DocQment

Message from the QPI SIG Manager, May 11, 2006 

From 1991 to 2003, the QPI SIG published a newsletter which, after the first few issues, was called DocQment. Many issues are online on our static website, as is news and information published in 2005 and through May 5, 2006.

This site brings DocQment back as a continuously updated publication, and replaces the static site. News and features appear at the top of DocQment. At the bottom you will find our QPI SIG resource pages, developed in 2005. These can be expanded and updated as members leave comments.

We are using the WordPress open source content management software for DocQment. To start, we will use the default theme and its default characteristics, except for changes we can make in the administration panel without extensive editing of the PHP code. That allows us to post meaningful information quickly.

You are invited to leave comments. If you are a QPI SIG member, you are invited register on the site and become a contributor. If you’d like to be a contributor, please write to the manager, ann@annlwiley.com.

Process improvement efforts pervade every sector of society today, and not for profit organizations are no exception. In STC, the Quality and Process Improvement SIG is following a performance management system. This starts with tracking key measures related to satisfaction and retention of members, and growth.

Also tracked are performance in the stages of the Section Management Process of the American Society for Quality, and monthly performance against the STC Newsletter Competition Guidelines and the criteria for the STC Community Achievement Award.

Benchmarking started with looking for data on expectations for retaining members. This article applies: “Member Retention Key to Association Growth” The link was current in December 2005.

The Vietnam News Service reported May 8, 2006 that Vietnam Quality Association of HCM City (VQAC) was founded on Friday May 5, with its first 330 corporate and individual members.

The mission of the association is to support members in applying and improving quality management systems.

Professor Dao Van Luong, Director of the HCM city Department of Science and Technology, reports that approximately 3,000 organizations in Vietnam have quality management certifications. The goal is, by 2010, to increase to 5,000 the number of businesses in Vietnam with quality management certifications. HCM city supports businesses and government in implementing quality management.

An increasing number of industries are being governed by standards specific to those industries. In 2005 the QPI SIG assembled information about many of these standards. The list follows. (more…)

The Gartner Group plans a Business Process Management Summit June 27 to 28 2006 in London.

In January 2006 the Gartner CIO Survey showed Business Process Improvement is seen by CIOs as the number one business priority in 2006.

Therefore Gartner will be holding its first European BPM Summit, as a follow-on event to the American summit in June 2005.

According to Gartner, BPM is seen as a management discipline that can “subsume” Six Sigma and Lean techniques. Organizations new to BPM should implement initiatives across the organization rather than in “silos” at a tactical level. BPM helps organizations compete on the basis of superior business process, leading to reduction in inefficiency, errors, duplication of standards and work, complexity, and risk and improved factual reporting, agility, alignment, productivity, and compliance.

The scope of the summit is reported with registration information on the Gartner site.

The effect of process improvement on innovation is a frequent topic of discussion. The Wharton School published an article on the subject. Do you have any other references or experience in this area? How can communication contribute to continuing improvement and fostering innovation? Please leave a comment.

The article is:

“Do Process Management Programs Discourage Innovation?” Published November 2005. Link current, April 2006.

Members express high interest in standards, and in December, 2005 STC’s Intercom magazine included an article by Whitney Quesenbery on getting involved in setting publications standards: “Why get involved in standards (and what you need to know about the standards process” (pages 36-39).

In June 2005, members identified a website that describes the methodology used by Standards Australia.

The STC Forum has additional information on standards setting in business. If you have more information on how standards are set, please leave a comment.

A few basic resources in customer service and satisfaction are listed here. If you have references to add, please leave a comment. (more…)

Much of the activity in educational quality is focused on kindergarten through 12th grade education in the United States. There are also institutions of higher education with quality programs, and some are working toward state quality awards or the Baldrige award. Here are some resources for those interested in learning about quality in education, or starting a quality program in a school or college. If you can add to this list, please leave a comment. (more…)

This listing includes resources related to environmental quality, and a list of environmental management standards. An article, “Clarifying the Intent of ISO 14001″ in the February 2006 Quality Progress magazine presents explanatory information from US TAG members who worked on the standard. If you can add more information, please leave a comment. (more…)

A list of basic resources on Sarbanes-Oxley follows. If you have information to add, please leave a comment.

Scott Green. Manager’s Guide to the Sarbanes-Oxley Act: Improving Internal Controls to Prevent Fraud. ISBN 0-471-56975-5. 2004.

Guy P. Lander. What is Sarbanes-Oxley? McGraw-Hill. 2004.Sarbanes-Oxley Act Forum. Link current August 2005.

Sarbanes-Oxley Financial and Accounting Disclosure Information. Link current August 2005.

Quality blog: Sarbanes-Oxley. Link current December 2005.

Quality management in health care is expanding, and this resource list will grow. To add information, leave a comment.

IWA-1:2001 - Quality Management Systems: Guidelines for Process Improvements in Health Service Organizations. ISO/AIAG/ASQ. Link current May 2005.

Quality blog: Healthcare Efficiency. Link current December 2005.

Implementing ISO standards requires that you:

• Learn about the standard, associated processes, and requirements to implement
• Select the appropriate standard for your company
• Adapt the standard as appropriate for your situation
• Develop an action plan for implementation
• Develop the needed documentation

This page lists resources to help you get started, in the following categories. Items from May 2005 were identified by Bill Abbott. Please leave a comment to add information.

• ISO reference materials and training
• ISO email list
• ISO websites
• ISO tools (more…)

This resource list encompasses calibration, measurement methods, testing laboratories, and measurement systems including the metric system. If you have information to add, please leave a comment. (more…)

This list encompasses laboratories as well as medical devices and pharmaceuticals. If you have information to add, please leave a comment. (more…)