Men Wanted: Changing the way ads are written.

by Phil Ensminger

What does your “help wanted ad” say about your organization?

After spending hours writing, editing and tweaking the job description of your open position- it now finally and perfectly outlines the job. Slap that into a job posting and wait for the right applicants to role in.

In 1914, Ernest Shackelton set off to cross Antarctica. He needed a team. Here was his posting:

Men Wanted

Can you guess the response?

Over 3000 applicants were drawn to the character of the mission.

A recent ad seen for a Quality Manager fell a little flat, compared to the “call to duty” and emotional pull of Shackelton’s.

Quality Manager needed to oversee all methods and procedures of the quality system to ensure compliance to ISO 9001 and client standard. Lead quality improvement and corrective action initiatives.

If this was written in 1914 by Ernest Shackelton, we may have seen the following:

An Experience Quality manager is sought to take the quality system to new levels. This individual will need to challenge the status quo to demand necessary changes. This leader will be passionate about continuous improvement and drive that culture relentlessly.

Our lesson from 1914….To attract like mind individuals in Quality, consider embedding more of “who you are” as an organization in your help wanted sign.

written by:
Julie Schindel
Division Manager – QC Staffing
The QC Group, Inc.
952-346-3756
julies@qcgroup.com
www.QCgroup.com

Surface Area for Sterilization and Reprocessing

by Phil Ensminger

Endoscope in useThe FDA recommends that medical device cleanliness validation data  address issues such as sterilizer

chamber size and chamber load.*  This is true for initial sterilization as well as reprocessing of the device.  A proper evaluation of chamber load may include, among other things, soil, contaminants, soil retention, and part surface area.

Achieving an accurate surface area of the device can be rapidly performed by scanning the object and developing a surface area of the scanned points using Geomagic or PolyWorks.  Devices with openings to internal features (such as near activators) may have to be disassembled to scan additional areas.  Alternatively, the opening can be ‘capped’ and included or excluded as part of the total surface. It all depends on what level of documentation you’ll need for your validation.

 *Draft Guidance for Industry and FDA Staff – Processing/Reprocessing Medical Devices in Health Care Settings: Validation Methods and Labeling  May 2, 2011

Read more articles like this one from our Engineering Article Archive at QCGroup.com.

Resolving Flatness in Tooling

by David DeVowe

When molding plastics and metals, flatness often  Coverrequires special attention for steady control. After molding process parameters have been stabilized, the tool may need to be modified to compensate for consistent warp or sinks in the part. Modifying the tool can be an iterative process, requiring many attempts until flatness of the part can be steadily maintained. With precision scanning, the number of revisions can be reduced. Scanning the manufactured part allows for a NURBS surface file to be created that accurately represents the amount and location of the out-of-flat condition. This surface file can then be used to create an electrode to re-burn the tool and ‘correct’ the finished part back to a flat condition.

First-hand experience in tooling and operations is critical to providing a scanning solution that works.  That is why QC’s Engineering team can provide a high-value solution for your problem at hand.

Emotional Intelligence in Quality

by David DeVowe

Consider Emotional Intelligence (ie SoftSkills) when hiring in your Quality Department.

The interactions your Quality representative has with production should be thought of as a continual series of “make-or-break” moments.  Since Quality represents the customer view, it is critical that the objective is not lost by an employee who cannot appropriately communicate the standard in a non confrontational or accusatory style.  The goal is to enable people to work together smoothly toward their common goals.  Quality people build bridges to improve process, but without understanding why messaging matters, continuous improvement and cultural change grind to a halt.

Review your organization’s hiring process to ensure situational questions are included that address the emotional intelligence of your applicant.  Identify the “bull in the china shop” applicants before any china actually hits the ground.

We find the best talent in Quality.  Feel free to call QC Staffing to discuss the possibilities.

Reaching the Fatherless

by David DeVowe

Here at The QC Group, we continue to challenge ourselves in the area of service.  Our focus is to serve people who are in need of quality-related and engineering-related services.  We are ever grateful to be able to serve an extraordinary set of clients.

We also reach beyond the business to individuals that are without resources.  Without a home.  Without a father.  And without a mother.  They are children listed on Reece’s Rainbow.

SaraiThe QC Group contributes $1 for every sales transaction we perform -  to a waiting child with Reece’s Rainbow.   The donation is used to help adoptive parents with travel and the many other related expenses of bringing that child into their family.

We currently support Sarai.  She is a child whose family has recently committed to adopting her.

I would encourage you to read about Reece’s Rainbow’s history.  They have been advocating for special needs children for 6 years.  In that time, more than 900 children now have a mama and papa to call their own.

We would encourage you to join us in reaching far beyond our work-space to help little ones find a home of their own.

New Software Automates Job Status

by David DeVowe

In our business speed is a top priority.  Communicating the status of the customer’s job is nearly as important.

The QC Group has launched a new proprietary software that keeps our customers informed about the status of their project every step of the way.  This system initiates alerts about the receipt of parts, receipt of POs, technical contact, scheduling updates, and job completion.  The result is that the customer does not have to guess about the progress of the work that has been entrusted to QC.  Instead, daily information is delivered that keeps a project manager confidently informed.

This software - three years in the making - was first conceptualized to help build the lines of communication from QC that will meet or exceed department-to-department communications within a company.  It’s launch has been a marked success, contributing to the level of service The QC Group seeks to provide.

Filling Difficult QC Positions

by David DeVowe

Positions in the Quality field are 4 times more formidable to fill than general labor positions. (Source Quality Industry Data)  QC Staffing has been exclusively supplying and accessing top talent in the Quality field for 26 years.  As an effective partner, the QC Group will ensure you are positioned to provide a competitive edge to the decision-makers in need of hiring permanent, long term or temporary employees in the Quality field.  That requires a network of top talent and a selection, screening, and qualification process that validates every qualified candidate.   QC’s Staffing group operates as a true partnership designed to position you for hiring success in the Quality field and to get you on with your busy day.

 

For more information contact Staffing Division Manager Julie Schindel@952-346-3756