When we think about quality control, which industries come to mind? Manufacturing, life sciences, packaging, food and beverages, indicates Docxcellent. Why? Because lack of a quality management system can mean the difference between life or death. Implementing a solid quality control plan with cross- checks integrated throughout the process helps companies maintain standards toward perfection and excellence. This article presents 6 tips for remote employers to establish and maintain quality assurance for digital nomads, distributed and mixed workforce. Before giving the hints for ensuring top caliber products, goods and services, let’s discuss the basic functions of a quality control system.
Basic functions of a quality control system
Experts specializing in optimizing quality generally focus making sure:
- employees and independent contractors are vetted
- standards widely accepted as best practices in their respective industries are maintained
- quality benchmarks are regularly reviewed and adjusted
- multidisciplinary cross-checks and systems of checks and balances are built into the design and production process
- robust inspections and product / service testing are completed
- corrective action plans of troublesome units are aggressively monitored
Robust quality assurance programs do more for us than we regularly can imagine. Companies adopting quality assurance programs help the general public lead better lives, increases productivity and efficiency. Top quality goods and services lowers risk of death and improves life quality. Most importantly for our readers, the optimization of service and product quality impacts the lives of workers working away from a typical office.
Quality control impacts lives of digital nomads
High quality goods, products and services are demanded in the marketplace; regardless of whether companies employ a distributed and mixed location workforce driven by remote located production, assembly, processing and distribution centers.
Experts specializing in optimizing quality optimization generally focus making sure:
- employees and independent contractors are vetted
- standards widely accepted as best practices in their respective industries are maintained
- quality benchmarks are regularly reviewed and adjusted
- multidisciplinary cross-checks and systems of checks and balances are baked into the design and production process
- robust inspections and product / service testing are completed
- corrective action plans of troublesome units are aggressively monitored
Poor quality control increased risk to frequent business flyers
The reasons for focusing on quality are the recent events in the news. The Boeing plane disasters. Not aware? There seems to be an ongoing challenges related to maintaining product quality during the manufacture and assembly of Boeing products. Digital nomads and global nomads working from anywhere are particularly concerned about the increased risk of air travel.
The BBC reported a 50% decrease in air traffic fatalities in 2019 when compared against previous years. But this data provides no solace if you were one of the estimated 200 to 300 killed each year. How many deaths occur each day?
Executive Flyers ran the numbers to find that there are about 5 plane crashes per day. But, they say this data includes small, single engine plane accidents. Specifically, there are about .028 commercial plane accidents a day.
Quick fixes aren’t the long term quality control solution
Business travelers too are worried about the likelihood of experiencing a blown out door plug or loosened wing bolts mid flight. Even more alarming is the corporate message Boeing sent to it’s targeted inspection team to consider using special tape as an emergency quick fix to maintain strict flight schedules. As a background, 2,000 participants were asked about their common uses of duct tape. Results indicated:
- 51% have duct taped something together in their homes.
- 37% have used duct tape to fix something on or in their car.
What gives? While a study shows that Americans will resort to handyman’s duct tape to fix just about anything broken, an airplane part isn’t one of them.
Although the recent media reports of near crashes appear on ABC News, five years ago there were crashes of Boeing aircraft resulting in 346 fatalities. With a few modifications to automated flight control panels and the two-year grounding the problematic planes, the public furor calmed for a while.
However, anger has reared its ugly head again leading to the withdrawal of Boeing’s application for a safety exemption. But enough about Boeing. What does this story have to do with remote jobs?
Quality assurance vital for remote employers and digital nomads
Ensuring quality control is at the heart of maintaining a robust employer base willing to accept flexible working arrangements like hybrid, remote work and mixed location.
Manufacturing and the aviation industries aren’t the only sectors heavily invested in quality control. Take the food processing and beverage industry, for instance. The lack of robust quality control mechanisms can make the difference between life or death also.
Take for instance, the occurrence of the existence of the Salmonella bacteria in food. Science Direct warns its scientists that Salmonella can result from deficient sanitation procedures, poorly designed equipment, and less than adequate control of ingredients used during the processing. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control (CDC) calculates that there are 450 deaths and 1.5 million illnesses related to Salmonella food poisoning.
Why discuss Salmonella here? Digital nomads and remote workers working from anywhere in the world often rely upon portable pre-packaged foods when traveling. Processed products such as powdered milk, chocolate, peanut butter, protein bars, cereal, and bakery products are characteristically low-water-activity foods that can be contaminated by Salmonella bacteria. Scientists found considerable food safety risk occurs during cross-contamination of ready to eat food. For us, robust quality control systems are very important.
6 tips for remote employers to maintain quality
We’ve explained from a personal perspective how faulty inspections, audits and quality reviews can impact negatively impact digital nomads, frequent business travelers and remote workers working from anywhere. Now, let’s switch to an organizational viewpoint. Let’s talk about the how companies managing a distributed and mixed location workforce ensure quality in spite of employee and contractor dispersion.
- Support remote employee home office set-up by providing a checklist of device requirements and internet speed preferences
- Ensure distributed staff and contractors are regularly trained (with pre and post testing) in the basic principles of cyber security and the prevention of data breaches
- Inform remote staff of prohibited computer apps, programs and websites known to carry, store and transmit trojan horses and viruses; update regularly
- Provide (when budget allows) a biometrically accessible company resourced, networked, and fully loaded device to be used by staff (only) and for business purposes (only)
- Establish agreed upon work schedules to maintain professionalism and a positive business climate
- Use reliable tools for instant access to distributed work nodes networked together creating a symbiotic unit
- Install project management and tracking software to track program progress to plan. Robust management systems include these features: audit, benchmarking, flowcharts and cause and effect diagrams
