By Vinnie Delgado.

Supplier quality assurance is a demanding field, and burnout is a constant risk. Every day I talk with Supplier Quality Engineers (SQEs) who handle high-stress responsibilities. From troubleshooting to meticulous follow-ups, often working overtime to late nights, you’re spending days away from your family, working on the road, driving after hours, and boarding flights at 5:00 AM. I know how hard SQEs are working, and the burnout that follows because I’ve been there.

Burnout is more than just being tired; it’s a state of physical or mental collapse caused by prolonged stress and overwork. Symptoms can include:

• Persistent fatigue and a drained feeling
• Insomnia or disrupted sleep patterns
• Emotional shifts, like irritability or sadness
• An increased reliance on alcohol or other coping mechanisms
• Frequent illness due to a weakened immune response

The Grind of Supplier Quality Engineering

I know the grind all too well. When I was working as a Supplier Quality Engineer, I often had to work long hours and felt like overtime was a positive reflection of my dedication. I had a never-ending to-do list and thought I could keep working to make it smaller, but the cycle only continued.

Eventually, I reached a tipping point. Professionally, I hit a point of burnout from that endless to-do list, which led to me being less efficient and productive at work. I accomplished less and therefore had to work longer hours if I wanted to make up for it. This is a clear demonstration of how burnout quickly turns into a vicious cycle.

Personally, burnout meant I had to put off personal milestones and simple joys — like long-awaited road trips, family time, and hobbies. When I realized my work life and personal life were out-of-balance, I knew I had to take the first steps in creating a more sustainable balance for the sake of my family.

I learned a lot during my career as a quality engineer and hope to help others who may be having a similar experience. Here are some of my practical tips for balancing work as a quality engineer with a fulfilling life outside the office.

Tip #1 to Avoid Burnout: Optimize Your Work Processes

Improving work-life balance is personal; it will look different for everyone. Start by identifying areas in your workflow that consume excessive time or create redundancies. Every time you can, automate your repetitive tasks – like manual inspections and document verification – to reduce your workload and increase efficiency. Essentially, get more done in less time. 

I get it. You’re likely working from inconsistent or incomplete documentation from your suppliers, especially for your PPAPs and inspection reports, and you lack a single source of truth for supplier quality data, which is often spread across different systems or spreadsheets, making it hard to track trends and performance.

The most successful SQEs do two main things. First, they are proactive. They plan, not just what they’ll do hour to hour, but week to week, month to month. Second, they automate their key functions, such as tracking corrective actions, managing supplier documentation, and sending automated follow-ups. 

Automation can help you:

• Evaluate your process
• Trim unnecessary tasks
• Leverage technology to make your work easier and more streamlined

When you optimize your work processes, you can reduce time spent on manual tasks and shift focus toward higher-level work—ultimately easing your mental load. 

Tip #2: Learn to Say “No”

One of the most impactful ways to protect your time and energy is by setting boundaries. Many SQEs find themselves accepting tasks and responsibilities out of a sense of obligation, which can quickly lead to overwhelm. In order to maintain (or establish) balance and ensure you can meet your core responsibilities effectively, effective SQEs say “no” to additional work, especially when it’s outside your role or capacity.

That additional work might look like: 

1. Supporting the manufacturing plants on quality and customer audits 
2. Babysitting suppliers (which is usually the responsibility of the manufacturing plants)
3. Training purchasing and Program Management personnel in technical aspects 
4. Interfacing between suppliers and buyers due to their poor communication and collaboration

How do you say “no” without getting fired? This is a legitimate question. When your performance suffers at work, you might be placed on a Performance Improvement Plan (PIP), you might fall short of your targets, and, as a result, you might not see your bonus or that raise you banked on for next year.

Saying “no” isn’t about shirking responsibilities; it’s about protecting your mental and emotional health. By prioritizing your key duties and politely saying no to tasks that can detract from those key duties, you’ll not only improve your performance but also safeguard against burnout. Your boss is more likely to see and recognize said improved performance.

Tip #3: Disconnect

While you’re on the road for work, getting to all your emails is a challenge and your pile of paperwork only gets bigger and bigger. At the end of your long day, once you get to your hotel, you have to answer 40+ emails, assemble the audit reports, and check the corrective action analysis. On top of that, when you return to the office, you have a ton of office work to do and have to put together the monthly activity report for your boss.

SQEs often pour a significant amount of their energy into their roles, which can leave little left for life outside of work. It’s essential to create a mental separation between work and personal life. This means being fully present at work during the day but also committing to mentally “unplugging” when the workday ends.

Effective work-life balance is about ensuring that you can engage deeply in both your professional and personal spheres. For instance, during your work hours, keep distractions at bay to stay productive and focused. At the end of the day, participating in a hobby or activity you enjoy outside of work can make a noticeable difference in how refreshed you feel. 

Just as emotional disconnection is crucial, so too is setting physical boundaries with work communications. One powerful way to manage work-life balance is by physically “disconnecting” from work communication at the end of each day. This could mean muting email notifications, setting an auto-reply after hours, or even having separate devices or accounts for work and personal use.

With a clear line between work and home, you can fully immerse yourself in personal activities. Whether it’s time with family, gaming, or traveling, these moments free of work interruptions are essential for maintaining a sense of balance and reducing stress. Taking the step to disconnect from work communications, even for a few hours each evening, allows you to return to your work with a clear mind and fresh energy.

Tip #4: Invest in your Supplier Relationships

As an SQE it can be challenging to maintain consistent quality across multiple suppliers, particularly when communication is limited or quality expectations are misunderstood. What makes all of this even more difficult is the fact that you’re under pressure from both your suppliers and your team to resolve quality issues quickly to avoid production delays. You need a solution that can provide you with rapid visibility into supplier performance. 

Supplier relationships are crucial to your experience of the job. To make your life miserable, all a supplier has to do is to decide not to help you. And guess what? Your boss won’t care. What your boss needs are results.

And remember, on top of all this, your performance bonus (read: $$$) depends on your results!

Getting results from a friendly relationship is always easier than from a forceful customer-supplier relationship. The better your relationship with your suppliers, the faster you can resolve issues when they arise. The best way to build your supplier relationships is to treat them like a friend. 

Investing in and optimizing your supplier relationships also ensures you can emotionally disconnect from your workday. Your supplier is not your enemy! (Quite the opposite, actually.) The better your relationships with your suppliers, the happier you are at work. The happier you are at work, the less your mood negatively impacts your productivity.

By implementing these anti-burnout strategies, you can take control of your workload and protect yourself from the pressures that lead to burnout. Being proactive about managing work stress isn’t just about avoiding burnout—it’s about creating a sustainable career in quality engineering that allows you to thrive both professionally and personally.

Subscribe to our newsletter!

When you subscribe to our monthly newsletter, we make sure you’re the first to hear about trends, news, and best practices for Quality Engineering.  We’re here to make sure you get your most focused, productive work done and prevent burnout.