New Insights and Bonding – Quality Team Workshop in Poland
In the annual workshop, which has already become a tradition, quality teams from Finland and Poland gather together to brainstorm new working methods, and to meet each other in person. The workshop was attended by 1–2 members from each Promeco unit, with a total of eight participants. Face-to-face meetings are important for team members in different countries to bond.
In the first week of September, the members of Promeco’s quality team gathered in Poland. Promeco’s QEHS Director, Heidi Hakala, fondly recalls the week.
– We spent the first two nights in a beautiful house where we had time to focus exclusively on our own team. These workshops often involve long days, and it was nice to be able to change locations throughout the day. Some of the activities were organized outdoors in nature, which always has a calming effect.
Workshop Agenda
The goal of this year’s workshop was to brainstorm best practices, and one topic focused on handling customer feedback. With technological development advancing rapidly, it’s important to examine processes from a quality perspective as well. The aim was also to identify areas where practices differ and explore opportunities for unifying them.
– Team members were assigned pre-workshop tasks in small groups, where they were asked to identify best practices from their own operations. These tasks were divided by subject and presented to the team during the workshop.
As the year draws to a close, the team also started thinking about next year’s action plan.
– One of the main topics of discussion was monitoring and reducing costs. In addition, we planned quality training themes both internally within the quality team and across the organization.
Factory Visits in Poland
On the second day, the journey continued to the Polish factories in Gościcino and Strzebielino. The team got to know the Polish personnel, their daily work, and the products made in Poland.
– As a quality team, they were particularly interested in the different inspection and testing methods used in the production of different products.
An Important Team-Building Booster
While the workshops aim to develop Promeco’s operations, Hakala emphasizes that they are also important meetings for both new and long-standing members of the quality team.
– For the newest members, this was the first time they met some of the quality team members in person. Face-to-face meetings are crucial for fostering a sense of community. I believe it lowers the threshold for communication when you’ve met someone in person.
Although the workshop focuses heavily on work-related matters, there was also time for the team to relax and bond.
– The house where the quality team stayed for the first two nights had a sauna, a hot tub, and games that the team spent the evening with. We also visited the sights of Gdańsk and tasted local delicacies.
The workshop brought up many great new ideas, which the quality team will continue to develop in their monthly Teams meetings.