My understanding of Quality Engineer

My understanding of Quality Engineer

Davidkai Apr,30 06

As a quality engineer in the past three and a half years, I learned so much which will benefit me in my whole life.

I joined xxx as xx QE in Sep 2002 responsible for all families manufactured in KJY. All believe xx is easy and flexible in control, that might be the reason why we have so many issues on CDT. Most are driver issues or OS issues. At that time, my leader told me your major responsibility is making the production goes smoothly. In order to achieve this, QE will work as the coordinator for any issue found in MFG, even it’s obviously a testing issue, QE will have this recorded and highlight to Eng. Team and report this to management team. At that time, we didn’t remember we have so many quarrelling with ME or TE. At the same time, QE is a very hard job, in order to have same language with TE/ME even supplier, I have to learn so much on computer where I have little knowledge before. I spend a lot of time learning testing process, BOM process and commodity working principles.

I still remember, many times, we have to do swapping test around the clock just want to get a good optional part to make MFG keep running, after that, working with WW and supplier team to find the root cause. All of this were done by QE with help from TE/ME and etc. We got an excellent performance with CDT and have good relationship with internal team.

I believe it’s the understanding of process and technical skill helped. And both can be learned. To be a good QE, these are hard requirement we must get.

Why we are named as QE, not QA or QC, in my understanding, the emphases is Engineer, who must have the technical background to resolve the issues, using the problem solving tools. This is a combination between engineering and quality assurance. QA and QC mainly focus on process and control. Engineer is focus on problem solving. With this explanation, the assurance function is absent or not strong enough to make the process goes smoothly. I think ISO office and each team shall have this liability to have this covered, make sure all process compliance to procedures. QC function can be covered by MFG team.

Currently, QE team have less emphases on technical skills comparing with before. We rely on TE for FA too much. And I just see little engineer spend time in learning this. And most time, when failure happened, technician always be the first contact and the engineer just sit in office and have the call or paper work, have no detail info. On the failure and have no real experience on FA. When have tuff technical issues, the engineers don’t have the ability to give MFG or technician much suggestion to clue. That below words are spreading in MFG “Line leader is better than supervisor, technician is better than engineer”

Our attention is on new product and OOB failure before. All guys work very closely with new product progress and OOB analysis. A clear and detailed report is needed for this. What’s the main focus now? I don’t know.

QE must has his own core competency. What is it? We must ask this question frequently. Don’t be missing in the routine job. Keep this in mind: keep and develop your core competency. Which will be with you wherever you are.

QE have the chance to be the STAR in company. When have a meeting with functional team, you will be the guy to combine these teams as one to achieve the goal. When have any issues impact our MFG, QE shall be the guy can give the management team a clear description which will be the foundation for the next step decided by management. When have any process question, QE can answer it. When have the issue, QE have the capability to give suggestions to TE/ME even in their knowledge area. And QE have your special knowledge to have problem analyzed and reported.

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Any comments are appreciated.