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Welcome to the Whittington & Associates e-Newsletter! Visit and bookmark our web site today: http://www.WhittingtonAssociates.com This e-Newsletter is in HTML format and may not be
displayed properly by some email programs. Please click on our web site
address above to see the e-Newsletter with its proper formatting.
1. Avoid run-on sentences they are hard
to read.
2. No sentence fragments.
3. It behooves us to avoid archaisms.
4. Also, avoid awkward or afflicted
alliteration.
5. Don’t use no double negatives.
6. If I’ve told you once, I’ve
told you a thousand times: resist hyperbole.
7. Avoid commas, that are not necessary.
8. Verbs has to agree with their subjects.
9. Avoid trendy locutions that sound
flaky.
10. Writing carefully, dangling participles
should not be used.
11. Kill all exclamation points!!!
12. Never use a long word when a diminutive
one will do.
13. Proofread carefully to see if you any words
out.
14. Take the bull by the hand, and don’t
mix metaphors.
15. Don’t verb nouns.
16. Never, ever use repetitive redundancies.
17. Last but not least, avoid clichés
like the plague.
Internal audits determine the effectiveness of a quality management system. This assessment includes identifying process objectives, examining process measurements, and evaluating process results (effectiveness). Internal audits may review the effectiveness of the core processes, but often overlook their own "audit" process. What types of measures might be applicable to an audit program? I have identified below some possible indicators of audit performance. Of course, only a few of these measures would likely be chosen to help judge the effectiveness of a specific audit program.
Monitoring and measuring the audit program will provide valuable input for auditor training, audit planning, and management review. And, it will allow the audit process to withstand the scrutiny of external auditors looking at its performance objectives and results.
In our new one-day course, "ISO 9001:2000 Auditor
Update: The Process Approach", the following questions are suggested for
an audit of a process:
ISO 90003:2004, Software Engineering --
Guidelines for the Application of ISO 9001:2000 to Computer Software,
has replaced ISO 9000-3:1997. An electronic copy can be downloaded from
the ANSI e-Standards Store at <http://webstore.ansi.org/ansidocstore/default.asp>
for $119.00. ISO 90003:2004 provides guidance for organizations in the application of ISO 9001:2000 to the acquisition, supply, development, operation, and maintenance of computer software and related support services. ISO 90003:2004 does not add to, or change, the requirements of ISO 9001:2000. The guidelines in ISO 90003:2004 are not intended to be used as assessment criteria in quality management system registration. The guidance of ISO 90003:2004 is appropriate for software that is:
Some organizations may be involved in all the above activities; others may specialize in one area. Whatever the situation, the organization's quality management system should cover all aspects (software related and non-software related) of the business. ISO 90003:2004 identifies
the issues which should be addressed and is independent of the technology,
life cycle models, development processes, sequence of activities, and
organizational structure used by an organization. Additional guidance
and frequent references to the ISO software engineering standards are
provided to assist in the application of ISO 9001:2000, e.g., ISO 12207
(Software Life Cycle Processes), ISO/TR 9126 (Quality Model, Internal
Metrics, and External Metrics), ISO 14598 (Software Product Evaluation),
ISO 15939 (Software Measurement Process), and ISO/TR 15504 (Software Process
Assessment).
Last month, President Bush presented seven
organizations with the nation's highest honor for quality and performance
excellence, the 2003 Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award.
This year, the Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award goes to seven outstanding recipients. Each set ambitious goals; each organization worked hard to achieve them. You're setting such a good example as a beacon of excellence. You represent the great strength and the entrepreneurial spirit of the American economy. I congratulate you for a job well done. Each recipient of today's award earned it. When I say we need to be confident about our future, I'm confident because I just heard the stories of great success. They got their best ideas from all kinds of places, whether it be from their workers, or their customers. They listened.In the health care category, we have two winners: Baptist Hospital in Pensacola, Florida and Saint Luke's Hospital, in Kansas City, Missouri. These hospitals have focused on serving patients and their families better. That's what they focused on. They got their employees fully involved in measuring performance. Because of their excellence, both of these winners are saving lives. It must make you feel good to work in an industry in which you save somebody's life. In manufacturing, we have Medrad Incorporated, of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. A maker of medical imaging devices, Medrad's commitment to excellence runs from the top, from the CEO, John Friel. I'll tell you what I like about John's style; he spends a day each month on a front-line job. Here's a fellow who is the CEO who mops the floors, who's taken phone calls, who's heard customer complaints, who works on the assembly line. He's built a culture where everyone at the company has a voice in the way things are done. Caterpillar Financial Services, of Nashville, Tennessee, as well as, Boeing Aerospace Support, of St. Louis, provide maintenance and other services. These are good companies. Both companies have set up teams of employees to focus on quality. And as a result, both have a lot more happy customers. In the case of Boeing Aerospace Support, one of their happy customers happens to be the nation's Armed Forces. And if the nation's Armed Forces are happy, I'm happy. I love the fact that we're honoring the smallest business ever to win the Baldrige Award, Stoner Incorporated. Today is vacation day. The whole company is here. This company, which is in Quarryville, Pennsylvania, makes specialized cleaners, lubricants, and coatings. They have an interesting goal, an easy goal to understand -- I like clear speakers -- never lose a customer. And that focus has translated to company-wide quality. And then we've got educational excellence. It's an amazing story you just hear, the Community Consolidated School District 15 of Palatine, Illinois -- faces challenges common to many of the school districts across America. But it achieves uncommon results. These people don't make excuses for failure, see? They do what I call "challenging the soft bigotry of low expectations." They expect the best. They believe every child can learn. It's easy to say, we can't achieve excellence because one-third of our students come from low-income homes. It's easy to say, we can't achieve excellence because English is not the primary language in the homes of another third of our students. Yet, because of rigorous testing and evaluation, and a commitment to high standards, the belief that every child can learn, 84 percent of the second graders read at or above grade level. It's a fantastic accomplishment. The teachers are great in that school. I'm told that from the classroom to the cafeteria, every employee is committed to a single goal: no child should be left behind. I appreciate the example this school district has set. I appreciate the example all the companies here have set, as well. You're now what we call quality experts, which means you're going to get calls from other companies or organizations to find out how you won, what you did to achieve such good success. And I hope you share your knowledge. The country is better off when you're willing to share how you achieved excellence with those who will want to accomplish the same goals. Anyone looking for an easy answer, though, is going to be disappointed. It may sound easy in the speeches. It's hard to win this award. This isn't one of these deals where everybody gets a blue ribbon. You have to work hard. You have to be totally focused and committed to excellence. It has to be a part of your culture, your very being. A good product, of course, is essential. It's hard to be successful if you don't make something somebody doesn't want to buy. You've got to have a good business plan. But the most important ingredient is a great work force -- people who live and work by the principles of excellence and fairness and team work and personal responsibility. That's really what we're honoring today, isn't it? Great work forces, people who are willing to strive for something greater than themselves. The Baldrige Award winners are showing one of the greatest strengths of this nation and our economy. Whether the challenge comes from a competitor across town, or from a competitor across the ocean, American workers are up to the job.
To enroll in these public classes, go to Class Schedule at our web site, or call us at 800-404-7585. The classes taught by Larry Whittington are shown in gold. ISO 9001:2000 Lead Auditor (RAB Accredited)
- BSI Management Systems
ISO 9001:2000 Internal Auditor (RAB Accredited) - BSI Management Systems
ISO 9001:2000 Auditor Update - The Process Approach - Course developed by Larry Whittington
Implementing ISO 9001:2000 - Course developed by Larry Whittington
Understanding ISO 9001:2000
Understanding ISO 9001:2000 Requirements
(Atlanta Only - $295) - Course
developed by Larry Whittington
Quality System Documentation (ISO 9001:2000)
- Course developed by Larry Whittington
The above public courses can be offered
on-site at your facility. In addition, we offer these on-site courses:
To arrange an economical on-site class, please call us at 800-404-7585.
© 2000-2004 Whittington & Associates, LLC. All rights reserved. You may copy this e-Newsletter provided you copy it completely, do not change it, and include this copyright notice. |
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