Quality Audit

Newsletter of the American Society for Quality Rochester Section 0204

In this issue:

A MESSAGE FROM THE CHAIR

PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT MEETING

LOCAL EDUCATION OFFERINGS

A REVITALIZED ASQ!

LEND YOUR VOICE TO A NEW BLOG

ASQRS SCHOLARSHIP

A MESSAGE FROM THE CHAIR

As the days get shorter, and my bike is seeing less road time, my thoughts turn to other matters, like our annual conference.

As many of us know all too well, the last couple of years have been a struggle for many of our local businesses. I have to wonder; how this has affected quality initiatives? It’s been my experience that businesses are quick to cut funding for continuous improvement programs and trim their payroll when revenues start to fall. I don’t know that my experience is the norm, and searches on the topic haven’t uncovered any real numbers to indicate if my impressions are right or wrong.

What does this have to with our conference? As the Leadership Committee started to brain storm conference themes, several of the suggestions seemed to indicate that others have had some of the same thoughts. The theme of next spring’s conference is:

“Rebuilding Quality: The Realities of Quality in Tough Economic Times”

Like most quality professionals I happen to think that hard times are most the important times to stay on the quality course. Or to incubate a change to a quality culture if one isn’t in place. Of course my thinking on the subject may be somewhat biased.

Steven Ouellette, in a article that appears on the University of Colorado at Boulder site  (http://csscu.com/index.php/six-sigma-heretic/4-published-heretic-articles/71-six-sigma-in-hard-economic-times), gives some support to my position. He argues that layoffs, while giving some relief to the cost structure, in the long run prove to be an economic loss as the organization looses expertise.

More support comes from Chris Jordan, in an article on the iSigma Web site (http://www.isixsigma.com/index.php?option=com_k2&view=item&id=738:adjusting-continuous-improvement-in-hard-economic-times&Itemid=50). Jordan suggests that implementation of quality disciplines employing tools like value mapping kaizen events can help to target cost cuts that can really make a long term difference. Jordan emphasizes the importance of addressing cost reduction with a sense of urgency and offers a couple of tools to help identify the projects that are going to have the biggest impact immediately and long term.

As I have advocated in past columns, our national ASQ site is a great resource and a quick search of the site on this subject brought up two very relevant articles didn’t change my impressions.

One is an article by Michel D. Nichols and Harim Houry appears in the January 2009 edition of Quality Progress. The authors offer several immediate, near term, and long term strategies that in-house quality professionals can use to prove the power of quality to senior management. The immediate priorities have to be on dollars and using lean and kaizen quickly find places to cut costs. In the near term; keep customer focus, communicate to management to emphasize the importance of your quality programs, and keep in mind that slow times can open opportunities for training.

For the long term; stay close to senior management, use the finance team to track and save time, and use what is learned during the immediate and near term efforts to steer strategy.

In a 2003 article that was pulled from the archives, Douglas L. Berg and William M Harral provide some insight into deciding how to deal with an audit program in hard times. Options go from terminating the project to accelerating it. Several factors must be considered including company culture, costs, and risks.

There is much to think about when hard times hit. I think that in most cases quality professions need to take a leading role in guiding business decisions when revenues start to decline. What do you think?

Leigh Rundell
2010-2011 Chair

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PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT MEETING

There are two opportunities for professional development this month.
The first meetng is on Thursday, November 4, 2010 and is a joint meeting with PDMA.
Download the information flyer here. Note: reservations for this event must be made by emailing dhodder@rochester.rr.com.

The second meeting will be held on Tuesday, November 16, 2010. Download the information flyer here.
This meeting will be held at the R. Thomas Flynn Campus Center, Brighton Room on the MCC Henrietta Campus.

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LOCAL EDUCATION OFFERINGS

Sign up now to get in on a big favorite - Excel & Minitab Introduction to Data Analysis.
Find all the details and registration form here.

In February we have a seminar on Acceptance Sampling Plans.
Find all the details and registration form here.

Starting in February we'll start a seminar titled Continuous Improvement Made Easy.
Find all the details and registration form here.

Starting in March we'll have a seminar on Statistical Process Control.
Find all the details and registration form here.

Starting in April we'll have the refresher course for Certified Quality Auditor.
Find all the details and registration form here.

Don't wait, download these forms today and send them to anyone that you think might be interested in these topics.

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A REVITALIZED ASQ!

On November 1, ASQ launched its newly enhanced brand – with the goal of raising the voice of quality in the global community. As part of this launch, the ASQ website homepage will feature a link to a new ASQ brand video, which brings the mission and vision of ASQ to life using member voices to tell the story. In addition, you will see links to a site that explains several new programs related to the enhanced ASQ brand. Be sure to watch the video and visit the brand site.

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LEND YOUR VOICE TO A NEW BLOG

The goal of the new ASQ brand is to amplify the voices of our global membership. One way this will be achieved is through a blog initiative called Influential Voices. You can participate by following the “View From the Q” blog, which is hosted by ASQ Executive Director and Chief Strategic Officer Paul Borawski. In the blog, Borawski discusses quality trends and topics and responds to feedback from the quality community.
Visit the View From the Q blog…

On a local level the folks of our Rochester section have started a blog in hopes of stirring up quality conversations that interest you.
Our first post is ready for your input and deals with the topic of this month's Letter from the Chair.
Visit http://asqrs.blogspot.com to get in on the conversation.

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ASQRS SCHOLARSHIP

Are you a college sophomore or junior?
Do you have a child who is a college sophomore or junior?
Do you know a college sophomore or junior?
Does this college sophomore or junior need help with college expenses?

If you answered "Yes!" to any of the above questions, then ASQRS has a scholarship opportunity for you!

The ASQRS Scholarship seeks applicants for the 2011 ASQRS $1000 Scholarships Program. Applicants must be in their sophomore or junior year of college, be children of the American Society for Quality Rochester Section members, or eligible college students who are permanent residents of Monroe, Genesee, Livingston, Ontario, Orleans, Seneca, Wayne,
or Wyoming counties of New York State.
Please tell your relatives, friends, or neighbors about the availability of these scholarships! Use these links for eligibility requirements and scholarship application information. If you have questions, contact Kit Schlageter: 585.453.4912, mschlag2@its.jnj.com

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To submit content for a future newsletter:
Send to:
David Gilfoy at qualityauditeditor@yahoo.com by the 20th of the month prior to publication.
If information is not received by the 20th it may still be added to the asqrs.org web site.

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