How to Become a Quality Control Engineer

Working as a quality control engineer, you will test processes and products and determine whether they meet the set standards for functionality, reliability, and durability. You will be responsible for creating strategic plans to enhance business processes and boost production input. Other tasks will include creating the organization’s testing systems and quality standards to reflect performance, reliability, and efficiency. You will also generate reports that indicate errors and issues related to the production process and offer possible solutions. 

What are the responsibilities of a professional quality control engineer? 

A quality engineer is responsible for ensuring the quality of services and products produced by their organization. These professionals oversee the product manufacturing process from development to packaging. The other duties and responsibilities of quality engineers include:

• Designing, developing, and implementing best quality processes and practices for product development
• Developing and initiating quality standards for inspections, evaluations, and tests
• Maintaining, monitoring, and ensuring the highest quality in products or services 
• Developing strategies to evaluate the accuracy and precision of production equipment, analytical equipment, and tests & measurements
• Designing and creating instructions and forms for assessing, evaluating, documenting, and reporting on quality standards in services or products 
• Troubleshooting and resolving problems related to quality control 
• Researching, compiling, and preparing information on quality control processes, procedures, and activities
• Analyzing and monitoring quality control performance
• Investigating and troubleshooting production or product errors
• Tabulating and documenting data related to processes, materials, and products qualities and reliabilities 
• Training company staff, technicians, and other professionals on quality control aspects of their work
• Leading, directing, and assisting technical and professional staff in testing and measuring services or products
• Collaborating with company operations managers to create and implement controls and product improvements

What type of equipment does a quality control engineer use?

Many companies use quality control tools to help manage and monitor their control initiatives. Quality control engineers can use different tools to solve different problems. You only need to become comfortable and familiar with the various quality tools. This way, you can pull the most suitable tool out whenever there is a problem to be solved. Here are some of the common tools that quality control engineers use.

• Check sheet – Quality control engineers use check sheets to collect data, and you can use them to monitor the number of times a particular incident occurs.
• Flowchart – Quality control engineers use flowcharts to determine the location of breakdowns or bottlenecks in the work processes. You can also use this tool to illustrate a new workflow procedure or show a new workflow process when changes or improvements are made.
• Histograms – These tools show patterns that fall in a typical workflow process, and you can use the detected patterns to understand variation.
• Control charts – Quality control engineers use run charts or control charts to plot data with time to give a clear picture of data movement. This helps you monitor performance with time by analyzing data points’ variations.
• Pareto chart – This tool shows the number of defects a particular product has, from the biggest to the smallest, making it easy to prioritize your improvement efforts. 
• Scatter diagrams – These tools show the relationship between different variables that often represent potential causes and effects.

What is the work environment of a quality control engineer? 

Quality control engineers work in laboratories and manufacturing environments, where they monitor quality standards and test processes for all kinds of manufactured products. Your work environment will vary by establishment and industry. Some quality control engineers are desk-based and usually spend most of their day reading and analyzing data printouts, while others are on their feet throughout the day. 

Depending on the needs of your company and industry, you can also work from home as a quality control engineer. To work remotely, you’ll need a good workstation with software suites, high-speed internet, and necessary communication gadgets to help you collaborate with teams and clients. 

Who are your colleagues as a quality control engineer? 

Quality control engineers are part of a bigger team tasked with ensuring quality standards and making quality improvements in the production process. As a professional quality engineer, you’ll work with the company’s management, data scientists, IT teams, business development experts, quality control technicians, product designers, software developers, and project managers.

What is the work schedule of a quality control engineer? 

Quality control engineers normally work full-time Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. However, depending on your company’s needs and job demands, it’s possible that you’ll sometimes work in shifts, including weekends and nights.