ASQ Influential Voices program

I’m part of the ASQ Influential Voices program. While I receive a variety of quality resources as honorarium from ASQ in exchange for my commitment, the thoughts and opinions expressed on my blog are my own.

Somos parte de Corporación 3D Calidad

Este blog es una contribución de Corporación 3D Calidad.

Nuestro compromiso es mejorar los sistemas y resultados de las organizaciones apoyando a su desarrollo y crecimiento.

lunes, 28 de febrero de 2011

Social Responsibility and Quality

In its publication on 15 February about Social Responsibility (SR) and Quality, Paul Borawski stresses the strong relationship that exists between these two concepts. To reach improvement in Social Responsibility, is required the use of philosophy, methodology, concepts, techniques and tools of Quality.

In his publication also referred to a document published by the ASQ and Manpower Professional, entitled "Social Responsibility and the Quality Professional." This paper is available at no cost to the ASQ.

From this study one of the premises to think about is the following:

Our global footprint exceeds the world’s capacity to regenerate by about 30 percent. If demands on the planet continue at the same rate, by the mid-2030s, we will need the equivalent of two planets to maintain our lifestyles.

The ASQ has also developed a movement to explain Social Responsibility and the role of quality to achieve results: The SRO. When you visit the site the first questions are "What is a Social Responsible Organization? How should it act?

To link Social Responsibility and Quality, corporate strategies must change, the new paradigm must be to produce better quality products, but with less resources.

Corporate Social Responsibility is a strategic management model, which includes the economic, social and environmental factors associated to the development of the activities of organizations. SR implies a renewed commitment to the community, environment and the various stakeholders with which an organization interacts, such as employees, shareholders, suppliers, customers, consumers and government.

Social responsibility means working on three aspects of a business: generating economic, social and environmental results.

Social Responsibility leads us to:

• Maintain a transparent and ethical behavior
• Contribute to sustainable development, health and social welfare
• Take into account the expectations of current and potential stakeholders.
• Comply with applicable laws.
• Integrate Social Responsibility throughout the organization
• Improve relations with other actors within the network of activities

The International Organization for Standardization (ISO) has recognized the importance of the issue of global social responsibility, ISO has developed an international standard on the subject: ISO 26000, which includes the guidelines of the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) which sets out principles for companies to achieve comprehensive protection levels (consumers, workers, community including human rights) regardless of where it operates. This rule takes into account the social, environmental, legal, economic and organizational and is not planned or intended for certification purposes. The final version was approved in October 2010. ISO 26000

It is also important to review the ISO 9004:2009 standard, Managing for the sustained success of an organization, a quality management approach, based on the implementation of Quality Management Systems, which states that an organization to succeed long term should be working with all stakeholders and meet their needs and expectations.

That means that an organization to ensure their survival should ensure a balance between the results achieved for its customers (quality of products at the right price), its employees (wages and working conditions), suppliers (fair payments for products and services), shareholders (results of their actions), partners (results), society (the environment carefully and pay for results) and government (through taxes).

The only ways an organization improve its performance to ensure that distribution is decreasing costs and / or increasing their income.

Paul Borawski told us that the key question is: How can we measure the return on investment in RS on the overall performance of organizations?

If we generate actions and measure results (indicators) for the following factors (there may be many more), we can answer this question:

- Reduce costs by improving productivity and better use of materials.
- Improve the design of products and services for less use of resources
- Reduce design and production cycles, considering the whole product life cycle.
- Train customers and suppliers the best use of resources.
- Provide certified products and services, and require the same along the production chain.
- Train internally in the use of tools and metrics to better control the processes.
- Create systems for monitoring current and potential requirements of all stakeholders.
- Use risk management tools at all levels.

In Ecuador the concept of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) is starting, although the country recently entered into this dynamic, is beginning to establish itself as a beneficial practice for all actors in the supply chain.

Companies are in a transition from philanthropic activities towards the establishment of CSR plans, which can be sustained. Much of the companies applying CSR plans are multinationals that already have several years of experience with this type of programs and/or have the resources to do so. Efforts are also exporters and important sizes. See Ecuador experiencies.

As a final thought the application of the concepts of Social Responsibility should be the commitment from all, beginning with the family, considering that it is built on the basic principles of human being, thinking how each of our actions must benefit (no affect) my neighbor and the environment.

We should all support SR even from our homes, joining forces with a VISION and clear leadership, we can achieve Corporate Social Responsibility.

César Díaz

lunes, 14 de febrero de 2011

Raise the Voice of Quality with many actions

In his February publication Paul Borawski told us that it is time to reflect, but primarily to act, the real test is to put our plans in execution.

Paul showed us it is essential for the ASQ Community to understand and accept the challenge to "Raise the Voice of Quality". Now, the actual task, as in all the goals we want in life is the ACTION.

Another point of management that Paul made us see is that it must be executed in a systemic manner by all stakeholders and all levels of the organization to achieve results and actions should start from the top management.

In the ASQ objective of "Raise the Voice of Quality", and transform ASQ into the GLOBAL VOICE OF QUALITY , Paul is giving us the example and leading actions that run for that purpose, but we need to all participants and all levels of the Quality Community move in that direction.

Life can only be understood looking back, but can only be lived looking forward.

For our Community implies that we must learn from the lessons of the past, but perform many actions that we project into the future to look at the ASQ as a world reference for Quality and within presence throughout the world and especially in Latin America.

The basic rule for success in any plan we undertake is ACTION, has never existed a plan by highly accurate details to have been, that alone it succeeded in achieving the goals.

Only the action is the force that ignites the plan and makes the plan a living force that shapes the future. The action is the food that transforms our vision in reality.

Only the coordinated action of all the ASQ Community members will "Raise the Voice of Quality", and we need that our personal and professional goals are in perfect harmony with this effort.

The delay that slows down our actions is the fruit of doubt, we must act without hesitation, and we must not circumvent the tasks or postpone them for tomorrow, because in that way tomorrow never comes. We must establish marks on the way to know if we are going in the right direction and/or if we have moved the sails to reach our goals.

Only action determines the value of our plans, and to multiply its value we must multiply our actions.

For that reason we must act in our circle of influence, gaining the compromise of more people to disseminate the philosophy and methodology of Quality, we must bring a message from the top management to all levels and especially achieve the vow of more actors in this process.

The questions remaining in mind are:

Do my personal goals have as one of its fundamental axis “Raise the Voice of Quality?

Am I taking action daily and planned for this purpose and involving more actors and in all contexts of different organizations and professions?

Am I extending my circle of influence to multiply my actions?

A final consideration… we know that complex problems cannot be solved with simple tools, but if we divided this big problem “in small simple parts", many of this small parts can be resolved with simple tools, and so we are moving towards our goals.

Cesar Diaz

Elevar la Voz de la Calidad con muchas acciones

En su publicación del mes de febrero Paul Borawski nos decía que es tiempo de reflexionar, pero fundamentalmente de actuar, que la verdadera prueba es poner todos nuestros planes en ejecución.

Paul nos indicaba que es fundamental que la Comunidad de la ASQ entienda y acepte el reto de "levantar la voz de calidad.” Ahora, el verdadero reto, como en todos los objetivos que nos proponemos en la vida es la ACCION.

Otro de los puntos de esta gestión que Paul nos hacía ver es que debe ser ejecutada de manera sistémica por todos los actores y a todos los niveles de la organización para obtener resultados y se deben iniciar las acciones desde la alta gerencia.

En el objetivo de la ASQ de “levantar la voz de la calidad”, y transformar en la VOZ GLOBAL DE LA CALIDAD, Paul nos está dando el ejemplo y liderando las acciones que ejecutemos con ese fin, pero necesitamos que todos los actores y en todos los niveles de la Comunidad de Calidad nos movamos en esa dirección.

La vida solo puede ser comprendida mirando hacia atrás, pero solo puede ser vivida mirando hacia adelante.

Para nuestra comunidad implica que debemos aprender de las lecciones del pasado, pero ejecutar muchas acciones que nos proyecten al futuro de mirar a la ASQ como el referente mundial de Calidad y con presencia fuerte en todo el mundo y especialmente en Latinoamérica.

La regla fundamental para tener éxito en cualquier plan que emprendamos es la acción, jamás ha existido un plan por muy exactos que hayan sido los detalles, que por sí solo lograra el cumplimiento de los objetivos.

Solo la acción es la fuerza que enciende el plan y lo convierte en una fuerza viviente que moldea el futuro. La acción es el alimento que transforma nuestra visión en realidad.

Solo la acción coordinada de todos los integrantes de la ASQ logrará “levantar la voz de la calidad”, y para ello necesitamos que los objetivos personales y profesionales de cada miembro se encuentren en perfecta armonía con este esfuerzo.

La demora que retrasa nuestras acciones es fruto de la duda, por ello debemos actuar sin vacilación, no hay que eludir las tareas ni postergarlas para mañana, ya que de esa manera el mañana nunca llega. Debemos establecer marcas en el camino que nos permitan saber si vamos en la dirección correcta y/o si debemos mover las velas para llegar a nuestros objetivos.

Solo la acción determina el valor de nuestros planes, y para multiplicar su valor debemos multiplicar nuestra acción.

Por ello debemos actuar en nuestro círculo de influencia comprometiendo a más personas en difundir la filosofía y metodología de la calidad, debemos llevar un mensaje desde la alta dirección a todos los niveles, y sobre todo lograr el compromiso de más actores en este proceso.

Las preguntas que me quedan en mente son:

Mis objetivos personales tienen como uno de sus eje fundamentales el levantar la voz de la calidad?

Estoy tomando acciones diarias y planificadas con ese propósito e involucrando a más actores y en todos los contextos de las diferentes organizaciones y profesiones?

Estoy ampliando mi círculo de influencia para multiplicar mis acciones?

Una reflexión final, sabemos que problemas complejos no pueden ser resueltos con herramientas simples, pero si ese gran problema lo “dividimos en muchas partes”, muchas de esta partes pequeñas se podrán resolver con herramientas simples, y de esa manera estaremos avanzando hacia el logro de nuestros objetivos.

César Díaz

viernes, 4 de febrero de 2011

Dime como me mides

Dime como me mides y te diré cómo me comporto!!

Esa frase la compartimos en una reunión y tiene una gran verdad!!

Dime como mides a tus colaboradores y fruto de ello tendrás su comportamiento… y si no los mides de ninguna manera…, no podrás tener seguridad sobre su comportamiento…

Si no sabes a donde ir… cualquier camino te lleva a ese punto… Si no sabes que medir…, no tendrás certeza a donde vas a llegar…

Tenemos que hacernos preguntas:

- Cómo medimos los resultados de nuestra Planificación Estratégica?

- Cómo medimos los resultados de nuestro Sistema de Gestión de Calidad?

- Como medimos los resultados de nuestros procesos de soporte?

Esa pregunta podremos extrapolarla fuera del ámbito empresarial, a nuestra vida personal, familiar….

Recordemos que no se puede mejorar lo que no se puede medir…

César Díaz