The terms engagement and partnership seem overused in today’s business world. Everyone preaches the value of doing both these things but when the rubber hits the road does it really happen?
In the relationship between pest management provider and quality assurance (or equivalent) manager being engaged and being a partner is, simply, the base line for success. When both parties contribute and engage (there is that word again!) in the process to deliver the desired results are achieved.
The pest management professional’s role is usually quite clear – prevent and/or eliminate pests from entering the facility and threatening the products and people within, and provide the facility with expert consultation on all things pest related.
The quality assurance manager’s role is to be an advocate for the pest management professional with management, procurement and staff. It is their job to rally the troops in support of what the pest professional is doing and make sure the resources – both financial and people – are available.
Since pest management services are being purchased more frequently by a company’s procurement department, explaining exactly what your facility needs and what standards must be met when it comes to pest management services is critical. Pest management services in commercial facilities are not an “off the rack” purchase; each facility presents its own unique set of challenges. If procurement ties the hands of your pest management provider with overly prescriptive requirements or requests for services that don’t contribute to the overall success of the program, you will be the one who suffers.
Pest professionals can be your eyes and ears in a facility and can review your internal training programs, and sanitation and production protocols to identify weak links that could cause you problems.
QA managers also benefit from having a deep understanding of what your pest partner can bring to the table. A pest professional needs to demonstrate added value to the QA manager – it is not just about paying someone to monitor rodent and insect stations, and providing a follow up report. That is wasting resources.
Explaining why the pest problem exists, what solutions will take care of the problem, and the importance and the impact – both economic and for the brand – of investing or not investing in pest prevention is what QA managers need to demand of their pest partner.
Getting to know the technician(s) that service your facility and understanding exactly what they do and what your program covers is important for the QA manager. Don’t be hesitant to teach the technician about your business – the more they know about your operation the better they will serve your business’ objectives.