Date: Sun, 28 May 95 11:18:42 PDT From: David Butler Subject: Butler Associates' Public Information Site WELCOME TO OUR NEW INTERNET SITE! This Public Information Site has been developed by David Butler Associates addressing business and quality issues. Documents that we and others have developed are now available to anybody on the Internet free of charge. It does not matter what kind of business you are associated with, the following documents will address some of your major business and quality issues: THE SECRET OF SURVIVING WITHOUT LAYOFFS AND STRESS Why did so many flourishing organizations end? Where did they miss in their search for success? What can today's business leaders do to avoid a similar fate? The questions are more than rhetorical, they are critical to our social and economic future. This document looks at some answers. To obtain a automatic response of this document send an e-mail to: *******secrets@dbainc.com******* THE QUALITY OF YOUR BUSINESS MEETINGS Studies have shown that a typical manager spends the equivalent of 21 work-weeks in meetings each year. Our experience indicates that 25% to 50% of these meetings are unnecessary or nonproductive. Common causes include lack of training for those who lead meetings, and lack of guidelines on how to maximize the use of participants' time and talent. Here are a few thoughts on how to improve the quality of your meetings. To obtain a automatic response of this document send an e-mail to: *******meet@dbainc.com******* TEAM EFFECTIVENESS The advantages of team's are many. Teams bring diverse talents, experience, knowledge, and skills to the problem situation. They can, therefore, react to a variety of problems that are beyond the technical competence of any one individual. Teams can deal with problems which cross department and division lines, and working on team's can be more satisfying and morale boosting for people than working alone. This Guide focuses on the purpose of team effectiveness, the use of meeting minutes and the role of the Facilitator as a team member. To obtain a automatic response of this document send an e-mail to: *******team@dbainc.com******* GETTING THE MOST FROM YOUR TRAINING Although millions of hours and dollars are spent on work place training activities, the return on this investment is often dismal. Studies have shown long-term student retention of material to be less than one third. Your training effectiveness and long-term payback can be significantly increased by addressing 10 points. To obtain a automatic response of this document send an e-mail to: *******train@dbainc.com******* LESSONS LEARNED FROM THE QUALITY REVOLUTION Customers and consumers know that the quality revolution hasn't gone far enough, fast enough. Whether you're in a retail store, restaurant, bank or hospital, it's hard to get what you want, when you want it, at a price you can afford. Strangely, the providers of these products and services are just as frustrated. Their profits are shrinking, the competition intensifies, and everyone's struggling to do more with less. Total Quality Management (TQM) was supposed to solve these problems, but the projected benefits haven't materialized. This document explores the answers to these concerns. To obtain a automatic response of this document send an e-mail to: *******lessons@dbainc.com******* MEASUREMENTS: MAKING THEM WORK FOR YOU Many Quality efforts are missing a key ingredient: a set of meaningful measurements. This is a common problem in banks, hospitals, insurance and manufacturing companies. The leaders of modern organizations typically believe that they have too many measurements. The fact is, people need training on how to choose and use this tool effectively. Here's a key opportunity to accelerate your quality activities and the results they produce. This document explains What To Measure. To obtain a automatic response of this document send an e-mail to: *******meawork@dbainc.com******* TOTAL QUALITY: THE THREE MISSING LINKS Reports indicate that Total Quality activities have been time consuming, difficult to sustain, and slow in producing measurable results. Some organizations are already looking elsewhere for answers: customer service programs, cycle time reduction and employee empowerment. It's too soon for top management to be changing priorities or direction. Most TQM efforts overlook three related ingredients: Strategy, Structure and Synergy. You could call them "The Three Missing Links". This document explains what these "links" can do for your quality efforts. To obtain a automatic response of this document send an e-mail to: *******links@dbainc.com******* A COMPREHENSIVE SURVEY ON HOW U. S. COMPANIES IMPROVE PERFORMANCE THROUGH QUALITY EFFORTS. Achieving high levels of quality has become an increasingly important element in competitive success. In recent years a number of U.S. companies have found that they could not accomplish world-class quality by using traditional approaches to managing product and service quality. To enhance their competitive position, some American companies have reappraised their traditional view of quality and have adopted what is known as the "total quality management" model in running their businesses. The purpose of this executive summary is to determine the impact of formal total quality management practices on the performance of selected U.S. companies. To obtain a automatic response of this document send an e-mail to: *******usgov@dbainc.com******* THE COST OF QUALITY A relatively new accounting concept to provide a more "concrete" way of understanding and calculating the Cost of Quality. That concept is called Activity Based Costing. To obtain a automatic response of this document send an e-mail to: *******cost@dbainc.com******* ISO-9000: ASSESSMENTS-AUDITS-COSTS The ISO 9000 series for the EEC are closely related documents, introduced in 1987 to create internationally recognized standards for quality systems approval. These standards define a "Model" or "Specification" against which an organization may be audited and certificated. This document points provides hints to obtain a successful initial assessment and main audit. The cost of ISO is also addressed. To obtain a automatic response of this document send an e-mail to: *******iso@dbainc.com******* ISO-9000: FOUR STEPS IN MAKING IT WORK Many business leaders are wondering if ISO 9000 is the "silver bullet": their organization's response to increasing customer demands, global competition and the appeal of foreign markets. Certification to the international quality standard may be part of the strategic plan for American companies, but it certainly is not the entire answer. There are several key points which must be understood before ISO 9000 can produce the desired results. This document explains these key points. To obtain a automatic response of this document send an e-mail to: *******isowork@dbainc.com******* THE TEN STEPS OF PROBLEM ELIMINATION The ten steps of problem elimination are used by corrective action teams to determine and eliminate the base root causes of problems. To obtain a automatic response of this document send an e-mail to: *******ten@dbainc.com******* Thank you for visiting our site! DAVID BUTLER ASSOCIATES From: David Butler e-mail: david@dbainc.com, Voice: 800-653-9573, Fax: 415-941-9582 [filename: butler.assoc.txt]