Inspection plays an integral role in quality systems and initiatives. Equally important are the people behind the inspection. This month’s “Speaking of Quality” enlists the services of John Vandenbemden, ASQ Inspection Division, to draw on personal experience as a salute to the quality inspectors performing the tasks that make products better.
Inspectors have a significant impact on the success or failure of an organization. These individuals are highly skilled, dedicated and motivated employees. Unfortunately they are often treated as non-essential personnel since many feel they do not provide value to the product. These are truly unsung heroes in our organizations. Inspectors perform inspections, which are also known by many other names, such as checks, evaluations, audits, assessments, validation or verification. So let’s look at what our unsung hero provides to an organization.