Lonely QA seeks community to discuss nerd things
Hi!
I have recently moved from one of the big boys where I had a team of corporate quality and 40 other QA Managers with the same, well established processes I could chat and IM with to a tiny company with undeveloped programs where I am the entire QA department.
I'm hoping being active in this forum will alliveiate some of the isolation. I'm blessed to have a plant manager who understands quality, but ofcourse, he is busy and there's the inherient conflict between quality and production.
I love new / inventive ideas that make compliance easier for the floor staff and making training fun instead of a power point. I also need help balancing scope of my programs - now that I'm solo and shooting for our first AIB and SQF certifications, I find I'm building global company style programs that are difficult to manage without suppost. I need to cut the fat and be kept in check,
I also really miss the "OMG can you believe someone at the factory did THAT" aspect fellow QAs bring, or the "Hey, we tried this thing and it totally works" or "I got this ding on my audit, how did you address it". The most exciting expierence I've had was watching one stellar QA Manager go through her annual PAS22000 audit and have *every* document and checklist ready with no hesitation - amazing!
I look forward to getting to know y'all and hearing your two cents.
Thanks
MM
Good luck. I did the exact same thing two years ago - left a QA Supervisor/HACCP Coordinator role with a company with three facilities totalling almost 300,000 square feet and a slew of RTE products to a small 7000 sq/ft facility where I am the FSQA department. I'm glad I did it.
Welcome to the Pleasure Dome...mwahahahahahaha :silly:
Welcome MM!
We're a friendly bunch (mostly) and there's not much that shocks us, so feel free to say " I can't believe someone did that". I have made some very good friends, some I communicate with outside of here.
Hope we can help you going forward
Caz x
Welcome to IFSQN MM
I hope you find the stimulating conversation your looking for :gleam:
It can be hard being the only one, but small has some advantages as well. Hang in there!
I left Mars Inc and joined a small time company. I can totally understand your situation as I go through the same every single day.
Welcome to the wonderful world of nerdy things Majenta.
:welcome:
Welcome MM!
We're a friendly bunch (mostly) and there's not much that shocks us, so feel free to say " I can't believe someone did that". I have made some very good friends, some I communicate with outside of here.
Hope we can help you going forward
Caz x
Thanks to all who welcomed me-
but Caz, your reply made think of THIS ONE TIME -
I was Sanitation Supervisor and the supervisor I replaced had apparently been militant abotu chemical inventory (which I thought would be a good thing)... until they asked me for a mechanical chemical pump.
The sanitation techs had run out of chlorine once and cause a major delay, so the last supervisor ordered it clear 55 gallon drums which they would have to hand pump into a smaller 25 gal drum for use. They didn't like the physical effort and time the hand pump took, so they didn't use it. I went with one of the employees to see how they transported chlorine from a 55 gal drum to a 25 gal drum without a pump.
They were taking a FOOD CONTACT HOSE off of a piece of equipment, sticking it in the concentrated chlorine, and syphoning it up WITH THEIR MOUTHS, then putting it back. I ordered them a pump that wasn't manual.
Most of my OMG stories are more like "Larry bought a new source water heater and didn't even GIVE ME THE OPERATING TEMPERATURE RANGE" or "We're running a new product next month and it has EGGS in it, but they aren't in my allergen program yet" though.
What using your mouth isn't sanitary? :roflmao:
OH MY!!!! Poor Magenta!
I can relate, though! Bummer about the addition of eggs. My Plant Manager understands the headache of bringing in new allergens.
I totally empathize with you although I must say you are lucky to have a cooperating plant manager. Mine writes notes on his hands and arms and sneaks equipments into the walk in cooler where we store ingredients and finished products claiming it is an attempt to reduce congestion on the floor! ... (any thoughts on how to address this by the way??)
What we do is a challenge and thats what makes it all the more interesting I guess, having the ability to enforce the right thing although ending up with an ulcer in the future should not be ruled out. However this forum is really helpful and you will feel absolutely at home.
Welcome aboard Magenta!