Your branch events

CQI Derby and Nottingham branch

The Derby and Nottingham branch, on 12 November, held an event to showcase a variety of problem-solving methods and tools.

Discussions focused on how a variety of methods and tools may be used and how 8D can be a highly effective method of problem-solving. 

Co-presented by two branch committee members experienced in problem solving methods, Suzanne Hill, CQP FCQI, Director and Quality Executive at AQUA-i , and Craig Stillwell, PCQI, Senior Quality Assurance Engineer at Curtiss-Wright Surface Technologies, took the audience on a journey through the robust application of problem solving.

The event initially focused on how the application of problem-solving methods ticks many boxes on the journey to quality management system certification in all sectors. It also explained how a variety of problem-solving methods can be applied at different levels in a business.

Each step of the 8D problem solving method was shared in detail, including a real-life containment exercise undertaken with enthusiasm by the audience. The use of many quality tools was explained, with lessons learned shared on the application and governance of the methodology.

Hill said: “The event was very well received by regular and new event attendees, including the networking time before and after the event – there was a real buzz of appreciation and engagement in the room. Roll on the programme being organised by the committee for 2020, it’s exciting times!”

CQI North of Scotland

On 22 October, the CQI North of Scotland branch looked at the benefits of a proactive use of quality strategy documents such as project quality plans and test plans.

The evening’s speakers were Justyna Williamson, QA Operations Manager at Applus – Proactive Quality Plans and Derek Scott, Quality Manager at Rubberatkins – Inspection and Test Plans (ITPs).

The audience was told to submit questions prior to the event so that the event could begin with a debate. The questions could be about anything related to quality – its delivery, its acceptance, its challenges, what works, and what doesn’t.

The questions for this event included, how to bring senior managers to the quality table, how to get them on board and see the value that quality can bring to a company. Another question was, how do you achieve CEO buy in.

The audience said they felt the following:

They thought it important to report on the cost of poor quality to senior management;

Senior management noticed direct costs and costs of defects, cost of rejects, and the impact on clients;

Investigations tend to get attention but get subsumed in HSE investigations;

Customer satisfaction is top priority;

There is a need to work around senior management that are not interested in quality management.

Thames Valley branch

On 24 October, Mark Braham, CQP FCQI, Head of Risk at Veolia UK and Ireland, visited the Thames Valley Branch, at the Apollo Hotel in Basingstoke, to present “The Development of Annex L”.  

Braham is a member of several standards committees and presented the history, process and complexities involved in the development of Annex L.  

Braham said Annex L started with the ISO general assembly inviting its Technical Management Board, which is responsible for tasks such as setting up the various technical committees and monitoring the progress of the technical work at ISO, to consider designing Annex SL in 2003 and resulted in the final issue being published in 2012.

As a result of lessons learned from Annex SL, Annex L, now being applicable to ISO and CEN standards, required a more representative committee to develop it. The committee includes a convener, secretary and members from technical committees and national standards bodies. The guide was divided into small sections and reviewed by subgroups. They then reconvened and agreed areas to focus on.

Meetings have been held in Atlanta and Vienna, Braham said. He added that standard approaches have had to be adopted at these meetings in order to reduce difficulties such as translation, speaking too fast, consistency of words and audit criteria. There are still some issues to be resolved at the next meeting in Sydney in early 2020, for example, the definition of risk. The default rule for these issues is, if consensus cannot be reached, the current text remains. The updated publication is planned to be available in June 2020.

At the end of the presentation, Braham presented a few examples of what Annex L was not.  This prompted a very interactive discussion on the value of audits, auditor competence and how organisations look at certification. The audience also posed some interesting questions on what other elements should have been included in Annex L.