There you are. It’s Monday morning. You’ve arrived early, ready to start your week. Coffee is brewing in the staff kitchen. You’re caught up on your emails. Things are looking good. That is, until Bob, your client’s auditor, calls at 9 a.m. to tell you he’s coming for an audit on Wednesday.

If you’re working in a highly regulated industry, this has happened to you (minus being caught up on your emails, of course). It is not unfamiliar territory for Carola Bousserghine, quality assurance manager for Polymer Solutions Inc. in Blacksburg, Virginia.

“That is my favorite type of audit: the surprise one,” says Bousserghine. She has had plenty of experience with difficult audits over the years. She came to Polymer Solutions five years ago after 15 years in the shipping industry. “I needed to learn new standards, but the basics of quality management don’t change,” she says. “Continuous improvement is the key.”

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