At De Budelse, our business processes are about much more than producing high-quality printed materials. As a supplier to the pharmaceutical industry, we adhere to strict requirements for quality, safety, and process control. Although De Budelse does not operate in the food industry, Quality Manager Manou Kneepkens believes that BRC certification is a valuable addition to the stringent standards required within the pharmaceutical sector.
Within De Budelse, Manou Kneepkens plays a strategic role in quality management. “Quality is the vital link between our internal processes and the external requirements set by our customers and certification bodies,” she explains. “I oversee customer audits, manage our BRC manual, and work closely with the team to ensure compliance with quality standards, including those required for our ISO 9001 certification.”
Originally developed for food safety, BRC stands for British Retail Consortium. According to Manou, however, the standard provides valuable guidance for many other industries as well.
“At its core, BRC is about process control, raw material traceability, and risk-based thinking,” she explains. “These are exactly the same principles that are essential in the pharmaceutical industry. Every step of our production process is documented, monitored, and fully traceable.”
Pharmaceutical customers require us to implement measures to prevent issues such as product mix-ups. “We work according to clearly defined procedures, perform thorough quality checks, and continuously improve our processes,” says Manou.
For many years, De Budelse has focused on serving pharmaceutical customers. This deliberate choice requires the company to maintain exceptionally high standards.
“Our customers expect us to demonstrate that our processes are fully under control,” Manou explains. “BRC is an additional tool that helps us achieve this. In an industry where mistakes are simply not an option, BRC provides an extra level of assurance.”
While food safety is focused on protecting consumers, patient safety is the highest priority in the pharmaceutical industry. According to Manou, the two sectors share many of the same fundamental principles.
“Good hygiene practices, process controls, error prevention, complaint handling, and risk analysis are just as critical in pharmaceuticals as they are in food production. By working in accordance with the BRC guidelines, we ensure that, as a printing company serving the pharmaceutical sector, we fully meet these high expectations.”
“Our customers expect us to demonstrate that our processes are fully under control.”
At De Budelse, quality is not a one-time achievement it is a continuous process. This commitment is reflected in employee training, internal audits, and ongoing improvement initiatives. The company deliberately invests in both in-house training and external certification to ensure that employees maintain a high level of expertise and a thorough understanding of procedures.
According to Manou, it is essential that employees understand not only how to carry out quality checks, but also why they are necessary.
“BRC certification is not an end goal for us,” Manou emphasizes. “It is a tool that helps us improve continuously and strengthen our customers’ confidence in our organization. Although complying with the standard involves strict requirements, the benefits far outweigh the challenges.”
