In today's internet era of information explosion, we often come across various wonderful articles online. Not long ago, I read an article about the knowledge system of quality professionals. The author's insights were unique and the arguments were exquisite, which resonated strongly with me.
The construction of a knowledge system is not an overnight achievement; it is a long journey. It may take at least three to five years of dedicated accumulation, and at most, it could consume ten to twenty years of precious time. For newcomers who have just entered the quality field, this is undoubtedly a huge challenge. They are filled with confusion in their hearts: Where should they start in the vast ocean of knowledge? Which knowledge should be learned first, and how should they gradually build their own knowledge edifice? This not only relates to the smooth progress of their current work but also affects the development direction of their future career paths. On the one hand, they should closely integrate with practical work and quickly master the necessary knowledge and skills to excellently complete the current tasks; on the other hand, they also need to plan ahead for future development, systematically reserve knowledge, and avoid the embarrassing situation of "cramming at the last minute". However, unfortunately, in - depth thinking and discussions on this issue are rare at present.
Taking our company as an example, there are quite a few new quality control employees who have only been working for two or three years. Moreover, the company itself has not been in normal production and operation for a long time. In such an environment, how can these new employees achieve personal growth and development, build a comprehensive knowledge system, and then promote work progress and enhance their self - confidence? Based on my personal experience of working in quality management for many years, I believe that new quality control employees can start from the following key steps.
First of all, priority should be given to learning important and urgently needed knowledge. Take the position of regional quality engineer (process control) as an example. Professional and technical knowledge is the foundation for them to stand on. Due to various limitations that may occur during the company's talent recruitment process, many new employees do not come from the relevant major. Although ideally, those engaged in quality work should preferably have a relevant professional background, the reality is often not the case. In such a situation, it is particularly important to quickly familiarize themselves with the professional knowledge of the area they manage. If they lack the necessary professional knowledge, even a seemingly simple problem may put them in a difficult situation and make it hard for them to solve. I once experienced such a thing personally. The company newly recruited three college students. After arranging a three - month internship for them, they were assigned to our department. Then, I arranged for them to continue their internship at the production plant site. However, not long after that, they came to me and said they didn't want to continue the internship, thinking it was unnecessary. More than a month later, I casually asked one of the interns a few extremely basic professional questions, and the result really surprised me. These were the most basic common sense in my opinion, but she knew nothing about them. The scene at that time was very embarrassing. I even worried that I might have left a bad impression on the new - comers as an old employee bullying the new ones. However, later this intern realized her own shortcomings and became the most hard - working member of the team. She also sincerely told me that the internship in the department had taught her a lot of practical knowledge. Through continuous efforts, she finally grew into a key business person and was able to handle her work independently.
Secondly, one must solidly master and proficiently apply the basic knowledge of quality management. The PDCA management technique can be regarded as the universal key in the field of quality management. Its scope of application is extremely wide. Whether in the manufacturing industry, service industry or other industries, it can play a huge role. However, it is a pity that many people have not truly grasped the essence of this technique. Even some experienced quality veterans have failed to integrate the PDCA thinking into their daily work. The seemingly simple eight characters Plan, Do, Check, Act require a great deal of time and effort to practice and understand in order to be truly applied consciously.In addition to the PDCA management technique, some on - site management tools should not be ignored. Quality novices should not only learn to understand these tools but also proficiently master their usage methods. And combining with the process of analyzing and solving problems of defective products is the best way to learn and master this basic knowledge of quality management. We can conduct analysis according to the PDCA thinking: How are the documents stipulated (Plan), what deviations exist between the actual operation and the regulations (Do), find out the differences by comparing the two (Check), and what measures should be taken to ensure that similar problems do not occur again (Act).For some problems with a certain tendency, we can use tools such as checklists, stratification methods, and tree diagrams for in - depth analysis. To be honest, although I have been engaged in quality management work for many years, the histogram tool is not used very frequently in actual work. However, it is always beneficial to have some understanding of it. This may also reflect to some extent that there is a certain lag in our enterprise's application of management tools. But fortunately, some other management tools have been widely used in work and achieved remarkable results.
Finally, it is also crucial to learn new systematic knowledge in a timely manner. With the accumulation of work experience and the needs of career development, some new systematic knowledge may play a key role in specific periods. For example, those engaged in system management work must be familiar with and master the quality management system standards. For the more demanding automotive industry, they also need to understand the 16949 specification for automotive steel and the five common tools in the automotive industry. Learning and applying this knowledge can not only deepen the understanding of work but also effectively improve logical thinking ability. Another example is that if a new employee is arranged to participate in a project, then the relevant knowledge of project management is also a must for them. In actual work, we will find that it is often unrealistic for young quality professionals to have systematic learning like they did in school. The busier the work and the more important the positions they are in, the less time they can spend on learning. Therefore, learning in combination with the actual problems encountered in work is a more efficient and practical way of learning. They can search for relevant information online, consult experienced colleagues, and at the same time pay attention to the actual effects of the measures taken, constantly summarize experience and lessons, and gradually improve their knowledge systems.
In the knowledge system of quality professionals, communication knowledge occupies a crucial position. In daily work, we will find that the solution of many problems cannot do without effective communication. Whether it is collaborating with team members to complete tasks, coordinating work with other departments, or communicating with customers, good communication skills are essential. For new quality professionals, it is particularly important to master communication knowledge and improve communication skills. It can not only help them better solve the problems encountered in work, but also enhance their self - confidence and lay a solid foundation for their future career development.