If there is one lesson that companies in the food and beverage (F&B) sector can learn from the poison milk scandal on the mainland, which is still dogging the country 18 months after it broke, it is that quality is king.
A great deal of that responsibility rests with quality assurance (QA) managers whose job is to improve the standards of manufacturing processes and products within a facility.
Their work is different from that of a quality control manager who focuses on the testing of finished products to uncover defects. The QA manager's job is to improve the production process so that only a few minor faults make it to the final stage.
'A quality assurance manager develops strategies and plans to assure that quality is built into manufacturing systems,' says CK Ho, senior manager for operations at brewer San Miguel.
They have to set up a system that defines the procedures for every step in the manufacturing process, ranging from the receipt of raw material to packaging and distribution. Once that is done, they monitor the performance of the quality system and ensure that the products meet both customer expectations and legal requirements.
'They liaise with staff and external regulatory bodies to ensure that the system is functioning properly and complies with internal and external standards,' Ho says.
QA managers also advise on and implement changes to a company's quality system and train staff. For quality roles in the F&B industry, recruits typically have bachelor's degrees in chemistry, engineering or food science. Some may have an understanding of the Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points system, and food safety and environmental science.