News

SSD Global Scholarship to Leaner Six Sigma Green Belt Course in Jul 2018

SSD Global is offering one ASQ Member Scholarship (no cost) to its “Leaner Six Sigma Green Belt Training & Certification” course

Phase 1: (Required) Dates Jul 23 to 26, 2018 on-line, 8:30 am to 3:30 pm MDT

Additional phases are self-paced with an on-line mentor.

Course uses Dr. Stern’s copyrighted method Leaner Six Sigma (LrSS©)

To apply Email the following to Alexandra Ramsey at alex.ramsey@ssdglobal.net

With Subject: Scholarship – Leaner Six Sigma, Jul 2018 course

• Your Name, Email address, Contact Phone Number
• Your ASQ Section or Division information
• Any Lean, Agile, Six Sigma experience

ASQ National Members only – Free Monthly bonus

Download and view your bonus today

Jun 2018 Member Gift Bundle: ASQ Certification 50th Anniversary

Information

ASQ’s first certification exam was held in 1968. Now, 50 years later, ASQ has granted nearly 500,000 certifications around the world and across industries. ASQ certification is a formal recognition that an individual has demonstrated a proficiency within, and comprehension of, a specific body of knowledge.

In this gift we’re celebrating this incredible milestone with lots of resources for you, whether you’re considering a certification, preparing for an exam, or already certified and maintaining your professional requirements.

We hope you enjoy this very special gift, and thanks again for being a champion of quality.

ASQ Certification at 50  – In this video, four certification recipients discuss the importance of the certification(s) in their professional lives.

Certification: Preparation Webcasts

NEW! How to Break Into Quality Engineering – a CQE’s Personal Story  (41 minutes)

Scott Laman, an ASQ Fellow, and holder of seven certifications, shares his personal journey into quality engineering and how he’s leveraged certifications to expand his impact and influence along his progressive career path.

NEW! CMQ/OE Body of Knowledge Review and Exam Prep Webcast  (1 hour)

Grace Duffy, an ASQ Fellow, course instructor, author, and holder of six certifications, walks you through the CMQ/OE Body of Knowledge and offers tips on how to prepare for the certification exam.

Preparing for a Certification Examination Webcast (31 minutes)

Doug Wood, a CQM/OE certification preparation instructor and holder of three ASQ certifications, provides insights into successfully preparing for and passing ASQ certification exams.

Certification Tips, Tricks, and Traps Webcast (43 minutes)

In this still popular webcast, James Rooney, an ASQ Fellow, professional trainer, and holder of nine ASQ certifications, shares his tips, tricks, and traps he’s learned throughout his years of working with ASQ certification exams

Certification: Free E-Books

The Certified Quality Engineer Handbook, Third Edition (E-Book)*

This handbook can be used as a reference text for professional development. When a complete description or discussion of a topic is beyond the scope of the handbook, useful references have been included for further reading. Quality engineers will find this book to be an indispensible addition to their libraries.

The Quality Improvement Handbook, Second Edition*

This book is for anyone who wants to improve themselves and/or their organization. It is particularly salient for those at the beginning stages of learning about the history, concepts, and tools of quality.
A sample test is included, along with tables giving cross-references to the suggested reference materials as well as the BoK. Answers to the questions in the sample test are also provided.

The Certified Manager of Quality/Organizational Excellence Handbook, Third Edition*

This handbook provides comprehensive guidance for process improvement,
describes tools and techniques to drive change, emphasizes sound management
principles that have relevance even beyond the quality field, and can be a
primer for new leaders and a go-to manual for experienced professionals.

Note: Newer editions of these e-book are are available.

Certification: Value

ASQ’s librarian can help you find information in the Quality Body of Knowledge (QBOK), which includes books, journal and magazine articles, conference proceedings, case studies, and benchmarking reports.

Certifiably Valuable  – See results of ASQ’s annual Salary Survey. The complete report includes details on salaries by ASQ certification.

The Next Rung: Designing your own career ladder to reach the next level

ASQ Certification: My Competitive Advantage in a Tough Economy h

Tyler Wallace obtained CQIA and CSSBB certifications to jumpstart his career in healthcare. Within a period of two years, he received two promotions and tripled his salary.

 Certification: Getting Started

Certification Journey: Your 8-Step Guide

A great place to start your certification journey is with this short video guide produced by our ASQTV team. In it you’ll learn the eight steps to getting certified, from making the decision to implementing what you’ve learned to become a change agent and process improvement master in your field.

H3 Certification: Handbooks

These handbooks can be taken into the exam with you to research questions! Not sure which is right for you? Enjoy free downloadable (PDF) sample chapters and peruse their first chapters, tables of contents, and indexes.

• The ASQ Auditing Handbook, Fourth Edition
• The Certified Quality Technician Handbook, Second Edition
• The Certified Software Quality Engineer Handbook, Second Edition
• The Certified Supplier Quality Professional Handbook
• The Certified Quality Engineer Handbook, Fourth Edition
• The Certified Six Sigma Black Belt Handbook, Third Edition
• The Biomedical Quality Auditor Handbook, Third Edition
• The Certified Quality Improvement Associate Handbook, Third Edition
• The Certified Six Sigma Green Belt Handbook, Second Edition
• The Certified Manager of Quality/Organizational Excellence Handbook, Fourth Edition
• The Certified Reliability Engineer Handbook, Third Edition
• The Certified Pharmaceutical GMP Professional Handbook, Second Edition
• The Certified Quality Process Analyst Handbook, Second Edition
• The Certified Six Sigma Yellow Belt Handbook 
• The Certified HACCP Auditor Handbook, Third Edition
• The Metrology Handbook, Second Edition
• The Certified Quality Inspector Handbook, Second Edition
• The Certified Six Sigma Master Black Belt Handbook

Certification: Local Section and Online Study Groups

Students that have passed the exam often cite finding or creating study groups as critical to their success, as a means to add positive support and accountability to their study regimen.

Whether you use your local ASQ chapter to create a live meetup study group or an online networking tool such as LinkedIn, there’s no doubt that meeting peers working toward a common goal can make the difference between success and failure.

Go here to connect with your local section or

Check out ASQ’s LinkedIn group for existing online groups:

Certification: Free Sample Exams With Past Test Questions

Take an interactive sample exam  to receive additional feedback on the questions that appear in the sample exam.

Print out the paper-and-pencil sample exam f (PDF, 695 KB) of the CMQ/OE in this example, to see the actual test format, including instructions and test questions from past exams.

ASQ National Members only – Free Monthly bonus

Download and view your bonus today

May 2018 Member Gift Bundle: ASQ Member Resources

Information

DID YOU KNOW that you have access to nearly 40,000 ASQ quality resources including articles, case studies, industry reports, tools and templates, topic introductions, free e-books, webcasts and videos, sample chapters, newsletters, and expert blogs?

With so many resources available to ASQ members, we thought it would be helpful to remind you of all the ideas, applications, and solutions you can access when you need them and where to find them. Plus, we’ve included lots of free bonuses with this gift, too!

Benefit: Peer-Reviewed Magazines and Journals

ASQ publishes Quality Progress monthly magazine, read by more quality professionals than any other magazine on quality in the world, and seven other peer-reviewed journals, covering a wide range of topics.

ASQ magazines and journals are accessible online at http://asq.org/pub/

Resource: ASQ Webcasts

We have produced over 100 webcasts that feature authors, editors, speakers, sponsors, and other subject matter experts sharing their knowledge, experiences, and lessons learned.

Member-only webcasts are featured in monthly ASQ member gift bundles and public access webcasts are posted online.

Resource: Quality Tools and Templates

Quality tools can be found in the Learn About Quality section of the ASQ website.

Templates are shared in the ASQ Member Gifts, and then added to the
online repository, which is searchable here.

Resource: ASQTV

ASQTV videos provides brief introductions to quality topics, as well as tips and best practices from industry leaders and experts in the field.

Check out the ASQTV Guide for a full list of what’s available and what’s coming soon!

Resource: ASQ Newsletters

Our newsletters deliver quality-related news, feature articles, and resources to your inbox.

• Career Connection
• Standards Connection
• QP Connection
• The Insider
• Quality News Today

To access sample issues and subscribe, go the ASQ Newsletter page.

Resource: Ask the Standards Experts Blog

This blog was originally launched to provide answers to technical questions submitted by users of international and American national standards. Topics covered include any and all questions related to quality standards.

Go to the Ask the Experts website  to submit your question.

Benefit: Career Resources

ASQ offers you extensive career resources including expert articles, webcast presentations, industry reports, and a full career center with up-to-the-minute job postings.

• Career Center  – Search new jobs posted by employers looking for quality professionals like you. This is a free service for members.
• Career Connection Newsletter  – Subscribe to find solutions and opportunities that will help you grow your professional quality career and improve your workplace.
• Quality Progress Annual Salary Survey  – Read the December issue, which features the most comprehensive salary study in the quality profession. It also includes expert analysis and and advice on how to apply the lessons learned.
• Quality Progress Career Column  – Do not miss this consistent source of great tips on growing yourself professionally and advancing your career.

Benefit: Monthly Member Gift

The monthly ASQ member gifts are our way of saying thank you for championing quality around the world. Each gift bundle covers a specific topic of interest to quality professionals and includes exclusive content for members only.

ASQ member gifts are emailed to you at the first of each month and the most current edition can always be accessed at asq.org/membership/members/gift/index.html

ASQ National Members only – Free Monthly bonus

Download and view your bonus today

Apr 2018 Member Gift Bundle: ISO AND Auditing

Information

Whether it is internal operations, ISO 9000 compliance, or supplier management, auditing plays a key role in ensuring systems are not only optimized for meeting output goals, but also improving to stay competitive in the marketplace and innovative when delivering on customer needs.

Toward these ends, we are sharing resources on auditing for ISO 9000 and beyond, including auditing and ISO 9001 videos, new webcasts, a complete free e-book on ISO 9001:2018, as well as additional articles, tools, and templates.

We hope this gift bundle prepares you for ISO 9001 transition and your next continuous improvement challenge.

Complete E-Books and Webcasts

Cracking the Case of ISO 9001:2015 for Manufacturing, 3rd Edition e-book (PDF, 298 pp)

This guide helps you participate in creating and sustaining a foundation of integrity, meet requirements and customer expectations, and support robust processes, to the advantage of everyone in the organization and to each of its customers.

It provides a simplified explanation of the clauses of ISO 9001:2015, including:

• What’s required
• Why to do it
• Implementation tips
• Questions to ask to assess conformity

Also included is a chapter that summarizes the key differences with past editions of ISO 9001.

Bonus – ISO 19011 – The Guidelines for Auditing Management Systems is Changing – Who Cares? (Webex or MP4 37 min)

Denise Robitaille, the chair of the ISO/PC302 – the project committee for the update to the ISO 19011:2018 guidelines for auditing management systems – shares the major changes you can expect to see in the upcoming revision and why you and your organization should not only care, but prepare for it.

Bonus – Webcasts on Auditing and ISO

• Advanced Quality Auditing Webcast (MP4, 64 min – Download slides, PDF)
• Improving Your QMS Webcast (WebEx or MP4, 35 min)
• The Art of Integrating Strategic Planning, Process Metrics, Risk Mitigation, and Auditing (WebEx or MP4, 26 min – Download slides, PDF)
• Auditing Basics (WebEx or MP4, 54 min)
• Auditing Process-Based Quality Management Systems (WebEx, 126 min)
  • Part 1: An Introduction to Auditing (WebEx or MP4, 62 min – Download slides, PDF)
  • Part 2: Conducting the Audit (WebEx or MP4, 63 min – Download slides, PDF)

 

ASQTV: Videos

ISO 9000 and Audits 

This episode explores the ISO 9001 series, audits, and how you can prepare for both.

The Ins and Outs of Quality Auditing

Auditing expert and ASQ Fellow Dennis Arter shares tips and advice for auditors and auditees.

Transitioning: Advantages, Expected Investment, and Advice

Robert Freeman discusses transitioning to ISO 9001:2015, including advantages, expected time and money investments.

Standards and Auditing

Learn how to identify, categorize and act on risks – vital skills for organizations transitioning to ISO 9001:2015. Also learn how audits can be conducted virtually.

Auditing Checklist and Templates

How to Audit ISO 9001:2015 – A Handbook for Auditors (Appendix)

Like many of ASQ’s Quality Press books, this new handbook for auditors contains appendices with great bonus resources:

• Assessment Reports
• Audit Plans
• Opening Meeting Checklist
•  Risk Sampling Sheet
• Audit Reports
• Process Analysis Worksheet
• Confidential Assessment report
• Opportunities for Improvement Worksheet
• Corrective Action Request
• Closing Meeting Checklist

Sponsor: ASQ Blue Ridge Section

Event: Virtual Conference

Date: Thur, April 19, 2018

Time: 8:30 AM to Noon EDT

Theme: Aspire to Inspire, Influence, and Engage Others by Improving Your Personal Skills Toolbox

• Soft skills are increasingly becoming the hard skills of today’s professional workforce.
• It’s just not enough to be highly trained in technical skills, without developing the softer, interpersonal, and relationship-building skills that help people to communicate and collaborate more effectively.
• These people skills are more critical than ever as organizations struggle to find meaningful ways to remain competitive and increase productivity.
• Teamwork, leadership, and communication are underpinned by soft skills
  development.
• Since each is an essential element for organizational and
  personal success, developing these skills is very important and does matter a lot!

More information and Registration on Conference web site and Flyer including

• Early rates expire on March 31, 2018
  • ASQ members: $19
  • Non-members: $29
• After March 31, 2018
  • ASQ members: $24
  • Non-members: $34
• Earn 0.35 RU’s for registering and attending
• Speakers and Sponsors

Sponsor: CU Boulder, Engineering Management Program

Session: Spotlight on Quality Management

Date: Wed, March 7

Time: 11:00 am to Noon MST

Presenter: Dr. Daniel Moorer, Program Director and Professor of Engineering Practice

Presenter: Wendy Bailey, Instructor

Learn about:

• The Engineering Management Program at the University of Colorado Boulder
• Quality Management courses and how they can help advance your career

See Spotlight on Quality Management web page to register and more information

ASQ National Members only – Free Monthly bonus

Download and view your bonus today

Mar 2018 Member Gift Bundle: Culture, Change and Leadership

Information

• The winds are changing and organizations are feeling the pressure to adjust to the onslaught of new technologies, higher customer expectations, and global competition.
• Leaders and managers who are implementing change, whether it’s to lead a Lean Six Sigma project or transition to ISO 9001:2015, are realizing that creating a true culture of quality is the only way to stay competitive.
• To help you as a quality leader and change agent within your organization, we’ve gathered a series of free full eBooks, expert webcasts and videos, and articles addressing various challenges and solutions.
• Enjoy this gift of resources and let us know how else we can help.
• Looking for ways to earn Recertification Units? Viewing all the webcasts in this month’s member gift equal approximately 6.0 hours (or 0.6 RUs)* of Home Study activity under Courses. Visit https://asq.org/cert/recertification for details.

E-Books and Author Guide

Making Change in Complex Organizations Free E-Book (PDF, 142 pp)

• This highly praised and popular book is written for the leader or management team of any complex organization attempting to lead an organization-wide change.
• It captures the lessons learned during more than 43 years of experience working in complex, large-scale organizations.
• These lessons learned are shared in the hope that it will help others lead change successfully and avoid at least some of the pitfalls that come with it.

Bonus – Author Guide Webcast (WebEx, 56min)

• George Strodtbeck shares his “transformation management machine,” a process leveraging S-curves, the Kano model, and project management to successfully implement real change.

The Executive Guide to Improvement and Change Free E-Book (PDF, 272 pp)

• This classic guide covers a variety of techniques ranging from auditing to teamwork, Six Sigma to Customer Satisfaction, and more.
• The book will assist executives and managers lead improvement and change initiatives within the organization and the larger business community, as well as educate those who aspire to senior positions of leadership.

Bonus – Author Guide Webcast (WebEx, 35min)

• Grace Duffy walks you through the framework and key takeaways from the book, including a discussion on initiating change, the many paths to implementation, and tips for measuring and evaluating improvement.

Behavior Based Quality and How to Get There (WebEx, 54 min)

• Arron Angle, the managing director of Qualnomics Consulting, introduces us to Behavior-Based Quality, or BBQ, and provides a fun and memorable twist to a potentially powerful quality practice that could transform your organization into a true Culture of Quality.

Bonus – Implementation Checklist (WebEx, 41min)

• Arron Angle, the creator of the BBQ framework, guides you through the process of how to effectively implement a culture of quality.

How to Create a Responsibility Culture (WebEx, 34 min)

• In this webcast sponsored by the ASQ Journal for Quality and Participation, Randy Spitzer shares how to create a responsibility culture in your organization.

ASQTV: Videos

• Culture of Quality
• Culture of Quality and the 3Ps
• Implementing a Continuous Improvement Program 
• Customer Experience and Employee Engagement through LSS 
• Change Management 
• Creating and Sustaining a Culture of Quality
• Structuring your Organization for Success 

More Bonus Webcast

• We Move Our Own Cheese – Championing Change (WebEx, 53min)
• Do it Right the Second Time – Org-Wide Change (WebEx, 22 min)
• Managing Change and ISO 9001:2015 (WebEx, 12 min)
• Managing Change and Motivating Employees: A Modern Day Oxymoron (WebEx, 47 min)

The ASQ Mar 2018 Member Gift Bundle: Culture, Change and Leadership has
related

• Popular Books and Courses from Quality Press online bookstore
• Popular Articles and Case Studies from ASQ’s Quality Resource Center advanced search tool

 

ASQ National Members only – Free Monthly bonus

Download and view your bonus today

Feb 2018 Member Gift Bundle: Lean and Six Sigma
Information

This month we share a wealth of resources, both evergreen and new, on understanding and applying Six Sigma and lean methodologies and tools.

Included are two full e-books, ASQTV presentations, classic webcasts and webinars, and a comprehensive list of articles and case studies on how these concepts are applied today.

To further your learning on these topics, we’ve also included a list of books, courses, and upcoming events where you can get access to practitioners, instructors, and experts in Six Sigma. Enjoy!

E-Books

Six Sigma for the New Millennium (PDF, 456 pp)

This book follows the nine sections of a previous CSSBB the Body of Knowledge, from enterprise-wide deployment, organizational process management and measures, and team management, to detailed coverage of each stage of the DMAIC process.

The Certified Six Sigma Black Belt Handbook, Second Edition (PDF, 705 pp)

This handbook based on a previous CSSBB the Body of Knowledge is a valuable Six Sigma reference for the quality and Six Sigma professional.

The authors have expanded the appendices section to include:

• Statistical tables completely redeveloped using a combination of Microsoft Excel and Minitab 15
• A table for control constants expanded to now include virtually all control constants
• Tables for both cumulative and noncumulative forms of the most useful distributions, including binomial, Poisson, and normal
• Additional alpha values in tables
• An expanded glossary, with more terms relating to lean
• A second glossary of the most common Japanese terms used by quality and Six Sigma professionals.

ASQTV: Six Sigma Channel

The following collection of ASQTV episodes share different applications of lean and Six Sigma in various industries.

• What is Six Sigma?
• Keeping Life in Order, the Six Sigma Way 
• Six Sigma Practitioners, Make Use of Survival Regression
• Tiered Visual Management, Line of Sight Metrics and Value Stream Mapping
• Design for Six Sigma Helps Team Succeed
• DMAIC Leads to Cost Reduction, Increased Revenue
• Lean, Change, and Invaluable People 

Webcast

• Lean Forward: An Introduction to Lean (MP4, 65 min)
• Delivering Process Excellence Through Process Management Webcast (WebEx, 36 min)
• Process Improvement Using Six Sigma: A DMAIC Model (WebEx, 27 min)
• The Seven Lean Six Sigma Tools Series: Value Stream Mapping (WebEx, 18 min)

Mile High Agile 2018 Conference

Date: May 21 – 22, 2018

Place: Hyatt Regency Denver at Colorado Convention Center, 650 15th Street, Denver, CO

Theme: Move Mountains with Agile

Overview:

• Agile enables monumental achievement by quickly delivering quality results in a way that is both meaningful and sustainable.
• Each trek is unique, but agile tools and best practices can be applied by anyone.
• Mile High Agile conference sessions will provide actionable guidance that you can immediately use to mount your expedition of change.

REGISTRATION 

• Early Bird: $474 (max 5 per person)
• Group Discount $450 (10 or more per person)

SPEAKERS 

• deadline: Jan 28, 2018 4:01pm US-MT

SPONSORS 

• Meet existing and potential new customers, test the market, and get the value you want without a lot of hassle or expense.
• Support the Denver agile community and be visible.

OPEN SPACE

• Open space is your space to learn what you came to learn.
• Create conversations. Meet new people.

Signup today and be the first to get notified on Mile High Agile updates.
On bottom of Web page https://www.milehighagile.org/

— Co-chairs: Lynn Winterboer and Erika Lenz

email MHA@agiledenver.org