Using Graphic Organizers for Mini Coaching Sessions

Is it just me, or do quality assurance professionals juggle many responsibilities?  In order to do our job well, we not only need to be knowledgeable of the duties unique to the lab or quality department, but we also are expected to monitor and enforce the plant's food safety policies, HACCP plan(s), GMPs, Allergen Control, and other quality programs.  I'll be honest.  It is not easy juggling all this information and executing all the duties, but it is not impossible.  How can I make the best use of the little time I have with each person but still make the time valuable and memorable?  How do we get the people on the lines to internalize the information so that they think about what they are doing?

Graphic Organizers... A good visual representation of the work duties is priceless.  I have learned that graphic organizers can be more effective than written instructions in some situations.  Long bullet lists of reminders are usually not received well.  It gives the operator the impression that someone is trying to tell them how to do their job.  In addition, it is easy to lose a "to do" list, and it is difficult to read from a distance.  Graphic organizers are great for those "on-the-fly" coaching sessions and training follow-ups.

 In the lab environment, it is common to find lab rules/friendly reminders listing the following:

• Remove materials/equipment that is no longer needed, outdated, or expired.
• Store tools and materials where they are used/in the appropriate locations.
• Clean up your own mess and keep your workplace clean.
• Follow protocols and procedures.
• Handle equipment and chemicals safely.

Below is a 5S graphic representation of what I listed above.   

I personally prefer to read this graphic organizer instead of the list.  It is simple, memorable and positive.  It is not hard to find graphic organizer templates online.  Most educational websites offer them for free and can be adapted for manufacturing topics.  There is also a website called Edraw where you can download a free trial of their Easy Graphic Organizer.  Visit my Resources Tab for links to these websites.

Have any of you used graphic organizers?  Do you have a template to share?

Let's keep this discussion going.  Your comments are welcome.  

How To Use Bloom's Taxonomy To Improve The Effectiveness of Quality Assurance Activities

I have been reading a book by Ryan Clements called, "Unsuited & Find Empowerment: How We Can Reject Conventional Career Advice."  The following quote from this book inspired the topic for this blog post:

"When we immerse ourselves in our field, through continual repetition and

practice we begin to understand what we do on a deeper level."

All of us who assure the quality of food would like everyone who works in the plant to understand what they are doing on a deeper level.  My role as a quality assurance professional is not only to perform the daily line checks and finished good chemical analyses, but also to encourage the movement toward this deeper level of understanding in everyone I interact with throughout the day.  How the quality assurance professional behaves, communicates, and responds to problems influence the plant's perception of quality.  On March 13, 2012, Jimena Maria Calfa, Senior ASQ Member, published a blog post called, "How do you 'sell' quality?" In her post, she mentions that a positive, proactive approach to addressing problems, rather than constantly trying to correct people at their job, will encourage the impression that quality improvements are good.  She also recommends the quality professional to take time to get to know the line operators and technicians on the floor to establish a sense of trust between the departments and to encourage teamwork.  These are great suggestions.  Quality assurance professionals, and those who train them, can also borrow theories from the field of education to take these suggestions even farther.

As a classroom teacher, I learned how to develop classroom activities and lessons that would move my students toward a deeper level of understanding.  I describe this deeper level of understanding as the point at which the information becomes internalized and becomes "owned" by the student.  This achievement does not happen overnight; it takes time to develop and can be encouraged through the use of Bloom's Taxonomy.  Bloom's Taxonomy is a list of six levels of reasoning skills proposed by Benjamin Bloom in the 1950s.  Bloom proposed that if an educator designs lessons and activities that incorporate skills from each of the levels, then the student will reach a deeper level of understanding.  The six levels of reasoning are:

Knowledge (Remembering)

Comprehension (Understanding)

Application (Applying)

Analysis (Analyzing)

Synthesis (Evaluating)

Evaluation (Creating)

Knowledge (Remembering) represents the basic skill level in which the student can memorize and list information, for example.  As the educator progresses down the list (or up the pyramid), the student must utilize the information learned in more meaningful ways.  As quality assurance professionals, we can use Bloom's Taxonomy to develop more meaningful audit questions and training materials to encourage the development of deeper understanding. For example, following an allergen training video, the following questions could be asked:

Can you identify all the food allergens listed on this package label?

Explain why we use colored scoops?

Can you recommend a better flow pattern for your work area that would improve the control cross-contact?

It is fun watching people grow and learn.  By incorporating these theories into your daily routine, the quality professional can become an effective teacher, making the daily routine more meaningful for everyone.

How do you encourage deeper understanding?

I would love to hear from your.  Please leave your comments.

   

       

Record Keeping Basics

"If it's not written down, then it didn't happen" is a phrase I heard frequently from former managers and professors when I was a research assistant.  Learning to become a disciplined record keeper was vital to my success as a student scientist and researcher, and I am thankful to have learned from disciplined professors and mentors through the years.  My first formal research project was my masters thesis at the University of Illinois.  At the time of my graduation from the U of I, all graduate thesis projects were published.  Before I could begin my project, I had to attend an orientation, during which I was given the University's specific instructions about how to keep and store records, what the records should contain, and how to format the records to meet the minimum expectations of the university.  If I did not follow these instructions, then my research would be rejected, it would not be eligible for publication, and I would not earn the credit I needed to graduate.  As a result, I became a rules-oriented worker and thinker.  Many years later, when my career transitioned into Quality Assurance, I found it very uncomfortable to work in a lab without these strict rules in place.  I was surprised to learn that the standards used by food plant certifying bodies were not more prescriptive for the quality assurance lab.  Of course record keeping is expected, but the certifying body did not provide details on how to do it. The requirements were general, and the details were left to the lab to figure out. This is not a bad thing; this freedom allows professionals to customize the records according to their own needs.  I quickly learned that there is no one right way to maintain quality assurance lab records. Here are some suggestions for those of you just getting started.

• Recording raw data in a bound journal is still an acceptable way to keep data.  I found it interesting to learn that "a computer printout derived from data transferred to computer media from lab data sheets is NOT considered raw data"  by the FDA (www.fda.gov, Guidance For Industry).  Raw data refers to unanalyzed, unprocessed data.  While most QA labs store and report final results in formal lab reports or certificates of analysis (COAs), it is a good lab practice to keep raw data.  Many QA labs utilize various computer programs for electronic data storage so that the data can be easily transferred to other software programs. Electronic data journals are also available now.  While electronic storage is very convenient and minimizes the use of paper files, you must consider how this data will be protected and how to back it up.  After experiencing a minor scare recently, I can't recommend going totally paperless.  Record keeping is like oxygen ... you don't notice it until it's missing!  Consult a lawyer to determine if electronic data storage will work for your business.
• Maintaining data sheets in a 3-ring binder is also acceptable.  Binders are great for storing records that are constantly evolving, such as pest control and sanitation records.  
• Consistency is important.  Determine which parameters should be recorded for each analysis and make sure lab employees have been trained so that the raw data is recorded the same way each time the analysis is performed by each analyst.
• It is a good practice for the analyst to sign and date the data entry and to record the method or lab protocol number.  In some circumstances, it may be necessary to record the time of the entry.

Develop a method that will work best for your data, your team, your company, and your customers, and stick to it.

For more information about electronic data usage and considerations, refer to:
1) 21 CFR Part 11
http://www.accessdata.fda.gov/scripts/cdcs/cfcfr/CFRSearch.cfm?CFRPart=11rh/cfdo
When you get to this website, scroll down inside the box to number "11) Electronic Records; electronic signatures".

For more information about laboratory record keeping, refer to:
2) Good Record Keeping: Procedures For Academic Laboratory Settings
http://www.research.ufl.edu/otl/goodrecords.html

For some information about what types of records to save from a legal point of view, refer to:
3) Intellectual Property Audit Checklist
http://www.singletonlawfirm.com

For some instructions on how to prepare laboratory standard operating procedures, refer to:
4) http://www.fao.org/docrep/w7295e/w7295e04.htm

Welcome!

Welcome to Lessons From The Quality Assurance Lab blog!  I have created this blog for Quality Assurance professionals in the food industry, like myself, who are looking for professional growth and development opportunities.  I am a lifelong learner and believe that professional growth is necessary for a successful and rewarding career.  I also believe that we grow by sharing what works with others.  My motivation to create this blog comes from my desire to share my experiences, education, and training with other professionals in order to build a professional network.  I hope this blog will become a valuable resource for current trends in quality assurance testing, laboratory training materials, current trends in the food industry, and food safety.  I also hope that my blog posts stimulate comments and discussion.  All I ask is that we remain professional.  Please be respectful to one another and do not use my blog to vent frustrations.  All are welcome!