# #420: MedTech Synergy: The Project Manager and Quality Professional Relationship

- Show: [Global Medical Device Podcast](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/global-medical-device-podcast)
- Published: 2025-08-18
- Length: 39m
- Episode: 420
- Page: https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/global-medical-device-podcast/2025-08-18-420-medtech-synergy-the-project-manager-and-quality-professional-relationship
- Listen: https://podcast.greenlight.guru/episode/medtech-synergy-the-project-manager-and-quality-professional-relationship

## Summary

Beth Waring, a medical device consultant at Greenlight Guru, discusses the critical relationship between project managers and quality professionals, advocating for a shift from a 'police force' mentality to a collaborative partnership. She explains the distinction between 'big Q' (the department) and 'small Q' (a company-wide quality mindset), emphasizing that open communication and explaining the 'why' behind procedures are key to adoption. The conversation highlights how digital EQMS solutions like Greenlight Guru streamline design controls, change orders, and traceability, reducing the manual burden on project managers and ensuring compliance with regulations like 21 CFR Part 820 and ISO 13485.

## Chapters

- [0:00](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/global-medical-device-podcast/2025-08-18-420-medtech-synergy-the-project-manager-and-quality-professional-relationship#t=0) Introduction: Beth Waring and the PM-Quality Relationship
- [2:54](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/global-medical-device-podcast/2025-08-18-420-medtech-synergy-the-project-manager-and-quality-professional-relationship#t=174) Defining Quality Culture: Big Q vs. Small Q
- [7:05](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/global-medical-device-podcast/2025-08-18-420-medtech-synergy-the-project-manager-and-quality-professional-relationship#t=425) The Ideal PM-Quality Partnership and Flexibility
- [11:14](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/global-medical-device-podcast/2025-08-18-420-medtech-synergy-the-project-manager-and-quality-professional-relationship#t=674) Expanding Risk Management Beyond Patient Harm
- [14:53](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/global-medical-device-podcast/2025-08-18-420-medtech-synergy-the-project-manager-and-quality-professional-relationship#t=893) Overcoming Resistance and Tool Adoption
- [16:57](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/global-medical-device-podcast/2025-08-18-420-medtech-synergy-the-project-manager-and-quality-professional-relationship#t=1017) Involving Quality in Proof-of-Concept Phases
- [19:08](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/global-medical-device-podcast/2025-08-18-420-medtech-synergy-the-project-manager-and-quality-professional-relationship#t=1148) Tailoring Communication to Different Departments
- [21:21](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/global-medical-device-podcast/2025-08-18-420-medtech-synergy-the-project-manager-and-quality-professional-relationship#t=1281) Story: Converting a Skeptic by Explaining the 'Why'
- [24:42](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/global-medical-device-podcast/2025-08-18-420-medtech-synergy-the-project-manager-and-quality-professional-relationship#t=1482) The Value of Digital EQMS and Traceability

## Topics

- [Quality & yield](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/quality-and-yield)
- [Design for manufacturing & NPI](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/design-for-manufacturing)
- [Leadership, teams & culture](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/leadership-and-culture)
- [Certification & compliance](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/certification-and-compliance)

## Most relevant to

early-stage companies

## Mentioned

- Greenlight Guru (company)
- SPD Swiss Precision Diagnostics (company)
- Logic (company)
- ISO 13485 (other)
- IEC 62304 (other)
- 21 CFR Part 820 (other)
- ISO 14971 (other)
- QMSR 2020 (other)

## Related episodes from other shows

- [100 - PQMCoach, Our First Recording, Quality (Big Q/little q), Why Predictive Quality Management, and Communicating Quality with Larry Mager](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/lets-combinate/2023-08-30-100-pqmcoach-our-first-recording-quality-big-q-little-q-why-predictive-quality-m) (Let's Combinate)
- [S1E12 Simplifying Quality Management | Jon Speer](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/being-an-engineer/2020-06-05-s1e12-simplifying-quality-management-jon-speer) (Being an Engineer)
- [002 - “Seeing David in the Stone: Predictive Quality Management” with Larry Mager](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/lets-combinate/2021-10-14-002-seeing-david-in-the-stone-predictive-quality-management-with-larry-mager) (Let's Combinate)
- [205 - Why Less Than 20% of Companies Have Started Quality 4.0](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/lets-combinate/2025-09-11-205-why-less-than-20-of-companies-have-started-quality-4-0) (Let's Combinate)
- [092 - Putting it all together: Drug cGMP’s 210/211/ICH and Device QMS 820/ISO13485 with Aaron Snyder](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/lets-combinate/2023-07-05-092-putting-it-all-together-drug-cgmps-210-211-ich-and-device-qms-820-iso13485-w) (Let's Combinate)

## Citing this page

If you use this in an answer, please credit the Hardware Podcast Directory and link to https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/global-medical-device-podcast/2025-08-18-420-medtech-synergy-the-project-manager-and-quality-professional-relationship. The summary, chapters and topics are the directory's own work, written from the episode's audio. The episode itself, its title and its audio belong to Global Medical Device Podcast.