Case Studies

Building an Enterprise In‑House Sanitation Program Framework

2 minute read

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY: A meat processing company was over-reliant on a third-party sanitation vendor, which led to inconsistent practices, limited visibility, and outdated documentation. Catena Solutions designed a full sanitation program framework to bring operations in-house and position the company to launch a pilot program and scale the model across its facilities.

The Challenge: Over-Reliance on a Third-Party Provider

When a meat processing company decided to take control of its sanitation operations, they realized the gap between current state and ideal state was significant. The company had been relying heavily on a third-party provider, which caused numerous challenges.

Key pain points included:

• Lack of standardized sanitation practices, causing inconsistent results
• Limited visibility, control, and accountability
• Missing or outdated sanitation documentation, including SOPs, master cleaning schedules, verification procedures, and safety guidelines
• Unclear roles and staffing models, especially as sanitation responsibilities shifted toward internal teams
• Limited training infrastructure, making it difficult to build skills and establish ownership on the plant floor
• Operational constraints, such as equipment access challenges, undefined cleaning cycle times, and limited coordination between sanitation and production teams

Missing or outdated sanitation documentation, including SOPs, master cleaning schedules, and verification procedures, left the company exposed and without a clear path to internal ownership.

The Solution: Framework to Transition to Internal Ownership

Catena Solutions partnered with the company to design and build an enterprise sanitation program framework from the ground up. The goal was a framework that could be piloted, refined, and scaled across all facilities.

Work was organized across five areas:

• Enterprise Sanitation Standards: Developed core program standards, including sanitation policy, SSOP templates, Master Sanitation Schedule (MSS) structure, verification procedures, chemical and tool guidance, and return-to-production requirements.
• Organizational Design: Created a sanitation operating model with defined roles, staffing plans, job descriptions, and line-specific labor guidance to support internal management of sanitation activities.
• Standardized SSOP Library: Built a centralized SSOP library using standardized templates and digital-ready documentation for two plants.
• Training & Certification Framework: Designed the foundation for a performance‑based training program aligned with HR and plant leadership to ensure clear skill expectations, onboarding pathways, and certification requirements.
• Cross-Functional Alignment & Rollout Planning: Coordinated with Safety, HR, Operations, and Procurement to align pilot timing, update project plans, and prepare leadership communications for the rollout.

The Benefit: $3M in Savings and a Sanitation Program for Enterprise Adoption

Our work is expected to contribute to $3M+ in combined savings across two sites over four years, driven by reduced third-party labor costs and lower production downtime.

The engagement also delivered a complete sanitation program architecture ready for enterprise adoption, including standardized SSOP documentation, a finalized organizational structure, defined staffing plans, and a consistent MSS framework across sites.

Beyond the documentation, the project drove meaningful cross-functional alignment across HR, Safety, QA, Engineering, and Operations. It also gave leadership clear visibility into transition costs, resource needs, and startup timing for the first time.

Additional anticipated long-term impact includes:

• More consistent sanitation practices and fewer production delays across all facilities
• Stronger internal accountability and reduced dependence on third-party providers
• A scalable training and onboarding model that builds lasting capability on the plant floor
• Better integration of safety practices within day-to-day sanitation activities

If you’re looking for help improving your sanitation program or its framework, contact us today.