Post by Chika Ikenwe

A few weeks ago, while driving home from work, a man suddenly jumped in front of my car. I was shocked and irritated. My first thought was, "Why would someone want to risk their life like that?" Moments later, I realized I wasn't actually his target. I was simply the tool he used to cross the road and stop an approaching public bus so he could collect money from the driver. As strange and amusing as the situation sounds now, it reminded me of my early days in Quality Control (QC). Back then, our job was to stand by machines and intercept defective products before they reached the market. We reacted to problems after they occurred. Our focus was simple: prevent bad products from leaving the factory. That was QC — detecting and correcting defects. Then came Quality Assurance (QA). QA doesn't wait for defects to happen. It is proactive rather than reactive. From raw material sourcing to the consumer's table, processes are designed, monitored, verified, and continuously improved to ensure products consistently meet safety, quality, and consumer expectations. QC is like stopping the bus after it has started moving. QA is ensuring the driver, the bus, the route, and the traffic controls are all in place before the journey begins. Both are important, but QA creates confidence by preventing problems before they occur. As quality professionals, are we still spending most of our time "jumping in front of the bus," or are we building systems that prevent the need for it in the first place? What's your experience with the shift from QC to QA? I'd love to hear your story. Olorunfemi Waleola Babatunde iroko Balogun Clinton Bright Aletor Osewa Ayodeji Friday C. Samuel Oscar Francis David ADESINA Damilare Peter James Onugbor Kennedy Gabriel Ayòmíkún Akínwálé B.Sc. (Hons), M.Sc. Henry Kenechukwu Okafor #QualityManagement #QualityControl #QualityAssurance #FoodSafety #OperationalExcellence #ContinuousImprovement #Manufacturing #Leadership #QualityCulture #FMCG