In my years of work in Quality Control and Quality Assurance, I have been privileged to work both domestically and internationally. My projects took me to Ohio, North and South Carolina, Georgia, Texas, Florida, California, and to international assignments in the Netherlands and Mexico. Though they specialized in different processes, spoke different languages, and came from diverse cultures, they all had one thing in common: A well developed system.

 

Hi. My name is Marko, and I am a nerd.

Ever since I can remember, I’ve been intrigued by technology and geeky devices. As a millennial, I witnessed a technological revolution unfold in front of my eyes. More like an evolution to be exact. The Gordon Gekko brick phones, VHS tapes, cassette tapes, VCR’s, and the awesome Sega Genesis are now considered a thing of the past. All of these technological marvels were quickly replaced with inventions such as movie/music streaming services, tablet computers, and phones that have more computational power than Apollo 11 did during the moon landing.

It’s no wonder that the world of food manufacturing and quality assurance has also evolved…or has it?

 

Marc Andreessen of the venture capital firm Andreessen Horowitz wrote in a Wall Street Journal essay in August 2011 that, “software is eating the world.” Software touches every aspect of our lives, with, perhaps, the exception of our consciousness (although with the tremendous advances in Artificial Intelligence, that time may be just around the corner).

The acceleration and velocity of change in the technology world over the last twenty years have been remarkable. Of course, it’s important to note the difference between velocity and acceleration. Acceleration measures the rate of change of the velocity of an object. Velocity is a vector quantity, both speed and direction are needed to define it, e.g. 60 mph, north.

Do you remember your first day on the job in QA (Quality Assurance) or QC (Quality Control)?

I sure do. I started directly out of college as a QC laboratory chemist and worked my way up, but there are two things I remember well from that first day: First, my laboratory trainer kept introducing me as a “whippersnapper,” which I thought was a fish until I Googled it…talk about embarrassing. I also remember a huge, white, three-ring binder. It was well used, the cover was worn, and the pages were crinkled and faded. But what it contained! All of the QC and QA acronyms, industry guides, a compilation of experiences (even the bad ones), QC definitions, standard operating procedures, scientific references, laboratory methods…so much information! Some might call it a cheat sheet, but we called it the Holy Grail of QC. As I progressed in my career, I developed my own binder with similar information for my employees, and I strongly suggest you do the same.

Let’s take a look at a few examples of what you might want to include in yours:

 

“The best time to plant a tree was twenty years ago. The second best time is now.”

The way I interpret this Chinese proverb is: “You probably should have invested in something important a long time ago, but just because you slacked off then, doesn’t mean you can’t start today.”

To a QA professional, the word "Recall,” is one of the most terrifying terms you can hear. Not only is it a highly public ordeal, but the aftermath of a recall can be immeasurable. Here are a few examples of what could happen to you, and your company, if you suffer a recall.

 

1. You'll Be Fired

Ahhh, so you want to be in Quality Assurance (QA)?  WHAT’S WRONG WITH YOU!? I'm just kidding, but seriously though.... you should consider investing in a good therapist, yoga mat (skip the yoga pants), antacids, coffee maker (don't cheap out--get the good stuff), your local drinking establishment, or whatever else makes you forget the onslaught of daily psychological abuse. Please know that I wear my QA "badge" (it’s really just a lab coat) proudly. However, you need to understand that this job is not a typical 9-to-5. Every day is different, every problem is unique, and people burn out so fast it'll remind you of your college freshman seminar speech (remember the one where the Chancellor says, "look at the person to your left and right, as one of them will not make it after year one?").

Still interested?

We couldn't be more excited to be the exclusive diamond sponsor of the National Restaurant Association Supply Chain Executive Study Group. As restaurant supply chain experts ourselves, it’s right up there with our favorite holidays. (Thanksgiving and Christmas, in case you wondered. It’s all about the food!) Since we've been to a few of these, we thought we'd offer some advice on how to get the absolute most out of your time in Orlando.

When a guest enters a restaurant, whether it is a national chain or a locally owned and operated establishment, they have two expectations: great food and great service. Keep the customer happy and serve them great food and they’ll go away raving about their experience. Most of the time, this is very easy to do. People normally don’t want to cause too much of a fuss, so they’ll order straight from the menu. Sure there are times, when they may ask a general question about an item or ask for no onions or extra cheese (that would be me). There are occasions, however, when there are guest challenges that managers and owners must face. One such challenge is that of guests with allergies. This might not seem like much of a challenge, initially, but when these guests actually have questions and requests, those in charge must be ready with accurate answers and flawless execution of company policies.