Quality Assurance Excellence and Market Insights for QSR

Recognizing Eric Jackson’s extensive expertise in quality assurance and his strategic insights into market trends within the QSR industry, this exclusive interview offers invaluable perspectives on navigating the challenges of maintaining consistency and ensuring food safety across locations.

Career Journey and Key Quality Assurance Experiences

I have an Engineering background and started working in QSR industry focusing on Operations and New Product development. Experience working on projects from kitchen equipment design, kitchen layout to supporting new product launches focusing on prep, processing and food safety.

I began to also work in the QA field over 15 years ago focusing on setting up, maintaining and verifying the validity of QA programs to ensure safe quality foods and drinks for a few different brands.

Ensuring Consistency, Food Safety, Regulatory Adaptation and Data Analytics

Supplier quality management is a critical process in ensuring consistency. Products produced by suppliers should provide the same experiences from prep with employees through customers satisfaction. Consistency with these experiences is key to meeting the expectations of individual working with and patronizing our locations. Maintaining good relationships with suppliers, working on projects together and scheduling routing facility visits ensures that processes used to make products can always be verified and fosters an atmosphere of continuous improvement.

The embracing of a Food Safety culture is a major factor. Food safety being #1 when working with Operations ensures that processes and procedures that are developed are agreed upon by all involved. With Operations having a food safety mindset makes implementing systems with food safety very capable. In some instances, working very closely with field operations can produced streamlined results that enhance food safety goals and can also ensure proper executions of food safety procedures.

Continuously working with suppliers and maintain good partnerships ensures a collaborative effort to address and changes that arise. Keeping a focus on our mutual interest, which is to grow the business, fosters a relationship grounded in providing safe products for end users. Maintaining these quality relationships with suppliers almost always ensures that adapting to changes will be successfully achieved.

Sharing of data and information on a timely basis is critical. When opportunities for improvement arise, this data is immediate shared with the appropriate supplier to investigate and determine how to minimize or eliminate the root causes. Continuously monitoring processes to identify trends and providing feedback also ensure the capture of any defects before they reach locations. Routine meeting to discuss opportunities keeps continuous improvement on the forefront.

Emerging Marketing Trends and Professional Growth in Hospitality

Using AI to hyper personalize marketing messages and consumer experiences can greatly assist in staying informed and on the cutting edge of what customers are expecting. User generated content and micro influencers to leverage social proof are also good tools to utilize and ways to know what is currently trending. Creating localized experiences with emotional based marketing can help boost experiences in specific markets. One should always keep in mind consumer behavior, along with tech advances coupled with mkt trends to stay competitive in today’s marketplace.

Experience different industries and departments within hospitality to gain knowledge and experience in various areas. Build a global perspective. Stay updated on industry trends. Always keep the heartbeat of the customer in mind. Build network and relationships with as many professionals in the industry as possible. Develop and always work on leadership skills, capabilities and problem solving skills. Embrace technology and never stop learning.