QA Studio can help you monitor the raw milk supply coming into your facility.

There is a producer database in QA Studio. You can easily import producer information and maintain that information.

In addition to tracking the producers that you are receiving, you can track if they are rBST free. If your facility only receives rBST free milk, QA Studio can alert the user if a producer is added that has not been identified as being rBST free. To be alerted of rBST free status, this feature will need to be activated in Raw Defaults (details below).

rBST Free: BST or Bovine Somatotropin is a naturally occurring protein hormone produced by cows. rBST or Recombinant Bovine Somatotropin is synthesized in large quantities (artificial growth hormone) and some dairymen may give to cows to increase milk yield. Some milk processing plants only accept milk from producers that have signed an affidavit stating they do not use rBST.

If you receive an updated producer list routinely, that list of information can be imported into the QA Studio Producer Window, including if the producer has a signed affidavit stating the raw milk is rBST free.

Producer Window: Go to Raw Program Menu > Producer Window.

Requirements for Importing Producer Information: Go to Producer Processes Menu > Import Producers > Click on Import Requirements. A box will pop up and give you information on the requirements. The information will need to be sequenced in the columns as listed below and then the file will need to be saved as a Tab Delimited text file.

The order of the information in the file:

To save the file as a Tab Delimited Text file: Once the producer information is in the correct columns in the Excel file; go to FILE > SAVE AS > FILES OF TYPE > Select Text (Tab delimited) (*.txt) as seen in the example to the right. You will also need to enter a File name. For example: MayrBSTFreeList.txt. (The extension will be .txt).

Once file is ready (columns of information in order and saved as a text file): The information is ready to be loaded into the QA Studio Producer Import window. Go to the Raw Program Menu > Producer Window > Click Load Data > Select the rBST free file saved as the txt file > Click OK.

Producer Information will load into the Producer Import window: Review the information to make sure the proper information is in the correct columns.

It is important to make sure the Supplier matches a Supplier in the Supplier Window: Before importing the producer information, make sure the supplier matches a supplier that is already in the Raw Supplier Window. If there is a new supplier (not in the Raw Supplier Window), first enter the new supplier name in the Raw Supplier Window. Go to Raw Program Menu > Supplier Window > Add > Enter the new supplier name > Click OK to save. If the supplier doesn't match exactly, it can be fixed in the file before loading in the Raw Producer Window OR the producer information can be fixed after loading into the Producer Window but BEFORE importing by simply selecting a line and double clicking. An Import Row Adjustments box will pop up and allow you to change the supplier to match one that is already in the Supplier Window. It will then ask if you want to change all producers with that specific supplier to the selected supplier name chosen from the drop down list. If you click yes, all the supplier names that match that particular supplier will be changed to name that was selected from the pull down box (list of names of suppliers already in Supplier Window).

When the Import Row Adjustments box is open:
You can make any other adjustments needed for that specific producer that was highlighted. Click OK. Once you have reviewed all the producer information and it is correct, click Import Data (located at the bottom left hand corner of window). Note: If the column heading has a description such as Name, that will come over also with the import. Either eliminate the column heading in the file before loading or you can delete that particular record after import. Highlight the record once it is in the Producer Window and click delete.

Producer Information will show in the Producer Window: The newly imported producer information will be in the Producer Window and will have the imported date documented.

Turn on the Alert rBST Free Producer Status: To be alerted if the producer in the QA Studio database has the rBST Free Affidavit checked or not, go to Raw Program Menu > Raw Defaults > rBST Free tab on click EDIT and check Alert on Producers rBST Free Affidavit Status. If this feature is turned on it is very important that the QA Studio producer database is kept up to date and with the correct producer information. It is also critical that the QA Studio user entering the producer numbers into QA Studio confirms that the producer numbers were scanned or entered correctly. The QA Studio user entering the data should be informed of the warning boxes and should read and check with supervisor and follow your company policy. Note: Enter in your own messages for the pop up boxes if desired. Otherwise there are default messages that will pop up.

Information not Imported or Updated: If a producer was not imported or updated, you will be alerted when entering that producer number into the Raw Product Window. In the example to the right: Producer 47777 was not updated or imported during the last import.

Information not Current: A warning box will pop up alerting the QA Studio User the rBST free certificate is not current. To make a record current, go to the Raw Producer window click EDIT and OK. Even if no changes are made the record will assume it has up to date information.

rBST Free Certificate Not on File: A warning box will pop up alerting the QA Studio User the rBST free certificate is not on file in the Producer Window.

Producer not in database: A warning box will pop up alerting the QA Studio that the producer is not in the QA Studio producer database. If the producer is added to the database at this time, it will not be marked as rBST Free and a warning box will alert you to that fact. If you obtain the rBST free affidavit and other details for that particular producer, then go to the Producer Window click Edit and enter the information. If rBST Free, then click the check box and enter the rBST Free Date.

Producer Field: The Producer field now also shows the name of the dairy. If you add a producer that is already in the QA Studio producer database with a producer name, it will show up when adding the producers in the Raw Product Window. Note: the tank at the dairy farm can be added also, simply put a dash behind the producer number to indicate the tank at the dairy.

rBST Free field: When entering one or more producers in the Raw Product Window (Producer field), and all the producers are marked as rBST Free in the Producer Window then the rBST Free box will automatically say YES. If one or more of the producers entered are not rBST Free as indicated in the Producer Window, then the box will not auto-fill.

QA Studio Warns Only: If you select to use this feature, and turn it on in the Raw Defaults, rBST Free tab: the warning boxes will pop up to alert the QA Studio user that either the producer is not in the database, or the producer's rBST free affidavit has not been updated with the last import or if the producer doesn't have an rBST Free affidavit checked in the Producer Window. QA Studio alerts/warns the user to Check with the supervisor (or what is added in defaults by the QA Studio person that maintains the program). QA Studio doesn't stop the user from entering data. Each company using QA Studio to help monitor the incoming producers for rBST free affidavits should have procedures in place to include (But not be limited to);

• Routine monitoring and updating of the QA Studio Producer Window
• Notifying all QA Studio Users of the correct response when a warning box pops up
• Alerting QA Studio support immediately of any issues that need to be addressed with this feature

QA Studio helps warn of possible issues. Users will need to follow the company policy on accepting rBST free loads or rejecting loads.