Job Talk: Evie Raijmakers, QA Systems Specialist & Junior Quality Manager
“You help others do their jobs better, within legislation and standards.” Evie Raijmakers talks enthusiastically about her role as QA systems specialist and junior quality manager at Bakker Goedhart. Quality is a facilitative function, she says. And that's what the team of specialists at the service office and quality departments at the bakeries does. “Every bakery has its own culture, each bakery looks at things differently. We support this with quality systems.”
Continuous improvement
She has been in since early 2023, starting as a graduate intern in the quality department. While studying Food & Business, Evie consciously chose to focus on quality. “Continuous improvement appeals to me. You support people, you are the link between rules and practice.” Together with QA manager Robin Fransen, Evie supports the quality departments in the bakeries. Evie also works as a quality manager in one of the bakeries. She thinks it's ideal: “That's how I see both sides. I bring information about the reasons for the choices in the central system, and vice versa, I see things in the bakery that we should include in the central system. That interaction reinforces my work.”
“Merge local visions without losing sight of local differences and local added value.”
Quality manual, learning environment, digitization
Concrete examples include the (digital) quality manual, complaint modules and the ELO Electronic Learning Environment. Evie: “The handbook contains all procedures and instructions, plus documents and registration forms. Such an unambiguous approach offers clarity and structure. This way, we can share information and knowledge nationally to contribute to consistent quality.” And about the ELO: “Together with a project team and the technical builder, I set up the ELO from scratch, a mega project. I am proud that the training courses are now being taken there and that those results are quickly visible during audits.”
Quality in practice
Quality — and in particular the digitization of registrations — also has added value to the production line: “Today, a lot of checks are still being filled out on paper and put in a folder. That's a shame, because no one looks at that anymore. We are working on digital checklists on the line, which is easier for operators and this way we can make trend analyses that provide a basis for improvement.” The entire quality department also keeps an eye on its own quality. In 2025, for example, a quality shield was established. “It states who we are as a quality service, what we want to be and what the organization can expect from us.” That shield also mentions flexibility. “You have to be flexible without losing sight of the structure. If you are too structured, you lose flexibility.”
Culture of improvement
After all, implementing quality systems is not a piece of cake, especially in a diverse organization like Bakker Goedhart. “Quality is culture,” says Evie. “There is an enormous behavioral component to it. For example, requirements from the IFS standard sometimes change and we do our utmost to include people.” Fortunately, the quality expert is happy to do that. “What I like most is that I come to different locations. Each bakery has its own culture and view on quality. We are trying to build a system that can be used for all bakeries.” And that means a lot of explaining. “You shouldn't say what we do, but why. That takes time and energy, but then you create loyalty and motivation.” It's extra nice when she sees immediate results: “Recently, I gave a session about the blocking procedure (removing bread that isn't good from deliveries). A few hours later, I received all the first forms back neatly filled out. Then you know what you're doing it for.”
“Every day is different, and it's that dynamic that really appeals to me.”
What's great about working at Bakker Goedhart? “The variety, the broad range of activities and the fact that you can really make a difference here. The quality teams are quite small, with only two people per bakery. So if your share in quality is quite high, you can really add something.
And what about her favorite product? “Can I choose just one? I love the gingerbread and chocolate dumplings. But the cheese-onion dumplings and cheese-tomato dumplings are also favorites!”