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Everyone pitches in here—and it pays off
Nana Fang strides briskly from the laboratory to the production hall. “I walk this route several times a day,” she says. Nana heads the Quality Control (QC) department at ECKART site in Jinan, China.
Step by step toward the goal
With practiced movements, Nana begins the process check: She collects a sample from the ball mill, evaluates its color and flow behavior with an experienced eye, and determines the particle size. “Due to my many years in quality control, I understand how crucial careful monitoring is for consistent product quality and stable batches.”
Alongside her team, Nana is engaged both in the laboratory and on the production floor. Being directly on site in production is a central aspect of her role. The processes demand full attention to even the smallest deviations in process or product. “A strong sense of responsibility, patience, and technical expertise are essential here,” Nana emphasizes as she moves on to testing the pigments during the mixing and kneading phase. “I’ve been in this field for 20 years and am thoroughly familiar with all QC procedures and methods. Together with my team, we continuously collect samples from the production line and analyze them in the lab. In doing so, we cover the longest walking distances in the entire plant every day.” With a smile, Nana adds: “Of course, we measure that, too.”
Quality is created where collaboration matters
When Nana became head of the QC department in 2011, she saw it as a great sign of trust, and at the same time as motivation to live up to the responsibility. To this day, however, she attaches great importance to being actively involved with her team on the production line. “Team spirit, responsibility, and commitment are very important to me. Leadership means leading by example. That’s why I’m present on the line every day.”
The results speak for themselves: Through stable processes, Nana and her team ensure consistent quality. For many years, the product complaint rate has been close to zero. “I spend a lot of time with the team evaluating product appearance, fineness, and color variations. The optical assessment of aluminum pigments requires experience and a trained eye.”
For me, a strong team, open communication, and stable processes are the elements that ensure top performance.
Teamwork makes the difference
Quality control is responsible for ensuring consistent product quality and identifying deviations, and this can only be achieved through open communication and focused action. “I’m convinced that a strong team accomplishes more than any individual could alone. Open expression of opinions and finding solutions together are, for me, the defining characteristics of a strong team,” Nana explains. “We detect errors very quickly and often must make decisions within a short time, while also developing solutions collectively that save both time and cost.”
This combination of routine and experience, alongside the unexpected and the need for speed, continues to inspire her even after more than 20 years on the job: “When everyone pulls together, it truly becomes clear that a team is more than the sum of its parts.”
