. To quote an Old Spanish proverb, "Common Sense is the least common of the senses."

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