Day in and day out, we talk about quality, whether it’s the quality of production, testing, calibration, or some other company function. Typically, emphasis is on developing and implementing policies and procedures, but what is more important is follow up. It’s a mistake to prepare dozens of operational procedures without ensuring they’re followed in the day-to-day work.

It’s true that quality departments usually aren’t liked by other departments’ personnel. The QA staff are often viewed as quality police, as evidenced by the activity during audit periods. But believe me, the QA department is a solution provider more than a problem finder.

Too often when readying for a third-party audit, say from a registrar for compliance to a quality standard, the records in other departments are updated just a few days before the audit just to get through it. There is no value in this. To achieve real value, conduct internal audits regularly, and follow up on any action points.

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