Next event

Date:     Wednesday, May 21, 2008

• The increasing complexity of the Supply Chain
• Building strong strategies for an efficient Supply Chain
• Translating strategic approaches into actions: Bombardier's commitment to enhance global civil aviation
• Aligning actions to provide an amazing customer experience

Ad / Publicité

The Editor's Corner

A Word from your Section Chair

The executive team will be planning the series of events to be held for the 2008-2009 season at our next executive meeting. Now is therefore the time to let us know about topics you would like to see on our next year program. You can send me your comments and suggestions by email before June 4th. Also, please do not miss our last event of the season which will be held on May 21st. It will be about Managing the Global Supply Chain with John E. Reid from Bombardier.

This ends my two years term as Section Chair. Thanks to all of you who attended our monthly events. I sincerely hope that you enjoyed and gained a lot from these sessions. We are planning to give you more of such interesting events next year.

Also thanks to those of you who have decided to become an ASQ member in the past two years. I want to believe that part of it is because we demonstrated that this section can successfully provide you with the support and information you, quality professionals, are looking for.

Thank to all the members who gave their comments and suggestions so our Section can continue to improve. It was a great two years for me.

Have a wonderful summer.

2008-2009 Officers

Welcome to our new members

Sustaining Members

Awards

Left to right: Brenda M. Fisk & Jean-Pierre Amiel

Left to right: Jean-Pierre Amiel & Mitchell Daudier

Both Brenda and Mitchell have consistently, and for several years now, contributed
to our Section and have demonstrated true leadership qualities and
commitment. Please join us in thanking them for their involvement.

Where are they now?

By Jean-Pierre Amiel, ASQ Senior and CQA

Quality Tipper – Mr. Amiel, at last I get to ask you some questions for our Newsletter. I had read things from you in the past, and yet these days, you make yourself scarce. Where have you been? What have you been doing?

JP Amiel – Please call me JP. Well my dear friend, first, let me remind you that I’m almost as old as the Montreal Section, so as you may guess, unlike the great Phoenix who just recreates himself as necessary, I sometimes have difficulties maintaining an up-beat.

QTip – So where have you been? Why do we not see you anymore at Section events?

JPA – A simple case of priorities my friend. Like most of you, I must deal with various life issues and this has resulted in changes as to where I spend my time.  However, you will be pleased to know that I still wave a quality flag. Not the same way though. Its smaller. For instance, whenever possible, I volunteer as evaluator for the Grand Prix Québecois de la qualité. It’s a long two weeks of work, but a great opportunity to take the pulse of Quality evolution in Québec, as well as to see some of the inner works of a variety of small and big companies. A good eye opener on our future.

QTip – Why do you say that?

JPA – Can’t say too much, I signed a confidentiality agreement, but it’s a good two-way experience. While I learn how the top management of the candidates sees quality, I get to pass some messages during question periods.

QTip – I see. Is that all you’re doing?

JPA – Not at all. I told you I wave flags. Well, back at work at the STM (a local transit firm with buses and cars in tunnels) when I perform audits, brain-storm or process-solve, I get to ask questions and subtly (and sometimes not so subtly) pass on some messages.

QTip – Ha, ha. But really, what else are you doing in the quality field?

JPA – Well, to state it humbly, I created a bursary at the École de technologie supérieure, at first under my name, but now in father’s name. My Alma Mater. Every year, I hand out a check to one of the engineering student scientific clubs – Budding engineers with good skills for transforming concepts into awards in front of other North American universities, but usually with a much smaller budget.

QTip – Wow. What do they have to do to win?

JPA – Well I ask them questions about their projects and I get to pass some messages.

QTip – Wait a minute. You’ve already said that, what messages are we talking about here?

JPA – Well my friend, if you want to harvest changes, you have to go out there, select the right field, sow some proper seeds, nurture them a bit, and with some time and patience, changes will grow. After all, you can only bang your head against a wall for so long -- It will eventually hurt. If you don’t want to join them, then change them. Not a big philosophy, but a good starter.

QTip – What do you mean by that?

JPA – Well, over the years, I noted that some people actually listened to what I had to say about improvement (after I calmed down a bit). However, it was not always within their grasp at that moment. It required finessing, finances, timing and willingness – a tough “right” combination to achieve. Anyway, since experience is the sum of our errors (and I have a lot of experience) my questions aren’t always about today, but often about what tomorrow should be. But sometimes -- Bingo -- some of them actually fructify and bloom and then, change occurs.

QTip – So what about tomorrow?

JPA – Well, I really wanted to be a teacher, but since I could not know everything. . . . So, when I look back, over the years, I feel that some people out there have fond (QTip -- let’s not push it, let’s say good) memories of me, and I feel that I did have some part in influencing them in some quality improvement.

Other ASQ event / autre événement de l'ASQ

Think You Can Pass An ASQ Certification Exam?

Notes from the last ASQ world conference

Executive Committee Meetings

ASQ Certification & Recertification

Is Your Recertification Due?

By Norman Dickinson, CQE, CQA, Certification, Recertification, Internet Liaison & Section Examining

Look at your wallet card to see when your present certification is due to expire.. If it says December 31, 2008 you are in luck but barely. Get your journal, with supporting objective evidence (you should know what that is), to me before the end of June 2008. If it says that you are due in June 2008 then you have until the end of December 2008 to submit your journal, but you can still submit it now if you are ready and have the points.

If you did not renew for extenuating circumstances and are past the final deadline there is still hope. Contact ASQ at 1-800-248-1946 and explain the circumstances.

Maybe you’ve decided not to recertify because (a) you are unemployed, (b) no longer in the quality field or perhaps (c ) your employer no longer will pay for it? Think about this, your certification belongs to you and no one else. Remember how hard you had to study for it? How hard the exam was? If you let it lapse you must rewrite the exam. Do you know where you will be employed in a year or so? Well congratulations because most of us don’t and it could come in handy then, it sure won’t hinder you to retain it. The cost to renew one certification, at $30.00 USD, is much less than it would to rewrite. (The US - Canadian exchange rate is better than ever.)

If you are a member of Section 0401, Montreal, then contact me (Norman) at norm.d@alumni.concordia.ca or at 514-334-6102 to find out where to send your journal. If you are NOT a member of section 401 then contact ASQ directly at 1-800-248-1946. 

Feedback

Pass it on