‘Quality’ will be a 2019 workplace buzzword. Compliance and safety were hot topics in 2018, driving increased focus towards quality assurance and quality auditing as respected career professions full of job opportunity.
1. Use QA to run your business-like clockwork
Quality Assurance is a systematic process that ensures high-performance work and in turn quality product. Quality assurance is achieved by implementing a specific framework that deters mistakes and defects while preventing problems when transferring products to customers. Quality auditing provides a non-biased check that ensures Quality Assurance standards are met. A Quality Assurance Manager will work with an internal or external Quality Auditor to increase efficiencies that flow to the bottom line.
2. Why it is essential to upskill
Upskilling is the process of teaching a current employee new skills. As a result, that employee’s capabilities, and therefore value increases exponentially. The number of jobs someone will have before the age of 40 has risen to ten, and according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, that number is expected to rise to 12-15 jobs for current graduates. A hunger to upskill is an essential tool for the modern-day employee.
Upskilling with relevant Diploma qualifications is win-win, increasing both your job security and your likelihood of gaining new employment. A Quality Assurance IT tech might progress from Test Manager to Quality Assurance Manager to Project Manager. A Quality Auditor could begin a career in risk management, health & safety or accounting before obtaining the qualifications to transition into quality auditing.
3. A trend towards preventative thinking
When a drop in quality becomes noticeable, it may not always be as simple as using an audit to uncover the issue and correct your course. Businesses now see the value of conducting audits when at the peak of success. Then CEOs, management, and stakeholders begin to understand the Key Performance Indicators of the business, rather than guessing at what they might be. These KPI’s become a blueprint for Quality Assurance and sustained high performance.
4. 2019 New Leases Accounting Standard
The new international Lease Standard became mandatory on 1 January 2019, introducing a single lessee accounting model. The Standard demands that a lessee recognises assets and liabilities for all leases with a term of more than 12 months unless the underlying asset is of low value.
Challenges for business will be collecting data for all leases, factoring CPI increases and market rent reviews, and reporting to key stakeholders including investors, banks, customer and suppliers. Quality Auditors who can assist businesses through these new challenges will be in demand throughout 2019.
5. Digging for gold in data and technology
Unquestionably, at the heart of every successful audit lies a goldmine of rich data. Once collected and analysed, data offers the most reliable point of reference for business intelligence and decision making. Computer-assisted audits increase productivity, comprehensiveness and effectiveness by increasing the sheer amount of data that can be analysed, as opposed to by hand.
Computer-assisted audits can perform effective testing of areas such as:
- Payroll
- Accounts payable/Accounts receivable
- Credit cards expenses
The important hurdles to overcome when transitioning to a computer-based audit lies in the costs of technology and training of staff, again making it important to upskill. A technology-assisted approach is too productive to refuse and will open more jobs in Auditing and Assurance towards 2020.
Quality assurance and quality auditing jobs stats
Positions available on SEEK offer an average salary of $90,000 to $107,000. A quarter of positions on offer attract salaries over the average. There are over 3,000 positions available across Australia, with APS, Government and Banking being the top employers. Sectors with increasing opportunities are Healthcare, Construction, IT, Engineering, Manufacturing and Finance.
To succeed and flourish in our ever-evolving market, ensuring you are adaptable to 2019 workplace trends for quality assurance and quality auditing is a sensible approach to develop or maintain any business.