Category: Pro QC

National Engineers Week was observed in February. It’s origins and purpose include:

“Founded by NSPE in 1951, EWeek is dedicated to ensuring a diverse and well-educated future engineering workforce by increasing understanding of and interest in engineering and technology careers.”

A point of differentiation for Pro QC is the engagement of engineers. Engineers are at the heart of the organization, including a founder whose roots are tied there.

It was noted once during an interview that “engineer is not a word, but rather an identity.” And, Queen Elizabeth II herself was noted as saying “at its heart, engineering is about using science to find creative, practical solutions. It is a noble profession.”

So, what makes up a “good” engineer? At Pro QC, we hire a number of inspectors, auditors, etc. to assist with projects all over the world. Common attributes we look for include:

• Problem solving ability
• Enhanced critical thinking, creativity
• Detail oriented
• Natural curiosity
• Effective communication skills

A few questions we ask to assess the attributes noted above include:

•  To know more about how an engineer approaches problems, ask them to identify which tools they would use to address a particular issue.
•  To know more about natural curiosity, inquire about projects or hobbies outside of work.
• Ask for examples of what processes they have developed that have enhanced some example of engineering performance capabilities? What was the impact on the organization?
• To evaluate critical thinking, we ask applicants to look at a cluttered photo and find a cat. We want to see how the applicant approaches finding it.
• We ask what people like the most and least about engineering in general.
• To learn more about someone, we ask them what they get out of engineering that they don’t feel like they would get from another professional.

Learn more about National Engineers Week: [url]https://www.nspe.org/resources/partners-and-state-societies/national-engineers-week[/url]

Written by: Yingchao Siu, Business Development Manager

I recently had the privilege of joining the annual ASQ World Conference on Quality and Improvement held in Seattle, Washington. It is the world’s largest quality conference bringing together a wealth of quality professionals from all over the world to exchange ideas and interact with other leaders within a variety of industries.

The theme this year was “The Innovation of You.” Sessions focused on topics ranging from Quality Fundamentals, Risk and Change, Building and Sustaining a Culture of Quality, to Future of Quality. I had the opportunity to experience great knowledge first hand from quality experts and also to meet and network with other quality professionals from across the globe.

Initially, my primary goal was to improve my own knowledge base. I wanted to increase my proficiency in communicating on a technical level with potential clients. In the end, I came away with a lot more. I realized that for quality professionals, quality begins at home. Continuous education is vital for all staff to ensure each and every one of us is able to play our role in strengthening and maintaining a culture of quality within the company. We don’t just sell quality services, Pro QC aims to exude quality and show clients that we practice what we preach.

Secondly, and perhaps most striking, was the feeling that quality is a thriving organism, changing, growing and developing. The significance of this for us as a company is in understanding the potential we have as we navigate the blue oceans opening up in the sea of disruptive technologies and disrupted markets. In this blog post “Reflecting on the Advantages of Technology on QC.” we reflected on just how much our operational environment has changed over the years.

Pro QC is not just a company which endeavours to provide inspection services or quality audits. Pro QC strives to stand out as a provider of solutions drawing on our extensive experience in quality, going above and beyond the traditional roles of quality engineers to fulfil the role of problem solver and adviser to our clients.

Overall, the ASQ World Conference of Quality and Improvement was educational and professionally inspiring. In addition to my participation as an attendee of the conference, our U.S. team was exhibiting. This year marks the 7^th consecutive year Pro QC has exhibited at the event. Involvement in events such as this one is both indicative of our professionalism and the direction of the company within the future of quality.

This month represents six years of blogging and sharing quality news and insight. Pro QC has provided QC services for over three decades and has seen the emergence of technology within the industry and the significant advantages organizations have today as a result.

A few notable advances in technology we’ve seen over the years includes:

1984: When Pro QC started in 1984, scheduling requests were primarily handled by fax and were hand written.  During that time, the cost of international long distance prohibited frequent team communications among regions. Communications were slow, and calls were short.

Are you a Quality Aficionado?

Use the Likert-type scale below to answer the 20 questions, and then total up your score.

Strongly Disagree>  1 – 2 – 3 – 4 – 5  <Strongly Agree

1. You notice non-conformances in products when you go shopping. You may or may not speculate what the root cause could be.
2. You notice inefficiencies in the processes of various organizations you interact with outside of work. You often identify how you would do it better.
3. Customer ratings have a significant weight on your personal purchase decision-making process.
4. You notice the word “quality” whenever it’s referenced in a company name or other commercial message.
5. You love data (metrics).
6. You’ve had more than one conversation with family and friends about the importance of quality.