Quality control (QC) ensures that employees, workplaces, and products are kept safe and up to a reasonable standard. Creating a good quality control process is a part of most successful business ventures. Maintaining high quality control standards can help improve company reputation and make the workplace safer and more pleasant for employees. By employing a comprehensive and well-regulated process, maintaining quality control standards can become part of a daily routine.
The first step to creating a quality control program is to determine what is legally required. Many industries must meet government quality regulations, and are in danger of lawsuits, audits, and recalls if discrepancies are discovered. Read the fine print of all applicable quality laws for each and every region that the company may use. Consider hiring a QC expert to help explain complex laws and regulations and help formulate a plan for QC management.
Ensure that any components, parts, or products received from other suppliers are also up to regulation. Different regions may have different QC regulations, and while some may be less expensive to import or use, they may also decrease quality through inferior or even illegal manufacturing processes. Before signing on with any supplier, consider asking for details about their quality control standards to ensure a good and safe match.
Create a chain of command for QC oversight. Although existing employees can be used to create a quality control staff, be certain that each person is not too overloaded by the demands of their existing job to handle the responsibility of quality control. Seminars and training workshops for QC staff may be a good way to ensure that everyone is operating according to the same quality control standards and that a consistent method of management is used.
Though not necessarily directly related to high quality control standards, developing a good and thorough training program for new employees may be vital to ensuring quality products. Taking the time to train employees in hygiene standards, safety procedures, and general tasks can help cut down on accidents, errors, and damage. Employees that are well-trained may be more likely to recognize errors and try to fix them through appropriate channels, rather than hiding them for fear of retribution.
Some experts recommend creating incentives for quality control management. This might include cash bonuses or other prizes for departments that show a clear pattern of meeting QC goals. Using incentives needs to be carefully managed, however, as it can have unintended consequences. If a department is determined to win an bonus or prize, it may lead to subterfuge or hiding quality issues that need to be addressed.
By Jessica Ellis