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December
2005 Newsletter
Past
Newsletters
Printable Newsletter |
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Tours
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Would you like to help the section by sponsoring a tour at your place of business? We are always looking for new locations.
Please contact Ron Jochimsen at (920) 225-6127 for more details.
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Please Welcome
Our New ASQ Member!
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Learn About Quality
This month's topic:
"Continuous" or "Continual" |
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The terms continuous improvement
and continual improvement are frequently used
interchangeably, however some quality practitioners make the
following distinction:
Continual improvement
is
a broader term referring to general
processes of improvement and encompassing “discontinuous”
improvements—that is, many different approaches, covering different
areas. It may consist of both “continuous process improvements,”
like SPC, and “discontinuous, innovative or systemic improvements”
like organizational “reengineering” or throwing out dysfunctional
methods of management and starting over instead of trying to improve
existing ineffective business strategies.
Continuous improvement
is a subset of continual improvement, with a more specific
focus on linear, incremental improvement within an existing process.
Some practitioners also associate
continuous improvement
more closely with techniques of statistical process control, however
Deming himself never used the term "continuous improvement”; he used
the term "continual improvement". This was an intentional
distinction that Deming made.
Thinking of continual improvement vs. continuous improvement serves
to highlight the importance of developing learning disciplines on a
much deeper level than most organizations consider. If continual
improvement is to be attained, the organization will be, by
definition, a learning organization. |
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Message From The Chair
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| Ready or not, we are in the next big
wave. No, the surf is not up on Lake Michigan or Lake Winnebago, and I don't
mean the arm raising type at Lambeau Field or Miller Park either. This wave
is the appearance of the chart of Wisconsin Manufacturing Employment,
plotted as the employment level per year. The number of Wisconsin
manufacturing jobs is declining again, only this time the drop is sharper
and will not likely recover as well as previous dips have returned.
Many of you may say, "my manufacturing job is secure" (for now), or "my
Quality career is not even in manufacturing." Step back and look at the
causes, look at the fact that Wisconsin is taking a larger hit than some
other Midwestern states, and imagine how it will affect everyone's Quality
of life in coming years. Until we step back and look, we might think these
problems are just a temporary or a local thing.
Dr. Al Hartman, Dean of the College of Business at University of
Wisconsin-Oshkosh, spoke to us about the NE Wisconsin economy at our Section
Program meeting on Monday night, 14Nov05. Dr. Hartman showed us historically
why Wisconsin is destined to a downward spiral of lower per capita income to
support an ever-increasing cost of services that maintain the Quality of
life as most of us now know it in Wisconsin. For years, the paper industry
and other manufacturing firms supplied the high-paying jobs for Wisconsin
people as the whole country shifted to greater manufacturing output to
support employment.
This time, we are not as immune to the shift as globalization moves our
employment base to other areas like service and retail, which will not
support the high wages that have provided the tax base that we enjoyed in
previous years.
So are we in Wisconsin and our Quality careers doomed to the same path as
that of some other poor service states? That depends upon on how we, and the
people of Wisconsin respond. Dr. Hartman showed how we, as Quality
Professionals, can participate in the next Evolution of Economic Prosperity
in the 21st Century of "Bigger and Better Ideas" by creating a "High Growth
Economy" that is built on intellectual power producing new marketable ideas.
Innovation is the way to stay away from the under-tow. To keep our heads
above water, we need to advance our own organizations through continual
improvement, by encouraging creativity and innovation and more efficient
management techniques. Risks need to be taken to start business ideas that
can quickly be expanded to national or regional coverage. This requires
retaining the young professionals that it takes to run and develop these
ventures, as well as the required capital for financial support.
Wisconsin's excellent educational network assists in instructing these young
professionals and developing the skills necessary for the recovery from this
wave. Local seed-money and venture capital firms are also forming to provide
some of the capital needed. What can we do as ASQ Quality Professionals?
Consider how you can sharpen your own management and innovation skills, and
make a concerted effort to support continual improvement in your companies.
Who knows? Maybe you'll have the next "Big Idea."
Dr. Hartman's presentation remarks and Dr. Ward's historical interpretation
are available for viewing at the tools page on the ASQ #1206 Section
website,
http://www.asqsection1206.org/
Ron Jochimsen
2005-2006 ASQ Section 1206 Chair |
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Madison Area Quality Improvement
Network
Hunter Conference on Quality |
December 7- 8, 2005
Alliant Energy Center, Madison, Wisconsin
The Madison Area Quality Improvement Network (MAQIN) is pleased to
present Peter Block, author of "The Answer to How is Yes", as this
year's keynote speaker on Wednesday, December 7th. A Senior Leaders
panel discussion will follow this presentation. On Thursday,
December 8th, there will be a keynote speaker, in addition to
education and networking opportunities, plus breakout sessions on
topics of interest for quality, management, organization
development, and business improvement professionals. For more
information visit the MAQIN at
www.maqin.org
or call 608-277-7800. |
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Summary of October 24th Executive Board Meeting
Main topic: Program Team
plans for 2005-06, Member-Value. |
- Treasurer report received and
accepted.
- Fall Conference - Risk
Assessment & Risk Management: Course modified to fit needs of
the 20 attendees, improved satisfaction.
- Spring Conference - Possible
topics: Lean, ISO9000, ISO14000. Jim Loseke to advertise on the
website.
- Program Team: Information was
requested on the March program to advertise on the website.
- Section Management Process (SMP)
- Committee chairs and coaches are reminded to continue tracking
numerical records for satisfaction of goals. Report progress to
Vice Chair Richard Rose.
- Leadership Conference - Ron
provided a report on member value and current/future delivery
methods that were collected using the Café method of dialog.
- Web usage is above average.
- Membership Retention -
Past-paid members- most had changed jobs or didn't respond; Non-
#1206 in our geographic area - looking into and would like more
member involvement; Any members that have a list, please report
back to Jim soon.
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Advance Your Career: ASQ Certification |
In today's world, where quality competition is a fact of life and the need for a work force proficient in the principles and practices of quality control is a central concern of many companies, certification is a mark of excellence. It demonstrates that the certified individual has the knowledge to assure quality of products and services. Certification is an investment in your career and in the future of your employer.
Certification exams are given twice a year in March and October at ASQ Local Sections and International sites. They
may also be available at certain conferences and events. If you are currently a member of ASQ and would like to register for a certification exam, fill out the ASQ member online certification application at
www.asq.org.
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We Did it!!
Three SMP (Section Management Process) Awards for Section #1206 |
The
Section Management Process (SMP) is a management model that has been
developed to assist sections in their planning and implementation of
services and programs that will meet the needs of current and future
members.
2005-06 SMP Sections Basics Award
In the first level, Section Basics, we demonstrated our viability
and commitment to serving ASQ members by meeting the basic
requirements for being a section. 135 sections met the 2005-06 Level
1 Section Basics requirements.
2005-06 Section Planning Award
ASQ Section 1206 also satisfied Level 2 business planning
requirements for this program year. 83 sections met the Level 2
Section Planning requirements for 2005-06.
2004-05 Total Quality Award
Finally, ASQ Section 1206 reached the Total Quality Award level for
the 2004-05 Program year for Section Management Process. Total
Quality is one the highest levels of achievement in SMP. We reached
Total Quality by proving our dedication and commitment by developing
a business plan that provides valuable, quality programs and
services to our members and by achieving our set objectives. 104
sections reached the Total Quality Award level for the 2004-05
program year.
Congratulations Section 1206. It took all of us pulling together to
obtain these awards. A special thank you to all of our volunteers
and board members for their dedication to our members and section
management.
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Ask Woody |
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Got
a quality question or a problem at work you can’t solve?
How about asking an expert?
You can take
advantage of the “Ask Woody” column -- a place to ask questions,
share concerns or anything else on your mind. Email
.
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Showcars Your Team's
Dedication to Excellence! |
Register your team for ASQ's International
Team Excellence Competition
Register your team for a competition that is unlike any other! The ASQ
International Team Excellence Competition is the only international team
recognition process of its kind in the United States. Since 1985, 746
teams from the United States, Canada, Mexico, Costa Rica, India, Japan,
and China have participated in this outstanding process!
Why Should your Team Participate?
- Recognition
- Self Assessment and
Improvement
- Benchmarking
- Encouraging Excellence
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Get your team presentations together!
The deadline for DVD/video entries is December 19, 2005. Team finalists
will be selected to participate in the LIVE presentations at ASQ's World
Conference on Quality and Improvement , May 1-3, 2006, in Milwaukee, WI.
For additional information, contact Geetha Balagopal at 800-248-1946,
ext. 7303, or at .
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Hey Job Seekers:
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Please contact newsletter editor
if you have a job opening you'd like to post. Please include the company name, city, position open (title) and how prospective candidates can learn more.
Also - The ASQ’s Career Center is free to all job seekers and provides you with access to the best employers and jobs in the
quality industry. Go to www.asq.org to search for jobs, post your resume, and learn about other helpful resources for advancing your career.
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