It can be said that 2020 has been a year of paradigm shifts in both our personal and professional lives. Friends, families, and co-workers have had to make big changes to stay connected; so too has the world of Quality Management System (QMS) audits.

Before January 2020, if you had asked an organization whether they had considered a pandemic as a risk to the organization, most would have answered no. 

A paradigm shift, identified and coined by American physicist and philosopher Thomas Kuhn, is a fundamental change in the approach, concepts, and assumptions of a practice. 

Whether we realize it or not everyone’s job, including the quality professional, comes down to one thing; helping our companies, at least those in business to be profitable, make money! 

My introduction to quality commenced at a manufacturing plant where I started at an entry-level product packaging position. 

Throughout my career I have seen the power in recognizing people’s efforts. Additionally, numerous studies have shown that when people feel appreciated and get recognized, they are more engaged, motivated, and productive.