As part of the field trip for the courses Integrated Management Systems and Integrated Management Systems in Tourism, second-year graduate students of Management, specializing in SME Management and Destination Management, accompanied by lecturer Danijela Vakanjac, mag.oec., senior lecturer, visited the small organic agricultural enterprise Organica Vita on May 15, 2024.
The purpose of the field trip was to familiarize students with a positive real-world example, implemented quality management systems, the application of tools and methods for quality management, and the necessity of integrating each individual system.
With a presentation on the origin and history of Organica Vita by the owner, Maja Lazić, the students were taken on a tour of two halls, which house the facilities for drying and processing medicinal herbs, and the machinery for filling and packaging oils, spreads, and other organic products. The owner explained the process of growing organic food, with a particular focus on the procedures and requirements that small organic food producers must meet to obtain and maintain necessary certifications. She also explained how quality processes are monitored in various stages of production and processing, and the control and assurance of establishing, applying, and sustaining all necessary processes for the quality management system.
During the visit, students asked various questions such as how products are stored and separated from conventional production, handling non-compliant products, opportunities and challenges faced by small entrepreneurs, the marketing aspect of the business, possibilities for innovating business processes and new products, emphasizing the necessary procedures, and other various questions. Additionally, the hospitable owner provided tastings of already branded products and allowed students to try a new recipe for an upcoming coconut and white chocolate spread.
The feedback from students was very positive and interesting, emphasizing the importance of connecting theoretical knowledge with practical application.
Virovitica University of Applied Sciences