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Recent Media Coverage of London South West Branch CQICopies of recent reports of our meetings as reprinted from the Quality Professional, a supplement to Quality World are shown here:
Developing the Leaders of Tomorrow Rose Viggiani is Chief Executive of London Excellence and her talk illustrated how its work on popularising the principles of the ‘Excellence Model’ (as used by EFQM, Baldridge etc.) could be leveraged to help address the UK’s need for more effective business leaders. First, Rose defined the attributes of an effective leader in terms of delivery and showed that leadership is at the core of the ‘Excellence Model’. After sharing empirical evidence showing the effectiveness of ‘excellence’ practices on business success, she went on to examine obstacles to the effectiveness of the traditional route to excellence and described how overcoming these obstacles had led ‘London Excellence’ to offer a more readily accessible package. The empirical data presented during the talk was extremely gratifying to Quality Professionals who ‘just knew those were the right things to do’. The same thought process which helped ‘London Excellence’ arrive at a more business-centred approach to excellence (rather than the traditional model-centred approach) suggests a novel addition in future applications of the excellence model. In addition to being used as a tool for self-assessment and external assessment of businesses, the model could also be used as a tool for developing future leaders. Instead of assessing the business against the traditional excellence criteria and modifying business processes as indicated by the assessment results, excellence is seen as a direct result of effective leadership (primarily the ability to ‘pull the strings’). The model can be used as a measure of a leader’s effectiveness whether or not the business has been attempting to follow its prescriptions. By supporting her arguments with relevant study results and anecdotes from her extensive experience, Rose made a compelling case for using the ‘Excellence Model’ to help develop the leaders of tomorrow. If she is as persuasive with the leaders within the CQI, CMI, CIPD etc. the approach may give the ‘Excellence Model’ a new lease of life.
Quality in Decision Making On 10th March 2009, Alastair Baglee from WorleyParsons EcoNomics™ service gave a fascinating presentation on Quality in Decision Making. Worley Parsons is a large engineering company, employing approximately 32,200 personnel in 38 countries, responsible for designing, managing and engineering projects world-wide. In today’s world, environmental and social risks and opportunities have the ability to significantly affect the bottom line for all major corporations and projects globally. This is particularly relevant to the resources and energy sectors. Alastair’s presentation centred on the fact that all businesses need to understand and efficiently optimise their operations to remain profitable, whilst finding ways to reduce impact on the environment and society. Alastair explained that the EcoNomics™ service is involved in taking decision-making to a new level by incorporating not only traditional financial and practical factors, but also external factors that could affect the long-term viability of the project, such as the introduction of a carbon tax or increased pricing for water. As such, the EcoNomics™ service seeks to profitably embed environmental, social and financial sustainability into project delivery, across the asset lifecycle and enhance the quality of decision-making. Alastair highlighted that EcoNomics™ is the first process, in the major project engineering industry, to fully embed environmental, social and financial sustainability within all parts of the project life-cycle. To illustrate this, Alastair demonstrated some of the unique software tools that WorleyParsons has developed to make full economic, rather than just financial, forecasting for projects a reality, even when you have a high degree of uncertainty about future operational costs. Further information on EcoNomics™ can be found at www.worleyparsons.com/EcoNomics
CQI Continuing Professional Development (CPD) Scheme Update by Mike Debenham (CQI Executive Director of Policy and Professional Affairs) Mike gave an illuminating overview of the benefits and route to attaining the Chartered Quality Professional grade and the related continuing professional development requirements. His talk was followed by the first of the annual CPD planning workshops the CQI proposes should be held in each branch. Quality champions such as Lord (Digby) Jones have recognised the importance of quality to the international success of UK business. The CQI has responded to the changes this focus brings to its members by revising its vision of Quality and of the Quality Professional’s role to continue to provide relevant support. The CQI vision is that ‘Quality = Innovation + Care’. The presentation illustrated how this vision can relate ‘Quality Management’ to management of the various business aspects into which Quality Professionals are being drawn and highlighted the statement: ‘Quality is everybody’s business – but it cannot be left to just anybody Seek advice from the professionals’ As its Executive Director of Policy, Mike’s vision is for Quality Professionals to make their contribution by acting as ‘Mentors’ rather than ‘Doers’ in the development of effective Business Management Systems. Such systems increasingly integrate the management of Risk, Environment, Health & Safety, Business Continuity, Corporate Social Responsibility etc. with the management of quality. The CQI must therefore support Quality Professionals in expanding their roles to include these aspects of the business. This support is routed primarily through the Quality Professional’s CDP guidance and augmented by the CQI ‘Body of Quality Knowledge’, accessible via the CQI website. The CQI has developed a new ‘Competency Set’ for Quality Professionals which aligns with its updated vision of Quality and includes:
Each Quality Professional’s CPD will address the competencies most relevant to their work and the CQI is committed to providing guidance and support. The new CPD approach was designed to help Quality Professionals:
It also helps them: – Acquire new knowledge (using internet, publications, peers or even training courses!) – Apply this knowledge in the workplace – Develop the new competency and assess how successful they have been This approach removes the need for CPD points or a minimum number of CPD hours per year. It is not seen as a policing tool but a support tool to help members become more valuable to their employers. To do this, Quality Professionals must ensure:
The CQI provides a CPD Log Template which facilitates CPD planning and recording and the retention of CPD records. Following his presentation, Mike led a CPD planning workshop using the template which generated considerable interest.
Records Management On 23rd September 2008, Mr Anthony Weil from Iron Mountain (UK) Ltd. kindly gave an informative presentation on Records Management in relation to both personal records and business records, generating lively discussions of data retention/destruction, archiving, vaulting and business continuity. Iron Mountain’s mission is to protect the world’s information and the international company provides this service in a number of traditional and modern ways, including the storage of computerised system code under ESCROW agreements. The company stores 3.6 petabites of information, almost twice the information held by the internet, 2 petabites at any one time. The company name, Iron Mountain, originates from their underground storage facilities in the United States. The company also has many UK sites where the environmental conditions may be controlled, ensuring the avoidance of mildew and fungus, along with monitoring of technological conditions to avoid obsolescence. One constant business problem is identifying the legal retention period of different records and ensuring the correct type of records are stored for the correct period of time and no longer, due to the legal implications of claims against a business. For example, Transco were fined for allowing a gas explosion to occur, only because the company had retained records, which proved their negligence, beyond their legal retention period. The company would have avoided the fine if they had adhered to a strict destruction schedule. In all these areas Iron Mountain has expertise and is able to advise individual companies on the particular legal retention periods for their records, as well as prompting the customer for authorisation for destruction of records. Paper records are the most accepted by the courts, but electronic records are becoming more acceptable. Discussions on the security of electronic records, protection from editing, ease of loosing large volumes of electronic records suddenly vs. the difficulty of searching large volumes of paper records. For example, the Doomsday Book can still be read (in paper form) but the equivalent BBC census stored on Phillips Laser Disks cannot be read as the data are retained on an obsolete technology. This issue demonstrates that the best way of retaining electronic data is to keep it on a live PC and upgrade this system in line with all other PCs in a business. There is suggestion that RF ID chips (currently used on clothing in retail stores) may be used for providing a unique identification number via radiowaves, however the meta data would not be available with this system. Consideration of the type of ink used to generate a document is important, as HP laser ink can be read after approximately 30 years before it degrades and becomes dust, however thermal prints on old fax paper or receipts degrade within 12 months. Data retention has moved from the basement to the board room recently, due to highly publicised issues such as: HMRC data loss, Nationwide customer information on stolen laptop, paper medical records found on a landfill site, Home Office records lost on a datastick, etc.
Electronic Quality Management Systems Mr Robert Oakley, Director of Qualsys, gave a presentation on the Electronic Quality Management System (EQMS) for Integrated Management to members and guests of the London South West Branch of the CQI on 19th February 2008. The EQMS software can be used to integrate business processes and ensure compliance with diverse regulatory standards as well as capture and control corporate knowledge. The software is able to integrate quality, health and safety, environmental and information security standards easily, but also any other regulatory requirements a business operates under, such as Good Laboratory Practice (GLP), Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP), Good Clinical Practice (GCP) (collectively GXPs), US Food and Drug Administration regulations (FDA). It is currently in use in a number of industries, such as: food and drink, telecoms, pharmaceutical, financial, publishing, power, oil and gas, publishing and public sector (NHS trusts and local councils). The software comprises a basic set of modules: System Manager Module, Document Manager Module and Change Manager Module, with additional modules if required: Audit Manager Module and Equipment Manager Module. The user’s view can be customised and branded to reflect the corporate image, together with a sophisticated navigational structure and the ability to use hyperlinks to documents and forms. Access can be strictly controlled via individual functional access as well as through user groups. Documents in any format can be loaded into the EQMS software, such as word, excel, pdf, photos, video, audio etc. Metadata can be attached to any document, including items such as audit reports or equipment maintenance records etc. and can be a useful way of holding feedback from against a document electronically. Flags can be attached to documents, for example in connection with audit findings. A new feature of the software is the Active Forms development, whereby data capture and distribution via the well-designed forms can streamline business processes and provide meaningful data to management in real time. The types of forms can be related to any business need, such as training records, incident management, business car requisition etc.
Food Safety and Quality Management Systems Catherine Sansom, of Premier Foods, gave a presentation on Food Safety and Quality Management Systems from a Food Manufacturer’s Perspective to members and guests of the London South West Branch of the CQI on 20th November 2007. Rank Hovis MacDougall (RHM), which has over 150 years baking experience with the brand name Hovis®, has recently joined with Premier Foods and now totals over 60 manufacturing sites. Food safety is not to be confused with food quality, in that food safety refers to the assurance that a food offered for sale will not be injurious to health whereas food quality refers to the look, taste and texture of a food, and both are important to the food manufacturer. In order to deliver quality, Hazard Analysis Critical Control Points (HACCP) is currently used. Historically, the HACCP system was originally developed as a Failure Mode Effect Analysis (FMEA) model. NASA used it in the 1950’s to ensure prevention of gastric disturbances in space due to food contamination. It wasn’t until the 1970’s that it was developed as a management system to assure food safety. HACCP sits within the quality system and is used with regards to food poisoning and food spoilage. It consists of seven principles, all of which must be followed, over twelve stages, ensuring decisions are clearly documented and procedures are based around risk. ISO 22000 introduces operational pre-requisites, including in areas such as training, housekeeping, pest control, foreign body control and plant maintenance. Effective HACCP is necessary to deliver safe food and needs to be integrated within company procedures. Following HACCP is now a legal requirement for food safety management and is recognised by the European Food Standards Agency (EFSA), World Health Organisation (WHO), Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and Food Standards Agency (FSA). Food safety is an area regulated by the Food Hygiene Regulations 852/2004, Food Safety Act 1990, and EU Microbiological Criteria 4198/2001. The British Retail Consortium (BRC) issued the Global Standard for Food in 2005; and issue 5 is due for publication in July 2008. In addition to these regulations, Premier Foods also use ISO9001:2000 and ISO22000 (the combined environmental, health and safety and food safety standard), as well as meeting specific customer requirements.
Launch of Project FLEE The Project FLEE (Forging Links with Educational Establishments) was launched by the London SW Branch of the CQI on Tuesday, 23rd October. A Project Requirements Definition (PRD) draft was presented that contained the essential information to progress this project. Thank you to all those members who attended the presentation, made by our Hon Secretary Ron Kumar, and took part in the lively discussion. The next step will involve identifying the colleges/universities that provide quality management related courses in our area and initiate a dialogue with the appropriate Heads of Departments with the aim of promoting quality and the CQI to the tutors and students. We are now looking for a few more volunteers who would like to join the project team in order to progress this worthwhile project further. It is expected that contact between the project team members will normally be by email, together with a project update at each London South West branch meeting. Please contact either Ron Kumar (kumar111@btinternet.com) or Sue Jardine (graemesue@jard.fsworld.co.uk) to register your interest and for further information on this research project.
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