Interview With an Expert: Quality

At Cheyenne International, delivering consistent, high-quality products isn’t just a goal – it’s a standard. To get an inside look at how quality is maintained across every stage of production, we sat down with our Quality Director, Dena Ramsey, to discuss her role, the importance of quality management, and how Cheyenne ensures every product meets the expectations of customers and consumers alike.

Q: Can you describe your role as Quality Director and your primary responsibilities?

Dena: My role is to make sure we have the right standards in place to consistently produce quality products with every production run. This starts with thorough quality checks on all inputs and raw materials and continues throughout production, through final packaging and storage. We also focus on protecting our products in transit to ensure they reach our customers in perfect condition.

Q: What inspired you to pursue a career in quality management?

Dena: Honestly, it just happened! I started as a biology major and considered medical school, but then went to work in the environmental science arena after undergrad. Later, I earned an MBA and decided to pivot into medical device and pharmaceutical quality, which shortly thereafter led me to Cheyenne.

Q: Why do you believe quality management is crucial for a company’s success?

Dena: It is imperative to consistently produce high-quality products to meet our customers’ and consumers’ expectations alike. If we fail them, they’ll simply turn to another manufacturer.

Q: How do you stay updated with industry standards and best practices?

Dena: I’ve been in the field for over 30 years, so staying current is part of the job. I keep up with best practices and standards across multiple disciplines to make sure Cheyenne is always meeting or exceeding expectations.

Q: What role does customer feedback play in your quality assurance strategies?

Dena: Ideally, we only receive positive feedback. But when issues arise, we investigate root causes and implement corrective and preventative actions to ensure they don’t happen again.

Q: Can you explain how cross-departmental collaboration contributes to achieving quality objectives?

Dena: The quality systems of any manufacturing organization are inherent to everyone in every department, not just the quality personnel. It all starts with the inputs, so not only internally within our organization, but also externally with our suppliers. We depend on their quality processes to provide us with high-quality raw materials. Internally, quality is most highly dependent upon the teams manufacturing the product, including production and maintenance management and personnel. Throughout the delivery process to our customers, quality depends on getting shipments right, so the customer service teams that place orders and the warehouse personnel who pick and ship products are key. Then externally again, we rely on our shipping partners to deliver the products with zero transit damage. To sum it all up, quality is everyone’s responsibility.

Q: How do you foster a culture of quality throughout the entire organization?

Dena: We emphasize to all employees that quality is the key to success because our customers and consumers are the reason we can create and sell these products.

Q: If you could give a piece of advice to someone new to the industry, what would you tell them?

Dena: Persevere. Every challenge is an opportunity to improve. Manufacturing nuances can make solutions cyclical, so always observe, ask questions, and engage with the people performing the work. Their insights often reveal the best practices for achieving the highest quality results.

Q: What are you most proud of when it comes to Cheyenne’s commitment to quality?

Dena: Several things come to mind. The camaraderie that employees have once improvements have been implemented, and the openness to suggestions from everyone to make things better each day. Most importantly, the positive feedback we receive from our sales team members, customers, and consumers. It shows that everyone’s attention to detail truly makes all the difference.