ENHANCING GOOD MANUFACTURING PRACTICES (GMP): A CASE OF A MANUFACTURING COMPANY IN NORTHERN MALAYSIA

Good manufacturing practices (GMP) can be considered as a regulated policies, codes or even guidelines that govern the operations of cosmetic, drugs, food, and medical devices manufacturers. Getting GMP certification is an industrial priority. Unfortunately, not many small and medium enterprises can successfully apply or renew the GMP manufacturing license. The GMP pre-operational costs requirements, employees’ lack of knowledge on GMP practices, lack of urgency and supervision by management are some of the obstacles in complying with the codes of GMP. This paper investigates a Malaysian manufacturer in goat’s milk based of body care, skin care, hair care, cosmetic products and food supplement industrial practices. The methodology includes individual and group interviews, and site visits evaluation. The results following the implementation of GMP initiatives, indicate improvements in operational efficiencies through training of qualified personnel for proper hygienic and quality practices, cleanup of total premise and storage space reorganization, improved ventilation, contamination control, and minimize wastage, development of 26 SOPs for manufacturing processes and procedures, prevention and detection of product contamination, pest control inspections and records, development of raw material codes, improved materials management, development of preventive maintenance schedules, and stakeholders commitment to the project. Their commitment will determine the ability of the company to attain GMP certification and business survival.