I agree with manolo on many points, but I believe there is more to add. Personal relations are important but I believe that there could be more interdepartmental cooperation project wise. Maybe monthly meetings between the different departments. I haven’t worked in industry, but I assume that this isn’t done because of the time needed. Maybe having a few people from quality on each project who coordinate with the other staff from the start would be beneficial, but I can’t say for sure without knowing exactly what the dynamic is like in the average workplace. At the very least a seminar on the costs of not doing quality control that requires attendance would be useful. People tend to forget the long term when they encounter immediate problems.