Job Descriptions - QC/QA Inspector or Senior Inspector vs. a QC/QA "Technician"

[The Fixer]

Can someone characterize the difference between a QC/QA Inspector or Senior Inspector and a QC/QA "Technician".
What additional/different tasks are implied by the term "technician".

Kevin,
My experience has been that QC Technicians are usually trained to perform testing of a sorts and the pay scale is usually less than a QA/QC Inspector. Particularly evident when I applied for both during a long period of unemployment. Just my slant on it.
energy

Agree with Kevin and would like to add that I prefer the term Quality Assurance over Quality Control.

Just a personnal thing but, when I think if the term Quality Control I think if detection, when I think if the term Quality Assurance I thing prevention.

As with all job titles, it would be good to back them up with well defined job descriptions. My various titles didn't mean much to me as long as the check didn't bounce at the end of the week.

I guess the bigger the corporation the more meaningful a job title becomes. As with most people that work in smaller companies or for themselves, If I had to have a job title for all the different hats I wear I would have a 3 page business card.

ASD...

[Kevin Mader]

Here in Connecticut, there is an annual publication from the CBIA that lists different job titles and descriptions. It is a rough compilation of many businesses input from their own descriptions.

Inspectors in my opinion are more mechanical and hands on. They inspect. Technicians are less mechanical and less hands on. They tend to review inspection data as opposed to creating it.

My rough rule of thought.

Regards,

Kevin

Al,
It figures that you and Kevin "Forum Wizards" would stick together. My take on the QA and the QC is that most employers do not know the difference between them. We "purists" think we do. As for the Technician vs. Inspector, I pulled these descriptions off the Internet (Altavista Search Engine). While you can make the case that aren't exactly the same, they are very similar. I know the Technician's salary range is slightly better. Have a good one.

"QUALITY CONTROL TECHNICIANS test and inspect products at specified stages in the manufacturing process to be sure that the products are safe, meet customer and international requirements, and perform as well as designed. They work with industrial engineers to set reasonable quality standards. Technicians set up and perform various kinds of tests on materials, parts, and products, such as measuring performance and durability. Some technicians test food and drug samples or raw materials to make sure they are free from contamination. They record all test data on graphs and charts, evaluate their findings, and write summary reports."
"QUALITY CONTROL INSPECTORS enforce a wide range of regulations, procedures, laws, and policies. They also help make standards that protect the public. They inspect and enforce rules. These rules may be on matters such as health, safety, food, immigration, licensing, interstate commerce, or international trade.
They take measurements, look for visible defects, and perform tests. They may compare products to samples or blueprints to find any defects or other problems. They may use testing equipment, keep records, go over statistical data, and write reports. Quality control inspectors may read engineering drawings. They do this to check on product materials and quality. They may recommend changes in production methods to improve the quality and life of the product. They keep records of their findings and recommendations. They test many different products for quality. These include foods, clothing, glassware, and musical and measuring instruments. Other products tested include automobiles and parts, electronic components, etc.."

[The Fixer]

Thanks for the comments. I guess there is a fine line between Inspectors and Technicians. So, in practice, I will allow myself my own interpretation.

As to QA vs QC, my perception is that "control" is reactive and is used, for example, to "inspect quality into the product". "assurance" is more of a preventive philosophy which builds High-Q systems in the first place.

Glenn

Fixer,

You're on the right track, define them yourself so they are suitable to your system. Heck, if they are suitable they will probably be effective.

Definitions are a tough subject, with all the standards and specifications available there might be 2 or 3 that define a term the same way.

Even a definition given by a specific "standard" can be (and usually is) ambiguous.

In the big picture, this is not all that bad. I think we all want as little control over us so we can define how our systems will and do work.

P.S. Energy, I agree with Kevin!

ASD...

[Kevin Mader]

energy,

We "Wizards" have to be supportive of each other. It is how we create 'credibility' (lol)!

Good definitions, and more extensive than the definitions in the CBIA annual salary survey.

Each job function is important, regardless. "Control" appears to be a tough word these days in the Quality world, but I can't imagine a Quality World without it. We will always need a means to detect levels of conformance and nonconformance and govern decision making. The definitions supplied by energy are interesting to me (they appear as branches of government: legislative, executive & judicial).

Anyone else see this?

Kevin