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Articles of interest
from management systems publications are regularly added to this
page. These cover the many aspects of management systems and related
technical issues. The titles currently held are given below, with
a synopsis provided for each. Please note that this bibliography is for your information and interest only, and does not necessarily mean endorsement by IANZ.
You may request a photocopy of any article listed
by contacting IANZ. There is no charge for this service but please
note that, under copyright law, we can only provide one copy per
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Accreditation
- How certified reference materials can help
laboratories meet regulatory requirements Inside Laboratory
Management May/June 2011 p20-21. Looks at what a CRM is, their
advantages and uses, microbiological CRMs and how to obtain a
CRM.
- Depending on departments beyond the laboratory
to meet accreditation requirements Inside Laboratory Management
Jan/Feb 2011 p18. Argues that all departments should be knowledgeable
on the requirements of ISO/IEC 17025 and understand their responsibilities
to meet those requirements.
- 10
best practices of good laboratories - ASTM Standardization
news - Nov/Dec 2010 p24-31. If you didn't document it, you didn't
do it. This article lists and explains 10 practices that should
be routine for all good laboratories, especially those considering
applying for accreditation. The 10 are: Establish and follow procedures;
maintain your proficiency; validate methods; use traceable standard
reference materials; run in duplicate; keep original data; assign
instruments and equipment to analysts; calibrate instruments;
use control charts and document everything and maintain good records.
- How
management review can benefit the laboratory - Inside Laboratory
Management J/A 2010 Looks
at why you should conduct a review, the required elements and
how to prepare for one.
- Understanding
calibration, verification, standardization, intermediate checks,
and other accreditation buzz words - Inside laboratory Management
Jul/Aug 2009
- Standards
enable?Product and service compliance - ASTM Standardization
News Nov/Dec 2009
"The
first of a series of articles showing how several aspects of global
trade - from conformity assessment to technology transfer - are
enabled by voluntary consensus standards."
- GLPs,
GMPs, ISO 17025:2005 : How do they differ? - Inside Laboratory
Management M/A 2009
Looks at how these requirements differ and what a lab that must
comply with both GLPs and ISO accreditation do.
- Regulation
of laboratories in New Zealand - The Clinical Biochemist Newsletter
March 2009
Looks at the regulations governing medical laboratories in New
Zealand.
- Why
is choosing the right definition so difficult? - Inside Laboratory
Management Jan/Feb 2009
"It is important to define terms using the current internationally
accepted definition because confusion occurs when the definitions
are updated in one document, but not in another".
- Conformity
assessment, standards and trade - ASTM Standardization News
March/April 2009
Ann Weeks, the Vice President of Underwriters laboratories in
Washington, D.C., answers questions on the firms approach to compliance,
international trade and standards.
- Management
review checklist for ISO/IEC 17025 and ISO 15189 quality management
systems - Accreditation and Quality Assurance v14 n2 2009
Some of the benefits of the management review process are not
fully realised because labs either don’t realize the importance
of the process or they lack the experience to carry out the process
in a way that produces results. This article aims to present a
management review checklist to help labs carry out an effective
management review.
- TDLM
Workshop provides examples of approaches to method verification
; presentations available online - Inside Laboratory Management
Nov/Dec 2008
Reports on the background to the AOAC guide “How to meet
ISO 17025 requirements for method verification” (which can
be found at: http://www.aoac.org/alacc_guide_2008.pdf) and the
presentations and examples AOAC provides on how to approach different
types of methods (http://www.aoac.org/accreditation/am_2008_presents.htm).
- Bringing
down technical barriers to
trade with metrology, accreditation and standardization -
ISO Focus Sept 2008
- Laboratory
accreditation enhances international credibility - MAF Biosecurity
New Zealand Issue 85 p24-25
The Plant Health and Environment Laboratory (PHEL) obtains accreditation
to ISO 17025.
- Conformity
assessment : providing confidence in testing and calibration
- Accreditation and Quality Assurance Online First June 2008
This paper looks at some of the issues behind ISO/IEC 17025:2005
'General Requirements for the Competence of Testing and Calibration
laboratories' and ISO/IEC Guide 43 'Proficiency Testing by Interlaboratory
Comparisons'.
- The
importance of proper sampling - Inside laboratory Management
M/A 2008 p9
If samples are not collected correctly and subsampled properly,
data obtained will not be indicative of the true concentration
no matter how well the laboratory performs.
- The
subtleties of proficiency testing
- Inside Laboratory Management, Nov/Dec 2007
Proficiency testing is intended to help laboratories monitor their
own performance on specific analytes and matrixes, normally using
their own methods of analysis. This articles looks at how the
system works and why it has become a business essential.
- Communication
between accrediting body and testing laboratory - Inside Laboratory
Management M/A 2007
A laboratory needs to know its rights and responsibilities and
the requirements that it must meet.
- How
does a laboratory confirm that it can operate a standard method
properly? - Inside laboratory Management S/O 2007
- How
does a laboratory monitor customer satisfaction?
- Inside Laboratory Management, Jul/Aug 2007
A laboratory must seek customer feedback to achieve an accurate
picture of customer satisfaction.
- The
development of accreditation - Focal Points, December 2006
- Accreditation
and Mutual Recognition Arrangements - Focal Points, December
2006
- Surveys
of the Accreditation of Providers of Proficiency Testing and External
Quality Assessment Schemes - Accreditation
and Quality Assurance v11 n8-9, August 2006
Two surveys among providers of proficiency testing and external
quality assessment schemes in 32 countries were carried out during
2004 and 2005. The surveys revealed a strong tendency towards
accreditation and a lack of harmonisation of national accreditation
bodies.
- Accreditation
of PT providers – is it Worth the Money? -
Accreditation and Quality Assurance v11 n8-9, August 2006
This topic is presented from two perspectives, namely the views
of an accreditation body – NATA, Australia - and those of
an accredited provider – EQUALIS, the national quality assurance
organisation for laboratory medicine in Sweden.
- Experiences
from the assessment of proficiency testing providers -
Accreditation and Quality Assurance v11 n8-9, August 2006
This article explores some of the key aspects of a pilot project
conducted by the UK accreditation body, UKAS in assessing organisations
against ISO/IEC Guide 43-1:1997 and ILAC Guide 13:2000.
- Key
Technical Personnel - New requirements for Chemical, Biological,
Dairy and Drinking Water (Level 1) Testing Laboratories - Focal
Points, July 2004
- What
is the difference between certification and accreditation?
- NATA News 107, April 2003
- International
Recognition of Accreditation of Certified Reference Materials
Producers - Focal Points, December 2005
- Regulatory
Recognition of Accreditation - Focal Points, December 2005
- Linking
metrology and standardisation with laboratory accreditation
- ISO Focus, October 2006 . This article first appeared in the
October 2006 issue of ISO Focus - The magazine of the International
Organization for Standardization - and is now reproduced here
with the permission of ISO Central Secretariat (www.iso.org).
Editorial enquiries: gasiorowski@iso.org. A one-year subscription
costs 158 Swiss francs. Subscription enquiries: sales@iso.org
- Building
Consent Authority Accreditation - Codewords June 2010 Issue
042 p4-5Looks at why accreditation for Building Consent Authorities
in NZ is important, who is doing it and what the benefits of accreditation
have been.
- Standards
: Economic and Social Impact - ISO Focus June 2010 p9-33A
Special report form ISO gives a selection of articles on the contribution
of consensus based standards to improving the performances of
companies and industries. The report covers such topics as to
whether the investment in participating in standard development
worth the cost, how standards support innovation and the impact
of standardization on technological change in France.
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Auditing
- How to avoid being a “Rabbit in the headlights”
: Tips on how to survive a regulatory interview Quasar July 2011
p11-13. Although written specifically for regulatory audits, the
tips given in this article apply equally well for anyone who may
find themselves answering questions in an assessment.
- Standards: Taking control Quality Progress June
2011 p61-63. Looks at whether the controls you have in your organisation
are just words or an effective means of improving your performance.
- Revisionist history – Behind the
scenes of the next version of ISO 9001 Quality Progress March
2011 p64-66. Looks at the 20 future concepts to be discussed by
ISO/TC 176 in the next revision of ISO 9001 (scheduled for 2015).
Discusses six concepts that the author thinks should be part of
that revision: The financial resources of the organization, the
inclusion of a risk-based thinking approach, life-cycle management,
process results and effectiveness, process innovation and process
management.
- Remote
control - Is e-auditing the inevitable next step? Quality
Progress Jan 2011 p59-61. Argues that e-auditing is coming, like
it or not. Looks at the benefits and concerns.
- Will ISO/IEC 17025:2005 be revised? Inside
Laboratory Management Nov/Dec 2010 p9,17.
- Word
power : a 12 point style guide for the quality professional
- Quality Progress Oct 2010 p24-29. The author presents 12 simple
tips, based on practical experience and analysis, aimed at helping
auditors clarify their written communications with clients. Each
tip is explained with guidance on when to consider using it and
what it should be used instead of.
- Brace for impact : Modified approach improves
outcome of internal audits - Quality Progress Oct 2010 p30-33.
Internal audits against a standard often fail to generate enthusiasm
for their findings. This article looks at how to go about "auditing
for impact" and how to get management attention. Gives two
examples.
- Accreditation of proficiency testing providers
- Inside Laboratory Management S/O 2010. Looks at what requirements
accrediting bodies must meet, how they are evaluated and also
at expanding the MRA.
- Auditing
from afar - Quality World p38-39
Argues that it is possible to undertake parts of
an audit remotely using modern technology. Looks at some of the
problems involved and how they can be overcome. Gives a case study.
- Policies
vs procedures - Inside
Laboratory Management Jan/Feb 2010 p20
Argues that "It is only through documented and regular review
of policies and procedures that a laboratory cn maintain a consistent
level of service for its customers."
- Who audits QA (or)
How effective is your QA programme - Quasar no. 111 April
2010 p7-9
This article aims to explore ways in which companies can audit
and monitor QA activities within their organisations.
- The sum of many
parts - Quality World April 2010 p36-39
Looks at ISO 19011 and what the most important skills in auditing
are. Also looks briefly at the future ISO 17021.2 which aims to
create a framework for the competencies needed to ensure an auditor
is capable.
- The global guideline
for Good Clinical Practice auditing - Quasar Jan 2010 no.
110
The objective of this guideline, produced by the Japanese Society
for Quality Assurance (JSQA) is to outline the mission and the
organisation of an auditing department and the principles for
planning, performing and reporting audits.
- Technical records
: How much information is sufficient? - Inside Laboratory
Management Nov/Dec 2009
- Policies vs procedures
- Inside Laboratory Management Jan/Feb 2010 p20 Argues that
"It is only through documented and regular review of policies
and procedures that a laboratory can maintain a consistent level
of service for its customers."
- Gauge audit program
value Quality Progress June 2009
How to gauge the effectiveness of your audit program.
- Pitfalls and pit props…internal
audit to stop the roof falling in Q-Newz Sept 2009
Ian Hendra gives a brief explanation of the purpose of auditing
and how you can tell if your internal auditing is doing its job
properly.
- Quality needs auditing
revolution Q-Newz Sept 2009
A brief look at the recent approach to improving auditing practice
centered on behavioural assessments - looking not that a company
has a quality policy but whether employees understand it and the
processes associated with it.
- Know your source - Quality World March
2009
"By carrying out an audit on a supplier you get the chance
to assess how it conducts its business and determine whether its
quality management system is adequate to ensure its ability to
meet your needs". As much care should be taken with this
audit as any other, with the process being defined, planned, and
looking at inputs, outputs, resources, qualified personnel, records
and measurement. The author looks at what you should do to plan
and organise the audit and some advice on what to include in the
report at the end.
- Writing effective technical reports in dispute
resolution - NATA News Dec 2008
Focuses on the content of technical reports that discuss defective
work. Looks briefly at what a technical report is, its purpose,
who should write it, its timing, tips for presenting findings
and what it should include.
- Drill deep for strategic alignment - Quality
Progress Oct 2008
Argues that an internal audit programme coupled with a properly
deployed strategic plan and a well-designed system of indicators,
can help an organization execute its strategy and achieve performance
goals. Cites research that indicated 70% to 90% of organizations
fail to realise success from their strategies with the failure
often not due to poor strategies but rather from poor deployment
and execution. Looks at the training internal auditors should
receive, what auditors should look for and the reporting of weaknesses
and opportunities.
- Smooth approach - Quality Progress Oct
2008
Looks at a new approach to internal auditing for companies with
mature systems called an "appreciative internal quality audit"
which can take them from compliance to excellence. Claims "an
appreciative audit helps reveal and enhance what's correct or
discard what's not." Discusses the philosophy behind the
approach and looks at the differences between a traditional audit
and an appreciative audit. Includes a table listing the assumptions
of appreciative inquiries.
- New editions of ISO 9001 and ISO 9004:
Advice for users on implementing ISO 9001:2008
- 10 Auditing rules -
Quality Progress July 2008 p45-49
The author lists 10 rules that he claims will significantly improve
the effectiveness of audits making the results more useful to
management.
- Off to a good start - Quality Progress
June 2008 p67-69
Looks at seven things to remember when initiating an audit. The
seven things to remember are: confirm authority, provide information,
communication channels, site safety rules, arranging the audit
and observers and guides.
- Aspects of auditing in clinical laboratories
- Accreditation and Quality Assurance Online First April 2008
- The Great debate: can one process approach
apply to QMS and EMS audits? - Quality Progress April 2008
p27-32
Argues that QMS and EMS process auditing is similar, but auditing
ISO 14001 and ISO 9001 or ISO/TS 16949 requires a different approach
with different language, systems and differences in the standard.
- The
process of management review - Accreditation and Quality Assurance
v13 n3, March 2008
Looks at the purpose of a management review, which is a requirement
of ISO 9001, ISO 15189 and ISO 17025, and argues that it is a
process that should be conducted and audited using a process approach.
This process approach is then explained.
- The
problem - Quality World, Jan 2008
There are a lot of question marks surrounding
the competence of certification body auditors at the moment. What
is the best way of ensuring I get the best possible audit?
- How does a laboratory select and purchase
supplies? - Inside Laboratory Management, Nov/Dec 2007
Looks at ISO 17025:2005 section 4.6.1 which focuses on supplies.
- Improving the internal audit experience
- Quality Progress, Nov 2007
Describes the experience of Cerner Corp (Kansas City) who surveyed
their employees about their audit experiences. On learning that
employees did not believe there was any benefit from an internal
audit the company introduced a training course on how to effectively
participate. The article includes a two page description on how
Cerner used the PDCA approach to develop the course.
- Insider
Job
- Denise Robitaille, Quality World, August 2007
Internal auditing is one of the elements that makes your QMS complete.
This article gives a series of practices and tips that will help
your organisation reap the benefits from its internal auditing
programme.
- Preparing and structuring an audit report
- Quality Progress June 2007
Looks at ISO 19011's guidance on how to prepare the audit report
in some detail.
- Accreditation
requirements for internal audits
- Arlene Fox, Inside Laboratory Management M/A 2006
The purpose of an internal audit for a laboratory is to verify
that its operations continue to comply with the management system.
- How
to Fail the ISO 9001 Driver's Test
- Quality Progress, October 2006
Audit time can be difficult for many businesses. Nobody wants
to fail an audit, but as with any test, if you don’t prepare
properly for an ISO 9001 audit you could be setting your business
up for defeat.
- Why
does preparation for accreditation require more time than expected?
- By Arlene Fox, Inside Laboratory Management, Sep/Oct 2006 p14
Useful introduction as to what to expect for laboratories expecting
an audit for the first time.
- 12 ways to add value to audits - Quality
Progress, June 2004
Can auditing help overcome the most common difficulties in sustaining
ongoing improvement? Gives 12 action items that will result in
an audit program strategy to combat lack of management commitment.
- Joint
auditing standard for quality and environmental management systems
now available - ISO Management Systems, Nov / Dec 2002 . ISO
19011:2002 - Guidelines for quality and/or environmental management
systems auditing is introduced.
- The
new behaviour - Quality World June 2010 p36-40 The practice
of auditing needs identify not just what is visible but to understand
the importance of what is currently invisible before it is too
late to act - to look at outcomes rather than just outputs. The
author outlines a project aiming to define the ways in which the
shortcomings of auditing could be addressed. A web-based toolkit,
which has been studied by The University of Canterbury (NZ) MBA
students, is described.
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Food
Safety
- From farm to fork - Quality World April 2009
Looks at some of the reasons behind the slow uptake of ISO 22000 in the UK. It is hoped that the development of PAS 220 and a new FSSC 22000 will increase interest in the ISO standard. Doesn't actually say what is in the standard or the schemes. If you're interested in this, click here: dnv.com
- Eight keys to successful ISO 22000 implementation
- ISO Management Systems May-June 2008 p 35-39
Outlines eight practical steps to successful ISO 22000:2005
'Food safety management systems - Requirements for any organization
in the food chain' implementation.
- A recipe for safe food : ISO 22000 and HACCP
- Quality Progress, Oct 2007
Explains how the two approaches work together to create an
effective food safety management system, and how proper implementation
can contribute to quality throughout the food chain. Gives a brief
introduction to what HACCP is, how it started and lists the five
preliminary steps and seven principles of the approach. The article
then looks as ISO 22000 and the additions made to that standard
which take it further than the ISO 9001 focus on quality that
specifically apply to food safety.
- Food Glorious Food - Quality World,
May 2004
Attempts to explain the relationship between the various food
standards - the BRC food standard, ISO 9001, ISO 15161 and the
Global Food Safety Initiative (GFSI).
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Health
and Safety
- Safely does it - Quality World April 2011-04-28,
p36-39. Presents the results of research aimed at “determining
whether implementation and management of the requirements of OHSAS
18001 could improve health and safety performance within organizations
and whether levels of incidents and risk could be reduced”.
- Breakthrough in US hospital accreditation
looks set to accelerate ISO 9001 adoption in healthcare
- ISO Management Systems March/April 2009
- Take a bite out of inefficiency - Quality
progress May 2009
Case study of a Dental practice which used ISO 9001:2000 to construct
an equipment management system.
- OHSAS 18001 provides MS appraoch for occupational
health and safety - ISO Management Systems
July-August 2008 p32-35
Looks at BS OHSAS 18001:2007, the health and safety management
system used by organizations in over 80 countries. The article
sets out to answer some basic questions such as, what is the standard,
why is it important, how do you implement it and how do you integrate
it with other standards.
- A Healthy business - Quali
ty World, Jan 2005
OHSAS 18001 is used by thousands of British companies needing
to comply with OH&S regulations. This article charts the history
of the standard with an explanation of what it is, how it is being
used, the advantages in using the system and some of the more
common pitfalls.
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Environmental Management
- Green Events Horizon p28-32. Quality World August
2011. ISO 20121 , the standard on event sustainability management
systems, is due to be published before the Olympic games to be
held in London in 2012. The standard will address sustainability
issues associated with venue selection, operating procedures,
supply chain management, procurement, communications and transport
and can be used business, entertainment or sporting events. Organizations
will be able to get third party certification to the standard.
- Laboratory Methods AOAC approves first methods
using alternative pathway to first action status Inside laboratory
Management July/Aug 2011 p25-29.
- Energy
saving - Quality World June 2011-06-14, p28-32. This article
looks at ISO 50001, the new energy management standard (EnMS)
. A brief history of its background is outlined, as are some of
the development challenges. The author points out that to gain
certification to the new standard organisations need to demonstrate
actual performance rather than just putting in place management
practices. A case study is given.
- A touch of green - Quality World June
2011, p34-39 This article aims to “provide
a framework for quality professionals to engage in when designing
new materials, products, processes and systems that do not disturb
human health while maintaining and following quality principles.”
Lists and explains 12 stages to be taken into account when working
on green projects.
- The sustainable manufacturing challenge
- Quality Global Edition October 2010 This online article looks
a the trend for social and environmental externalities to be taken
seriously by companies, that the argument that a business should
not spend on non-core activities is being undermined by the risks
involved if it does not. Looks also at the value created by sustainability
programs beyond that of operational efficiencies. This article
can be found online at: http://digital.bnpmedia.com/publication/?i=49508&15&19&p=27
- Counting Carbon - Quality World May 2009
Looks at the aims of PAS 2050 and, briefly, how businesses can
use the standard to identify their own carbon "Hot spots"
and pass that knowledge on to consumers interested in the carbon
footprint of products they purchase. Gives two case studies -
Walkers crisps and Marshalls stone and concrete. Says that this
standard will probably be replaced by ISO 14067.
- De-carbonizing the supply chain - ISO
Focus March 2009
The background leading up to the development of the upcoming standard
ISO 14067 "Carbon footprint of products" is discussed.
- Wasting energy - Quality World Nov 2008
Looks at the UK's own emissions trading scheme, the Carbon Reduction
Commitment (CRC), a legally binding energy-saving scheme which
comes in effect 2010. Looks at proposed legislation and also at
the future standard EN 16001.
- British project on measuring carbon footprint
of products - ISO Management Systems Nov/Dec 2008
Looks at the BS PAS 2050 (which is available for free on the BSI
website) which is a method for measuring the embodied greenhouse
gas emissions from good and services
- Next generation ISO 14001 - Future stakes
for ISO's EMS standards ISO Management Systems Nov-Dec 2008
Gives an overview of the progress made by 14001 and the process
behind the standard. Most useful is a summary of the issues that
need to be addressed in the future editions of 14001.
- Christchurch International Airport is carbon
neutral - Q-Newz August 2008 p5-7
Case study of Christchurch International Airport's journey to
caboNZero certification and the challenges they faced.
- How to give your ISO 14001 system the climate
change health check - ISO Management Systems, Nov/Dec 2007
Looks at how an existing ISO 14001 environment system can help
mitigate climate change.
- Step by step - Quality World July 2007
Tries to answer the question what does it mean to be carbon neutral?
Includes a short list of what business can do to lower their carbon
footprint.
- The impact of ISO 14001 - ISO Management
Systems, May-June 2007
A special report from ISO looking at ISO 14001 in retrospect and
where it may go from 2007.
- How
to make ISO 14001 implementation easier for small businesses
- Lennart Piper, ISO Focus, Sept 2006
- Launching of ISO 14064 for greenhouse gas
accounting and verification - ISO Management Systems March/April
2006
- Man
on emission - Quality World, Jan 2006
A devastating tsunami in Asia, a range of vicious hurricanes in
the U.S, and an earthquake in Pakistan - to what extent have these
recent natural disasters been brought about by mankind?
- Next
generation ISO 14001 - Quality Progress, Aug 2004
How environmental management systems requirements will change
with the pending revision.
- The
triple top line - Quality Progress, Feb 2004 p23
As with quality, huge waste results when sustainability is not
designed into a product or service. Quality and sustainability
are deeply connected and provide winning solutions for social
responsibility, environmental performance and business results
- the triple bottom line.
- ISO
14001 revision nears completion
- Quality Progress, Feb 2004
Lists and discusses some of the changes in the revision of ISO
14001.
- The
Conscientious Council - Quality World, Nov 2002
Bill Edrich, Kirklees Metropolitan Council's energy and water
conservation coordinator, explains how the council significantly
reduced its energy consumption without increasing overheads.
- Time
to come clean
- Quality World, Nov 2002
Dan Green, sustainability coordinator at Wessex Water, looks at
the state we're in and challenges all businesses to identify their
critical environmental impact and do something about it.
- Integrating
environmental aspects into Product Design and Development
- ISO Management Systems, Nov / Dec 2002 . Introduces the new
ISO technical report ISO/TR 14062.
- Dole
reports motivation, health and safety and productivity benefits
from ISO 14001
- ISO Management Systems, Dec 2001
- ISO
14001 : irrelevant or invaluable? - ISO Management Systems,
Dec 2001
Seeks to answer the question as to whether an ISO 14001 certificate
is mere window-dressing, or a pointer to concrete results in environmental
performance.
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Instrumentation
The Analytical Methods Committee of the Royal
Society of Chemistry has created a series of articles published
with the aim of assisting laboratory managers choose between a range
of competing systems in order to obtain the best instrument for
their analytical requirements. IANZ library does not hold a complete
set but the ones listed below are held.
- Report by the analytical methods committee:
evaluation of analytical instrumentation.
- Part XVI. Evaluation of general user NMR
spectrometers - Accreditation and Quality Assurance v11
n3 May 2006
- Part XVII. Instrumentation for inductively
coupled plasma emission spectrometry - Accreditation and
Quality Assurance v10 n4 Apr2005 p155-159
- Part XVIII. Differential scanning calorimetry
- Accreditation and Quality Assurance (v10 n4 Apr 2005 p160-163
- Part XIX. CHNS elemental analysers - Accreditation
and Quality Assurance v11n11 Nov 2005 p569-576
- Part XX. Instrumentation for energy dispersive
x-ray fluorescence spectrometry - V11 n12 Dec 2006 p610-624
- Part XXI. NIR instrumentation for process
control - Accreditation and Quality Assurance v11 n5 June
2006
- Part XXII. Instrumentation for liquid chromatography/mass
spectrometry - Accreditation and Quality Assurance v12
n1 Jan 2007
- Part XXIII. Instrumentation for portable x-ray
fluorescence spectrometry - Accreditation and Quality
Assurance v13 n8 August 2008 p453-464
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Integration
- Let’s get integrated - Quality World April
2011, p18-25. Five experts are asked about what integrated management
means to them, if the concept is useful, are there good examples
of integration being successful, PAS 99; implications for SMEs,
the future of integration and the need for specialist quality
personnel.
- Integrate to accumulate - Quality World April
2011, p26-29. Case study of Caledus, an oil and gas technology
company, which developed a business strategy where their integrated
management system served the needs of the business first. Looks
at some specifics, such as how unplanned events are handled, risk
assessment and their communication and information management
policies.
- ISO 19011 and integrated auditing - Quality World
April 2011, p14. “If internal management system processes
are harmonised there should be no duplication within the audit
function or compliance processes in general.”
- Integration is the future - Quality World April
2011, p10. Brief look at the advantages of integrated management
systems and some strategies for integration.
- Systems, processes, differences - Quality
World Feb 2010 p30-35 This is the first of three articles.
Here, the author examines the relationship between systems and
processes. Says that the new ed. of ISO 9001 suggests there is
a move towards recognising the properties of social systems and
business processes but the intent expressed in the introduction
is not reflected in the requirements. Says that the explanation
of a process approach in ISO 9000 and a systems approach in ISO
9001 are inconsistent. Then goes on to discuss in detail the definitions
of a system and a process before looking at the aims of having
a system and the different types of systems there are. Adds a
reading list.
- Down with silos : Integrated systems help
management improve the bottom line - Quality Progress September
2008 p64-67
- ISO to publish book on integrated use of management
system standards - ISO Management Systems M/A 2008 p14-17
A preview of what is in the proposed book.
- On track with IMS - Quality World
Sept 2007
Roger Rees from the English Balfour Beatty Rail Track Systems
describes their journey towards an integrated management system
from three separate systems. He gives a brief background to the
company followed by a description of what the IMS covers and how
it works along with the key challenges it faced on the way.
-
The question - Quality World, Dec 2004
There are many management systems, including ISO 9001, ISO 14001,
OHSAS 18001, capability maturity model integration (CMMI) and
the excellence model, all of which appear to provide a framework
on which to base an effective management system. Which system(s)
would you recommend and is there any benefit in an integrated
system?
- As
easy as IMS - Quality World, Apr 2004
Combining quality, environmental and safety into one IMS results
in economies of scale, ease of use and reduction of certification
costs. The author presents a time line and a project plan for
implementation.
- Towards
a generic model for integrating management systems - ISO Management
Systems, Jan-Feb 2004. Organisations worldwide are looking to
integrate their management systems to enhance efficiency and effectiveness.
This article presents a generic model for doing so and applies
it to the integration of ISO 14001:1994 (Environmental), ISO 9001:2000
(Quality) and non-ISO standard OHSAS 18001:1999 (Occupational
Health and Safety).
- Continual
Programs - Quality Progress, Mar 2003
Explains how linking ISO 9001 to the implementation of certain
business improvement programs can overcome the consistency and
suitability problems which can lead to failure. Includes seven
steps to avoid pitfalls.
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Measurement
- Statistical intervals. Part
one. The confidence interval ASTM Standardization News July/August
2011-08-22. Statistical intervals play an important role in statistical
inference. But practitioners often confuse the difference among
confidence, prediction and tolerance type intervals. This article
series will clarify these differences and indicate which type
of interval should be used, This first article is on the confidence
interval.
- Statistics: Not significant, but important? Quality
Progress Aug 2011 p58-59. Explains what a p-value is, and what
it means.
- Equipment verification - NATA News, June
2011-06-13. An article originally published in Quasar (Jan 2011)
on how to ensure that equipment verification record provided by
contract service providers are adequate to demonstrate equipment
is fit for its intended purpose.
- Metrology in the balance Physics World
March 2011 p39-45. The author reports from a meeting at the Royal
Society in London on the proposed redefinition of the of the seven
SI base units in terms of fundamental physical constants or atomic
properties. The reasons given for the proposed change
include “worries about the stability of the kilogram artefact,
the need for greater precision in the mass standard, the availability
of new technologies that seem able to provide greater long-term
precision and the desire for stability and elegance in the structure
of the SI”.
- The International System of units –
a case for reconsideration Accreditation and Quality Assurance
v16 m3 March 2011 p143-153
- What are z-scores? ASTM Standardization
news M/A 2011 p18-19. What exactly are z-scores and how are these
statistics used in practice?
- Keep your resolution – Remember
accuracy, precision when estimating uncertainty p56-58. Looks
at accuracy and resolution as defined in ISO Guide 99.
- Comments to EURACHEM/CITAC guide - "Measurement
uncertainty arising from sampling" Accreditation and Quality
Assurance v15 n9 Sept 2010 p529-531 - "The EURACHEM/CITAC
guide "Measurement uncertainty arising from sampling"
deals with the design and analysis of experiments for the evaluation
of the sampling and analytical standard deviation when a defined
sampling and analytical method is used for the determination of
the concentration, expressed as mass fraction 9mg/kg), of an analyte
in a specified material. The Guide recommends reporting the relative
expanded uncertainty and using it directly, i.e. it implicitly
assumes that the standard deviation is proportional to the mass
fraction even in case the experimental data do not support this
assumption. Example A1 (and some of the other examples of the
Guide0 demonstrates that this can result in extreme levels of
underestimation or overestimation of the uncertainty of measurement
results. Hence, such recommendations should be avoided!"
- The meaning of measurement in metrology by
Rob White - Accreditation and Quality Assurance v16 n1 2011
p32-41 - "This paper suggests an extension to the metrological
definition of measurement, based on the measurement classification
scheme of Stevens, to incorporate non-numerical and nominal measurements."
- Calibration evaluation - Quality Progress
Sept 2010 p44-45 Looks at some ways to ways to prepare for an
assessment of a calibration supplier.
- Assessing
Failure - Quality Progress Sept 2010 p80 "A
measuring instrument failed recalibration and you have been asked
to determine the influence on previously produced products. Where
do you start and what do you do?"
- Statistics:
Detection decisions - Quality Progress April 2010 p58-60
Presents options for detecting outliers.
- Out of sync - Quality Progress March
2010 p52-53
Clarifies what calibration and traceability means.
- Back to basics: Measures that matter
- Quality Progress Nov 2009 p72
Why do you measure? The real purpose of measuring something is
to drive action. Gives four tips on how to use your measurements
to make things happen.
- The role of the sample standard deviation
in the analysis of measurement data - Accreditation and Quality
Assurance v14 n7 2009
"This paper builds on recent letters to the editor to consider
different ways in which the "sample standard deviation"
of a set of repeated measurements might be used in the expression
of uncertainty."
- Taking
the measure
- Quality World June 2009
"The measurement and interpretation of data are specialist
tasks requiring technical skills" The author explains just
why this is so difficult and looks at the most common mistakes
before outlining a technique - the significance histogram -to
enable informed decision making which he describes as one of the
most useful tools in process improvement because it is so simple
to interpret.
- Controlling
processes
- Quality World June 2009
A look at SPC and measurement systems analysis. Briefly explains
variation and distribution and then goes on to show how to calculate
control lines and their positions on a control chart.
- What
are repeatability and reproducibility?
- ASTM Standardization News April/May 2009
Looks at the conceptual difference between the two terms. Gives
two examples to illustrate.
- Dealing
with outliers
- ASTM Standardization News Nov/Dec 2008
How do you determine if a value is truly an outlier and how do
you decide whether or not to proceed with the data analysis?
- Towards
a new edition of the "Guide to the expression of uncertainty
in measurement" - Accreditation and Quality Assurance
v12 n11, Nov 2007 p603-608
"Since the "GUM" was published in 1995, it has
been realised that its recommendations do not properly address
an important class of measurements, namely,
non-linear indirect measurements. This drawback prompted the initiation
of the revision of the document, which commenced in October 2006.
The upcoming revision of the GUM provides the metrological community
with an opportunity to improve this important document, in particular,
to reflect developments in metrology that have occurred since
the first GUM publication in 1995. Thus, a discussion of the directions
for this revision is important and timely. By identifying several
shortcomings of the GUM and proposing directions for its improvement,
we hope this article will contribute to this discussion."
(Abstract)
- Calibration - the good, the bad and the ugly
- Quality Progress, Nov 2007
First looks at what calibration is, and then goes on to describe
a good calibration system, a bad one and then the downright ugly.
- Evolution
of philosophy and description of measurement (preliminary rationale
for VIM3)
-
Charles Ehrlich, Rene Dybkaer and Wolfgang Woger, Accreditation
and Quality Assurance, v12 n3/4 M/A 2007
This paper examines the evolution of common philosophies and ways
of describing measurement. Some of the differences between these
approaches are highlighted, which provides a rationale for the
entries and structure of the Aug 2006 draft of VIM.
- Measurement
uncertainty in chemical analysis
- P.S Ramanathan, VAM Bulletin Spring 2006
An introduction to measurement uncertainty pointing out that a
knowledge of the uncertainty implies increased confidence in the
validity of a measurement result.
- The
role of metrology in making chemistry sustainable
- Accreditation and Quality Assurance, Jul 05
Looks at the lack of agreement on uncertainty of measurement and
how this impacts on analytical chemistry.
- Measurement
uncertainty in chemical analysis
- P.S Ramanathan, VAM Bulletin Spring 2006
An introduction to measurement uncertainty pointing out that a
knowledge of the uncertainty implies increased confidence in the
validity of a measurement result.
- 1.
Measure for measure: Supplier demand - How to select a test and
calibration partner?
- Quality Progress May 2010 p48-50
Looks at clauses 7.4.1 and 7.6(A) in ISO 9001:2008 and clauses
4.6.4 and 5.6.2.1.1 in ISO 17025:2005 on calibration requirements.
States that it is useful for the ISO 17025 accredited laboratory
to be accredited by a body recognized by the ILAC MRA, which is
briefly explained.
- 2.
What do we mean by "zero defects?"
- ASTM
Standardization News
Part 1. "What does the phrase "zero defects" mean and what can
we say about a process for which this phrase has been applied?"
ASTM Standardization News M/A, Part 2. "How do we handle
zero defects or non-conformities when sampling a continuum?" ASTM
Standardization News M/J 2010
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Quality
Management
- Organize how you innovate
Quality Progress June 2011 p16-22. Focuses on ISO 9004:2009 and
its systematic process based approach to innovation within a quality
management system.
- The first step – understanding the link
between starting point and process for quality improvement success
Quality Progress June 2011 p36-40. This article focuses on understanding
the link between a starting point and a process when trying to
achieve a specific outcome. The author points out that the starting
point in many assessments is the structure of the organization
and that structure needs to support the process.
- The life of quality - Quality World June
2011, p40-41. A very readable history of what “quality”
has done for society, from its roots in the guild system up to
modern times.
- What have we learned? : Lessons
organizations should take away from the disaster in Japan
- Quality Progress May 2011, p18-23. Argues that “it is
the responsibility of top management to takes measures, including
disaster planning and preparation – to ensure the stability
of the organisation and to respond proactively to emergencies
with timely actions and communications to shareholders”.
- Are you a good problem solver? P30-35
- Quality Progress May 2011. Reviews some of the traditional approaches
to problem solving. Argues that most problem solving strategies
are people centric and subjective rather than principle based
and objective and encourages people to look at a new protocol
for finding effective solutions to event-type problems.
- The bright side of failure : how to turn a
negative experience into a positive improvement Quality Progress
Feb 2011 p24-31. Lessons can be learned from failed projects.
This article lists four simple tools to help identify where things
went wrong and identify areas for improvement. The four tools
are: RCA – the five whys; A prioritization matrix to solve
the simple problems first; A logic model; and a measuring metric.
- "We are different” –
Don’t stand in the way of your own improvement efforts Quality
Progress Feb 2011 p54-55. Lists and discusses some common obstacles
to improvement.
- The relevance of Kaizen/Lean for Kiwi organisations
Business Plus Magazine Issue 79 March 2011 p22. How does lean
apply to organisations in NZ today?
- Magic eight : the final five Quality World
Feb 2011 p30-35. The second of two articles looks at the remaining
five principles of lean. They are: Pull, prevention, Partnering,
Planet and Perfection. Each principle is explained.
-
Integrating risk Quality World Feb 2011
p36-39. Argues that the managing of risk is a key part of managing
the reputation of your organisation. Explains that a management
system that incorporates risk can help you define and implement
how risk is identified, prioritised and managed within an organisation.
Points out that an IMS can be about ensuring the consequences
of action (or inaction) are understood.
-
Standards: ISO 9001 and corporate performance
- Quality World Dec 2010 p14 - Although ISO 9001 is seen as
focused on product quality, it really is concerned with the
quality of the business management system. This short piece
looks at the link between the qms and corporate strategy.
- In for the long haul Quality World Dec 2010
- p18-23 - Looks at the change in attitudes to sustainability
in business. Argues that to be successful with sustainability
organisations should look at business integrity, technical innovation,
human capital and leadership. Gives examples.
- ISO 26000 - Global accountability Quality
World Dec 2010 p28-31 - Describes ISO 26000, the new standard
giving guidance on social responsibility, what was involved in
the development of the standard, how it is expected to be used
and its purpose.
- Time for action - Quality Progress Jan
2011 p24-31 - Looks a technique called "Action learning"
, a problem-solving strategy that engages participants in issue
analysis, reflective questioning, listening and feedback. Describes
how to form and run an action learning group. Gives a table summarizing
the process .
- Doomed to fail : Five mistakes that will destroy
your continuous improvement project in its first year - Quality
Progress p40-45 - They are: Lack of leadership engagement; Overlooking
the need for change management; Inadequate communication; Unstructured
resource selection (projects and people); Assuming good metrics
and measurement systems. Each is explained.
- Bright ideas - Quality World Oct 2010
p18- Looks at how organisations can achieve quality and creativity
at the same time. Argues that in a world where innovation beats
efficiency successful organisations plan for innovation and allocate
resources to it. Looks at why there should be regular reviews
of products. Also, how to establish an innovation process and
evaluate ideas using an innovation funnel and a process called
Stage-gate.
- Four competences for quality - Quality
World Oct 2010 p38-42. David Straker looks at the four connected
competences (“the bundle of skills and technologies”)
in the creating of quality. He lists the four - Design, Control,
Assessment and Knowledge and explains their relevance.
-
Warning! Warning! Five signs that quality
is at risk within your organization - Quality progress Oct
2010 p10-11. Argues that many companies have sacrificed long-term
quality for the short term benefits of an improved gross margin.
Explains the following five signs: Repeated cost-cutting cycles;
Operational signals ignored or delayed; Aging equipment or degradation
of maintenance services; Direct cuts to quality personnel; Elimination
or outsourcing of customer assistance resources.
-
Tools of the trade: WorkOut - an intensive
problem-solving exercise - Quality World Nov 2010 p50. Introduces
"WorkOut" - a problem solving method that focuses
on solving a particular problem.
- Getting to know you - Quality World p28-33.
Looks at the benefits of internal benchmarking, at the different
approaches to the subject and then advises on where to start.
- Making the connection - Anew way to look
at the interplay of quality tools Quality Progress July 2010 p36-44
Argues "individual quality tools can be effective as standalone
methods but combined in a deliberate sequence they can build upon
on e another creating a powerful problem-solving force".
- Top this - How to maintain your edge
after gaining a quality advantage Quality Progress July 2010 p24-29Argues
that the factors necessary to help you achieve quality superiority
may be different than those that help you preserve quality superiority.
Lists six factors necessary.
- ISO 9004:2009 sets the stage for long-term
success - Quality Progress Aug 2010 p28-34Looks at the new
edition of ISO 9004 and its emphasis on sustained success and
long-term planning.
- Two in One - risk strategy not only manages
threats but also validates ISO standards programs Quality Progress
Aug 2010 p20-27. Several ISO standards require organizations to
assess risks and identify courses of action to mitigate those
risks. This article looks at how to create a risk management strategy
(in five steps) to predict the impact of external or environmental
factors if course of action is implemented.
- Deming's 14 principles - Quasar No. 111
April 2010 p10-13
This article looks at how Deming's 14 principles can apply to
clinical trial project management.
- Masaaki Imai : Kaizen guru - Management
April 2010 p40-42
Report on an interview with the founder of the business philosophy
of "kaizen", the process of continuous improvement. He emphasizes
the improtance of moving away from "batch production" into "lean
production" and that change can only happen if it comes from the
top managementment within an organization.
- Breaking from the pack - Quality Progress
March 2010 p26-31
This article pays tribute to Russ Ackoff, a pioneer of systems
thinking. Ackoff said "A system is more than the sum of its parts;
it is an indivisible whole. it loses its essential properties
when it is taken apart". and "Problems that arise in organisations
are almost always the products of interactions of parts of a system,
never the action of a single part". Lists what Ackoff called the
f-laws on the behaviour of managers.
- How can fault tree analysis be used to
improve a root cause analysis process - Quality Progress March
2010 p8-9
- One hundred to one - Quality World
Jan 2010 p26- 31
Which quality model, if any, should you choose? Gives an overview
of four of the most popular models - ISO 9001; The balanced scorecard;
The excellence model and Total Quality Management - with a short
case study for each.
- Quality and Sustainability in turbulent
times - Quality Management Forum v35 n3 2010
?This article discusses the close relationships between quality
and sustainability for systems, products and services.?
- A blueprint for lean - Quality World
Sept 2009 p39-42
Argues that an organisation must do more than just use lean tools
it has to change its culture to a fully lean philosophy. Explains
that senior management has to understand that lean is a growth
strategy and that profitability in a lean organisation is related
to the rate of flow through value streams and then the culture
of the organisation can change. Lists some of the tools that can
be used to change organisational behaviour to support the lean
philosophy.
- Raising the quality profile - Quality
World Sept 2009 p10
Some brief advice on how to persuade staff to embrace quality
management.
- Spring into action by A.V. Feigenbaum
- Quality Progress Nov 2009p18-22
"Feigenbaum points to five areas companies can focus on to help
them emerge from economic turmoil and return to profitability
and success." Argues that to be succesful today there must be
an emphasis on management innovation. The five key areas he names
are; Product development, Supply and purchasing, Training and
human resources development, Economics of quality and Hands-on
Management.
- Don't just talk the talk - Quality
Progress July 2009
Notes that many organisations talk about what is the best way
for other businesses and groups to drive continuous and process
improvements but do not take their own advice. This is a case
study of one organization "walking the talk". The Illinois
based "Joint Commission, which accredits and certifies over
16000 healthcare organizations and programs, has developed a Green
belt and Black belt training program and internal improvement
projects aiming to become more efficient and to lower costs as
well as show their customers that they follow their own advice
and really understand the concepts they espouse. One of the projects
looked at was consistency of standards interpretation.
- A frank discussion: Business executives
talk about taking quality efforts to the next level - Quality
Progress July 2009
What Pittsburgh executives think quality professionals can do
to remain relevant to their organization.
- ISO 9001 - the making of a worldwide phenomenon
- ISO Management Systems July-August 2009
The authors, who are members of the ISO Technical Committee 176
responsible for the standard, discuss what makes ISO 9001 such
an effective management tool.
- All ears : Use financial terms to get
management to take notice of your quality message - Quality
Progress July 2009
Advises quality professionals to speak
the language of management - money - when proposing improvement
projects. You need to build a business case to secure funding
and approval and this article gives some advice on how to go about
it, looking at how to work out the costs involved, putting them
into an income statement, identifying potential savings and measuring
performance with ROI and then working out the payback period.
Gives an example.
- The future of management system certification
- ISO Management Systems March-April 2009
Special Report form the ISO giving perspectives on where quality
is headed from certification bodies around the world.
- Shaping the trends - Quality World May
2009
Looks at the background to the sustainability movement and the
seven trends impacting on the quality world today. The trends
listed are: Innovation management; Proactive learning; Strategic
partnership; Information management; Service management; Adaptive
planning and Social responsibility.
- Small change big payoff - Quality Progress
April 2009
Most organisations certified to ISO 9001:2000 in a way that conforms
to its intent will need to do little to conform to the 2008 edition.
This article looks at the clauses that have been changed in the
new edition, and also what hasn't changed. Suggests that those
companies just in it for the piece of paper will be the ones needing
to do some work to achieve recertification.
- Change that sticks - Quality Progress
April 2009
Process improvement methods can solve many problems, reduce costs
and improve the bottom line, but, if not implemented properly,
they can have the opposite effect. The author outlines and explains
9 steps that can be applied to most types of organisation seeking
long term improvement.
- Energize your QMS : though minor, the change
to ISO 9001:2000 should not be taken lightly - Quality Progress
Oct 2008 p20-25
The author writes that the changes in the new standard offer organizations
the opportunity to improve their QMS and overall performance.
Points out that the new standard aimed to address known issues
but not to create new or delete existing requirements. An annex
is to be included in the new edition outlining text changes to
specific clauses. The article summarizes the IAF transition plan
for ISO 9001:2008.
- What's really important : it's not the revision
but how you implement ISO 9001 - Quality Progress p67-69
Understanding the principles expressed in ISO 9000:2005 is important
because they provide organisations a framework for developing
their own principles or values. Argues organisations need to have
ownership of their principles and that developing them is more
important than developing the QMS or quality tools.
- ISO 9001: the next chapter - Quality World
Oct 2008 p22-23
FAQs for the new ISO 9001 standard: Why is the new standard being
published now? Why is the new version an amendment and not a revision?
When is it available and when will ISO 9001:2000 no longer be
valid: What are the main changes; How will I be affected as a
company certified to ISO 9001? How will I be affected as an ISO
9001 auditor?
- Applying ISO management
system standards to enterprise risk management - ISO Management
Systems Jan/Feb 2008 p 10-14
Looks at how ISO 9001, ISO 14001, OHSAS 18001 and other standards
can help organizations manage operational risks.
- Quality risk management - risk assessments
- Quasar Jan 2007 n98 p16-18
This article briefly looks at the risk assessment component of
risk management, why you should analyse and evaluate possible
risks and then control them. Written by Technical Managers from
the pharmaceutical industry.
- Role of management processes in ISO 900-based
quality management systems - Quality Management Forum, v34
n1 Winter 2008
Having a QMS in place does not necessarily mean providing defect-free
products and/or services. However, an efficient QMS through leadership
and participative management is more likely to address and permanently
solve quality problems.
- Back to basics: An appreciation for documentation
- Quality Progress, March 2008
Why is paperwork important? This article lists six benefits of
documentation that round out a quality process.
- Nine hurdles to TQM - Quality World, Feb
2008
A review of 100 conference papers from around the world for the
last ten years suggests to the author that a large number of managers
find it difficult to implement or sustain TQM in their organisations.
The review points to nine common organisational factors - The
author looks at each of these with brief guidelines on how to
overcome the problem.
- Tools of the trade: Know-what/know-how map
- Quality World, Jan 2008
Knowledge (know-what) is acquired through study and experience,
Know-how through practice and experience. David Straker looks
at the know-what/know-how map which can be used to explore the
shape of abilities in your organisation and guide quality related
activity.
- Eight steps to perfection - Quality World,
Jan 2008
It is often difficult to find the root cause of a problem - people
often come up with an evident symptom of the cause as opposed
to the actual cause. This article looks at the 8D methodology
for product and process improvement to tackle this issue. The
8 steps are: 1. Use a team approach 2. Describe the problem 3.
Containment action, 4 Root causes 5. Corrective actions 6. Permanent
corrective actions 7. Prevent recurrence 8. Congratulate the team.
Each of these 8 steps is explained and a case study of Electron
Technical Solutions is given as an example.
- Future perfect - Quality World, Jan 2008
Feature on what 2008 will mean for quality professionals. Gurus,
Practitioners, Managers and Students give their views on quality
and what changes they expect to see over the next ten years.
- Tools showcase - Quality World August
2007
Special report on business improvement tools
which looks at the following range of tools:
(i) Time analysis:Description of a management tool devised by
the author, Michael Debenham, to help project teams analyse and
manage the team as a whole and pinpoint weaknesses(ii) Risk-based
decision making (iii) Process definition: An approach to process
definition enabling management teams to develop a clear visual
picture of their processes.(iv) Kano model:The quality management
technique used for measuring customer satisfaction with existing
products or services is explained (v) Kanban: Short introduction
to kanban and advice on how to use it.
- Quality
Basics - Quality Progress, June 2007
Describes the 10 basics of quality management - Basic principles
and methods, measurement, tools, statistics, standards, vision
and strategy, process management and process improvement, the
economic case for quality, teamwork and empowerment, and leadership
- with an explanation of what they are, how they can be used and
why they are important.
- Implementing
continuing improvement in the laboratory - Inside Laboratory
Management, Jan/Feb 2007
This brief article looks at the new element in ISO/IEC
17025:2005 – improvement. Discusses how the process of continual
improvement works using an example.
- Standards: Consultants' style : sometimes
less is more - Quality Progress, Dec 2006 p49-54
Some organizations find documenting the process of implementing
a QMS overwhelming and it is these companies who often end up
hiring a consultant. This article looks at some of the difficulties
in finding the right consultant for your organisation, what the
role of a consultant should be. To illustrate the impact of consultant
style on companies satisfaction and the effectiveness of the QMS
14 case studies were conducted and the results are discussed
- Best practices: Look for trouble - Quality
Progress, Dec 2006 p56-62
Human error remains a problem in spite continuous improvement
efforts. This article discusses what human error actually is and
why it happens. The role of risk influencing factors (RIFs) is
examined with examples and information on how to go about identifying
and minimising them with an error risk assessment is given.
- Game
Plan - Quality World, November 2006
Understanding why some projects fail is vital to ensure the same
mistakes don’t happen again in your business. Adopting some
fundamental quality management practices to project management
could make a vital difference to projects in your organisation.
- A
Second Look at Five S's - Quality Progress, October 2006
At first glance, the Five S’s appear to be simple ideas
about keeping the workplace clean, tidy and well ordered. In fact,
the principles of the model are designed to be applied across
all work systems to improve delivery, time and cost-effectiveness
outcomes.
- How
small businesses can use ISO 9001:2000 and grow
- ISO Management Systems Sept/Oct 2006
Special report from ISO on the benefits SME's can expect from
using ISO 9001:2000 and ISO 14001:2000.
- Standards:
big benefits for small business
- ISO Focus, Sept 2006
A special report focusing on the benefits of standards for small
businesses around the world.
- Digesting complicated processes - Quality
Progress, July 2006 p62-65
Looks at how to document a complicated process “one step
at a time” using inputs, outputs and also how to use the
PDCA (Plan-Do-Check-Act) model from ISO 9001.
- Do
consumers really care about ISO 9001 - ISO Management Systems,
May-June 2006
A recent British survey reveals just what consumers know or care
about ISO 9001 certification.
- Reflections
on the Future of Quality - Quality Progress,
Jan 2006
Quality, as a management system objective, is really excellence
and must characterize the enterprise as a whole, not just its
products and services.
- Less
is more - Quality World, Mar 2005
Looks at why companies are looking at implementing an IMS, the
benefits it can bring as well as listing some of the potential
pitfalls.
- Quality
2005 - Quality World, Mar 2005
This second of six parts looks at how an organisation can improve
performance by using an 'own-brand' approach rather than a known
tool such as six-sigma using the experience gained by Oakland
Consulting. Lists and discusses some of the requirements for success.
- Tools
of the trade: Variation - part one - Quality World, Mar 2005
Looks at natural and unnatural variation, distribution of results
and the central limit thereom.
- Tools
of the trade: Further Kanban - Quality World, Jan 2005
Discusses the different types of kanban used, in particular the
dual-card kanban system
- Quality
2005 - Quality World, Jan 2005 . The first of a new series,
this article explores how the quality agenda is moving forward
and how managers in the private and public sectors should be responding.
- Quality
tools : A closer look - Quality World, Dec 2004
David Straker takes a look at some of the less well-known quality
tools and discusses the pros and cons of each. Covered are: the
balanced score-card, kaizen, benchmarking and TPM.
- Drop
the tools - Quality World, Oct 2004
Many organisations ignore the basics and spend huge sums of money
on quality tools and initiatives which do nothing but confuse
top management, increase the workload of middle managers and alienate
staff. As Simon Haas, quality improvement leader at Rolls-Royce,
shows, there is an easier way.
- Use
basic quality tools to manage your processes - Quality Progress,
Aug 2004
When moving towards process management, an organization should
have a sound methodological approach that involves certain quality
management and planning tools. This article presents and explains
three diagrams: an affinity diagram, a relationship diagram and
a matrix diagram. All three were used at a plastics company in
Portugal.
- Quality
in the first person - Quality Progress, Aug 2004
Four quality professionals tell how knowledge and use of quality
principles and tools improved their personal lives.
- Stoner:
Built on a strong foundation - Quality Progress, Aug 2004
Case study of Stoner, Inc, a manufacturer of cleaning, lubrication
and coating products, which won the 2003 Baldrige Award in the
small business category. Implementing the Baldrige business excellence
criteria helped the company to achieve a 400% growth in sales
since 1990.
- Scope
projects in 10 steps - Quality Progress, Aug 2004
To achieve the proper scope, an organization should determine
where a project fits into the global picture , and it should pick
the right part of the right process to improve. This article describes
a 10 step methodology that may be used.
- The
Power of the Mind - Quality World, Jan 2004
ISO 9001:2000 is a great aim of any organisation that wants to
improve its processes, focus on people development, customers,
partnerships, leadership and much more. The author argues that
auditors can streamline their checklists without losing any of
the relevant information - such is the power of the mind map.
- The
Question - Quality World, Feb 2004
An organisation's management review process and reporting are
increasingly required to cover a wider range of issues that are
of interest to its stakeholders. What is the most systematic,
efficient and effective way to organise this management activity?
- The
Question - Quality World, Dec 2003
Management systems based on ISO 9001:2000 have quality objectives
as an important feature. What form should objectives take and
how do third-party auditors cover them?
- The
Great Transition Debate - Quality World, Feb 2004
The deadline for transition to ISO 9001:2000 has been and gone,
so how successful was it? The authors discuss how the upgrade
has been used by organisations concluding that many have failed
to take the opportunity to genuinely improve performance and how
the organisation is managed.
- Implementing
ISO 9001:2000 - U.S Survey of User Experiences - ISO Management
Systems, Nov / Dec 2002.
The results of survey quantifying the experiences of 227 U.S organisations
implementing ISO 9001:2000. Customer satisfaction, quality of
products and services and improved productivity were revealed
as key bottom line improvements.
- Continual
Improvement and the Consistent Pair
- ISO Management Systems, Nov / Dec 2002
The process approach of the "consistent pair" of ISO
9001:2000 and ISO 9004:2000 emphasizes continual improvement,
this article sugggests that there could be a shift away from certification
based quality assurance to continual improvement-based performance.
- 1.
Standards: Prevent defence : take action to refocus your quality
management system
- Quality Progress Apr 2010 p62-63
Looks at "the preventive action" concept. Briefly describes "two
actions for each QMS process followed by two actions for prioritizing
high-risk processes".
- 2.
Quality awards: A prize worth winning?
- Quality World May 2010 p18-23
Is it worth going for one of the quality awards? This article
looks briefly at the history of some of the major awards, including
Deming and Baldrige, and then gives a case for and a case against
their usefulness.
- 3.
Managing processes effectively
- Quality World March 2010 p32-36
Organisations are influenced by the business environment, and
changes to that environment, around them. The author has constructed
a model that marries this observation to ISO 9001. The model is
explained with diagrams from beginning to end.
- 4.
Small business and ISO 9001
- ISO Focus June 2010 p35-37
Looks at why ISO felt there was a need for a handbook on ISO 9001
especially written for small businesses.
- 5.
A sense of direction
- Quality World June 2010 p18-21
When talking about strategic management, Deming's "Quality starts
in the boardroom" is as relevant now as then. Looks again at the
Plan-Do--Study-Act cycle.
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Quality
Management - Getting Started
- The problem: I am responsible for revamping our
document control system. Where should I start? Quality World March
2011 P48
- Get your ducks in a row : A step-by step guide
to implementing an ISO 9001 quality management system - Quality
Progress Oct 2010 p40-46. Gives a breakdown of the ins and outs
of implementing an ISO 9001 Quality Management System, including
what the implementation process entails, system documentation,
how to make physical and administrative changes, how long it takes
and what costs are involved.
- What are words for? - The proper use
of terminology in ASTM standards ASTM Standardization Mews N/D
2010 p11. Looks at the difference between A definition of a term
and A definition of a term specific to a standard.
- One hundred to one - Quality
World Jan 2010 p26- 31
Which quality model, if any, should you choose? Gives an overview
of four of the most popular models - ISO 9001; The balanced scorecard;
The excellence model and Total Quality Management - with a short
case study for each.
- Tools of the trade: The four p's
- using marketing to gain benefits - Quality World Sept 2009
The four Ps (the marketing mix) is a model which highlights four
key areas in which marketers often have a significant interest
- Product, Price, Place and Promotion
- One good idea : Easy as 1,2,3 (4,5)
- Quality Progress June 2009
Describes how you can use your fingers as a visual memory aid
to remember the five major sections of the ISO 9001 standard.
- ISO advises managers how to get the best out
of the ISO 9000 family - ISO Management
Systems July-August 2008 p9
Promotion of the free online brochure put out by ISO called "Selection
and use of the ISO 9000 family of standards". The brochure
gives an overview of the standards, a step-by-step process to
implement a quality management system and examples of typical
applications of the documents. The brochure itself is available
from http://www.iso.org/iso/iso_9000_selection_and_use
- Building a basic quality library - Quality
Progress June 2007
A list complied by the American Society for Quality of the top
ten titles for a quality beginner.
- Quality glossary - Quality Progress June
2007
An extensive glossary of quality terms, tools and ideas. If you
have ever been baffled by quality jargon,, this is the article
for you.
- The write stuff for quality - Quality
Progress, Oct 2005 p45-51
This is a practical and useful article showing how to achieve
effective writing through an understanding of basic language techniques.
The article was adapted from "Effective writing for the quality
professional" published by ASQ.
- Design of experiments for dummies - Quality
Progress, Apr 2005 p59-65
Suggests many people are reluctant to undertake DoE because of
the perceived complexity of the task. This article looks at some
understandable ways to make the task more manageable.
- Taking the first steps towards a quality management
system
- ISO Management Systems, Jul / Aug 2004
Having taken the decision to implement a quality management system,
small and medium sized enterprises in particular are often unsure
just how to get started. This feature takes SME managers through
the first steps.
- How
to choose a competent Quality Mangement Systems Consultant
-
ISO Management Systems, Dec 2001
Introduces ISO/TS 21095 - Guidelines for the selection and utilization
of quality management system consultants. Explains why it is so
important for both organisation and consultant that such guidelines
should exist.
- Basic
Requirements of a Quality Manual - Quality Progress, Mar 2004
This article gives some practical advice on how to write a quality
manual, what you should include and how to phrase things in the
most useful way. The article provides a sample of a cover page,
index and revision log, introduction, definitions and quality
policy that can be adapted to your organization.
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Quality
Management - Human Resources
- Being human Quality World
Aug 2011 p36-40. Service led organisations often find it difficult
to identify processes that can be easily measured. This article
argues that a new objective and structured approach is required,
one such as the Human Sigma approach which aims to improve overall
business performance and growth by measuring the effectiveness
of employee engagement. This approach is explained.
- Pushback prevention Quality Progress August 2011
p32. Looks at why well-conceived projects frequently fall short
when put into practice. Finds that not taking the time to consider
the impact of changes on stakeholders is a common problem –
the social changes rather than the technical changes. Discusses
some of the reasons for the resistance to change and what can
be done to help. Presents tables listing steps that can help the
transition from idea in to practice, behaviours displayed during
change and some methods for managing resistance.
- The secret to sustainment Quality Progress August
2011 p40-45. Case study of Fairbanks Morse Engine, a company which
has managed to sustain the quality management changes it made
after three previous attempts had more or less failed. The company
identified three challenges (underestimation of psychological
needs of the workforce, the tools and methods needed to sustain
change and lack of management follow through) and worked out a
formula that addressed each of those factors.
- The right stuff : use deployment checks to verify
things are being done correctly p25-31. Points out that leaders
and managers often don’t know whether the decisions they
have made are being implemented as intended, they don’t
know how well they being deployed or achieving the goals intended.
The Nevada Medical Centre developed an information tool to try
and understand the effectiveness of processes. This article looks
at how they collected information and went on to address gaps
discovered in the system.
- Managing assumptions – recognizing uncertainty
- Quality World July 2011, p50. Explains the assumption loop where,
when faced with new or uncertain situations, we make assumptions.
We then move on and assume that those assumptions are true and
are then confused when this proves to be incorrect. We try to
cope with the new situation and so the loop goes on.
- Are you a good problem solver? Quality
Progress May 2011, p30-35. Reviews some of the traditional approaches
to problem solving. Argues that most problem solving strategies
are people centric and subjective rather than principle based
and objective and encourages people to look at a new protocol
for finding effective solutions to event-type problems.
- Happiness helps
- Quality Progress Jan 2011 p14 - In the light of a study of organisational
effectiveness this articles looks at what organisations can do
to prevent workforce disengagement weakening company performance.
Argues having a career development programme can help, that "aligning
employee's skills and capabilities with the organisation's business
strategy satisfies the employee's need to make a difference and
invest in the organisations success".
- Know more, do more : An effective learning
program is key to organizational success - Quality Progress
Jan 2011 p32-39 - Argues that companies wanting to take advantage
of new opportunities and products need to make an investment in
educating and retaining a competent work force.
- People first - Quality World Jan 2011
p18-21 - Quality gurus such as Crosby have long argued that to
be successful a company need to ensure its people do things right
routinely. However the current approach of auditing against a
standard has meant that the human aspect of quality has been overlooked
and that a return to basic quality principles is needed.
- It's good to talk - Quality World Nov
2010 p38-42. Looks at the importance of effective internal communication
when a company is attempting to change. The article explains why
communication is so important and gives some useful approaches.
Nycomed, an international pharmaceutical company, is used as a
case study.
- Time to align : Success comes when culture,
vision, leadership and quality are in sync
- Quality Progress July 2010 p18-23 looks at how to assess an
organization's culture by looking at what leaders within the company
pay attention to, how they react to critical events, how they
allocate scarce resources, how they behave and how they are hired,
fired and promoted. Emphasises that it is important for an organisation's
culture to be aligned with its leadership and that quality should
be recognised as a strategic choice rather than just a program.
- Tools of the trade: Seven eyes : developing
a new kind of vision - Quality
World Sept 2010 p50. When looking for risks and quality problems
it pays to look beyond the superficial. This article describes
an approach used by Panasonic called "seven eyes for risk
awareness" and looks at the seven different perspectives
needed to develop a fuller understanding of the situation. Worth
reading.3. The problem: "I've started my own consultancy.
What is the best way to start networking for contacts?" Quality
World Sept 2020 p48.
- Power to the people - Quality Progress
Apr 2010 p24-31
This article looks at the results of a survey on the effects of
tactical responses to the recession on people equity. People equity
is a framework used to measure human capital; it consists of three
elements - alignment (the extent employees are connected to the
business strategy), capability ( the extent to which the organization
effectively deploys talent and resources) and engagement ( commitment,
discretionary effort and advocacy on behalf of the organisation).
- Pulling together - Quality World Jan
2010 p36-40
What do you have to do to get people to give their best? The author
believes that 'organisations that meet people's needs on an individual
basis in the context of the organisation's goals in a way that
is affordable and fair will reap rewards for years to come
- Tools of the Trade: RACI - the right people
on the right job - Quality World Jan 2010 p48
Explains RACI, an acronym for the four roles of Responsible, Accountable,
Consulted and Informed when looking at who does what on a piece
of work.
- Career climb : Five experts give the lowdown
on moving up - Quality Progress Jan 2010 p20-27
Five of ASQ's columnists "discuss the challenges related to moving
to a new job, moving up from your current status; or moving to
a different position"
- Editorial: Your career guide : tips to
succeed in an unstable job market - Quality Progress Jan 2010
p6
The last in the series of three articles is concerned with what
goes on inside people's minds. Looks at what is happening to cause
misunderstandings, misinterpretations, misbeliefs, misdecisions
and misjudgements and how you can work to avoid them.
- Quality Management and Job Quality: How
the ISO 9001 Standard for Quality Management Systems Affects Employees
and Employers
David
I. Levine ; Michael
W. Toffel http://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=1237730
This large-scale study explores how employee outcomes such as
employment, earnings, and health and safety change when employers
adopt ISO 9001. The sample was nearly 1,000 companies in California.
ISO adopters had higher growth rates for sales, employment, payroll,
and average annual earnings. Injury rates declined slightly for
ISO 9001 adopters, although total injury costs did not.
- What lies beneath - Quality World
July 2009
The last in the series of three articles is concerned with what
goes on inside people's minds. Looks at what is happening to cause
misunderstandings, misinterpretations, misbeliefs, misdecisions
and misjudgements and how you can work to avoid them.
- Waste not, want not - Quality World May
2009
The first of a series of three articles on the nine dimensions
of 'people wastes' looks at waste on the organisation level. Argues
that people are the most important asset in a company and the
most expensive but they are often wasted. The three areas falling
under the label of organisational waste are: Misuse of capability,
Mis-design of the organisation and Mis-motivation of people. Gives
problem areas - e.g. Unused talent - in each category and then
goes on to give solutions to the problem. Useful article.
- Getting personal - Quality World June
2009
This second article on the three groups of wastes is on miscommunication.
David Straker lists common communication problems and then outlines
solutions to those problems.
- Turning the crowd - Quality World Jan
2009
The author recognises that not many people are excited about new
quality projects at first. This article shows ways of persuading
people that the change is a good thing and to get them to want
the change to happen.
- Breaching the gap - Quality World Jan
2009
Notes that sometimes a leadership team can create negative outcomes
and that it takes a chief executive at the top to resolve problems.
Lists 8 drivers of effective team leadership.
- Achieving organizational excellence through
performance measurement - The Quality Management Forum v34
n3 Summer 2008
Looks at some key principles of measurement, including: Measuring
the right things, Measuring things right, leverage measures to
drive outcomes, using measures as a starting point in the planning
process and using measures in communication.
- Facilitating productive project meetings
- The Quality Management Forum v34 n3 Summer
2008
This article aims to deliver practical techniques and practices
that will help you facilitate meetings more effectively. Looks
at what a facilitator is, what they should be doing and at techniques
that can keep a meeting on track.
- Mind your meetings : Improve your organization's
effectiveness one meeting at a time - Quality Progress April
2008 p48-53
Presents a three step process for more effective meeting management
- Education and training of laboratory staff
as a part of laboratory competence - Accreditation and Quality
Assurance v13 p267-270
Aims to give some practical advice and solutions on how to organize
and manage staff competence.
- The problem: I need help with my presentation
skills. I often suffer from nerves and find it difficult to keep
calm when faced with questions. Can you give me some advice on
how to improve? - Quality World June 2007
- Change management: Ringing the changes
- Quality Wo rld, Nov 2007
Argues that before any long-lasting change or improvement can
be made in a company, changes must be made to the way employees
think. Looks at the theory of organisational culture and uses
it to develop a "change checklist" for those attempting
to implement a new way of working.
- Leading lights
- Quality World, Nov 2007
Looks at what makes a 'creative leader' and compares the qualities
of a leader with those of a manager. Argues leaders link creative
ideas with effective action and focus on bringing out creative
qualities in those around them. Also, makes the point that these
skills can be learned.
- Slipping
over - Quality World, Jan 2007
What is the cost to business of human error? The author explains
how to assess an organisation's vulnerability and then follow
up and tackle root causes of error. Looks at risk influencing
factors and how to organise them into categories before doing
an error risk assessment followed by error risk reduction.
- The
good, the bad and the ugly - Quality World,
Dec 2006
Both positive and negative change represents the loss of what
came before - and humans cope with change in a predictable cycle.
This article looks at the difference in the way people cope with
both positive and negative organisational change and looks at
what happens when these changes turn "ugly". Offers
some suggestions on how management can help make change work.
- The human side of change leadership -
Quality Progress, Apr 2005 p39-43
Two important aspects of human behaviour that should be considered
when planning a change involve identifying potential resistance
to the planned changes and designing motivation into the new process.
The author explains both aspects
- Training:
It's not always the answer - Quality Progress,
Mar 2005
The first step in any training needs analysis is to differentiate
between training wants and true training needs by examining the
current state of performance and defining the desired state of
performance.
- A
cut above - Quality World, March 2005
Case study of Vestas Blades UK Ltd, a company which increased
its numbers of employees from 120 to 450 in 3 years and which
chose to use self-directed learning.
- A
Deming Inspired Management Code of Ethics - Quality Progress,
Feb 2005
The purpose of ethical standards is to reduce the frequency of
unethical behaviour by reducing its acceptability. Argues that
it is possible to derive a secular basis for ethical behaviour
from the tenets of quality and starts with the 14 points of W.
Edwards Deming.
- The
Stress Matrix - Quality World, Jan 2005
Stress is a multi-million dollar problem which affects individuals,
society and industry. This article discusses who most commonly
suffers and why, what happens when the stress response kicks in
and some ways employers can deal with it.
- Pass
the biscuits - Quality World, Jan 2005
Tips on how to make meetings work, such as: Principles of behaviour,
preparation actions, running the meeting, staying focused on the
purpose and follow-up and next steps. A useful article.
- Recognise
me - Quality World, Dec 2004
Quality managers are aware of the value they bring to their organisation,
but how can they prove it? How can they be recognised for what
are largely intangible benefits? The answer could be found in
the external consultant's approach.
- Effective
white-collar teams: the new quality imperative - Quality Progress,
Jun 2004
Argues that consistently high performance among white collar teams
require taking a hard look at the second element of the quality
equation - the process component or the way people interact.
- Get
Staff involved in Quality Initiatives - Quality Progress,
Feb 2004
ATC, a public transportation services company, decided on a workout
approach - a belief that the people closest to the work can make
big improvements in business performance when provided with simple
tools, accountability for action and fast decision making by management.
- Small
business; Three C's + Q=Success - Quality Progress, Jun 2004
Case study of Bills Khakis, which has grown 260% in five years,
growth which is attributed to the company's philosophy and commitment
to including the entire staff in the evolution of the strategic
plan.
- Careers
: Outsourcing and Jobs - Quality Progress - Mar 2004
The outsourcing phenomenon has had major impact on quality professionals.
You should be always selling, promoting and positioning yourself
in order to prevent your position from being outsourced.
- Train
& Gain - Quality World, Jul 2003
Training consultant Dave Underwood highlights some of the concerns
that are commonly raised over training issues and offers suggestions
to get the most out of your training.
- Best
is Best - Quality World, Dec 2003
Best (building excellence skills today) is a practical training
programme designed by London Excellence which aims to help managers
to raise their business performance and develop leadership skills
in the workplace. QW caught up with a few of them to see what
they learned and if it was worth it.
- Learning
from Columbia - Quality Progress, Mar 2004
Lessons learned from the loss of the space shuttle Columbia -
it was concluded that a NASA culture which put deadlines before
safety and let a sense of infallibility permeate decision making
processes was the root cause of the accident.
- Use
Symbols Instead of Words - Quality Progess, Nov 2002
Gain control of the workplace with visual operations management,
the process of effectively using visual aids to communicate messages
to and between workers.
- NLP
- How to Move Management - Quality World, Jul 2002
There are all sorts of reasons why quality initiatives fail, but
one of the most common is lack of support from middle managers.
Larry Reynolds, senior consultant of Kaizen Training, explains
how neuro lingusitic programming (NLP) can make the critical difference
to the success of a quality initiative.
- David
Straker's Tools of the Trade - Quality World
Discusses the five S's: the simple, yet very powerful set of principles
on which an effective, efficient workplace can be based.
The Five S's: Introduction - Jan 2002
Part 1: Seiri / Organisation - Mar 2002
Part 2: Seiton / Neatness - May 2002
Part 3: Seiso / Cleanliness - Jul 2002
Part 4: Seiketsu / Standardisation - Sept 2002
Part 5: Shitsuke / Discipline - Nov 2002
- Succeeding
as a Standards Professional - ASTM Standardization News
Part 1: Get it in Writing - Aug 2002
Part 2: Building a Business Case for Standards Participation -
Sep 2002
Part 3: The Art of the Trip Report - Oct 2002
Part 4: Tools and Tricks for the Standards Professional - Nov
2002
- What's
the big idea? - Quality Progress June 2010 p39-43
Argues that innovation is not the result of luck or genius but
rather a skill that can be developed, that unskilled minds have
a psychological inertia and adopt a trial-and-error approach to
problem solving as compared to skilled innovators who can find
a contradiction in a problem and generate bold ideas to solve
it. Types of psychological inertia are listed and an example is
given.
BACK
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Quality
Management - Financial
- ISO 9001 and the bottom line - Quality World
May 2011, p30-34. This article describes the research available
on the financial benefits of certification and introduces a new
tool to estimate return on investment. Includes a bibliography.
- Seven steps to success Quality World July
2010 p36-40 - Two authors present the findings of a 22 year
study into the relationship between seven key concepts of quality
management and business success.
- The Bottom Line - Quality progress Sept
2010 p46-49Looks at how linking a QMS and an EMS can benefit an
organisation financially by helping top management identify and
control business risks.
- Make the case rest
- Quality World Jan 2010 p32-35
A useful article that gives a four step guide to creating a business
case for quality. The steps listed and explained are: Gather your
facts, Developing your proposal, Implementing the plan and Lessons
learned.
- Brave new financial world
- Quality World Nov 2009 p18-21
The author looks at the implications of the economic crisis and
the role quality could play. Lists some of the key questions business
should ask in the wake of the downturn. Comments on the way many
businesses are shifting focus on to the environment and also society
and notes that these changes could be seen as an opportunity
- Climbing the quality mountain
- Quality World Oct 2008 p24-28
Looks at what quality professionals can do to better engage with
colleagues from other professions and so be able to sell quality
to tem and contribute to an organisation at a strategic level.
- All ears : Use financial terms to get management
to take notice of your quality message - Quality Progress
July 2009
Advises quality professionals to speak the
language of management - money - when proposing improvement projects.
You need to build a business case to secure funding and approval
and this article gives some advice on how to go about it, looking
at how to work out the costs involved, putting them into an income
statement, identifying potential savings and measuring performance
with ROI and then working out the payback period. Gives an example.
- ISO 9001 and advantage in the marketplace
- Quality Progress Apr 2008 p73-76
Looks at some of the "do's and don'ts" for promoting
your ISO 9001 certification and how to get the most advantage
out of the certification process.
- Measuring the cost of quality for management
- Quality Progress, September 2006 p45-51
Because the avoidance of reduced profits from quality initiatives
is not widely measured or reported organizations cannot easily
quantify the magnitude of benefits in financial terms. This article
looks at how costs of quality can be tracked using an activity
based cost/management system in the invoicing/accounting process.
- Selling quality ideas to management -
Quality progress, May 2006 p27-34
Looks at the reasons worthy ideas may fail to be accepted and
how to best communicate with management. Starts with the development
of an idea, selling that idea to management, engaging partners,
measuring and mitigating resistance and presenting a business
case.
- Economic case for quality: What are quality
reputations worth? - Quality Progress, Feb 2006 p35-40
Using the Firestone case as an example, the author looks at what
can happen when reputation losses are caused by a quality problem
combined with negative publicity. Argues that a quality maintenance
system works better and costs less than an inspection based system.
- The
House that Fraud Built - Quality Progress,
Jan 2006
Quality function deployment, traditionally used to analyze customer
needs, was used to identify and prioritize warning signs an organisation
may be guilty of financial statement fraud.
- Improve profits with standards - Quality
Progress, Aug 2005 p72-76
A report on ISO/TR 10014 'Guidelines for managing the economics
of quality.
- Learn
to Talk Money
-
Quality Progress, May 2004
Management is driven by financial performance. Understanding and
accepting this fact will increase an initiative's chance of success
if the quality professional can express the benefits of the initiative
in terms of its monetary impact.
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TO TOP
Quality
Management - Customer Service
- Asking the right questions - Quality
World July 2011-07-05, p34-37. How to design a customer survey
to get the right kind of feedback to drive improvement.
- Loud and clear Quality Progress Feb 2011
p32-38. How does a company know when it is working on the right
improvement projects? This article advocates listening to the
voice of the customer and linking feedback to the system for process
governance. The author uses the financial institution “The
Depository Trust & Clearance Corp” and its excellence
program as an example.
- Lessons in loyalty Quality Progress March
2011-04-12 p24-31. States that business growth depends on improving
customer loyalty behaviour – defined as : “the degree
to which customers experience positive feelings for, possess allegiance
to and exhibit positive behaviours toward a company”. The
article goes on to describe an approach that can be used to identify
and assess three customer loyalty components – retention,
advocacy and purchasing – with the aim of being able to
better understand their customers and so formulate better business
strategies.
- Integrating inputs - A system to capture
and react to Voice of the Customer (VOC) can pay dividends. Quality
Progress p64-66 -How to use the information supplied by customers
to the organisation to improve client retention and loyalty
- Staying ahead of the curve - Quality World
Nov 2010 p34-37. How do you know that your customer service is
good or even exceptional? This article looks at three potential
ways of benchmarking customer service.
- The customer alarm : using SPC to prevent
a customer crisis - Quality management
Forum v35 n3 2010
This article aims to show how to use SPC to identify those customers
who have not received good service from you and whose problems
need to be sorted out before they take their business to a competitor.
- One size won't fit all
- Quality World Sept 2009 p32-37
Looks at the challenges involved for quality professionals when
implementing a standard solution in a new context.
- Value is priceless
- Quality World Nov 2009 p28-31
Assessing how customers value your product is the key to producing
profit. Looks at what customer value is, and how to find out what
it is that the customer does value.
- Engagement and empathy
- Quality World Feb 2010 p18-21
The author looks at some factors that characterise companies that
are good at customer relationship management. To effectively implement
a customer management strategy the "entire organisation needs
to be aligned in terms of end objectives". Describes the use of
a tool called Talengene UK which aims to help CEOs objectively
evaluate their strategy and see how others involved in the process
understand the strategy. Lists how the purpose of a strategy can
be established and how this sense of purpose can be influenced
by effective leadership, and explains the role of customer-facing
employees.
- Divide profits and conquer
- Quality World Feb 2010 p22-25
Case study of how "John Lewis" department stores - voted Britain's
favourite retailer in 2009 by Which? magazine - builds good customer
relationships.
- The ultimate question
- Quality World Feb 2010 p26-29
Looks at a tool called the "Net promoter score" which is a key
metric that helps companies measure and improve customer experience.
It is based on the single question: "How likely are you to recommend
(Company or Product X) to a friend or colleague?".Looks at the
aims and challenges for the tool and presents two case studies
of companies who have used it - Symantec and Virgin media.
- Focussing on customers
- Quality World March 2008 p22-27
Looks at how the concept of customer focus is now supported by
the three standards ISO 10001, ISO 10002 and 10003. These three
standards are briefly discussed and a case study of VGZ in the
Netherlands which uses the standards is presented.
- Customer loyalty: Your customers are talking,
but are you listening? - Quality Progress, Feb 2006 p22-27
Most companies have no process to actively listen to their customers,
record what they've heard, analyse and then act on it. This article
recommends a process where you follow steps entitled: listen,
collect, analyze, improve and then explains how the process works
in practice. Includes a sample customer contact form.
- Manage complaints to enhance loyalty -
Quality Progress, Feb 2006 p28-34
This article aims to give the necessary facts and high level calculations
to establish complaint handling as a priority at your company
and part of its ongoing strategy to improve loyalty and, ultimately,
to increase profits.
- Link satisfaction to market share and profitability
- Quality Progress, Feb 2006 p50-57
Looks at how increased customer satisfaction can lead to increased
profitability, and looks at how organizations can link satisfaction
data to financial performance.
- 6 ways to benefit from customer complaints
- Quality Progress, Sept 2005 p49-54
This article presents 6 ideas which could help an organization’s
business performance through effective handling of customer complaints.
- Standards:
As easy as 10001,2,3
- Quality Progress, Jun 2004
Reports on the new ISO standards 10001, 10002 and 10003 on customer
satisfaction. Gives an overview of how the three relate to each
other, the structure of the standards, the benefits they are aiming
for and then compares them to ISO 9001:2000.
- The Question
- Quality World, Apr 2004
There has always been criticism of ISO 9001 and its certification
regime. It has been called a bureaucracy without benefit to customers.
What performance-based aspects of a company's management system
should potential customers enquire about before signing a contract?
- The Problem with Surveys
- Quality World, Apr 2004
With the arrival of ISO 9001 even small organisations are required
to monitor customer satisfaction. But how feasible is this and
can it be monitored cost effectively? Martin Gosling examines
the problem with surveys.
- Just ask the customer: some tips on surveys
-
The Business Improver, Aug 2002
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Quality
Management - Six Sigma
- Is 6 still the magic number? Quality World Aug
2011 p18-21.Explains what six sigma is and what it can be used
for, how it is implemented and some of the things that can go
wrong when using the method.
- The evolution of six sigma Quality World Aug
2011 p22-26. Looks at some of the reasons why emphasis has shifted
in some big companies away from using six sigma towards lean thinking
and methods that give rapid results.
- Sigma in context : a view from Scottish businesses
Quality World Aug 2011 p32-35. Reports on a study on the use of
quality management techniques and tools used in Scottish manufacturing.
Lists the top 8 reasons for using QI tools and techniques, the
success factors for the application of quality improvement tools
and techniques and also the fundamental barriers when applying
quality improvement tools and techniques.
- Six sigma on a small scale - Quality World
Sept 2010 p26- Looks at the results of research which suggests
that many SME's would benefit from undertaking initiatives such
as six sigma and lean.
- Introducing Kai Sigma - Quality World
June 2008 p29-32
Six sigma can seem a bit daunting to many organisations. The author
argues that an easier approach is kai sigma, which brings together
the concepts of kaizen (involving people in continuously improving
performance) within the framework of the DMAIC tool used in six
sigma. Gives 2 case studies.
- The case for six sigma - Quality World
June 2008 p16-20
Five experts give their opinion on six sigma, both for and against.
- Six-Sigma and lean in action - Q-Newz
Jan/Feb 2008
Mel Thornley looks at the use of six-sigma and lead approaches
to business processes in New Zealand.
- An introduction to six sigma - Q-Ne wz
Introduced as an easy to read overview of six sigma
- Six
sigma in a service organisation
- Quasar no. 101, Oct 2007
Case study of Covance Laboratories
(US) giving a brief outline of what six sigma is and how its implementation
at Covance led to streamlined processes, removal of waste from
systems, financial benefits and a different approach to quality.
- Deployment
: Start off on the right foot - Robin Gates, Quality Progress
August 2007
If a six sigma project is to deliver anticipated benefits it is
important to do the groundwork first. Explains what you should
do before even deciding to deploy six sigma and then describes
how the project could be approached.
- Does six sigma work in service industries?
- Quality Progress, Sept 2005 p55-60
There is a perception that six sigma only works for manufacturing
companies. This article argues against that and looks at how six
sigma can add value throughout the customer service and delivery
process.
- Lean six sigma reduces medication errors
- Quality Progress, Apr 2005 p51
Case study of an anonymous mid sized hospital which used lean
six sigma to determine what changes in policy and practices might
be necessary to significantly reduce medication errors.
- Back
to the Future at Ford - Quality Progress, Mar 2005
By making the decision to move forward by going back to basics,
Ford saw a 27% decrease in warranty spending and saved more than
$2 billion with six sigma.
- DOE
and Six Sigma - Quality Progress, Mar 2004
Use approximate techniques to convert discrete data for use in
traditional design of experiments.
- Golf
and Six Sigma - Quality Progress, Nov 2002
Use Six Sigma metrics to drive proper process behaviour
- The
Seagate Story - Quality World
Storage technology provider Seagate Technology is reaping the
benefits from the toughest goal achieved through six sigma - cultural
integation.
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Quality
Management - Tools
- 1. Added traction
- Quality Progress June 2010 p44-51
Looks at what the balanced scorecard is and how it can be used as "a cycle of improvement
- 2. Becoming the best of the best
- Quality World June 2010 p26-29
Looks at the organisational philosophy of hoshin kanri which says that it is "the task of every employer to draw out and effectively use the infinite capabilities of every employee". The author says that sometimes it happens by accident but it can happen by design and describes how you could put the hoshin process into practice.
- 3. The picture of a problem
- Quality World June 2010 p30-35
Argues that when managing and implementing management systems, systems managers come across points of concern. The author gives a method of expressing these concerns as a series of matrices. Each matrix can look at an issue from two dimensions and after each matrix there is a list of possible actions that can be taken. How to create and use the matrices is explained. The paper is a shortened version of one that can be downloaded from www.bsigroup.co.uk/matrices or I have a copy in the library.
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Quality
Management - Public Sector
- More with less - Quality World Apr 2011, p40-43.
Private companies in the UK such as Tesco collect relevant information
to inform day-to-day decision making but public bodies waste time
and effort collecting information that is rarely if ever used
or useable. The author argues that public sector leaders need
to take ownership of management information and analysis to ensure
they turn data into better decision-making and insights that lead
to actual performance improvements. Gives Christchurch City Council
(NZ) as an example of one of the most advanced public sector organizations
in the strategic use of lean.
- Providing wise council - Quality World
July 2010 p22-26 Case study of Stratford District Council which
was rated as a "weak performer" in 2005 by the UK Audit
Council. The management team at the Council developed a model
which used 5 principles of behaviour and 5 rules for talking to
each other to develop a culture of improvement. Looks at the improvements
achieved in the Council and what they hope to do next.
- Going local - Quality World July 2010
p18-21 How quality management can help UK local councils cope
with the spending cuts and changes to funding announced in the
UK in May of this year.
- Shifting systems thinking - Quality World
April 2008 p34-38
Looks at the way the public sector in the UK has changed since
the mid 1970s from an emphasis on investment in infrastructure
to being treated as a market. Although monetarists claim that
the reforms have not gone far enough, the author argues that the
evidence shows that the experiment in ideology is now in trouble.
Housing benefits are used as an illustration to show how much
of the demands on the system are actually caused by a failure
to do something or something right for the customer. Problems
are compared with Demings theories. The author would like the
regime to change its philosophy from one of compliance and target
to one of innovation and service.
- Public
sector - so what? - Quality World, Jul 2004
The public sector is "different" to its private and
voluntary counterparts, e.g. They cannot simply change direction
for commercial reasons and can be arbitrarily reorganised, reformed
or closed down even when performing brilliantly. The author gives
examples of different approaches making a management system work
in this context.
- Better
service : lower cost - Quality World, Jul 2004
West Sussex County Council has achieved improved quality of service
with lower costs using 'systems thinking' , sometimes referred
to as 'lean thinking'. This approach, which is described as not
about people but about the design of the system, uses the check,
plan do process. WSCC tried out the approach in its recruitment
and education departments first.
- Quality
in the fast lane - Quality Progress, Jun 2004
Case study of The Federal Highway Administration in Utah, which
has created a streamlined model for assessing its field offices.
Based on the Baldrige criteria, this new method allows assessments
to be completed in five days with proper preparation
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Quality
Management - Healthcare
- Healthcare: Get the whole picture - Quality Progress Feb 2010 p32-38
Looks at the quality method called "Systems thinking" and how it applies to hospitals. Systems thinking means focusing on the hospital as a whole rather than on individual parts or departments with the primary emphasis on the care of the patient. The author says that generally speaking most failures occur because of problems with the process - inadequate methods and procedures, a lack of clarity in roles and responsibilities. A key tool used in systems thinking is the process map showing links between different groups.
- Supply and demand join forces - Quality World Dec 2009 p26-31
Looks at the development of a free guide by the CQI's Pharmaceutical Quality Group which aims to provide guidance on reducing supply chain risk in the pharmaceutical industry. The guide, ICH 09, is due to be published on 23 Feb 2010 and then will be available at www.pqg.org
- Dare to care : hospitals
must rethink incentives to emphasise quality of care - Quality
Progress June 2009
Argues that here are two characteristics to consider when measuring
quality in healthcare - quality of service and quality of care.
Looks at the difference between the two and at three models for
the measurement of quality of care.
- Getting productive - Quality World
Dec 2008
Looks at the role and work of the NHS Institute of Innovation
and Improvement which was formed in 2005. The Institute has developed
a "Productive series" which uses a body of knowledge
that has been developed into clinical systems improvement (CSI)
methods and philosophies. The article explains the use of The
Productive Ward programme which uses CSI techniques to reduce
time nurses spend on activities other than patient care and gives
some examples of its successes.
- Failing the English patient - Quality Word Dec 2008
Looks at the reforms in the NHS and just how successful - or not - they have been. Argues that the cost savings achieved by privatisation have caused the decline in the quality of the service and that the ideology behind the changes is faulty.
- Something
to lean on
- Quality World Dec 2008
Looks at the application of "lean" in hospitals and
other community based health services. Explains some of the risks
and complexities involved in using the tool before outlaying 5
keys to using it properly.
-
In the final analysis
- Quality World Dec 2008
Case study of LGC Forensics, accredited to ISO 17025, which is
the largest privately owned forensic science provider in the UK.
The laboratory follows ILAC G19 which UKAS uses as an appropriate
criteria for assessment. Looks briefly at their management system
and the accreditation process.
- Making
healthcare lean - Quality Progress, July 2006 p24-30
Argues that lean processes could contribute as much to the
healthcare sector as they have to the auto industry. Points out
the eight wastes in manufacturing also apply to healthcare - Overproduction,
inventory, motion, transportation, overprocessing, defects, waiting
and underutilizing staff. Then looks at the lean tools and techniques
and how they could be applied to healthcare, with examples.
- Change
healthcare organizations from good to great - Quality
Progress, Nov 2005 p22-29
It is estimated that 98 000 people die in US hospitals each
year as a result of medical errors, and that for every person
who dies from a hospital error or an infection, 5 to 10 others
suffer a non-fatal infection. The article argues that medical
science knows what to do but there is a knowing-doing gap. The
solution to closing the gap lies with three primary drivers -
leadership, culture and systems. Each of these topics is discussed.
- Beyond
Standards - Quality Progress - Mar 2004
In healthcare, where accreditations are critical for financial,
regulatory and customer related reason, one organization has used
ISO 9000 to take its QMS above what was required for accreditation.
This article describes how SAORS did it.
- FMEA
- the cure for Medical errors - Quality Progress, Aug
2003
St Joseph's Community Hospital in West Bend WI, will close in
the next few years to make room for a new hospital. This replacement
facility will represent a breakthrough in hospital design.
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Quality
Management - Manufacturing
- Not your normal SOP Quality
Progress June 2011 p24-28. Looks at some new ways to capture and
disseminate knowledge so standard operating procedures can be
understood and followed correctly. The author comes from Roche
Carolina and he briefly describes some of the methods they used
in their “Enlightenment Knowledge Tree” – videos,
photos, flowcharts, wikis, a knowledge management structure and
an online evaluation form among them.
- Root cause analysis - Quasar No. 115
April 2011. Four articles published together in the April edition
on root cause analysis. The first, “Surviving root cause
analysis” argues that the key is making sure it is “controlled
by a robust process and creating a positive action plan to prevent
recurrence”. The second article “Facilitating effective
root cause analysis” argues you should look at “what
happened”, not “who did it”. The third looks
at root cause analysis from a manufacturing perspective and the
fourth talks about the common mistake of dealing with the symptoms
– how the problem appears – rather than with the root
cause.
- Know your limits : avoid misunderstandings
and mismanagement of statistical limits in manufacturing settings
- Quality Progress May 2011, p36-41. How to understand the various
types of statistical limits and know how to apply them.
- Righting the wrongs
: why it’s important to find the root cause – and
how to do it. Quality Progress Feb 2011 P64-66. Looks at what
an effective corrective and preventive action system needs and
gives an eight step process that can be used to identify and eliminate
a root cause of a problem.
- Tools of the Trade: Basic risk analysis
Quality World March 2011 p50. How to establish risk severity through
the analysis of probability and impact.
- Magic Eight - Quality World Jan 2011 p30-35
- The author looks at some limitations of the classic lean principles
- primarily the lack of attention to people and being too focused
inside the organisation. He then goes on to describe eight new
principles of lean which he calls the 8Ps. This article, the first
of two, explains the first three principles - Purpose, Process
and People.
- Fire fighting with DMAIC - Quality Progress
Oct 2010 p48-51 How to contain short term problems and develop
long-term improvements.
- The relevance of Kaizin/Lean, here now! by
Danie Vermeulen Business Plus Magazine Issue 76 Nov 2010.
- This is the first of a four part series that aims to explain
how Lean can make NZ organisations more efficient, productive,
flexible and profitable.
- The age old question - does "lean"
apply to our industry? - NZ Manufacturer Oct 2010 p26. Vishnu
Rayapeddi explains how "Lean thinking" can be applied
in any industry. Looks briefly at the three 'M's often used together
in the Toyota Production System that describes wasteful practice
and gives some examples of such activities.
- Resources for root cause analysis - Inside
Laboratory management May/June 2010 This article gives some basic
information on Root Cause Analysis (RCA) and some of the resources
available for developing RCA in a laboratory setting. Provides
a table listing some tools, techniques and models for RCA, some
of which can be found online.
- Keep it simple - Quality Progress Sept
2010 p24-28 looks at the three fundamentals needed for success
when using lean technology with an explanation for each. They
are: Lean is about people, not techniques; Lean is a mind-set,
not a toolset; Lean is a journey, not a destination.
- Under scrutiny : New approach to root cause
analysis can help clear up misconceptions - Quality Progress
April 2010 p32-37
Looks at some of the limitations of the
cause and effect model - confirmation bias, researchers unable
to go beyond their current knowledge, lack of training on human
performance issues, looking for and identifying a single root
cause. He presents an alternative definition - "the absence of
a best practice and the failure to apply knowledge that would
have prevented the problem" and briefly explains a new method.
- Total recall - Quality World Dec 2009
p32-35
A useful article for companies which
gives advice on how to manage a product recall from the first
notification of a problem, evaluating the extent of the problem
and initiating the recall through to reviewing the cause of the
product failure after the crisis.
- The forecast looks bright - Quality
World Feb 2010 p36-39
Looks at the processes involved in trend
forecasting, particularly the identification of trends, looking
at the potential impact of a trend and then how to turn the analysis
into a practical business strategy. Discusses the benefits and
challenges involved.
- Using Design of Experiments (DoE) to develop
or improve a process - Quality Management Forum v35 n3 Fall
2009
This article outlines a study performed
in order to develop parameters for a new step in a manufacturing
process.
- Prepared for battle - Quality Progress
June 2009
Argues that with sound quality management
a company should be able to operate in a bad economic climate
as well as in a good one; that if an organization is competitive
and prepared to follow the needs of the market it will prosper.
If you are better than the competition they will go bust and leave
you with their share of the market. The exception to this rule
is where a competing technology makes your product obsolete. The
author lists examples of where the neglect of well-known QM practices
led to drastic consequences. Says that whatever is done to cut
costs, it must not have a visible effect on the customer. Rather
effort should be put into reducing waste and inefficiencies and
adding value.
- Project performance measurement - Quality
World June 2009
How to measure progress in projects - progress in active work,
cost of the investment and benefits delivered.
- Waste elimination? The central theme of lean
- NZ Engineering News June 2009
A brief summary of the basic concepts of the Toyota production
System.
- Constructive envy - Quality World Jan
2009
The more complacent the organisation, the less effective it is
in delivering service. The more benchmarking you do, the better
your performance. Briefly looks at processes involved.
- Flip the switch - Quality Progress Oct
2008
Looks at what root cause analysis is and how it can be used. Gives
two case studies.
- Putting it all together: continuous improvement
is better than postponed perfection - Quality Progress p56-59
To achieve even more improvement the answer lies in developing
a comprehensive process management system that integrate the three
critical components of Process design, process monitoring or control
and process improvement.
- More is not always better - Quality Progress
Oct 2008 p63-66
Having the right data is more important than having a large sample
size.
- Blurred vision Quality Progress - July
2008 p29-33
Looks at why some people in business see quality and business
improvement as separate topics. Lists and debunks eight myths
surrounding quality improvement which are commonly quoted by managers.
- Upon further review - Quality Progress
Apr 2008 p88
Looks at the importance of performing a product release readiness
review and how to go about it.
- Root cause analysis for beginners - Quality
Progress, July 2004
Root cause analysis helps identify what, how and why something
happened, thus preventing recurrence. This article looks at how
to do do root cause analysis using a four-step process. Includes
an example problem.
- Eight steps to sustain change - Quality
Progress, Nov 2007
Another article on change management, this one briefly looking
at what can go wrong and why before listing eight steps which
a company can follow to implement and secure process improvements
successfully. They are: 1. Define the need and necessity for making
improvements 2. Create and communicate a unifying purpose 3. identify
formal and informal work alliances and ensure their participation
4. Create a plan of action 5. Empower people to take action 6.
Create opportunities for small, meaningful accomplishments 7.
Expand the accomplishments and complete the unfinished change
activities 8. Reinforce the new approach.
- Time to measure up - Q uality World Sept
2007
Looks at Key Performance Indicators and the common problems companies
face when using the tool and then offers some solutions. The key
points offered are: develop a measurement process driven by the
voice of the customer, minimise the number of strategic objectives,
validate the measure and the measurement systems through the eyes
of stakeholders, consider the use of a balanced scorecard and
strategy map, invest time in understanding the drivers that contribute
to each KPI, perform sense check on the measures and use weighted
criteria to prioritise the measures and KPIs.
- Plan experiments to prevent problems -
Quality Progress Sept 2007
- Linking the supply chain to TQM - Quality
Progress, Nov 2006 p29-35
Managing the quality of suppliers must go beyond simply measuring
contract compliance to gathering knowledge, managing risk and
executing program management.
- How
to perform root cause analysis - Dawn Miller, Inside Laboratory
Management, Jul/Aug 2006
The author aims to provide an approach to performing root cause
analysis which corrects the problem with the process which caused
the problem.
- Process management: Beyond PDCA - A new process
management model - Quality Progress,
July 2006 p45-52
The author questions the need for the "Check" action
in the Plan-Do-Check-Act cycle and instead proposes a new management
model called the 4P's cycle. The 4 Ps are listed as being Prepare,
Perform, Perfect and Progress. The article explains why he feels
the change is needed, how the 4Ps will work and compares then
to the PDCA cycle.
- Supplier chain management: Seven steps to
measure supplier performance - Quality Progress, Aug 2005
p20-25
Explains why you should measure supplier performance and then
lists and expands on 7 steps which comprise a process for developing
and deploying supplier assessment.
- Tools
of the trade:
Kobayashi's 20 keys - Quality World, Jul 2004
Presents Kobayashi's 20 keys, which is practically a list of 20
of the top manufacturing improvement processes.
- 1.
Supply chains and ISO 9001
ISO Focus+ April 2010 p37-39
The IAF are placing a much greater emphasis of the effectiveness
of a QMS in achieving the objective of "consistent, conforming
products". ISO has published a brochure "ISO 9001 - What does
it mean in the supply chain?", which can be found online at: http://www.iso.org/iso/iso_catalogue/management_standards/iso_9000_iso_14000/more_resources_9000/9001supchain.htm
. This article summarizes the advice which aims to tell purchasers
about what ISO 9001 can and cannot achieve.
- 2.
Be prepared: What every company should do to weather a product
recall -
Quality Progress May 2010 p16-21
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