N E W S L E T T E R February 2009 Edition
American Society for Quality
Central Savannah River Section 1112
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ASQ Section Meeting - Tuesday, February 17th
(members, guests, and visitors are cordially invited)
Agenda:
6:00 p.m. - 6:15 p.m. - Sign-in and select dinner choice
6:15 p.m. - 8:00 p.m. - Dinner and Presentation
RSVP by 5:00 pm on Sunday, February 15th:
Please respond with your full name and the names of anyone attending with you, so that we can get a head count for speaker handouts. Respond by REPLY to this e-mail or click on: .
Meeting Location: The Cracker Barrel Old Country Store restaurant (in the "Sun Room"), located at I-20 exit 194 (Belair Road), west of Augusta. From Augusta and South Carolina via I-20, take exit 194, turn left (south) onto Belair Road, and turn right (north) at traffic signal onto Park West Drive.
Address: 460 Park West Drive, Grovetown, GA 30813. Phone: (706) 650-2414.
Dinner menu: Choice of one of the following Cracker Barrel "Fancy Fixin's", plus three vegetables, biscuits or corn muffins, and beverage: (1) Roast Beef Dinner; (2) Chicken Fried Chicken; (3) Country Fried Shrimp Platter; (4) Grilled Farm Raised Catfish Platter; or, (5) Meat Loaf Dinner. Or if you prefer "Salads n' Such": (6) Grilled Chicken Salad, with choice of dressing, and beverage.
Dinner fee: $10.00 per person, payable by cash or check to "ASQ Section 1112".
Presentation Topic: "The Auditee Bill of Rights"
As an audited organization, do you stand up for your rights? Or, to avoid conflict, do you just accept whatever comes your way during the audit experience? Maybe it is time for an Auditee Bill of Rights, so organizations know what they should expect and demand from their auditors and certification bodies.
A "bill of rights" is a list of rights that are considered important and essential by a group of people. A prime example is the first ten amendments to the United States Constitution, referred to as the Bill of Rights. However, our Auditee Bill of Rights won't be a legal document. It will be a list of economic rights from the perspective that the auditee is the customer, after all.
Patterned on the "Patient" Bill of Rights in the healthcare industry, the eight areas of consumer rights for our Auditee Bill of Rights are: Choice, Information, Access, Participation, Respect, Confidentiality, Appeal, and Responsibility. The rights for each area will be listed, along with the auditor practices needed to satisfy the rights.
Join this presentation to compare your audit experience to the listed rights. Maybe you should be expecting more of your auditor. Or, maybe you want to add additional rights to the list. It should be a lively discussion.
Presentation Speaker: Larry Whittington
Larry Whittington is President of Whittington & Associates, a training, consulting, and auditing company he founded 16 years ago after retiring from IBM. He is a RABQSA certified QMS Lead Auditor and IRCA certified Principal QMS Auditor. He consults with clients in the manufacturing, software, and services industries. He is a frequent presenter at ISO 9001 and audit conferences, and his free e-Newsletter is read by thousands of subscribers each month.
Larry has developed requirements, implementation, documentation, and auditing courses used by multiple training firms. He has taught hundreds of courses to thousands of students on ISO 9001, ISO/TS 16949, ISO 20000, ISO 14001, AS9100, and TL 9000. Larry has a Bachelor of Electrical Engineering with High Honors, as well as, a Master of Engineering from the University of Florida. He also has ASQ certifications as a Quality Auditor and Software Quality Engineer.
Whittington & Associates was established in 1993 and has become a recognized performer in the training, consulting, and auditing fields. This success is based on our commitment to meeting customer needs in a cost-effective way. We bring new ideas and enthusiasm to every project.
Our consultants have substantial experience in turning quality concepts into effective practices. We have RABQSA and IRCA certified lead auditors with specialist knowledge in the manufacturing, software, and services sectors. They have successfully guided organizations to ISO 9001, ISO/TS 16949 (automotive) , AS9100 (aerospace), TL 9000 (telecommunications), ISO 27001 (information security), ISO 13485 (medical devices), ISO 17025 (laboratory), and TickIT (software) registration.
Our training transfers the necessary skills to your staff so they can quickly become self-sufficient. Thousands of students have received outstanding results. Students view our courses as relevant to their jobs and with comprehensive content. They say our instructors as articulate, knowledgeable, and even entertaining. The ultimate compliment is they highly recommend our courses to others.
Our baseline audit helps you develop the appropriate quality system implementation plan. We perform internal audits to assess progress, as well as, coach your staff on how they can conduct more effective audits. The pre-assessments by our certified lead auditors help you fine-tune your quality system before the Registrar (Certification Body) visit.
We have the experience and industry knowledge you need to make the most of your quality management system. You can count on us to provide effective training, reliable consulting, and valuable auditing.
If you have any questions, please call us at 770-517-7944. You may also contact us by fax at 770-517-7945 or by e-mail to
For more information go to website:
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FUTURE SECTION MEETINGS
Mark your calendar for the next meeting: Tuesday, March 17th
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Southeastern Continuous Improvement Conference
The Pee Dee Section of the American Society for Quality (ASQ) and the Southeastern Institute for Manufacturing Technology (SiMT) are hosting the Southeastern Continuous Improvement Conference on March 19 and 20, 2009 in Florence, SC.
The Key Note Speaker, Darla Moore, the first woman profiled on the cover of Fortune magazine, will
lead an expected lineup of regional and nationally recognized speakers. Anticipated presentation topics
will cover the many tools used in Continuous Improvement including Lean, Six Sigma, Baldrige Criteria,
and Quality/Regulatory Systems from initial implementation to sustained world class performance.
Tracks include Management, Quality Assurance, and People Skills with the topics intended for those
working in Manufacturing, Healthcare, Education, Financial, and Service industries. The cost for the two day conference is $150.00. Many fine hotels and restaurants are located close by the conference site. For additional information contact George Smith at
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ASQ Section Satisfaction and Loyalty Study Open
What can your ASQ section do to make your experience better? Take our survey and let us know. Your input gives section leaders guidance for creating opportunities focused on member needs. This allows your ASQ section to provide the products and services that are most important and beneficial to you.
All ASQ section members can provide feedback on how well their ASQ section serves their needs. We appreciate your participation in this survey. Your answers will be kept confidential and reported to ASQ management only in the aggregate. Email invitations or postcards were sent to ASQ members beginning January 5.
The study will be open through February 15.
As a thank you, participants will be entered into a drawing to win one of four 2009 ASQ World Conference on Quality Improvement registrations (a $925 value). The conference is May 18-20, 2009 in Minneapolis, MN.
To participate, please visit
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SECTION EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE
for fiscal year July 2008 through June 2009
SECTION OFFICERS
Chair: Joe Wagner (706) 560-6035 -or-
Secretary: Tim Sheppard (706) 399-2576 -or-
Treasurer: Paul Sweeney (803) 640-5729 -or-
Chair-Elect: Jerry Nation (803) 663-7476 -or-
Past Chair: Kay Kigar
SECTION COMMITTEE CHAIRS & CONTACTS
Arrangements: open
Auditing: Ron Kuhn (803) 641-0891 -or-
Certification: Ron Kuhn (803) 641-0891 -or-
Database: Jerry Nation (803) 663-7476 -or-
Education: open
Examining: Ron Kuhn (803) 641-0891 -or-
Historian: open
Internet Liaison: Jerry Nation (803) 663-7476 -or-
Koalaty Kid: open
Membership: Dewayne Hall
Newsletter: Jerry Nation (803) 663-7476 -or-
Nominating: Jerry Nation (803) 663-7476 -or-
Placement: open
Program: Jerry Nation (803) 663-7476 -or-
Publicity: open
Recertification: Ron Kuhn (803) 641-0891 -or-
SMP Chair: open
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