Every company whether it is large or small, old or new or produces few or numerous products has a defined management structure. Someone, the top decision maker, is ultimately responsible for everything that occurs at the company.
In addition to determining the direction of the company, the top decision maker must decide the company’s standard of quality.
What will be acceptable? What defects are allowed and what are not? Are there set quality specification or are the finished product specifications moving targets? Will there be a quality program? Who is responsible for quality program? All these questions are underlying component of one of the most decisions made at management’s highest level.In most companies, the quality program is overseen by a single individual usually titled quality control manager, quality assurance manager, technical services director, vise president of quality, or something similar denoting the area responsibility and level of accountability.
This person traditionally is schooled in a science discipline such as food science and technology, foods and nutrition, microbiology, or holds an interdisciplinary degree that encompass classes in microbiology, food safety, nutrition, chemistry, biochemistry and engineering.
He or she is tasked with the responsibility of creating a quality control program that is multifaceted, customer, supplier, government and competitor interactive, interdisciplinary, nontechnology based but technology supported and internal interdepartmentally, supportive.
Each food manufacturing company has its own culture and identity based on many factors, including age, location, products, ownership structure and knowledge and experience of employees.
Although each factor contributes to the structure and function of the quality department, the role and responsibility of bringing ides that improve or support the quality unction of the company to the table lie almost exclusively with the quality control manager who is to seek out, analyze and implement new concepts and technologies that replace or strengthen existing quality control systems.
Top Down Quality Management
