Making Connections for Improved Experience

In a guest post to A View from the Q, ASQ Managing Director Laurel Nelson-Rowe reports record attendance at the World Conference on Quality & Improvement (WCQI) and a 75% lift in attendance to the ASQ Lean and Six Sigma Conference. Laurel asks "Why do you attend events, conferences, or meetings that bring quality professionals together? And if you don’t—why not?".


I, too, have seen a resurgence in interest in the field of Quality and continuous improvement. I am hopeful that Quality is beginning to connect more on an emotional, personal and community level. Quality is more than a set of impersonal, rational methods and tools to deliver improved product, processes and service. Perceived Quality is about the total experience. Customers want what they want, when they want it, a price they are willing to pay for the perceived value.... but they might not know what they want until you give it to them - consistently, flawlessly time after time. Simon Sinek is famously quoted, "People do not buy what you do, people buy why you do it".  The connection between engaged customers-suppliers and employees is on a deeper limbic brain level of emotion and purpose.


As a 25 year member of ASQ I have been attending the WCQI (known previously as the ‘AQC’) since 1989. I think I may have missed maybe 5-6 ASQ conferences over those 25 years. I have attended as a regular attendee, a speaker, a session moderator, or a member leader of the ASQ Statistics Division. The Statistics Division – like most ASQ Divisions – has its own annual conference as well. The “Fall Technical Conference” is targeted specifically to the Statistics Division membership; the papers tend be more detailed and advanced than those presented at the WCQI, but both conferences fulfill their intended purpose. I find the conferences a terrific opportunity to build my professional network, learn new topics and renew old acquaintances.


The ASQ Section is a geographical community of practice, whereas the Divisions are the technical bodies of knowledge (subject matter experts). The MN ASQ Section (#1203) to which I am a member offers professional ASQ certification prep courses as well as monthly Programs for its members. Many programs are structured to deliver a “hard” tools presentation pre-dinner, and a “soft skills” topic post-dinner. These programs offer best practice sharing and yet another face-to-face opportunity to build one’s professional network. The Section has held special Programs dedicated solely on building your professional social network where we have sponsored speakers to discuss tips and tricks to improve your Twitter, LinkedIn, Facebook and ASQ Communities experience. The MN Section is currently exploring the feasibility of offering remote training to our out-state members in the far reaches of our section's boundaries via web conferencing and/or self-paced computer-based training. The MN Section, too, has its own annual quality conference, called the ‘Professional Development Summit’, featuring papers and short course workshops.


A relatively new development in the networking space are “flashmob” type of impromptu meet-ups of young quality professionals. I have observed several such impromptu sessions in 3M grow from a simple, single suggestion between 2-3 individuals quickly blossom into a gathering of 10-20 like-minded people, thanks to internal social collaboration tools. One such recent meeting was initiated by a couple of new 3M CQEs seeking more information about the CMQ/OE certification from a more seasoned quality professional. The meeting grew to an after-work gathering during Happy Hour at a local watering hole.

It is indeed heartening to see the growing interest in and excitement about Quality.

Moving Quality up the Corporate Agenda

In his June blog post ASQ CEO Paul Borawski asks, "What success have you had in moving quality beyond product?"

In addition to my role as an "Influential Voices of Quality" blogger I am also the incoming Chair of the Minnesota section of ASQ.  During my term as chair-elect I led a project team to design, develop and deliver an Executive Roundtable to gather up to 60 senior executives of businesses and organizations throughout the MN section's geographical area.  This Roundtable was an invitation-only peer-to-peer networking meeting where executives discussed common challenges and best practices to operational excellence, innovation and growth. The event was co-sponsored by MNASQ, the MN Council for Quality (recently re-branded as the Performance Excellence Network), and the Manufacturers' Alliance. A pre-Roundtable survey was distributed to the target audience to prioritize their areas of interest and need. These MN executives and senior Quality leaders' common challenges and concerns are focused around innovation for growth - not just products and services, but more importantly, business processes and building a culture of innovation; plus, the increasing rate of change, the aging workforce (retiring Baby Boomers) and talent management.

48 executives and senior Quality leaders from 44 organizations in the Twin Cities metro, out-state Minnesota, and as far away as western South and North Dakota participated in this 1-day event, representing a wide cross-section of the local economy, including manufacturing, healthcare, biomedical, food-drug-cosmetic, retail, business and personal services, banking, insurance and finance, education, state and local government and non-profits. Based on their survey responses the day's discussions were framed around the 2011 CEO Challenge, the 2011 Future of Quality study, and the MN State demographer's talent profile of the Minnesota economy. In addition, the President of Cargill Kitchen Solutions presented a keynote on innovation and quality.

Feedback from the inaugural event has been phenomenal! 100% top-box satisfaction. The MN Section is already planning the 2013 Executive Roundtable event. The executives benefited from the peer-to-peer networking, learning and sharing. The MN ASQ Section gained valuable insights (e.g. Voice of Customer) to help us develop new, relevant, targeted training material and explore multiple delivery methods to reach members and potential members in all four corners of our geographical reach, to help their organizations achieve success.

Closer to home, my employer has been on a journey to incorporate hoshin kanri, PDCA and business execution into its strategic planning processes. Tools such as the X-matrix, A3s, bowler scorecards and management by fact are helping to prioritize business objectives, identify and resource top improvement opportunities, deploy aligned project teams and improve key performance indices. Senior executives are leading corporate teams. These methods and tools are not only used in the operations side of the enterprise but also in the support functions like Quality, HR, Legal, Finance, Supply Chain, etc. Certainly we have product quality, productivity and cost goals and objectives, but at 3M "quality" has definitely penetrated the C-Suite.

Quality Improvement in Government

In his latest blog post ASQ CEO Paul Borawski ponders the lack of a commitment to quality in government. Paul writes, "Why do so few leaders charged with leading countries, states, provinces, and cities require improved performance? ... there are thousands of public service success stories... Yet the adoption rate versus the opportunity is remarkably low."

I have had the unique opportunity to participate on two community service improvement projects in local government: one with the City of Hutchinson, MN; the other with the Planning Commissioners in McLeod County MN - both to redesign local government processes to eliminate waste and create a "One Stop Shop" for services.  Both case studies are discussed in more detail in the booklet Improving Performance Through Statistical Thinking by Britz, Emerling, et al. from the ASQ Statistics Division. (ASQ Quality Press). From my experience it seems much easier to drive continuous improvement at the local government level than state or federal. Why? Perhaps because most mayors and commissioners tend to serve their communities for multiple terms spanning many  consecutive years, enabling a constancy of purpose. Also, local government leaders are closer to their constituency (voice of customer), less susceptible to high-powered well-financed lobbyists and special interest groups, and can more visibly and immediately see the impact of their decisions.

Despite the creation of a U.S. national quality award during Ronald Reagan's presidency, the 2007 Executive Order of then President George W. Bush requiring every federal agency of the United States government to name a Performance Improvement Officer, and 2012 presidential candidate Newt Gingrich's pledge to adopt Lean Six Sigma, waste in government continues mostly unabated. There are pockets of exceptions, of course... the U.S. Army and other military institutions, for example, have been on a protracted Baldrige journey to improve their efficiency.  Hence, I believe the reason for lack of efficiency in state and national civilian government is the general lack of a shared, common mission and constancy of purpose (e.g. politics) that prevents execution of any sustained performance improvement. Whether one supports states' rights and a small central government, or prefer a strong federal government that provides oversight and accountability, we all want our tax dollars spent wisely to serve the republic and enhance civilization.

Incremental continuous improvement and personal accountability should be expected of every individual employed in government - just as it is expected in business. Performance standards should be documented and established; key performance metrics should be developed and measured; root cause analysis performed and corrective & preventive action plans implemented. Breakthrough performance improvement may require the formation of specialized teams similar to ex-President George W. Bush's suggestion of Performance Improvement Officers. Citizens concerned about the cost to implement such programs should take comfort by the magnitude of actual savings realized by industry. Properly designed, implemented and executed, these waste reduction efforts will save many, many times over the cost of implementation. But until and unless we can get beyond the severe polarization and win-lose mentality of today's politics it is difficult to believe we will ever achieve significant performance improvement. Society must first return to civility, and we must adopt a shared mission of efficient and effective government.

Are Quality Professionals Happy on the Job?

Forbes Magazine recently named the software quality assurance engineer as the “happiest job” in the U.S.  Forbes says, “Professionals with this job title are typically involved in the entire software development process to ensure the quality of the final product…Software quality assurance engineers feel rewarded at work, as they are typically the last stop before software goes live and correctly feel that they are an integral part of the job being done at the company.”

ASQ CEO Paul Borawski asks if other quality professionals are happy on the job, and what we might do to raise the voice of quality.

In a summary reported by Susan Heathfield (Human Resources expert): "According to a 2009 report by The Conference Board, based on a survey of 5,000 U.S. households, only 45% of those surveyed say that they are satisfied with their jobs, down from 61.1% in 1987, the first year in which the survey was conducted. While overall employee satisfaction has declined to 45%, the percentage of employees satisfied with their jobs is lowest in the under 25 age group with only 35.7% satisfied. Among employees in the age group 25-34, 47.2% are satisfied; employees in the age group 35-44 scored 43.4% in job satisfaction. Employees in the 45-54 age range scored 46.8%; employees 55-64 scored 45.6% in employee satisfaction and, of those employees age 65 and over, 43.4% are satisfied."

A Society for Human Resources Management (SHRM) study found that employees identified these five factors as most important:

• job security,
• benefits (especially health care) with the importance of retirement benefits rising with the age of the employee,
• compensation/pay,
• opportunities to use skills and abilities, and
• feeling safe in the work environment.

The next five most important factors affecting employee satisfaction were:

• the employee's relationship with his or her immediate supervisor,
• management recognition of employee job performance,
• communication between employees and senior management,
• the work itself, and
• autonomy and independence in their job.

Susan Heathfield states that more important than decreasing employee satisfaction is the fact that "The U.S. has a problem with employee engagement." In this year’s SHRM survey, U.S. employees were only moderately engaged (3.6) on a scale of 1 to 5, where 5 is highly engaged.

A book that I recommend to every supervisor, manager and executive interested in increasing their employees' morale and engagement - and increased organizational performance-  is John Fleming's Human Sigma. Engaged employees create engaged customers who foster organizational success by delivering positive financial outcomes. Employee engagement is the ability to capture the heads, hearts, and souls of employees to instill an intrinsic desire and passion for excellence. Engaged employees want their organization to succeed because they feel connected emotionally, socially, and even spiritually to its mission, vision, and purpose.

So, am I happy on the job?  I have enjoyed many diverse experiences as a quality professional over my 30 year career, progressing from an entry-level QA engineer to Sr. Mgr. of Corporate Quality Services and Lean Six Sigma Operations in a $30 B multinational company. I also dabbled in product development, process development, and technical service. Most days, yes, I actually look forward to coming to work. To what do I attribute my success and satisfaction? From very early in my career I had a role model and mentor who encouraged me to continue my professional development while pursuing stretch growth opportunities. Through this mentor I became involved with the ASQ Statistics Division where I was able to develop and hone my leadership and strategic planning skills - skills that would be highly valued by my employer. 3M has a strong culture of innovation. My supervisors and managers have consistently provided me the autonomy and independence to pursue my genius and develop my personal brand ('QualityBob'), while rewarding me with roles of increasing responsibility. Over the years my professional focus has shifted from a decided technical methods and tools focus to leadership, strategy, people and systems focus. I still enjoy teaching, coaching and consulting but I also take great pride in developing my direct reports and helping them succeed to leadership positions.

Building a network of friends and colleagues in my chosen profession is an important contributor to my satisfaction and engagement. I take great pride in my membership with ASQ (Fellow, Past chair ASQ Statistics Division, Chair-elect MNASQ), my participation with the MN Council for Quality (MN Baldrige Evaluator), and the enduring friendships I have cultivated in Quality worldwide.

I believe that raising the voice of Quality to build employee engagement requires a commitment to enhancing the "Total Customer Experience"; continuous improvement of business processes; and, employee recognition and development.

How do you sell Quality?

Paul Borawski, CEO ASQ, asks in his latest blog how we "sell" quality to executives. In my business travels throughout the U.S. and across the globe, as I seek to educate, train, teach, coach and consult to promote quality and Lean Six Sigma it has been my experience to frame quality in terms that most impact the respective business leader: "Where is your organizational pain - high waste? low productivity? lack of process speed? low sales? high costs? high customer complaints?".

While high costs may be a barrier to growth it must be remembered that cost is an outcome; a result. An improvement approach that seeks to reduce costs for cost's sake can actually have unintended consequences that could result in lower quality to the customer.  Remember the Deming Chain Reaction from his book Out of the Crises: A focus on improving quality leads to reduced costs and improved productivity allowing the enterprise to capture greater market share, resulting in growth and increased jobs. Though "quality" is defined by the producer (e.g. conformance to requirements), quality is ultimately judged (perceived) by the customer. Furthermore, value is described as what the customer is willing to pay for. Customers do not care about the producer's costs; they want a quality, reliable product, at a price they're willing to pay, and the product must be available when they want it. Customers are not willing to pay for the producer's waste and process inefficiencies or other nonvaue-added activities.

In further dialogue with the business leader we then discuss the organization's challenges to growth and where quality systems and processes can have a positive impact. Challenges such as lack of organizational agility, lack of strategy deployment and execution, lack of innovation (in products, services, processes and systems), talent management and employee engagement, increased globalization, more sophisticated customers and the rapid rate of change. 

While many business leaders still think of Quality in terms of "little q" activities associated with auditing, conformance, inspection, root cause analysis and corrective action, I choose to promote the greater societal role that "Big Q" can play in serving the community, protecting the enterprise, delivering the promise, improving operational excellence, strengthening organizational performance and increasing customer satisfaction. Rather than a focus on product (or service) quality alone, I encourage organizations to think in terms of improving the end-to-end "Total Customer Experience" for differentiating competitive advantage.

Finally, think strategically; lead holistically. Genichi Taguchi defined quality in terms of Loss to Society. This definition is the foundation of today's push for Sustainability, Social Responsibility and Product Life Cycle Management.

Expressed in these terms, I believe Quality sells itself.

STEM and Quality - Statistical Thinking Required

It is estimated that 30% of the U.S. workforce will reach retirement age in the next four to six years. That is a potentially huge loss of talent and experience to employers. How well are organizations poised to retain years of acquired knowledge before it walks out the door? On the supply side, according to ASQ commissioned research on teens’ pursuit of STEM careers, teens appear to understand that engineering will be second only to medicine for available jobs. However, teens are somewhat reluctant to pursue STEM fields because the cost and time to obtain a STEM degree is deemed too high and involves too much work and study compared to other careers.

The world today has become much flatter; the competition for jobs is no longer isolated to the local community. Technology is easily transferable. Competition is global. In the popular YouTube video Did You Know 3.0, Karl Fisch reveals that India has more honor students than the US has students. Furthermore, the exponential rate of change in technology and information means that 1/2 of what a student learns while earning a 4-year technical degree becomes outdated by their 3rd year.

The same afore-mentioned ASQ sponsored research revealed that many students spend more time browsing the internet or playing computer games than on schoolwork. I am reminded by a Deming quote that states processes are perfectly designed to deliver what they get. So what more can STEM professionals and educators - and society - do to support STEM students? Learning is a process. Every process has inputs that are transformed into outputs. All processes have variation. I believe that school boards, administrators, educators and professionals must apply the concepts of Statistical Thinking to curriculum design and delivery. Furthermore, Abraham Maslow's Hierarcy of Needs reminds us that our physiological and safety needs, and sense of love and belonging must be met before we can achieve self-esteem and self-actualization. Nutrition, mobility, discipline and attendance of our children must be a shared partnership between engaged parents, school boards - and local government - in support of desired outcomes. Effective process feedback mechanisms must be developed and implemented to measure progress and provide early warning of adverse trends. W. Edwards Deming advocated that all managers need to understand the System of Profound Knowledge in order to drive and sustain improvement:

1. Appreciation of a system: understanding the overall processes involving suppliers, producers, and customers (or recipients) of goods and services;
2. Knowledge of variation: the range and causes of variation in quality, and use of statistical sampling in measurements;
3. Theory of knowledge: the concepts explaining knowledge and the limits of what can be known.
4. Knowledge of psychology: concepts of human nature.

The challenges are immense and known: inadequate funding, larger class sizes, infrequent measures, decaying buildings and infrastructure, etc. Engaged stakeholders can better support STEM students by creating a learning environment that encourages personal accountability, teamwork and collaboration, and ignites innovation and creativity while rewarding experimentation - and failure. Learning must become more outcomes focused and less standards based.

Demystifying Lean, Six Sigma and other CI methods

• Are you still confused about when, where and how to apply Lean versus Six Sigma or Theory of Constraints or Business Process Re-Design?
• Are you experiencing difficulty implementing change in your organization?
• Is your organization still struggling to integrate continuous improvement into its operations, across all disciplines?

I strongly recommend that you and your business leaders read the book Lean Acres for an easy to understand approach to selecting and implementing the correct continuous improvement methodology for a given problem. Lean Acres is enjoyable and entertaining, yet educational.

Lean Acres is a fable about how the animals on a farm work cooperatively, each bringing their unique skills and talents to the team, and taking on roles and responsibilities to improve overall farm performance in the production and sale of corn, eggs, milk and wool. The fabled farm animals work together to identify their farm performance challenges, discover solutions together, and implement the most appropriate continuous improvement method among Lean, Six Sigma, Theory of Constraints, and Business Process Re-engineering.

Lean Acres is available for $18 + S&H (member price) from ASQ Quality Press (Item # H1408).

The author, Jim Bowie is a strategic performance improvement expert. He has more than 18 years of experience leading improvement efforts in diverse environments and industries around the world. Jim is a former United States Army Infantry Officer and an Operation Iraqi Freedom veteran, holds a Master of Business Administration, is Kaplan-Norton Balanced Scorecard Certified, a Certified Lean Six Sigma Master Black Belt (including ASQ Certified Six Sigma Black Belt), an ASQ Certified Manager of Quality/Organizational Excellence, a Certified Lean Master, a Certified Project Management Professional, and a certified facilitator. Mr. Bowie was selected to serve as a member of the Board of Examiners for the Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award in 2010 and 2011.

Lean Acres is more than a book. It also has a blog (http://leanacresonline.com/theblog/), a Twitter account (twitter.com/leanacres), and a Facebook fan page (www.facebook.com/LeanAcres).


Update:  May 2016
The following link to an infographic comparing and contrasting ISO-9000 to Six Sigma is reprinted with permission from Shuba Kathikeyan, APEX Global Learning:

http://apexgloballearning.com/uncategorized/iso-9000-and-six-sigma-visual-guide/