SCHEDULING CONSTRAINTS AND HALAL INTEGRITY RISK IN SHARED FACILITY MANUFACTURING: A QUALITATIVE STUDY OF MALAYSIAN SMES
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.35631/IJEMP.935045Keywords:
Commercial Pressure, Halal Integrity, Halal Supply Chain, Production Scheduling, Shared Facility ManufacturingAbstract
Halal integrity is not a fixed attribute certified once and assumed to last, but a condition actively protected at every stage of production, including the moment a shared line switches between non halal and halal runs. While Malaysian halal research has examined certification, traceability, and logistics extensively, scheduling itself has received little direct attention despite being repeatedly flagged as a contamination risk. This phenomenological study explored how scheduling decisions shape halal integrity risk in Malaysian SMEs that share production equipment between halal and non halal goods. Fifteen semi-structured interviews were conducted with halal executives, production supervisors, and line operators across eight SMEs spanning food, nutraceuticals, and personal care. Findings revealed a consistent scheduling architecture built around protecting the changeover window, alongside two dominant risks, commercial pressure and inconsistent verifier availability, managed through a layered mix of formal procedures and informal coping strategies. The study extends existing conceptual scheduling literature with grounded, practitioner level evidence and offers practical guidance for SMEs and regulators alike.
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