The New Normal for QualiTru

I’m guessing that many of you reading this blog might agree that a new language has developed while living through a global pandemic. Many of us would also likely agree that referring to the ‘new normal’ is becoming just tiring.

But, what exactly does a ‘new normal’ really mean?

For many of us, it means that we are balancing a new life while sequestered at home with kids and work. It also means postponing that special trip or canceling the anticipated family gatherings.

More than a change in pace, it is the never-ending question: When will we get a vaccine, and when will this finally end? This question strings all of the regions we work in together.

Australia and New Zealand are going into the second round of ‘lockdown.’ In Europe, many home offices are becoming the standard. In Canada and parts of Latin America, we see some businesses beginning to have face-to-face meetings, but following strict safety rules. “Can you hear me?” has become the new greeting as we continue to meet on different online platforms.

What is the ‘new normal’ for QualiTru?

We, like our international partners, have moved meetings to online platforms while trying to balance new work-life challenges. Calvin Guyer, our CEO, has instituted a weekly two-hour break policy for employees to go for a walk or take a long lunch to help balance the new lifestyle changes. For our customers and partners, we’ve tried to find creative ways to connect and improve our support with training.

Three new things you can expect from us:

Shipping: We’ve seen significant increases in shipping costs, so we are implementing new options for shipping providers to help cut the costs and simplify shipping. Contact our sales team to learn more.

Training: We’ve expanded our online training to ensure compliance with Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs). 

a. Proper needle insertion: Meet Lori Hamerly, our Quality Manager, and watch Proper Septa Insertion for QualiTru Stainless Ports

b. Self-check: Done with the training, what’s next? Use this questionnaire and answer key to verify your sample collectors’ understanding of the SOPs.

Community: Recognizing the need to extend our reach and provide additional expertise to the sampling community, we cultivate our worldwide partnerships.

a. Jack van der Sanden: Jack shares his food safety expertise from New Zealand. He has over 30 years of experience in the global food industry across the supply chain. He previously worked as the General Manager of Food Safety & Quality Assurance at Fonterra. There he redesigned the company’s food safety and quality standards for hazard analysis and critical control points (HACCP) with an extensive review of the manufacturing process. A sample of his expertise is shared in his blogs The Sample – Our Weakest Link!? and The Diagnostics Process.

b. University of Georgia & La Pampa in Argentina: We partnered with these universities to assess farm inline sanitation and herd health with our representative sampling system. Watch this video and hear from Federico Macazaga, a veterinarian at the research farm, about pen sampling – in Spanish. Universidad Nacional de La Pampa and University of Georgia Line Study

Our ‘new normal’ is still evolving, but aspects are hopefully bringing better changes for everyone.

Reach out at [email protected] and 651-501-2337 to let us know suggestions for other improvements to make your sampling process a little easier.

Anne Bigalke, QualiTru’s Vice President of Strategic Development, holds a Bachelor’s degree in International Political Economy from the University of Puget Sound and a Master’s degree in Business Administration from the St. Catherine’s University. Anne spent her summers as a youth assembling sampling kits at the family business. Prior to working at QualiTru, Anne worked in Malaysia managing six development centers; she returned to her roots in Minnesota and a job at QualiTru that kindled her passion for the dairy industry. Today she enjoys working with industry experts to develop scientific studies and guidelines to gather better in-process data while working with a passionate team to prepare for future sampling needs.