Which Department do you work in?

[Steve Prevette]

A follow on to a discussion in the "ASQ Releases New Membership Model - Will it make a difference?" thread.

[SteelMaiden]

We do not have a quality assurance or quality control dept. as such. There are lots of positions that are normally considered QA, but they are integrated into operations...except for mine, I am officially part of the Administrations Dept. along with the Management, HR, Finance, Health and Safety.It was decided when the plant was built that quality, safety, etc., was everyone's responsibility and to create a department for quality would send a message to the employees that it wasn't their responsibility to ensure quality at each step of the processes.

[db]

I've never really thought of it. I work in the QUEST (Quality, Environmental Six Sigma Team), which is part of Manufacturing Services. Now, considering we are a consulting and training organization, our "product" is my knowledge, skills and abilities. So, therefore, I guess I would be classified as a "tool", or possibly even equipment. No, I think a tool, yes that's it! I'm a perishable tool!

[Jim Howe]

Originally Posted by SteelMaiden

We do not have a quality assurance or quality control dept. as such. There are lots of positions that are normally considered QA, but they are integrated into operations...except for mine, I am officially part of the Administrations Dept. along with the Management, HR, Finance, Health and Safety.It was decided when the plant was built that quality, safety, etc., was everyone's responsibility and to create a department for quality would send a message to the employees that it wasn't their responsibility to ensure quality at each step of the processes.

Exactly, even our final inspector is called a final fitter! As QA my primary function is both product and process Audits.

[Wes Bucey]

Since the 1960s, I have had the title "Director of Quality;" "Quality Circle Chair;" "Quality Manager" or some similar appellation added to my executive suite titles which ranged from Senior VP to Executive VP to COO to CFO to CEO for the simple reason I have always believed that Quality worked best in an organization when top management was aware and involved in making Quality an integral part of the organization.

Unlike many of you, I did not have to fight for recognition and involvement from top management, but I did have to fight for funding and integrity.

I did not work my way up through the ranks from inspector through manager. I was trained and educated in science and engineering, so many of the Quality basics seemed logical to me.

Some things (especially the prescriptive stuff in ISO1994 and TS16949) seem counterproductive to me and I do not incorporate them into my system, although I can see some value in them for certain types of organizations.

I was relatively happy with ISO9k2k and its stress on customer centric thinking.

In all my organizations since 1985, I have abolished the Quality department as a separate entity within the organization. We no longer have dedicated inspectors who check operators' work. We have Quality people who work with design engineers, machine manufacturers, operators, and customers to design in-process inspection procedures performed by the operators themselves. Operators enter data (normally direct wire from inspection device) into computers to calculate SPC and Control Charts.

First Article Inspections are redundant affairs. Original operator calibrates instruments and performs FAI on tagged piece parts. He turns over tagged piece parts to another operator who performs a redundant inspection after calibrating the instruments himself. If the two inspections tally within normal individual variation, the tagged piece parts are sent on to the customer with a detailed inspection sheet showing the instruments used by each operator to measure the characteristics so the customer can replicate the inspection if desired (normally not - FAI is just accepted and filed.)

Quality guys just train operators to use equipment and stand by for advice if asked.

So, most of folks in my organization performing Quality procedures do NOT have quality titles.

[Dean P.]

Health, Safety, and Environmental Specialist, which falls under the realm of the Human Resources department.

Quite a transition in the last 10 years, from Production Chemist, to QA Manager / Chemist, to Technology Leader / QA Manager, to Environmental Engineer, to Health, Safety & Environmental.

The one benefit to my past experience is how I can apply my schooling (B.Sc. in Chemistry), as well as my experience in systems (from the QA Manager function), to create a well integrated HSE management system.

Dean

[Cari Spears]

We don't have a QC or QA "department" either. We have an Inspection Room, and we have two inspectors that work for the Plant Manager. I voted "operations" because I spend the majority of my time wearing my Purchasing hat - however, they do call me the QA Manager, which covers all of the other things I am responsible for. My business cards say "Purchasing Agent - Management Representative".

I have nothing to do with inspection of product and the Inspectors do not work for me. I work closely with them at times, for example I review and approve FAI's prior to submitting, and I am in charge of the Calibration Program and one of our Inspectors is the designated Calibration Tech.

[Laurie Anderson]

I work in the Quality Assurance Department.

In our organisation there is no Quality Control Department as such.

The QC function is the responsibility of what I consider to be the Operations Department or as it is referred to here as Manufacturing/Production. I am trying to get the term "Operations" instilled here as I would like the term to refer to a Process which includes the activities of the prementioned areas.

We are very small in comparison to most organisations and there is a certain amount of multi tasking here.

Laurie