My role and prior MedTech QMS experience
Clarissa Archer, a Quality Assurance Engineer at Harmonic Bionics, shares her decade-long journey in the medical device industry. Beginning in product development, she transitioned to quality assurance, drawn by her passion for risk analysis and compliance. With a biomedical engineering background from Texas A&M, she emphasizes the importance of hands-on experience in understanding regulations in the medical device space.
Transcript

[00:00 - 00:10]
So my name is Clarissa Archer. I am a quality assurance engineer at Harmonic Bionics, and I've been here for just under a year.



[00:10 - 00:17]
But prior to that, I've worked at other medical device companies, and so I've been working in the medical device for about ten years now.



[00:17 - 00:34]
So I started out in product development, so I was designing knee hip and shoulder implants and then eased into quality because I really enjoyed kind of the risk analysis role helping make sure that what we were doing is per the regulations.



[00:34 - 00:39]
Yeah. So I actually have a degree in biomedical engineering from Texas A&M.



[00:39 - 00:48]
That program is primarily based on design or the mechanical aspect of product development.



[00:49 - 00:57]
Primarily, my quality qualifications came from learning and working in the medical device space.



[00:57 - 01:09]
No matter what you're doing in the medical device space, you're always going to be working with compliance and regulations and making sure that you're following the rules of the FDA, of the EU, those sorts of things.

Unifize Results

10x
Speed to compliance
Unifize accelerates compliance, delivering 10x faster regulatory approval for medical devices
4x
Faster time-to-market
Map Unifize to your processes and streamline workflows, process automation
70%
Fewer meetings
Less meetings with in-app collaboration, real-time updates, and decision logs
Transcript

But what we've known from what I experience was, is we were able to get there with the system. We still there with the system. The system has what is needed to provide us what we're looking for, because every company, admittedly, is trying to get compliant. If we educate people, if we get people the education that they need and to get over the fear factor, I think 90% of those things can be resolved because most people will go to what they're most familiar with.What I worked with from a different company, but they're not willing to sit down and look at what the demographics are saying. People are into social media now. People are moving fast into fast paced world. But technologies are still antiquated. So there's a disconnect here, right? So while we're moving at a fast pace at home with dragging at work, so why can't we continue that speed while we at work?If your supplier has issues and you're not informed on time, you want to have an alternate supplier in place. If your suppliers are not qualified, you may not know that that needs to happen. And so when you have an integrated system that speaks to itself and is giving you all this data, you literally have the pulse of the organization in your hands as an executive at a money bound access.

Related Case Study Videos

01:52
How Unifize helps save time and get things done faster
In this video, Michael from Harmonic Bionics celebrates the transparency and coherence Unifize offers. He values the platform's ability to keep everyone synchronized, viewing the same documents and chat histories. This clear and shared understanding of processes, from part designs to quality notifications, not only fosters efficiency but also lets Michael concentrate more on his primary responsibilities, enhancing productivity.
01:20
Dealing with non-conformances made simple with Unifize
In this video, Erica recounts a specific incident where a wrong revision of artwork was used, demonstrating how she utilized Unifize to manage the situation effectively. She was tasked with investigating the error, which involved gathering information and creating a non-conformance report in Unifize. Erica describes the ease of initiating this process in Unifize, starting from the affected finished good lot. She mentions that the error was traced back to their supply team and emphasizes the importance of thorough documentation in Unifize for tracking such incidents. Additionally, she highlights Unifize's capability to link specific incidents to affected products and its utility in generating reports. This allows for an efficient overview of non-conformances related to finished goods. Erica's experience showcases how Unifize streamlines the process of handling, documenting, and analyzing quality issues, enhancing organizational efficiency and accountability.
03:46
Comparing Unifize to other eQMS software
Clarissa Archer narrates Harmonic Bionics' journey in searching for an optimal QMS. Evaluating various systems, they prioritized features like change control, product lifecycle management, and electronic signature compliance. While they considered prominent systems like Master Control, ETQ, and Greenlight Guru, their quest for seamless collaboration was paramount.
01:24
Why Unifize’s unique approach to collaboration helped Harmonic Bionics
Denis Machoka discusses the unparalleled collaborative approach of Unifize, highlighting its ability to centralize and streamline conversations, reducing the traditional reliance on emails. He praises its efficiency in consolidating information and contrasts it with the inefficiencies of managing multiple systems in other platforms.
03:51
How Unifize helped reduce $60,000 of material cost on just one product
Jesse Kolstad shares a transformative experience at Biovation Labs, emphasizing the power of perspective. With Unifize, he could holistically evaluate their ingredient performance and volumes, enabling him to whittle down from 16 SKUs to just two. This consolidation not only simplified management but also resulted in substantial cost savings for the company.
01:42
About Dave
In this video, Dave Anderson, Quality Assurance Manager at Efco with 20 years of tenure, shares his journey from the shop floor to senior supervisory roles before stepping into quality assurance. With a passion for continuous improvement and an improvement-minded approach, Dave emphasizes the importance of striving for perfection in quality management. His experience highlights the value of shop floor knowledge in identifying root causes and implementing sustainable solutions, underscoring the significant impact of hands-on experience in quality roles.
01:23
Quantifying things that were previously deemed impossible
In this video, Seth Bozman from Efco shares his transformative experience with Unifize, emphasizing its critical role in revolutionizing how they track and manage work orders, particularly in quantifying costs of specials and parts in a manner previously unachievable. He highlights Unifize's impact on making their process more efficient, allowing for a significant increase in productivity by enabling a more precise cost analysis and facilitating an enhanced focus on floor operations. Seth's testimony showcases the power of Unifize in streamlining operations, improving data accuracy, and supporting proactive decision-making at Efco.
01:12
How conversations in Unifize foster better collaboration
Tedd Carr is enthusiastic about how Unifize's conversation-driven platform has revolutionized collaboration at The Will-Burt Company. He observed a significant uptake in engagement following a refresher course, likening the buzz of activity to a lively slot machine. This surge in conversations among varied personnel didn't lead to confusion but rather an organized flow of information. Carr takes pride in witnessing the team's proactive interactions and the smooth progression of tasks, indicating a thriving, collaborative environment.
07:00
How Unifize's real time collaboration empowers faster and efficient decision making
In this video, Jesse Kolstad of Biovation Labs accentuates the power of Unifize's real-time collaborative environment. He praises its capability to manage multiple tasks concurrently, leading to significant time savings, increased visibility, and enhanced communication. Jesse emphasizes how this real-time collaboration facilitates swift and effective decision-making.
02:12
How smaller groups lead to 70% faster actions
In this video, Dave Anderson from Efco shares his transformative experience with Unifize, emphasizing how the platform fostered smaller, more efficient discussion groups to swiftly address problems. By enabling seamless collaboration and record-keeping online, Unifize ensured that all stakeholders stayed informed and engaged, leading to a remarkable 70% improvement in action response times. Dave highlights the significant reduction in administrative overhead, from managing paperwork to leveraging Unifize’s streamlined processes, showcasing the platform's impact on enhancing productivity and resource allocation.
01:41
How Unifize speeds up change control
Jesse Kolstad emphasizes Unifize's prowess in managing change, navigating the challenges of either over-documentation or under-documentation in some companies. With features like versioning, Unifize ensures comprehensive tracking, offering unparalleled visibility and accountability in change management at Biovation Labs.
01:52
How Unifize helped us streamline Change Requests
Mikala shares her experience with streamlining change requests using Unifize. She talks about how the platform has simplified the process, improved tracking, and increased transparency. Mikala emphasizes the importance of efficient change management in maintaining product quality and compliance, and how Unifize has been instrumental in making these processes more manageable and effective.
02:00
What made us switch from MasterControl to Unifize
In this comprehensive narrative, Mikala explores the decisive factors that led to the switch from MasterControl to Unifize. She discusses the limitations and challenges she faced with MasterControl, including its inefficiency and user-unfriendliness. Mikala then delves into the aspects of Unifize that prompted the change, such as its innovative approach, user-centric design, and efficiency, which have significantly improved their operational processes and overall workflow management.
01:39
Future of Unifize in Efco
Dave Anderson explores the exciting prospects of Unifize within Efco in this forward-looking video. He discusses the evolution of quality management processes facilitated by Unifize, highlighting the platform's ability to enable trend spotting and proactive responses to various challenges. Dave shares insights on integrating Unifize across different company operations, including warranty claims and quality records management, and addresses the ongoing transition from paper-based to digital systems. This journey with Unifize not only aims to enhance operational efficiency but also to lay the groundwork for future innovations in managing company workflows.
01:04
How the Unifize team helped build our customisations faster
In this engaging video, Erica offers a fresh perspective on Unifize's standout customer support. She praises the promptness of the team, often responding within an hour, sometimes even in 10 minutes, ensuring immediate assistance. Erica shares her initial experiences as a new user of Unifize, emphasizing the value of regular team meetings in her learning process. She is particularly impressed by the platform's ability to tailor features to specific needs, such as creating custom PDFs, and the team's proactive approach to fulfilling complex requests. Erica's account highlights Unifize's dedication to responsive and personalized support, making the user experience both seamless and adaptable.
01:18
Why should a cosmetic ingredients manufacturer consider using Unifize
Wilson discusses the specific benefits of Unifize for cosmetic ingredient manufacturers, focusing on the platform's role in enhancing collaboration, quality control, and regulatory compliance. The video underscores the importance of adopting advanced tools like Unifize in a competitive and highly regulated industry.
02:28
Evaluating other eQMS software tools
Denis Machoka delves into the evaluation process of various eQMS tools, citing considerations for present needs and future growth. Comparing Unifize to platforms like Ignite EDMS, Veeva, and Greenlight Guru, he underscores Unifize's ease of implementation and its integrated conversation feature as standout advantages.
03:25
What drove Wilson towards Unifize
Wilson shares his journey towards adopting Unifize, highlighting the need for an efficient system to manage documentation, change controls, and improve operational processes. Frustrated with the rigidity and inefficiency of traditional systems, Wilson sought a solution that could streamline communication, centralize information, and adapt to his company's unique processes. Unifize stood out for its flexibility, user-friendliness, and cost-effectiveness, particularly appealing for a smaller company. This video encapsulates Wilson's decision-making process and how Unifize's value proposition and potential for improving quality management systems resonated with him and his management team.
00:47
What would happen if Unifize was taken away from Natalie
In this video, Natalie shares her thoughts on the impact of potentially losing access to Unifize. She describes how integral the platform is to her daily operations and the significant setbacks that would occur without it. Natalie underscores the platform's role in streamlining processes, ensuring compliance, and facilitating effective communication, emphasizing its indispensability in her work routine.
00:42
Getting 100% buy-in from everybody
In this compelling video, Dave Anderson delves into the crucial aspect of achieving universal buy-in within an organization for Unifize. He outlines the challenges and strategies involved in garnering complete commitment from every team member, emphasizing the importance of direct involvement and accountability. Through personal insights and experiences, Dave illustrates how Unifize's approach eliminates sidelines, ensuring that every stakeholder is actively engaged in addressing issues, leading to more cohesive and efficient problem-solving processes.

Experience the benefits of Unifize

4x Faster time-to-market

Map Unifize to your processes and streamline workflows, process automation, and prioritization

70% Fewer meetings

Less meetings with in-app collaboration, real-time updates, and decision logs

10x Speed to compliance

Unifize accelerates compliance, delivering 10x faster regulatory approval for medical devices

View More Case Studies
Video icon

Here’s how Biovation Labs reduced testing costs from $146K to $65K in two months

Learn how and why Biovation Labs, an FDA regulated nutraceutical manufacturer based in Salt Lake City, took the decision to transition from MasterControl to Unifize for their product lifecycle (PLM) and quality management (QMS) processes.

Video icon

Here’s how Harmonic Bionics slashed time to market by 80%

Clarissa Archer shares her experience integrating Unifize into Harmonic Bionics, underscoring its value in streamlining change control, facilitating communication, and ensuring robust documentation for regulatory compliance in the medical device sector.

Video icon

Will-Burt's game changing boost to quality process cycle times

Learn how The Will-Burt Company was able to implement and adopt a new quality management system across 8 collaborating teams in less than a day and streamline internal / supplier non-conformances, customer complaints (VOCs), internal / supplier audits, 8D reporting, corrective actions and preventive actions.