What is QA/QC?

Well, I am working for the QA/QC team of my company. However, I never know the real meaning of this name. I know QA is quality assurance and QC is quality control, but what is the difference between them? Do we need both of them? Can we just simply call ourselves QA or QC? I never try to find out the definition.

Recently, I had read a NDT handbook from ASNT and it gives me the answer. Quality assurance is the establishment of a program to guarantee the desired quality level of a product from raw materials through fabrication, assembly and delivery. Quality control is the physical and administrative actions required to ensure compliance with the quality assurance program. So, that means as an inspector, I am responsible for the part in quality control but not quality assurance.

If there is no QA program, we cannot carry out any QC inspection. So QA is to assure the quality of product to our client and QC is the procedure or action to ensure the standard provided in QA program is compiled. Therefore, to have a high quality product, both QA & QC are essential.

Last Day of Trip

Tonight is the last night I stayed in Anaheim. During the week, I had to attend meetings for more than 8 hr. We needed to discuss topics even in lunch time. So, in the early morning, about 5 am, I woke up and went to have site visit. I was exhausted. In night time, we needed to have dinner together (boring!!). Although my hotel has a shuttle to Disneyland, I went there only once on the first night.

As this is my last chance, I went to DownTown Disney after dinner. I did not go into the park because it is almost closed after dinner and ticket is still expensive. I am quite disappointed but at last I have chosen some souvenirs to my family.

I miss CA and I will return next time.

Long Meeting.......

Have you ever felt asleep in a meeting? I know that many people may take a rest when you are tired in the meeting. But felt asleep in a meeting is not easy, but I have tried this today. After lunch, we continue the morning session. I had closed my eyes for a moment and when I opened my eyes again, it was the end of meeting (4 hours later). It's amazing that no one tried to wake me up during the break time, how embarrassing! May be they thought that I am in jet lag or may be I am so unimportant to the run down, but I think the meeting was too boring and without aims. Everyone was trying to express the terms in their languages but never listen to others. So, the progress was very slow.

As last, I have got my CWI exam result and my overall result is 85%. I am now a CWI. When you got what you want after paying a lot of effort, you can always feel the happiness. I am not going to have increment in my salary, but definitely my responsibility is getting more.

Trip to US

I have just arrived in Anaheim, CA. It is so hot in California during day time. I had taken the ANA flight 912 from Hong Kong to Tokyo. Then I changed another connection flight ANA 6 from Tokyo to LA. It took about 14 hr (not including waiting time in Tokyo airport)for my travelling.

Why do I state in US? Well, I was sent to attend a global meeting by my boss. I am such a small potato that event the organizer forgot to put my name on the attendants list. The hotel I am staying is a very old one and you can always find some bad smell around the room, althoug it claims itself a four star hotel.

When I arrived, I just wanted to go to Disneyland. But the ticket is so expensive to me while I arrived at the ticket booth. Why can't the ticket be cheaper to a small potato? Why don't they welcome someone is poor and need to work oversea? Why can't they give a dream to a 31 years old fan? Mickey mouse, answer me!