In continuing my series on finding, signing, and keeping good people for your company, this month we discuss hiring good people for your quality department. Even when hiring was easier, hiring for the quality department has always been especially challenging. It takes a special kind of person: someone with attention to detail, someone ready to stand for his or her convictions, and someone who can stand up under pressure when the company needs to ship product and the quality manager refuses to because it is not up to par. The quality department is the very soul of any manufacturing company.

Electronic devices are ubiquitous, performing critical functions in a wide range of applications, from consumer electronics to aerospace, medical devices, automotive systems, and industrial control systems. Many of these devices operate in harsh environments characterized by extremes in temperature, humidity, pollution, and chemical exposure.

In 2024, companies are leveraging AI agents to automate data-driven decisions, bypassing the need for specialized data science skills. In this interview with Tim Burke and Jennifer Davis of Arch Systems, they say these AI tools can handle straightforward tasks, significantly improving factory efficiency by addressing numerous small issues. This shift allows existing staff to use data effectively without extensive retraining. Both large and small language models are used to support real-time decisions on the production floor, integrating various data sources to create a comprehensive digital twin of the factory’s operations.