Garrett Rathgeber, PhD
Director of Supplier Quality and Product Environmental Compliance
DJO GLOBAL
Gus Rathgeber is currently the Director of Supplier Quality and Product Environmental Compliance for DJO Global located in Vista, CA. Gus has more than 30 years of diverse experience as a Quality Assurance practitioner with more than 10 years in Supplier Quality Leadership.
Gus will be one of the distinguished speakers at the 3rd Annual Medical Device Supplier Quality Conference.
Why is the 3rd Annual Medical Device Supplier Quality Conference important for quality executives?
Knowledge gained from the conference enables quality executives to apply strategies and techniques for more effective quality performance.
What initiatives are on the horizon for your team in 2016?
Optimization and consolidation of our approved suppliers.
In what ways have you made collaboration with suppliers a reality?
We have directly engaged our key suppliers based on effective risk assessments, created partnerships for mutual success and established quantitative measures for performance management.
What are 3 key warning signs you look for when partnering with a supplier?
Suppliers causing greatest concern are those who show shallow commitment to innovation (investment), inability to react to changing demands and lack of an industry recognized QMS.
What are some successful projects you have implemented to simplify supplier quality?
We collaborated with a service provider to create a web-based supplier self-assessment tool.
How do you see supplier quality evolving over the next 5-10 years?
The emergence of increased regulatory oversight instigates need for more control of raw material suppliers and overseas processors of commodities.
Rank the following supplier quality practices. 1 = Our company’s biggest improvement area. 5 = Our company has mastered this!
Supplier audits – 3
Supplier development – 2
Supplier monitoring – 4
Supplier collaboration – 3
Sub-tier supplier management – 3
