Description
Footwear quality controllers perform visual analysis of the aspects of footwear, raw material and components applying criteria previously defined and decide on rejections or acceptances. They analyse collected data, prepare reports and deliver them to quality management. They apply previously defined quality management tools aiming at the better achievement of the objectives stated in the quality policy. They participate in monitoring and control of the quality system and in the implementation of corrective and preventive measures.
Excludes people performing laboratory control tests.
Excludes people performing managerial activities.
Includes people performing footwear quality control during or at the end of the production.
Other titles
The following job titles also refer to footwear quality controller:
footwear quality and compliance supervisor
footwear quality assurance controller
footwear quality control officer
footwear quality control analyst
footwear quality control inspector
Minimum qualifications
A high school diploma is generally the minimum required to work as a footwear quality controller.
ISCO skill level
ISCO skill level is defined as a function of the complexity and range of tasks and duties to be performed in an occupation. It is measured on a scale from 1 to 4, with 1 the lowest level and 4 the highest, by considering:
- the nature of the work performed in an occupation in relation to the characteristic tasks and duties
- the level of formal education required for competent performance of the tasks and duties involved and
- the amount of informal on-the-job training and/or previous experience in a related occupation required for competent performance of these tasks and duties.
Footwear quality controller is a Skill level 2 occupation.
Footwear quality controller career path
Similar occupations
These occupations, although different, require a lot of knowledge and skills similar to footwear quality controller.
footwear hand sewer
footwear factory warehouse operator
footwear stitching machine operator
sole and heel operator
footwear finishing and packing operator
Long term prospects
These occupations require some skills and knowledge of footwear quality controller. They also require other skills and knowledge, but at a higher ISCO skill level, meaning these occupations are accessible from a position of footwear quality controller with a significant experience and/or extensive training.
footwear quality control laboratory technician
footwear quality technician
footwear assembly supervisor
leather goods quality control laboratory technician
footwear production supervisor
Essential knowledge and skills
Essential knowledge
This knowledge should be acquired through learning to fulfill the role of footwear quality controller.
- Footwear materials: The characteristics, components, advantages and limitations of a wide range of materials used in footwear production: leather, leather substitutes (synthetics or artificial materials), textile, plastic, rubber etc.
- Footwear manufacturing technology: Footwear processes technology and machinery involved. The footwear manufacturing starts in the cutting/clicking room , cutting the uppers and bottom components. The upper components are joined together in the closing room by following a precise order of specific operations: skiving, folding, sewing etc. The closed upper, the insole and other bottom components are brought together in the assembling room, where the main operations are lasting and soling. The process ends with finishing operations in the finishing and packing room.
- Footwear quality: Quality specifications of materials, processes and final products, the most common defects in footwear, quick tests procedures, laboratory tests procedures and standards, adequate equipment for quality checks. Quality assurance of footwear production processes and fundamental concepts on quality including footwear quality framework and standards.
- Footwear components: Footwear components both for uppers (vamps, quarters, linings, stiffeners, toe puffs etc.) and bottoms (soles, heels, insoles etc.). Ecological concerns and the importance of recycling. Selection of suitable materials and components based on their influence on the footwear style and characteristics, properties and manufacturability. Procedures and methods in chemical and mechanical processing of leather and non-leather materials.
Essential skills and competences
These skills are necessary for the role of footwear quality controller.
- Exert a goal-oriented leadership role towards colleagues: Embrace a leadership role in the organisation and with colleagues as to provide coaching and direction to subordinates aiming at the achievement of specific objectives.
- Apply footwear and leather goods quality control techniques: Apply quality control in footwear and leather goods. Analyse the material, component or model using relevant quality criteria. Compare the material and other components received from the suppliers, or the final product, to standards. Use visual observation and report findings. Control the quantity of leather in the warehouse. Submit components to laboratory control test when necessary. Define the corrective measures when called for.
- Communicate commercial and technical issues in foreign languages: Speak one or more foreign languages in order to communicate commercial and technical issues with various suppliers and clients.
- Use communication techniques: Apply techniques of communication which allow interlocutors to better understand each other and communicate accurately in the transmission of messages.
- Work in textile manufacturing teams: Work harmoniously with colleagues in teams in the textile and clothing manufacturing industries.
- Manage footwear quality systems: Manage the company quality system. Create or elaborate the quality manual. Carry out the established requirements and objectives included in the quality policy. Foster internal and external communication, including customer satisfaction follow-up. Define and control the implementation of corrective and preventive measures. Foster the continuous improvement of the quality system and quality manual.
- Use IT tools: Application of computers, computer networks and other information technologies and equipment to storing, retrieving, transmitting and manipulating data, in the context of a business or enterprise.
Optional knowledge and skills
Optional knowledge
This knowledge is sometimes, but not always, required for the role of footwear quality controller. However, mastering this knowledge allows you to have more opportunities for career development.
- Footwear finishing techniques: The related machinery, tools, chemicals and mechanical finishing procedures applied to footwear manufacturing.
- Footwear bottoms pre-assembly: The equipment and techniques used for the preparation of bottom components in the footwear industry, including soles, heels, insoles, etc.
- Assembling processes and techniques for cemented footwear construction: Technology, equipment, machines and tools for lasting and soling in case of cemented footwear constructions.
- Pre-stitching processes and techniques for footwear and leather goods: Technology including machinery and techniques for the preparation for leather goods components and footwear uppers.
- Automatic cutting systems for footwear and leather goods: The use and description of automatic systems technologies used in footwear and leather goods industry such as laser cutting, knife cutting, punch cutting, mill cutting, ultra-sound cutting, water jet cutting and the cutting machinery such as swing beam cutting presses, traveling head die cutting presses or strap cutting machines.
- Assembling processes and techniques for california footwear construction: Technology, equipment, machines and tools for assembling california footwear construction type.
- Footwear equipments: Functionality of the wide range of equipments and the basic rules of regular maintenance.
- Footwear machinery: The functionality of the wide range of machines, and the basic rules of regular maintenance.
- Assembling processes and techniques for goodyear footwear construction: Technology, equipment, machines and tools for assembling Goodyear footwear construction types.
- Footwear stitching techniques: The technologies, equipment, machines and processes for closing the upper components of footwear by various seams such as closed, lapped, butted, welted, piped and moccasin.
- Footwear uppers pre-assembly: The equipment and techniques used for pre-assembling operations of uppers in the footwear industry.
Optional skills and competences
These skills and competences are sometimes, but not always, required for the role of footwear quality controller. However, mastering these skills and competences allows you to have more opportunities for career development.
- Create solutions to problems: Solve problems which arise in planning, prioritising, organising, directing/facilitating action and evaluating performance. Use systematic processes of collecting, analysing, and synthesising information to evaluate current practice and generate new understandings about practice.
- Reduce environmental impact of footwear manufacturing: Assess the environmental impact of footwear manufacture and minimise environmental risks. Reduce environmentally harmful work practices in different stages of the footwear manufacturing.
- Make technical drawings of fashion pieces: Make technical drawings of wearing apparel, leather goods and footwear including both technical and engineering drawings. Use them to communicate or to convey design ideas and manufacturing details to pattern makers, technologists, toolmakers, and equipment producers or to other machine operators for sampling and production.
- Perform laboratory tests on footwear or leather goods: Perform laboratory quality control tests on footwear, leather goods or its materials or components following national and international standards. Prepare samples and procedures. Analyse and interpret tests results and produced reports. Cooperate with outsourced laboratories.
- Determine footwear warehouse layout: Select the suitable warehouse layouts according to the specific conditions of the footwear company. Plan the warehouse layout. Implement the warehouse management system.
ISCO group and title
7543 – Product graders and testers (excluding foods and beverages)
References
- Footwear quality controller – ESCO