ASQ Conferences for the Engaged Member

In response to the latest View from the Q blog about conferences, I want to set the context around my opinion.

As an ASQ Regional Director, I have access to various member databases.  One collection is the list of Unpaid Members, which is a collection of members who have not renewed their ASQ membership since their last expiry date, and are at risk of either attrition or termination.

My observation of the Unpaid member profiles revealed two key characteristics:
- none of these members belonged to any ASQ Divisions, Interest Groups, or Technical Committees
- less than 1% of the members possessed ASQ certifications

The implication of this is that Engaged ASQ members are those who do belong to one or more Divisions, Interest Groups, or Technical Committees, and possess 1 or more ASQ Certifications.  This post is intended and directed to those who are engaged, to convey the benefits of attending conferences.

Before I outline and summarize the benefits, I will reveal some personal disclosure. As a result of years of ASQ involvement and tactical selection of activities, I have been able to earn, procure, or acquire discounts for certain ASQ events.  I strongly recommend that each ASQ member inquire and pursue member benefits that would enable them to save money on these opportunities.  One almost has to adopt the mindset of a post-secondary student seeking scholarships or sponsorships to support their further education.  If you do get sponsored or supported, it behooves you to follow through and enjoy the benefits offered to you.

Now a true advocate of ASQ conferences should be willing to justify why they would attend if they had to do so without sponsorship or financial assistance.  In this context, the pros and cons are more meaningful and important to consider.

Given my home location in the Pacific Northwest region of Canada, my proximity to conference locations will determine whether or not I attend.  Although there is an excellent conference in Orlando, Florida, where the Technical Communities meet, the travel across three time zones, an international border, and 8 hours of flight time each way make the trip relatively burdensome and expensive. The additional travel time has to be considered when taking time away from work supporting my clients and professional practice.

When attending, a prudent approach is required in order to secure the desired schedule and accommodations for a reasonable cost.  Delays and late bookings will increase the transportation costs and reduce the available options, reducing the overall value for money spent.

In addition to cost, scheduling is also important.  In our professional and personal lives, our various commitments create priorities that may conflict with conference events.  Whether it is a long-planned family gathering, timing of university exams, or a critical path project milestone, sometimes conferences simply do not work and have to be skipped for that time period.

As far as justifying attendance, in my opinion ASQ conferences support the efforts and aspirations of the engaged member.  The focus at conferences shifts from section activities to divisions, and provides members of ASQ divisions, interest groups, technical committees, and other initiatives a chance for face-to-face interaction and constructive teamwork.  As a personal example, I can catch up with my various groups and continue the engagement and involvement, as well as supporting the efforts and initiatives of the member units.  This is also a chance to explore and adopt new groups in which to become more closely involved.  For example, I became an ASQ Influential Voice blogger as a result of attending WCQI in 2012.

For the ASQ member interested in attaining or retaining their ASQ certification, ASQ conferences offer multiple"fast-track" options including:

- Professional Development: (attending a 3 day ASQ conference annually will fulfill the category maximum of 9.0 Recertification Units)

-  Courses - Student Credit: Most ASQ Conferences schedule additional courses immediately adjacent to the conference, either before or after.

-  Committees: The proximity and presence of ASQ divisions, interest groups, and technical committees will enable attendees to attend committee meetings and earn credits toward their recertification.

- Certification/ Exam Proctoring:  Most ASQ conferences offer examinations, and ASQ members can apply or arrange to be either examinees or proctors, providing additional recertification units.

- Electronic Media: ASQ conferences like WCQI provide the presentations in a format that can be downloaded and viewed after the conference.  This can support learning by obtaining the material one may have missed due to time conflicts, and also can add important recertification units.

- Publishing: Taking notes and submitting a summary of the presentations is not only suitable for learning, it can provide additional recertification credits if the articles are published in ASQ newsletters, journals, magazines, or other publications.  This is an excellent way to support personal learning and build visibility and professional stature.

Conferences are social activities, and one must be prepared for frequent and constant interaction.  I believe that if an ASQ member is already engaged, then conferences would enhance their ASQ member experience and enable them to get value for their membership dollar, thus building up Loyalty Capital.

Grand Confederation of Quality should include Lean and Six Sigma

Today within the ASQ Influential Voices, past and present, there are conflicting opinions about the respective merits of Lean and Six Sigma.

A recent post on a Lean Blog takes issue with particular characterizations of Lean by certain publications.  As the examples arise from personal anecdotes of a self-styled "life coaching consultant", the intellectual rigor and supporting references cannot be referenced to support or dispute his assertions.

A counter-opinion is offered on Scott Rutherford's Square Peg Musings.  The point is to move the discussion away from the nuances separating the different "tribes" within the performance improvement domain, and focus on working with organizational leadership constructively to adopt quality practices.  I agree with this approach advocated by Scott.

One of my prized personal references in my library is Juran's Quality Control Handbook, 4th edition, which was published in 1988.  While this massive tome does not specifically reference either Lean or Six Sigma, many of the practices and principles now claimed by both "camps" are shown and demonstrated in considerable detail.  When I qualified as an ASQ Certified Quality Engineer in the mid-1990s, I did so without having to declare myself as a proponent of either Lean or Six Sigma.  In my opinion, I belong to neither camp because my involvement in the profession predated both brands.

In addition to being a quality practitioner, I can say with modesty and humility that I possess certain rank and stature within ASQ, both as a leader and a thought-leader.  I can personally attest that the various bodies of knowledge within ASQ are inclusive and have enthusiastically embraced Six Sigma and Lean practices as essential components of Quality knowledge.  One cannot decouple Lean or Six Sigma from Quality; they are now core practices.  Juran's Quality Handbook, 6th Edition, includes detailed summaries of Lean and Six Sigma, along with its relevance to the Quality practitioner.  Therefore, as I have mentioned previously, when a Lean practitioner makes inflammatory comments about Quality or Six Sigma, they are inadvertently insulting their precious Lean, which is actually a subset of the Quality Body of Knowledge

In my professional role, I am presented with increasingly demanding challenges to deliver solutions to clients in a competitive and time-sensitive manner.  If any practices from Lean or Six Sigma pertain to the situation and promise to support the overall objectives, I am at liberty to deploy the most effective methods at my disposal for the benefit of my team and my client.  Through my experience, I have found this to be most effectively performed within the confines of a structured management system supported by senior executives.  Without the management system setting clear objectives and holding individuals accountable for personal performance, both Lean and Six Sigma can potentially devolve into detrimental and costly programs that conflict with their intended aims.

In my role at ASQ, I must aspire to show leadership and embrace divergent communities of practitioners whose views may not agree with my own.  While others have the luxury of making inflammatory comments, I owe it to my Quality Profession to bring together the respective virtues of the different communities into a Grand Confederation of practitioners.  A confederation does not imply uniformity of opinion, but a healthy respect for diverging views and a quest for synergies and common ground.  I welcome dialogue and commit to seeking to understand different viewpoints before drawing conclusions and expressing opinions.

I call upon those using social media to use their communication forum in a positive and progressive manner. If we as a profession do not work from a common body of knowledge and commit to scholarly research and due diligence in our practices, our profession is at risk of diminishing and deteriorating our stature and livelihood.

The enemy of Quality is negligence and apathy.  When inflammatory remarks are made, this fuels the cynicism and diminishes the respect and stature which should be rightly due to a virtuous and altruistic group of professionals, seeking improvements not just for our clients and companies, but for the greater society at large.

Sustainability

This is an article I prepared on Sustainability for the ASQ Knowledge Network.  Since it will evolve through editing, I thought I would use this forum to provide the "writer's cut".

____________________________________________________________

A broad definition of sustainability incorporates three principal aspects—ecological, economic and social—and that the ecological aspect and social equity are primary; sustainability protects and enhances the environment and social equity.

A program or an activity is considered sustainable if it meets all of the following criteria:

·         Creates economic value.

·         Increases public wealth with proper mechanisms for its distribution.

·         Socially justified.

·         Environmentally sound.

·         Ethically conducted.

·         Conforms to all applicable laws, rules, and regulations.

Sustainability performance reporting addresses business and personnel practices, as well as the organization's environmental, social, and community impact. Integrated reporting supports effective and transparent communication with all stakeholders, and establishes accountability.  Business sustainability promotes stakeholder theory in protecting interests of all stakeholders, which implies that business organizations have obligations to a number of constituencies including shareholders, creditors, suppliers, customers, employees, government, environment, and society. 

The three overriding principles of business sustainability are: value creation, performance enhancement, and accountability assurance. Sustainability drives a bottom-line strategy to save costs, a top-line strategy to reach a new consumer base, and a talent strategy to get, keep, and develop employees, customers, and your community. Sustainability has four components:

·         Social

·         Economic

·         Environmental

·         Cultural

For example, Toyota focused instead on its Toyota Way:

·         Long-term thinking as a basis for management decisions,

·         Adding value to the organization by developing its people,

·         A process for problem-solving, and

·         Continuously solving root problems to drive organizational learning.

Management concepts like genji genbutsu (management by walking around and seeing for yourself); or kaizen (continuous improvement) have affected the management of companies worldwide.

Strategic planning must be much more dynamic in this future, with contingencies and, more importantly, organizational flexibility to react when the challenge occurs. This flexibility is core to a strategy for sustainability.  To summarize, the seven tenets of a strategy for sustainability that must be incorporated into strategic planning are:

1.       Natural resources will become increasingly scarce and expensive.

2.       Massive demographic change is occurring.

3.       People are the most important renewable resource.

4.       Cash flow matters more than quarterly earnings.

5.       Every organization’s operating environment will change as dramatically in the next three to five years as it has changed in the past five.

6.       A chaotic, external world requires internal cohesion and flexibility.

7.       Only the truly transparent will survive.

Globalization, technological advances and a move toward stakeholder theory of corporations have given impetus to the sustainability reporting movement. The overriding principles of sustainability are responsibility and accountability to all stakeholders and effective disclosures of sustainability performance to such stakeholders

The true measure of success for corporations should not only be determined by reported earnings, but their governance, social responsibility, ethical behavior, and environmental initiatives. Business sustainability education demands knowledge-based in business sustainability in order to:

·         Leave more resources for the next generation
·         Grow the enterprise continuously
·         Govern organizations effectively
·         Have an ethical and competent organization culture
·         Promote corporate social responsibility, customers' and employees' satisfaction and ethical workplaces
·         Preserve a green and lush environment
·         Protect our profit, planet, and people

Business sustainability and sustainability performance, reporting, and assurance requires sustainability performance disclosures. Best practices of sustainability initiatives and strategies should ensure organizational leaders effectively discharge their responsibilities and assume accountability for achieving sustainability performance.

Bibliography:

Strategy for Sustainability: A Business Manifesto by  Adam Werbach

Harvard Business Press © 2009 (228 pages) Citation

ISBN:9781422177709

Corporate Sustainability: Integrating Performance and Reporting

by  Ann M. Brockett and Zabihollah Rezaee

John Wiley & Sons © 2012 (316 pages) Citation

ISBN:9781118122365

Sustainability: The Corporate Challenge of the 21st Century

by  Dexter Dunphy, Jodie Benveniste, Andrew Griffiths and Philip Sutton (eds)

Allen & Unwin © 2000 (298 pages) Citation

ISBN:9781865082288 

Encouraging the Next Generation of STEM Professionals in Canada

The recent View from the Q blog was an excellent call to action to help those in the younger generations to gain interest and awareness of the possibilities and opportunities in a STEM profession.

In Canada, there is a program and website, Let's Talk Science which targets children aged 3-17 and emphasizes interesting programs in science and technology.  This program draws from and engages educators, volunteers, industry, government, and parents in this initiative.  The success of this program effectively creates the impetus for students to take action and cultivate their STEM knowledge.

From a professional perspective, I am currently engaged on a project requiring a specialized combination of business and technology skills to support a large, complex product development program.  It has proven astonishingly difficult to staff these types of projects with qualified and motivated resources.  Our viability as a society is at risk if we are unable to fulfill business opportunities and have to resort to foreign imported workers in order to acquire the necessary STEM skills.  This diminishes us as a society and inverts our standing as a first-world economy, while exporting talent and experience to our international competitors.

STEM knowledge is essential, not only for the individual earning potential of our future generations, but for the very viability of our national economies, which are being eroded and compromised by competition from nations who have prioritized STEM within their cultural norms and educations systems.

ASQ Canada - Links to PAR, Leadership, Student Branch, and Career Center

I am providing the content which I sent to the leadership group of each ASQ Section in Canada (and yes, I did have contact information for all 16 sections).

Good evening,

I am communicating some action items arising from the recent ASQ Canada leadership call on Feb. 20.  I hope that you will review this material and apply this in your respective Member-Leader activities.

I have captured and summarized some necessary guidelines and hyperlinks related to the following areas pertinent to your ASQ Sections.  If you have any questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to contact me.  For your benefit and convenience, I have copied this message to the contact people who can support your successful implementation of these items.  I encourage you to reach out to them with any specific questions, as they are all part of the greater ASQ team committed to your success as Member Leaders.

·         ASQ PAR GOOD STANDING REQUIREMENTS (Cynthia Nazario)

·         ASQ PAR INNOVATION (Cynthia Nazario)

·         ASQ LEADERSHIP SURVEY (Gary Gehring)

·         ASQ STUDENT MEMBERSHIP (Stephanie Thompson)

·         ASQ CAREER CENTER (Stephanie Gones)

Sincerely,

Dan

ASQ Fellow, Regional Director

ASQ Region 4 (Canada)

ASQ PAR GOOD STANDING REQUIREMENTS (Cynthia Nazario)

This refers to the operating requirements that all ASQ Member Units, including ASQ Sections, must fulfill as a condition for recognition by ASQ.  In the interest of transparency and governance, it is essential that ASQ Sections are led by named members who are paid up and personally in good standing with ASQ, and provide their financial reports and business plans in a timely manner according to the schedule and format below.

http://asq.org/member-leader-community/key-tasks/index.html

http://asq.org/member-leader-community/key-tasks/par-good-standing

Due Date	Action	Responsible	Comments
Feb 15. 2015	Annual financial Report/ Audit due	Treasurer, Audit Chair	Please work with ASQ Finance to get confirmation
Apr 30, 2015	Section Quarterly Financial Report due (Q1)	Treasurer	http://asq.org/member-leader-community/key-tasks/finance/index.html
Jul 31, 2015	Section Quarterly Financial Report due (Q2)	Treasurer	http://asq.org/member-leader-community/key-tasks/finance/index.html
Oct 31, 2015	Section Quarterly Financial Report due (Q3)	Treasurer	http://asq.org/member-leader-community/key-tasks/finance/index.html
Nov 1, 2015	Section officer and committee lists due	Secretary	http://asq.org/member-leader-community/key-tasks/officers-committees/index.html
Dec 15, 2015	Section Budgets due	Treasurer	http://asq.org/member-leader-community/key-tasks/operations/business-planning.html
Dec 15, 2015	Section Business Plans due	Chair	http://asq.org/member-leader-community/key-tasks/operations/business-planning.html
Dec 31, 2015	Required Section Positions filled with eligible ASQ members in good standing	Sections – all	http://asq.org/member-leader-community/key-tasks/officers-committees/index.html

ASQ PAR INNOVATION (Cynthia Nazario)

The ASQ provides ASQ Member Units in Good Standing with the opportunity to apply for a PAR Innovation Award, to recognize the delivery of member value to ASQ Members.  As an administrative contingency, I encourage all sections to complete and submit their Intent To Apply form by Monday, March 16, 2015.

http://asq.org/member-leader-community/key-tasks/par-innovation

http://rube.asq.org/members/leaders/par-intent-to-apply.pdf

ASQ LEADERSHIP SURVEY (Gary Gehring)

As Member Leaders you have been requested to provide your responses to a study that will help to create effective Leadership Development programs within ASQ.  Please respond to the survey by activating the link below, which is also found within the Jan. 30 edition of ASQ Member Leader Friday Fast Facts (How Do You Define Leadership?).

http://links.communications.asq.org/ctt?kn=13&ms=MTA1Mjc4NDkS1&r=MTY1MDcwMDI0MDc0S0&b=3&j=NDYyNjMzNDIwS0&mt=1&rt=0

http://links.communications.asq.org/servlet/MailView?ms=MTA1Mjc4NDkS1&r=MTY1MDcwMDI0MDc0S0&j=NDYyNjMzNDIwS0&mt=1&rt=0

One of the objectives of the Member Leader Training Team is to support member leaders through leadership development. Your participation in a brief survey will help define leadership for ASQ and provide the basis for the development of a leadership curriculum.

ASQ STUDENT MEMBERSHIP (Stephanie Thompson)

This summary, along with the attached presentation, provides your Section with a concise and workable approach to effectively engaging students into the ASQ Section.

From: Stephanie Thompson [mailto:Stephanie.Thompson@campcorpstructures.com]
Sent: Friday, February 20, 2015 11:19
Subject: RE: Agenda: ASQ Canada Section Leader Teleconference: February 20, 2015

Region 4 leaders,

Thank you for the opportunity to attend your teleconference monthly meeting on behalf of QMD. We are excited for these quality connections with the sections and future leaders in quality, our student members. Quality is cross functional and what better way to engage many different disciplines than to start at the colleges and universities sharing applicable quality? 

It was great to hear about the focus on students in Hamilton… Lets work to get the students to experience the magic of quality! Free conference registration, scholarships & honorariums, publication opportunities, and establishing quality connections all add value to student members as well as adding diversity to ASQ. Please share the information with your local colleges, universities, communities, and family.

Do not hesitate to reach out with questions, comments, or ideas about supporting student members.

Enjoy your weekend,

Stephanie Thompson

Quality Manager

CampCorp USA Inc.

T: 623.546.5922 x 2412 | C: 480.648.7643 

13550 W Foxfire Drive, Surprise AZ 

ASQ CAREER CENTER (Stephanie Gones)

This is the summary of the ASQ Career Center, which communicates job openings through Social Media, and can be integrated with the Section communications.

The ASQ Career Center is part of the Engineering & Science Career Network which is made up of 40 engineering and science associations to create one board geared towards the quality, engineering & science professional.  By posting on ASQ’s job board you are gaining access to our niche market of job seekers and members (74,000), plus you are able to search over 24,000 resumes.  The combined reach of the 40 associations is 850,000.  Your job posting is also fed automatically to ASQ’s LinkedIn and Facebook pages.   

Posting the positions online: 

Rates: The cost to post a job is (USD) $295 member - $495 non-member for 30 days.  Other packages consist of purchasing 60 day posting, or bulk job posting packages to use over the course of 1 year.  We also have a “Featured Jobs” option, which highlights your job on the site for an additional $125/$225.   Membership to ASQ starts at only $99 per year – so it’s well worth the membership fee just for the discount.  However, membership does offer you a lot more.  As a FULL member you also have access to network with local professionals (your Section) as well as industry specific (Division or Forum) members from around the world.   

If you have not posted with us before, you will need to register as a new employer. The system walks you through the posting process and will ask for credit card (MasterCard, Visa or American Express) payment at the end.  Visit our Career Center at http://careers.asq.org/website/employers/steps123.cfm  

If you’re looking for several Employees, you may be interested in exhibiting at ASQ’s World Conference on Quality & Improvement in Nashville, TN.  We have an add on package available for any Exhibitor looking to hire.  It’s a great opportunity to meet several qualified candidates in one location.  http://asq.org/wcqi/2015/exhibitors.aspx

If you have any questions please feel free to contact Stephanie Gones at sgones@asq.org or 800-248-1946 x7256

Quality IS Global, It's ASQ That's Still Regional

Well, it is not often that I find my opinion at a divergence with the sentiments expressed on View From the Q, but the recent article about The Globalization of Quality frankly expresses a viewpoint with which I cannot in good conscience agree, nor let stand without a counterpoint.

The official message is that ASQ, by virtue of its Quality Body of Knowledge (QBok), is undertaking the grand initiative of propagating Quality from the United States to foreign countries.

The facts suggest a different narrative.  Within the recent history of ASQ, the recognitions have trended away from the traditional American "good ol' boys" and more toward the international participants, as well as those who have traditionally suffered from systemic discrimination. Consider the following trends:

- Of the recent 15 new ASQ Fellows, 5 are located outside of the United States.  Although the percentage of Global membership is smaller, fully 33% of members at the highest level originate from those very countries and continents that ASQ aspires to enlighten.

- The International Team Excellence Competition profiles the successful teams at this website.   The victorious teams originate from diverse locations including Dubai, Argentina, Malaysia, South Africa, India, China, Thailand, Mexico, and the far reaches of the inhabited world.  The best examples of applied Quality practices demonstrate that Quality is global, and is not restricted to any particular culture or geography.

- The ASQ Feigenbaum Medal not only recognizes an accomplished quality practitioner at or under 35 years of age, it serves as a predictive indicator of future ASQ leaders.  It is interesting to note that among the Feigenbaum Medal recipients, there are no "good ol' American boys".  This progressive award has acknowledged the contributions of members originating from foreign nations (outside of the USA), visible minorities, and women. There is no affirmative action mandate - the criteria for this award has remained true to the edicts and ethics of Dr. A.V. Feigenbaum, and recipients possess the virtues and credentials valued by ASQ.

I predict that in 10 years (or sooner), the composition of the ASQ Executive team, Board of Directors, and leadership councils (SAC, TCC, GAC) will reflect the cosmopolitan nature and global diversity of ASQ's membership, and will have even greater representation of females, internationals, and visible minorities, not from mandated affirmative action or diversity quota, but from superior merit and ability.

In contrast, ASQ still operates as a regional enterprise,  For ASQ to be truly global, it must first arise from its regional limitations and service gaps affecting North America. which include:

- The Customer Care department is staffed from 7AM-5PM Central time.  This permits ASQ to provide the necessary services to members during core business hours in Eastern and Central time.  However members in Mountain and Pacific time zone do not have similar convenience for their membership dollar.  A better approach would be for ASQ Customer Care to provide live agents during business hours for all of North America, starting at 8AM Eastern and finishing the day at 5PM Pacific.

- There is an ASQ section (404) which is specifically targeted for the French-speaking population of Montreal, Quebec.  Quebec is a Canadian province which has French as its primary language.  While ASQ offers itself as a professional society for Francophones, it does not employ anyone in its Customer Care group who is fluent in French (one of the official languages of the North American country of Canada).  It would seem that before ASQ extends its capabilities to overseas members, it should aspire to adequately address its membership base in North America first.

In my role as a Regional Director for Region 4 (Canada), which includes Quebec and the Mountain and Pacific time zones, I have proposed the expansion of ASQ's Customer Care to address these specific Service Quality gaps.  Unfortunately I have not encountered anyone at ASQ willing to take ownership for the timely resolution of these service limitations.

In his post, ASQ CEO commented on the service expectations for the global Quality community, and the question as to whether ASQ is doing enough to accomplish the mission.

"Given that, we have an obligation to serve our global members. We want them to feel welcome, supported, and listened to.  In some cases that meant we needed a presence on the ground to better understand and serve their needs."

"This month my question to you is: ASQ’s mission statement talks about increasing the use and impact of quality in response to the diverse needs of the world?  Are we doing enough, throughout the world, to accomplish that mission?"

Well, for ASQ to have an adequate presence on the ground globally, it must first meet the inherent challenges present in North America.  If this cannot be reasonably accomplished from Milwaukee, then an expansion or relocation is necessary to ensure adequate coverage of all of the "nations" within North America.  Based on the existing service gaps, only 7 of the 11 nations are fully served by ASQ Customer Care, with New France, the Left Coast, the Far West, and El Norte getting the short end of the deal.

Recommended Reading - ASQ Open Access Articles

The latest post from View From The Q highlighted a collection of quality books that every professional should have within their library.  With respect to this list, I personally prefer the 4th edition of Juran's Quality Control Handbook to the 6th edition of Juran's Quality Handbook, largely because the earlier versions included more specific tactical quality engineering and statistical techniques and references.

Everyone will have their own opinions and preferences.  Three immediate additions to my list include Rapid Development by Steve McConnell, Software Engineering: A Practitioner's Approach by Roger Pressman, and The Customer-Driven Company by Richard Whiteley.

As source of quality content that complements these books, I have discovered the benefit of referring to the Open Access articles from ASQ Journals.  According to the Magazines and Journals page at ASQ's website, selected articles are made available in every issue.

An example of this is in the current issue of ASQ's Quality Management Journal.  An article linking Social Responsibility to Quality is available for free review.

I encourage ASQ Members and Quality practitioners to explore the Open Access articles within all of the ASQ journals.  This represents the current thought-leadership within the society.  Articles are more current and timely, and extend the breadth of knowledge beyond the limits of a textbook or reference material.  Articles often include case studies or dissertation summaries which support the hypothesis with actual proven evidence.

The world’s largest publisher of quality related products, ASQ offers eight peer-reviewed journals and magazines covering a wide range of topics. 

Who has access?

• Subscribers to any journal receive print issues for the subscription year plus online access to past issues
• ASQ full, senior, fellow, and honorary members receive:
• Quality Progress print subscription, plus online access to past issues
• Online access to articles published before 2013 in the quarterly journals listed below
  (most recent issues are reserved for subscribers)
• Associate and student members receive online access to current and past issues of Quality Progress
• Organizational members and individuals linked to an organizational membership receive electronic access to current and past issues of all journals and magazines
• All visitors can read sample open-access articles, browse journal and magazine tables of contents, and
  search all articles by publication, keyword, date, and more

Additional open-access and member-benefit publications are also available from topic- and industry-focused
forums and divisions.

Follow the links below to subscribe to a publication or explore division/forum content offerings.
Or join ASQ today for access to the most content.

MONTHLY

Quality Progress
ASQ’s flagship publication, read by more people than any other magazine on quality, features in-depth articles describing the application of innovative methods. Topics include knowledge management, process improvement, and organizational behavior.

Visit QP online
Subscribe to QP

QUARTERLY

Journal for Quality and Participation
Offers in-depth, comprehensive articles about employee involvement, teamwork, leadership, change management, and more.

Visit the Journal for Quality and Participation online
Subscribe to the journal

Journal of Quality Technology
Covers the technical aspects of quality control, reliability, and related disciplines.

Visit the Journal of Quality Technology online
Subscribe to the journal

Quality Engineering
Co-published with Taylor & Francis, this journal examines in-depth, practical applications of quality technology for engineers.

Visit Quality Engineering online
Subscribe to the journal

Quality Management Journal
A source for practical application of quality research in the broad field of management.

Visit Quality Management Journal online
Subscribe to the journal

Six Sigma Forum Magazine
The first magazine addressing the specific needs of Six Sigma professionals.

Visit Six Sigma Forum Magazine online
Subscribe to the magazine

Software Quality Professional
Addresses the application of quality principles to the development and use of software and software-based systems.

Visit Software Quality Professional online
Subscribe to the journal

Technometrics
Published in conjunction with the American Statistical Association, this journal focuses on statistics for the physical, chemical, and engineering sciences.

Visit Technometrics online
Subscribe to the journal

Walking With Steve Jobs Toward Improved Creativity

In an article within the "Financial Post" business section of the Canadian newspaper, the National Post, there is a very interesting article relating the benefits of walking to creative thought.

As cited within the caption, "Taking a long walk was Steve Jobs' preferred way to have a serious conversation".

This aligns with the ethic of "Management By Walking Around" (MBWA), which was promoted by the legendary Peter Drucker, reinforced by Tom Peters et. al, and translated into Japanese as the "3Gs" (Genga, Gengutsu, and Genjitsu, which translate into “actual place”, “actual thing”, and “actual situation”).

The Lean practice of "Going To The Gemba" supports the creativity of initiatives like Kaizen, not just because people are immersed in the environment where the actual work is performed, but the very act of walking stimulates the necessary creativity needed for problem solving and continuous improvement.

The article backed this up with historical and scientific references.  Intellectual icons like Charles Darwin, Friedrich Nietzsche, Charles Dickens, and Ludwig van Beethoven were referenced within the article as examples of historical figures whose tendency for long walks contributed constructively to their respective compositions and publications.

A recent study by Marily Oppezzo and Daniel Schwartz, published in the Journal of Experimental Psychology in 2014, revealed the comparative results of participants when taking Guilford's Alternative Uses Test.  This is a test used to measure creative thinking by coming up with alternative uses for everyday items, and scoring these uses across multiple evaluation criteria: originality, fluency, flexibility, and elaboration.  A summary is provided below:

__________________________________________________________

Guilford's Alternative Uses Task (1967)

(For more information, contact Gayle Dow, Indiana University)

In Guilford’s Alternative Uses Task (1967) examinees are asked to list as many possible uses for a common house hold item (such as s brick, a paperclip, a newspaper)

Example

Name all the uses for a brick:

1. A paperweight
2. A doorstop
3. A mock coffin at a Barbie funeral
4. To throw threw a window
5. To use as a weapon
6. To hit my sister on the head with

Scoring

Scoring is comprised of four components:

1. Originality - each response it compared to the total amount of responses from all of the people you gave the test to. Reponses that were given by only 5% of your group are unusual (1 point), responses that were given by only 1% of your group are unique - 2 points). Total all the point. Higher scores indicate creativity*
2. Fluency - total. Just add up all the responses. In this example it is 6.
3. Flexibility - or different categories. In this case there are five different categories (weapon and hit sister are from the same general idea of weapon)
4. Elaboration - amount of detail (for Example "a doorstop" = 0 whereas "a door stop to prevent a door slamming shut in a strong wind" = 2 (one for explanation of door slamming, two for further detail about the wind).

*You might have noticed that the higher fluency the higher the originality. This is a contamination problem and can be corrected by using a corrective calculation for originality (originality = originality/fluency).

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The comparative results from the study showed an 81% increase in the creativity scores resulting from walking.  This is a remarkable outcome, which is supported by current business leaders like Facebook's Mark Zuckerberg and Square's Jack Dorsey, who employ walking as a catalyst for deeper thinking and conversation.

I encourage everyone to walk and be mobile, not just for the inherent health benefits, but for the positive effects on creativity and composition.  This very article was composed following my habitual aerobic exercise on an elliptical trainer at a nearby YMCA.

Quality - Epiphany of Value, Purpose, and Function

The article by Brooks, referenced in View from the Q, uses terms like conversion and epiphany to describe the recognition and adoption of quality.  Deming is compared to the famous evangelist, Billy Graham.

My own conversion was at the feet of the Billy Graham of quality, Dr. W Edwards Deming. I had the great good fortune to attend six of his four-day seminars during the final years of his life, and even had some brief conversations with him. My conversion was literally an epiphany.

In this context, an epiphany can also refer to secular discoveries (i.e. Pythagoras and the 47th problem of Euclid (sum of squares in sides of right-angled triangle = square of hypotenuse a.k.a 3-4-5 unit right-angled triangle) or Archimedes (water displacement in the bathtub to measure volume, to which he cried "Eureka!").

A Quality Epiphany or "Eureka Moment" can be generated consistently in three ways:

- Demonstrating cost reductions by controlling losses and penalties by meeting and complying with requirements, regulations, and customer specifications.

- Projecting revenue expansions by increasing business opportunities and entry to new markets demanding higher levels of quality assurance and performance.

- Realizing improved operational efficiency and predictability by optimizing methods and practices to reduce waste, improve predictability, and increase capacity with existing resources.

How do we explain this in a simple and memorable manner?  I have an example below:

In response to the latest View from the Q posting, I wanted to provide a very simple and timeless explanation of Quality, from which more detailed explanations can be made to fully understand our profession.

To summarize:

- The PDCA (Plan, Do, Check, Act) cycle is the core of all activities related to Quality, with the Quality function at the center point of all activities.

- The scope of the PDCA cycle (represented by the area within the circle) reflects the domain of the Quality function, and its influence within its parent organization

- The repetitive and continuous PDCA cycle (originating from Shewhart and popularized by Deming) reinforces the constant and perpetual progression from uncontrolled chaos to predictable ideals.

- The two parallel lines bordering the circle have different meanings.  The left line represents the minimum levels of compliance, conformity, and "good enough" quality.  The right line represents the desired state of having quality-driven breakthroughs, innovations, and extensions to the solution.

- The role and value of the Quality function can be shown visually in this context, as a way to continually perform PDCA-related actions to not only guarantee compliance and conformity, but to advance the organization toward competitive advantages.

- Imagine that the PDCA cycle is not only in continual motion, but is progressing along a maturity track from the boundary of minimal compliance toward the infinite possibilities of unlimited innovation and extensions.  Consider the progression of Honda over the last 50 years from scooters and outboard motors to vehicles and aircraft.

The best way to take this from theory to practice is to demonstrate quality in all of its forms (Lean, Inspection, Process Controls, Management Systems, Risk Management, Business Process Improvement etc.) and show where value and gains are added for the organization and the people involved.  

Five Questions To a Solution

Five Questions To A Solution

As we advance in our organizations to leadership roles, we are approached to find solutions to a variety of situations.   I would like to share a protocol of five questions which I have adapted from my work with clients, as I help to transform their businesses.  This is a generic and simple method which can be applied to clarify a situation and support the determination of appropriate solutions.

1.       What are the Expectations?

This should precede any report or description, in order to help set the context for everyone involved.  It also should help to reveal whether the report or update is compatible with the standards of performance.  For example, if an ASQ Section provides a report of accounts, there should be expectations of a precise dollar amount, a period (last month, last quarter), and a way to validate an reconcile the expenses claimed with actual items received.  If the report is associated with a defined protocol (e.g. ASQ PAR > Performance Awards and Recognition), then some of those expectations have already been explicitly and objectively defined. 

Without clear expectations, then a report or update can take on varying forms and content.  With expectations, the report has references against which to demonstrate success or challenges.

2.       What Issues have been identified for resolution?

This summarizes what obstacles or obstructions are presently delaying or preventing the achievement or fulfillment of the intended actions.  Once raised and escalated, issues should be assigned or escalated so that they can be resolved.  By having a sense of the outstanding or open issues, a leader can prioritize what has to be fixed or corrected first, based on the impact that each issue has to overall success.

3.       What Risks show potential for a future problem?

Along with issues which have already occurred, risks can be identified predicting problems in the future.  This could be something like identifying a leaky roof on a sunny day, which while not damaging the building in the summer, could be devastating once rain and snow appear.  Rather than taking a pessimistic or negative view, risks should be elicited as a way to help improve or correct conditions or situations early before significant damage is done.  If the risk is not able to be mitigated and removed, then contingency plans should be made (i.e. tarp over the leaky roof, barrels on a scaffold to catch water that penetrates the leaky roof).

4.       What Decisions have resulted?

There should be more to a business meeting than eating lunch, drinking coffee, and determining the time and location of the next meeting.  If the right people are in attendance, then decisions are made.  These decisions should be recorded and kept on a register until they are fulfilled or implemented.  The decisions can be positive or corrective.  The health and vitality of the organization can be measured by the connection between decisions made and decisions successfully implemented. 

5.       What are the Action items?

A recommended practice is to highlight the action items, their owners (people accountable and responsible for completing the actions), and the expected completion dates (linking back to expectations).  The external dependencies should be considered with each action. 

So with these five items (Expectations, Issues, Risks, Decisions, Actions), member-leaders and participants can more objectively assess situations and progress toward solutions and fulfillment of good intentions.  If these items are captured and summarized, this information can be reviewed.  Strategic decisions can be made based on knowing and addressing these items.  Alternatively if there is no movement on these initiatives (i.e. Particular action goes for years without being completed), then it can be escalated or reassigned.

If member-leaders are receptive to this approach, then the interaction across committees, sections, regions, divisions, interest groups, and similar entities can be synthesized into a consistently constructive dialogue.