Ep 4: Internal and External QMS training for QA and QC Personnel

Training of QA and QC

As we begin to unpack what training should look like within a quality program, we need to understand that there is no one way to train, and no defined structure to training that must be done.  Instead, we need to think of training as something we do in an organized fashion, to build  knowledge and trust within operations, and that shows up in our evaluations of quality through quality control and quality assurance actions. 

Effective training results in consistent outcomes and compliance with the expectations of the quality management system.  Training may be performed verbally and through shadowing of personnel identified as being knowledgeable in:  standard operating procedures, company priorities and objectives, use of common equipment, computer programs, and paperwork needed to carry out tasks and meet expectations.

Training may also be performed through the presentation of curated training materials such as manuals, handouts or videos. Lastly, training may be performed through the placement of signage, pictures, diagrams or other information at appropriately visible places within operations.  For businesses that operate remotely , this can be accomplished through displays at sign-in or at the start of meetings.

Documentation of Training

To define what constitutes a training, we need to start with the documentation of training.  For all operations and quality management system training, we must record the date, the person performing the training, the topics covered, and the participants.  The participants need to sign in either physically or electronically on the associated training documentation.

Any event recorded as a training is a training, and this applies to all Quality Management, Quality Control and Quality Assurance Trainings. For ISO, that is an official ISO training.

Internal and External QMS training for QA and QC Personnel

For Quality Assurance personnel, we expect those individuals to oversee and review entire programs, so we need QA personnel to be trained on internal concepts, and to be a link to information outside of the organization. For internal topics, we would expect Quality Assurance personnel to have training on all of the quality control procedures and the checks performed.

Whether QA personnel are expected to back up QC personnel is determined by the needs of the organization.  In addition to the quality control actions, QA needs to be trained on organizational policies and priorities, procedures, methods, responsibilities, schedules and review actions for our organization.  The leadership in Quality Assurance needs to be trained to the level where those individuals are capable of creating or updating documents within the QMS.

In addition, we also should consider outside training courses to improve the overall education of QA so that those individuals can bring elevated skills to overseeing the quality system. Outside courses may be ISO trainings, and specifically ISO, an internal audit course, a six-sigma course, or foundational topics such as advanced computer skills, robotics, ethics, or leadership.

We can also consider sending Quality Assurance personnel to trade shows, conferences, seminars or other publicly available training to keep up on the most current industry standards.

Critical Quality Metrics Training

When we are considering trainings for QC and QA personnel, all quality personnel, regardless of designation must be trained on critical quality metrics, and this must include an understanding of how to identify deviations, and how to properly address those deviations at the point of operations. That also means that those trainings must include an understanding of root cause investigations, acceptable corrections, corrective actions, and proper communications with operations for conforming and non-conforming critical quality metrics during operations.

We highly recommend that top management also have knowledge about how critical quality metrics impact the overall business objectives. For key performance indicators, determining which  personnel needs to be trained in these is very much a unique decision for each organization. All top management needs to be trained on Key Performance Indicators (KPIs), and all QA personnel involved in compiling, analyzing and presenting KPIs to top management need to be trained on those metrics.

Lastly, For organizations that are pursuing or maintaining ISO certification, training on the ISO manual and a basic understanding of the sections of the ISO code, and the programs in place to meet ISO requirements should also be completed for all QA personnel.