Standard Vol14-No3 (2000)

Vol. 2000-3 The Newsletter of the Measurement Quality Division, American Society for Quality Fall 2000

A Message from the Chair…Duane Allen

IN THIS ISSUE

Editor’s Column ............... 3Contrarian Metrologist ..... 4The Learning Curve ......... 7CCT Update ...................... 9History & Current Status ofMetrology Education ..... 10Overview Profiles on BestPractices ......................... 12Reporting CapabilityNumbers ......................... 20Standards Scene ............ 25NIST News ...................... 27NVLAP Notes .................. 28Standards Update .......... 29NIST/NACLA PartnershipProposal .......................... 30A2LA News Update ........ 31Profile on Metrology: Whatis CAL LAB? ................... 32Metrology Freeware ....... 33Educational Institutionsthat Offer MetrologyPrograms or Classes ..... 34Metrology Links ............. 35Obituary .......................... 371999 MQD Member SurveyResults ............................ 38MQD Council Minutes .... 40Measurement ScienceConference ..................... 42Membership Report ....... 43Conference Calls ............ 43Upcoming Events ........... 43MQD Officers .................. 44Regional Councilors ...... 45

A Message from the Past Chair…Mark Schoenlein

As my tenure with the MQD draws to a close Iam becoming increasingly fearful.

My experiences with the division over the pastyear closely parallel what is going on at myplace of employment today as well as what isgoing on in the Quality/Measurement field ingeneral. As I sit in my office writing this note toyou, many of my co-workers are preparing towalk out the door for the last time. The offeringof a generous retirement package has emptiedthe offices and cubes of many of our mostexperienced professionals. My twenty years oftenure with the company now puts me in the“old man” category of employees.

The same fate has befallen our division. Manyof those pioneering individuals who started thisdivision ten years ago have moved on. Many ofthe organizations that supplied that talent haveeither downsized or disappeared. The short-age of division volunteer officers has reached

STANDARD STANDARD STANDARD STANDARD STANDARDTheTheTheTheThe

Continued on page 4

a critical point. I would like to encourage thosereading this newsletter to strongly consideroffering their time and talent to help strengthenand grow the MQD.

I would like to thank Alex, Bryan, Chris, Chuck,Dan, DeWayne, Don, Ed, Frank, George, J.L.,Jason, Joe, John, Karl, Mel, Nick, Phil, Phil,Ralph, Ray, Rolf, Ron, Sal, Steve, Tom, andAnnie-Kay for allof the assistanceand support thatthey have givenover the pastyear. I would liketo wish Duane thebest of luck inchairing the divi-sion in the year tocome.

Take care.

Please permit me to introduce myself. Myname is Duane Allen. I am the MeasurementQuality Division Chair for 2000-2001. My pri-mary responsibilities as chair are to continueMQD’s organizational health and to supportthe MQD activities that support the measure-ment and quality community.

The division is in good health, not great, butgood. The division did run into a problem withan insufficient number of MQD members vol-unteering to fill all the division organizationalpositions. Several members have steppedforward this year and joined the longer-serv-ing division volunteers. If you check out the listof officers, committee chairs, and regionalcouncilors in the last pages of The STAN-DARD, you will see that there are still oppor-tunities for you to serve the division.

What are the benefits of your serving in adivision organizational position? Service: Youwill be supporting the MQD mission of serviceto the measurement and quality community.

Skill improvement: MQD positions provide op-portunities to exercise and improve your lead-ership and communications skills. ASQ pro-vides training for officer and committee chairs.Networking: Taking a MQD position will defi-nitely extend your network of contacts. Finan-cial: There is not much financial reward, per-haps a tax deduction. This is a volunteer orga-nization. However, serving your community,improving your skills, and enlarging your net-work are usually worthwhile, long-term invest-ments in one’s self.

There are several ways to serve: as a divisionofficer, as a committee chair or member, or asa regional councilor. If you would like to serveas a MQD division officer, the election will beearly next year. All offices will be open tonominations. Mr. Mark Schoenlein, the PastChair, has volunteered to chair the nominationcommittee. Please contact Mark if you wouldlike to serve as an officer or wish to nominate amember for an office.

The STANDARD Fall 2000Page 2

www.metrology.org

The STANDARDThe Journal of the Measurement Quality Division

PublicationStaffExecutive EditorFrank VoehlSt. Lucie Press280 Lake DriveCoconut Creek, FL 33066Tel: 954-972-3012Fax: 954-978-0643E-mail: [email protected]

Associate EditorEurope and AsiaJohn ShadeGood Decision Ltd.Dunfermline, KY11 3BZ ScotlandTel: +44 1383-733553Fax: +44 1383-733588E-mail: [email protected]

Associate EditorU.S. and CanadaOpen

Advertising ManagerFrank VoehlSt. Lucie Press280 Lake DriveCoconut Creek, FL 33066Tel: 954-972-3012Fax: 954-978-0643E-mail: [email protected]

Publications ChairJ.L. MadrigalOxford Worldwide Group1045 South Orem Blvd.Orem, UT 84058Tel/Fax: 801-235-1899E-mail: [email protected]

AdvertisingSubmit your draft copy to Frank Voehl, theAdvertising Manager, with a request for aquotation. Indicate size desired. Specifywhether you will provide camera-readycopy or desire that we produce final copy.

The following rates are for the space only.Copy preparation and typesetting will beextra, if provided by the The STANDARD.

Business card size ................... $1001/8 page ................................... $1501/4 page ................................... $2001/3 page ................................... $2501/2 page ................................... $300Full page .................................. $550

Advertisements will be accepted on a “perissue” basis only; no long term contractswill be available at present.

Advertising must be clearly distinguishedas an ad. Ads must be related to measure-ment quality, quality of measurement, or arelated quality field. Ads must not implyendorsement by the Measurement Qual-ity Division or ASQ.

Letters to the EditorThe STANDARD welcomes letters frommembers and subscribers. We offer thefollowing guidelines. Letters should clearlystate whether the author is expressingopinion or presenting facts with support-ing information. Commendation, encour-agement, constructive critique, sugges-tions, and alternative approaches are ac-cepted. Berating is not appropriate. If thecontent is more than 200 words, we maydelete portions to hold that limit. We re-serve the right to edit letters and papers.

Information for AuthorsThe STANDARD publishes papers on thequality of measurements and the mea-surement of quality at all levels rangingfrom relatively simple tutorial material tocutting edge or state-of-the-art exposi-tion.

We particularly encourage thoughtful pa-pers from engineers, users, regulators, alllevels of management, and others. TheSTANDARD welcomes controversy andreasoned polemic but does not permitranting and raving.

Papers published in The STANDARD arenot referred in the usual sense, except toascertain that facts are correctly statedand to assure that opinion and fact areclearly distinguished one from another.The Editor reserves the right to edit anypaper and will usually exercise that right.Enclose a short letter saying what themanuscript is, and send it to the appropri-ate Associate Editor with your manuscript.Show your complete address (both mailand e-mail) for correspondence.

Publication InformationThe STANDARD is published quar-terly by the Measurement Quality Divi-sion of ASQ; deadlines are March 15,June 15, September 15 and Decem-ber 1. Advertising deadlines are March1, June 1, September 1, and Novem-ber 15. Input for text material by emailor on 3 1/2" diskette in Microsoft Wordsaved in Rich Text Format (RTF). If itis not feasible to send text in electronicform, clean printed text can be submit-ted. Graphics or illustration materialcan be sent in eps, tif, pict or jpegformat. Photographs of MQD activitiesor people would be especially appreci-ated.

Publication of articles, product re-leases, advertisements or technicalinformation does not imply endorse-ment by The STANDARD or the Mea-surement Quality Division of ASQ.While The STANDARD makes everyeffort to ensure the accuracy of ar-ticles, the publication disclaims respon-sibility for statements of fact or opinionmade by the authors or other contribu-tors.

Material from The STANDARD maynot be reproduced without permission.Copyrights in the United States and allother countries are reserved.

The editor may be reached at 954-972-3012 or by fax at 954-978-0643.E-mail address is: [email protected].

© 2000 ASQ, MQD. All rights reserved.

The STANDARDFall 2000 Page 3

The Editor’s Column

The Evolving Field ofMetrology

by Frank Voehl

During the past few years, I have had the pleasureof serving as the Associate Editor of The Standardunder the extremely capable leadership of DeWayneSharp. My job was to secure articles, write aboutpertinent emerging topics in the field of Metrology, andhelp DeWayne in whatever ways I could make myselfuseful. Now, DeWayne has decided that it is time to callit a day and I have been given the dubious task offollowing in his footsteps. A tall order indeed! But I willdo my best to keep our labs, our equipment, and ourpeople up-to-date with current developments, as wellas in a state of preparation for future developments. Inother words, to fulfill the mission of The Standard .

For metrology is all about the science of measure-ment, and measurement is all about the science ofimprovement. And it is this emphasis upon improve-ment that underlies the entire systematic approachthrough which we quantify quality characteristics, aconcept that is in actuality thousands of years old. Inthe beginning, units of measure, of bigness and small-ness, were in terms of parts of the human body. Theancient Egyptian unit of measure for length was ex-pressed in terms of the royal cubit–which was thelength of the forearm of the reigning Pharaoh.

With the birth of international commerce, the earlymetrologists evolved systems of international units ofmeasure, which evolved into the two prevalent andsometimes competing measurement systems—themetric and the English. And as every metrologistknows, the existence of two *competing* systems ofmeasurement has become a serious handicap to inter-national commerce. For at the beginning of the 1970s,writes Dr. Joseph Juran, all industrialized nations, withthe single exception of the USA, had either adopted themetric system or decided to do so.

In the United States, resistance to the metric systemarose from the heavy investment in the English system,coupled with the previous low volume of internationaltrade relative to the total size of the American economy.Due to the absence of a national plan for converting tometric, the USA is in a slow process of conversion tometric, which will likely take at least another fifty yearsor more to complete. This conversion, however slow itmay be, is being driven by three significant interrelatedbreakthroughs of the past ten years: (1) the develop-

ment of the Systeme International d’Unites–known asSI, (2) the global Knowledge Management revolutionand (3) explosion and popularity of the internet.

The SI system consists of:• Six fundamental units of international mea-

sure–for length, mass, time, electric current,temperature, and light intensity.

• Two supplemental units for plane and solidangles.

• A long list of units based upon 1 and 2 above.• A standardized nomenclature and terminol-

ogy for multiples and subdivisions of all unitsof measure.

The SI system is fully compatible with the metricsystem, but not with the English system, and has sixfundamental units that (except for the kilogram) aredefined in terms of natural phenomena: meter (m),kilogram (kg), second (s), degree Kelvin (k), ampere(A), and candela (cd). This system has made it possiblefor all industrialized countries to create its own NationalBureau of Standards, whose function includes thecreation and maintenance of primary reference stan-dards. In addition, professional societies have evolvedthe standardized testing methods for measuring manyquality characteristics not covered under the SI Sys-tem of units and measures. For example, the AmericanSociety for Testing and Materials (ASTM). In practice,it’s not practical for a National Bureau of Standards tocalibrate and verify the accuracy of the enormoushierarchy of test equipment utilized in, and by, test labsand shops. Instead, a hierarchy of secondary stan-dards and labs, along with a documentation system ofcertified accuracy, has become both commonplaceand legal, a hierarchy upon which the practice ofmetrology now largely rests. These are the hard factsof the world of measurement.

Our brief look at SI makes it clear that revolutionarychanges have been extensive over the past century. Inthe single parameter of length, several new technologi-cal principles have emerged in the past thirty years totake over the bulk of precision measurement. And inthe area of non-destructive testing, as well as in theadded functions associated with measurement, thegrowth of new technology has been nothing short ofexplosive. Developments such as these make it clearthat much additional effort will be needed on a continu-ing basis to keep our labs, equipment, and people up-to-date with current and future developments.

Enter Knowledge Management Metrology, on thesoft side of the measurement world. For KnowledgeManagement to live up to its promise (if it ever does),a corresponding hierarchy of measurement standardsneeds to evolve, in much the same way that SI has overthe past twenty years. And the same holds true and


seems to be happening with the Internet, and its vastpromise to internationalize the economies of the world.In a series of articles, beginning with this edition, TheStandard takes a behind-the-scenes look at the emerg-ing Knowledge Management Metrology field and thecompanies that are leading the charge.

Future editions will cover the emergence of themeasurement standards for telecommunications andthe Internet. The scope of measurement diversitywithin telecommunications includes literally DC to light,and there are unique measurement areas within telecom

that provide for some very challenging metrology tasks.The metrologist is tasked with calibrating system testequipment that support all systems, being challengedacross the spectrum of ordinary test equipment cali-bration and very specialized test equipment, some-times on a daily basis. One of the key related questionsis whether the evolution and growth of SI and itslessons learned can be applied to the Internet Tele-communications and the field of Knowledge Manage-ment Measurement. Stay tuned for further details.

The Contrarian MetrologistCalibration Buyers, Beware!

by Philip Stein

Editor’s Note: The following article was also selectedto be published in September’s Quality Progress .

Measurements are pretty useless without calibra-tion. Of course, you can buy or build a new instrumentand trust that the answers it gives you are okay, butsooner or later you should wonder how long that trustis warranted. All measuring systems are subject to

change after time, and some-times outside influences (be-ing overloaded, mishandledor dropped) can have an ef-fect as well.

Calibration, and the choiceof how often to calibrate, isdependent on economic risk.Calibration costs something,often quite a bit. And not cali-brating will eventually cost agreat deal when the measure-

ment is wrong and expensive rework or a catastropheis the result. The calibration interval is therefore aneconomic tradeoff in which you balance the frequencyof calibration against the cost of calibration and againstthe potential consequences and costs of not calibrat-ing.

Regulators and international standards (such asISO 9000) play a part as well. Most of the standardsthat require measurements also require periodic cali-bration. This is done to increase the trust that custom-ers place in the measurements provided by an organi-zation. In addition, all standards and regulations thatrequire calibration require traceability—the calibrationmust be able to be related to national standards (ex-cept in some unusual circumstances).

Buyer bewareNow comes my warning to buyers. Calibration can

be achieved in many ways. You can do it yourself—

Please contact me if you would like to serve in one ofthe open committee chairs. Or contact the committeechair if you would like to serve on a particular commit-tee.

Please contact me if you would like to become theregional councilor for Region 13, which covers thecentral Midwest, or Region 25, the international com-munity.

There are three MQD business meetings in 2001 thatyou, as a member, may want to attend. There will be ameeting at the Measurement Science Conference2001. The time and place is most likely late afternoonon a Thursday, January 18, 2001, in a meeting room in

Continued from page 1Chair’s Column

the Disneyland Conference Center. Specific time andlocation will be posted at the MQD booth at MSC.

The second business meeting will be at the 55th AnnualQuality Congress in Charlotte, North Carolina in earlyMay 2001. The third meeting will be at a NIST confer-ence in Gaithersburg in September 2001.

I welcome correspondence. I’d like to, but I don’t expectto, meet all approximately 4000 MQD members duringmy tenure as Chair. You can help me reach my goal ofhaving about 2000 e-mails, phone calls, and lettersoccur during my tenure. So, please submit articles toThe STANDARD, e-mail me with ideas for MQD activi-ties, and volunteer for MQD positions.


even managing the traceability in many cases. How-ever, this requires expertise and can be quite expen-sive. If you’re part of a large industrial or governmentorganization, you may decide that it’s cheaper to do itall in-house, and you may be right.

For the rest of us, though, the method of choice isusually to hire a commercial calibration laboratory toperform the work. Even if you do the simpler hand toolsand electronic meters yourself, you may very well needto use a commercial service to achieve traceabilitybetween your work and the top of the pyramid. If youare near the top of the pyramid, you will probably sendyour reference standards directly to the National Insti-tute of Standards and Technology or to the standardsbody of another country.

Commercial laboratories are businesses and, assuch, compete on several fronts. One is price andanother is quality of service, neither of which differssignificantly from other retail operations. Calibrationlabs may also choose to register their quality systemsto ISO 9002 or even ISO 9001. As a quality profes-sional, you know how to factor registration into yourbuying decision, but beware: ISO 900X registrationdoes not testify to the correctness or traceability of theanswers a laboratory provides. As with all other ISO900X processes (at least the 1994 version), registra-tion only addresses the quality system and not thequality or fitness for use of the final product. You mayinfer that a registered company is more likely to do agood job because it has a conformant quality system,and you will probably be right, but it’s no guarantee.

Laboratory accreditationCalibration and testing laboratories do have a way

of distinguishing themselves—laboratory accredita-tion. Being accredited to perform specific work offersstrong assurances that the answer, the work you’repaying for, will be correct and traceable. Laboratoryaccreditation is with reference to ISO/IEC Guide 25,recently replaced by ISO/IEC Standard 17025 but stillin use for the next year or two. In addition, the U.S.standard ANSI/NCSL Z540-1 adds unique U.S. re-quirements to Guide 25.

While there are no absolute guarantees and nothingin this world is perfect, accreditation is the best evi-dence available that a calibration supplier is trustwor-thy, traceable and likely to get the right answer. (Test-ing labs can be accredited too, but this is a measure-ments column so we’re discussing the issues usingcalibration as an example).

Accreditation is accomplished through a third partyprocess very similar to ISO 9000. Accreditation bodiessend out assessors who collect data, evaluate theapplicants and, eventually, issue certificates. Accredi-tation bodies acknowledge each other through mutual

recognition agreements and accreditation coopera-tives. Three such cooperatives now exist: a Europeancooperative, an Asian-Pacific cooperative and one thatis being organized to cover North America.

Here’s another reason to beware. The accreditedlaboratory you use may or may not be accredited by abody that is a signatory to one or more of thesecooperatives. If it is not, its work might be fine, but itprobably won’t be recognized as accredited. This isespecially important when something you have hadcalibrated needs to be traceable. Traceability deliv-ered by organizations that aren’t members of theseclubs may not be good enough to pass muster by athorough assessor. By the way, these clubs aren’texclusive. Any organization can join, but it will bethoroughly assessed to ISO/IEC Guide 58, the stan-dard of behavior for accreditation bodies.

Confused yet? There’s more.The next item to be aware of is the scope of

accreditation. Each accredited laboratory is issued ascope indicating the measurement parameters andranges for which it is accredited. In addition, everyaccredited organization is permitted to use the logo ofthe accrediting body on their advertising, product litera-ture, and calibration reports or certificates. Therefore,even if a laboratory advertises that it is accredited, andplaces a logo on their reports, it may not be able to doyour job within its scope—and it’s up to you to find thatout.

Some labs will accept both accredited and nonac-credited work (and maybe charge different prices). If aquotation, solicitation or certificate has a logo but someof the work is not within the scope, it must disclose thatclearly. But continue to beware: the rules are clear butyou need to pay attention as your supplier may notemphasize these distinctions.

Are there circumstances under which you must useaccredited labs? Well, yes and no. While there are nofixed rules, your customer or regulatory agency mayrequire that you use an accredited lab. Similarly, anaccredited lab may be necessary for some projects andmeasurement parameters, but not for others.

Accreditation and the automotive industryThe most important regulation, however, comes

from the automotive industry. Paragraph 4.11.2.b.1 ofthe third edition of QS-9000, states that “commercialindependent calibration facilities shall be accredited toISO/IEC Guide 25 or national equivalent, or shall haveevidence, e.g. assessment by an OEM (original equip-ment manufacturer) customer or an OEM customer-approved second party that they meet the intent of ISO/IEC Guide 25 or national equivalent.” Similar rules arestated for commercial testing laboratories.


At first glance, this seems pretty rigorous, but actu-ally, it’s as porous as Swiss cheese. The laboratory youuse could be accredited, but not by a body that hassigned one of the collective agreements. In fact, youcould use an accredited laboratory that did not have anapproved scope that included the particular servicesyou need, but you’d still be in conformance with thestandard. Your lab could be accredited to perform therequired services, but it will charge you more for anaccredited certificate. You could have contract for thecheaper work and save some costs, while still followingthe QS-9000 standard.

To make matters even worse, the auto industry hasbeen under quite a bit of pressure to ease up on therules. QS-9000 registrars would like to get a piece ofthe business but don’t have the technical knowledge orexperience to pass muster with Guide 58. Some ofthese companies are offering “registration to the intentof Guide 25” or “registration of the laboratory qualitysystem to Guide 25.” Sort of an ISO/IEC Guide 25-Lite!

My understanding is that, at least for now, someautomakers are viewing these alternatives as accept-able responses to 4.11.2.b.1. Some registrars areactually trying to gear up to deliver ISO 17025 accredi-tation, but it will take a while for them to sign on to acooperative agreement. What a mess!

What’s an organization to do?The first thing you need to do is decide whether you

or your customers want and need fully accreditedcalibration services. If your customers are demandingit, it’s a no-brainer. If not, it’s still a very good ideabecause of the high degree of confidence you canplace in the results. You will then need to balance extracosts against what that high confidence is worth to you.

Personally, I think that confidence is priceless butthat’s my bias. It’s only fair to disclose at this point thatI am a Guide 25 lead assessor under contract to theAmerican Association for Laboratory Accreditation(A2LA), one of two U.S. signatories of the laboratoryaccreditation agreements.

You can pressure your regular calibration supplierto become accredited if it is not already. If you have theexpertise, you can assess the supplier to the require-ments of 17025 yourself rather than require that itbecome accredited. But if the supplier goes throughthe trauma with you, it might as well do so for a thirdparty accreditation body and get its ticket punched forreal.

See the sidebar “Buying Calibration Services Check-list” for a summary of everything you need to look forwhen interested in calibration services. While the check-list is written as if you need fully conformant services,you can waive some of the requirements due to costs

or simply because you don’t think you need accreditedwork.

Sidebar - Buying Calibration Services Checklist

1) Is the laboratory from which you want to buy calibra-tion services accredited to ISO/IEC Guide 25, ISO/IEC 17025 or ANSI/NCSL Z540-1?

Remember that a statement of conformance is worthnothing. The laboratory must be accredited. Use of alogo is usually the easiest way to identify its accredita-tion status.

2) Is the body that accredited this laboratory a signa-tory to one of the laboratory accreditation agree-ments?

There are now only two such bodies in the UnitedStates: A2LA and NVLAP (National Voluntary Labora-tory Accreditation Program). Another signatory, ICBO(International Conference of Building Officials), doesnot accredit general-purpose calibration services. Manyother countries have accreditation bodies that aresignatories, and they are allowed to accredit labs in anycountry including the United States.

3) Are the measurement parameters you wish to havecalibrated listed on the laboratory’s scope of ac-creditation? Are the ranges of the parameters youhave chosen within the scope?

4) Have you specified accredited service on yourpurchase order to the laboratory?

5) Do all the certificates you received from the labora-tory have a logo from the accreditation body, andare there no exceptions taken for specific results?

Look for a statement that when the instrument wasreceived, it was operating within acceptable limits;otherwise, you have to see if it could have made anysignificant mistakes before it was sent out.

If you can answer “yes” to all five items on the checklist,you’re probably okay using the calibration service.

Philip Stein is a metrology and quality consultant inprivate practice in Pennington, NJ. He holds a master’sdegree in measurement science from The GeorgeWashington University, in Washington DC, and is anASQ Fellow. For more information, go towww.measurement.com.

Philip Stein, A2LA Lead Assessor, is a PastChair of the MQD, a past member of the Boardof Directors of ASQ, and is an ASQ Fellow


Dear New Boss:

I opened my last column with the comment that thepreceding quarter had been most traumatic for the bothof us (referring to my old Boss). I didn’t figure that thingscould get much worse; but early in May, while workingalone in my backyard and while moving at high speed,I tripped on a step and landed on the concrete on myright knee. Fortunately, there were no broken bones,just severe muscle and ligament damage. This re-sulted in four hours in surgery, two weeks of hospitaland rehab facility, and a month in a cast. I am nowwearing an immobilizing brace and probably will bedoing so for another four to six months. You mightcorrectly say that I have been in no mood to write thiscolumn. Nevertheless, I shall try anyhow.

In the last several columns, I have been delineatingthe progress being made toward the development of adegreed curriculum in the measurement sciences atthe California State University—Dominguez Hills. Inthis issue, I will direct your attention to a separate articleentitled, THE HISTORY AND STATUS OF METROL-OGY EDUCATION AT THE CALIFORNIA STATEUNIVERSITY—DOMINGUEZ HILLS. I feel what I saidin that article is quite complete and current and needsno further amplification in this column.

In the last issue of this Column, I told about a lectureI had given at a Butler County Community Collegesponsored seminar in 1987. I also quoted a longpassage describing the individual in a well-constitutedMetrology Organization who I refer to as “THE ADMIN-ISTRATIVE METROLOGIST”. I also threatened if youreaders did not send letters demanding I cut it out, thatI would continue quoting from that lecture. Thus, I

This is the twenty-seventh in a contiguous series offrequently rambling commentaries on the general sub-

ject of Metrology Education ver-sus Calibration Training . In thepast, these have, been in the formof open letters to our former mostExalted Editor-in-Chief who hasunderstandably resigned; (I mightalso, if I had his problems.) We willcontinue the open letter format to anew and as yet untested boss (un-til he decides to shut us down.)

Phil Painchaud

The Learning Curve

would be marinating you with knowledge of the properqualifications for other individuals in a properly consti-tuted metrology organizational structure. In this col-umn we shall concentrate on the individual I refer to as“THE REFERENCE STANDARDS METROLOGIST”.That is the person responsible for the maintenance ofthe Reference Standards artifacts and for the dissemi-nation of the proper and true values of those standards.

However, before we go on, just what is a ReferenceStandard? On the other hand, what is any kind of aStandard for that matter? I was up against that problemmyself many years ago. I was the Administrative Me-trologist in a rapidly expanding Metrology organization.There seemed to be no standardization of nomencla-ture among the other Metrology organizations withwhich we were required to interface. Even our custom-ers, all three of the military services were using differ-ent languages. To make things worse, I was supposedto be writing a Policies and Procedures Manual for myMetrology Organization.

So I turned to my Reference Standards Metrologistfor help. I have mentioned this man before in thiscolumn; he was the late renowned Electro-MetrologistGeorge D. Vincent. When he saw the vast collection ofunrelated terms and definitions I had accumulated forstandards, he threw his hands up. So I sent him Eastto Washington to the National Bureau of Standards(NIST as yet did not exist and the NBS had not as yetmoved to Gaithersburg). He spent several days confer-ring with most of the authorities there. He came back toCalifornia with the following piece of startling informa-tion; as far as NBS was concerned, the only PrimaryStandards in this country are those at that NationalLaboratory. Therefore, we promptly outlawed the useof the term Primary Standard, and of Secondary andTertiary as well.

Based on the authoritative information Georgebrought back we devised the following set of opera-tional definitions for measuring equipment. These werelater sent to Washington where they were concurredwith almost unanimously:

• STANDARD – Apparatus that embodies arealization of a multiple of a physical unit insuch a manner that the embodied realiza-tion is usefully available for comparison.

• NATIONAL REFERENCE STANDARDS –Standards maintained the National Bureauof Standards (NIST today) and which are byact of Congress the legal standards of theUnited States.

• MASTER REFERENCE STANDARD – A Stan-dard of the most accurate and reliable typeand grade available. It establishes the mag-nitude of a physical unit for measurement


purposes. It may be a group or part of agroup.

• REFERENCE STANDARD – A Standard ofthe most accurate and reliable type and gradeavailable to the Metrology Organization ofinterest. It must meet all of the other requirementsof the Master Reference Standard.

• WORKING STANDARD – A Standard for usein the calibration or authentication of appa-ratus and measurements where the level ofaccuracy does not require direct comparisonwith the Reference Standards.

• INTER-LABORATORY STANDARD – A Standardwhich travels between laboratories for thesole purpose of relating the magnitude of thephysical unit represented by the standardsmaintained in the respective laboratories.

• TRANSFER STANDARD – A Standard whichresponds measurably to a characteristic com-mon to two otherwise unlike phenomena, thecommon characteristics being known quanti-tatively in one phenomena and not in theother, thus permitting comparative determi-nation of the unknown quantity. (Examples:Thermal Transfer Voltmeters, Bomb Calorim-eters, Bolometers. etc.)

• STANDARDIZATION EQUIPMENT – Appa-ratus or an assembly of apparatus of the highestorder, reserved especially for use in the com-parison of standards with each other, or inthe calibration of high-order measuring equipmentagainst Reference Standards. (Examples: Stan-dard Cell Comparitors, Ratio Sets, Potenti-ometers, etc.)

• CALIBRATION ASSEMBLY – Apparatus oran assembly of apparatus especially reservedfor specific calibrations.

• WORKING INSTRUMENT – Any device whichmeasures, records, generates, or transformsphysical quantities and is usable as inspec-tion or test criteria or media and does not fitany of the preceding definitions. These arethe instruments usually available for generaluse.

(NOTE: The above definitions were extracted, ed-ited, and annotated from the NORTHROP/NORTRONICS (Anaheim), METROLOGYMANUAL, Branch Directive M. B. C-9; RevisionEffective Date 1 March 63)

In my organization, the Reference Standards Me-trologist was the individual who headed the sub-orga-nization that was responsible for the maintenance ofthe Reference Standards, the Inter-laboratory Stan-dards, and the Standardization Equipment. They werealso responsible for the calibration of the Calibration

Assemblies. Now let us describe that individual (quotedfrom my, before referenced Butler County CommunityCollege lecture):

“–––The Reference Standards Metrologist: In manyorganizations, this slot is unfortunately too often filledby a Senior Technician with long experience in theorganization and with the specific items of standardshardware which he is expected to maintain. But, indoing so, there is an almost certain risk of causingdeterioration of the integrity of the measurement refer-ences, the very heart of any measurement (quality)assurance program.

Most internal operating systems in Metrology, par-ticularly those of an advanced technical nature requirecontinual systemic maintenance and upgrading. Thereis an old adage which says, “Familiarity breeds con-tempt.” A corollary might be derived from this: “Roterepetition breeds ill advised shortcuts.” This is pre-cisely what has happened to those many organizationsthat have been deprived of a Professional Metrologistconstantly monitoring and supervising the system. Thepara-professionals, usually unknowledgeable of thefundamental “whys” at the roots of the systems andprocedures, frequently attempt to modify them (andusually with the best intentions). The results invariablyare a slow deterioration of the measurement assur-ance system. While this is generally true for all of thesystems in Metrology as a whole, it is particularly trueof those in the Reference Standards area. Unfortu-nately here the effects of deterioration are more far-reaching, more subtle, making detection more difficult,and are usually more difficult and expensive to repair.

In most such cases, it probably would be necessaryto locate and to engage the services of an experiencedReference Standards professional with supervisorypotential and to depend upon him to establish (or torebuild) the Reference Standards Activity under thegeneral guidance and direction of the AdministrativeMetrologist.

The minimum ideal qualifications required for sucha Reference Standards functional head are as follows:

1. He must be thoroughly familiar with the “classical”methods of Reference Standards practice in alldisciplines. Conversely, he must be thoroughlyaware of the progress being made in the state-of-the-art and will continue to stay currently informed.No one forever lives in the past or upon the accom-plishments of the giants of yesterday. He must beeager and able to evaluate, accept, and implementnew developments when and if they apply to theorganization’s needs.

2. He must intimately know and have close personalcontact with the leaders of today’s metrology pro-


fession. This requires established and maintainedcommunications with these leaders and enablesmore rapid evaluations of them and their work.

3. He must be thoroughly qualified in Physics, Chem-istry, and Mathematics—the basic sciences under-lying Metrology.

4. He must know the equipment of today’s Metrol-ogy—the advantages and disadvantages, the ca-pabilities, and the limitations of particular items. Ofequal importance, he must understand the prin-ciples upon which each item operates. Only throughthis knowledge can the organization avoid costlymistakes and buy the most for its equipment dollar.

5. He must understand the relationship between statu-tory requirements and contract requirments on theone hand, and the implications and limitations ofcertificates and standards on the other.

6. Of paramount importance to a cost effective opera-tion, he must readily recognize the delicate balance,economically and technically, between the difficultand/or the costly improvisation, and the expedientbut also costly specialized equipment.––”

The above was obviously written in the masculinegender, but I refuse to apologize as it obviously also

applies to those of the distaff side among us. I wasbrought up in a culture that holds that the Englishlanguage has four, not three nor two genders, as domost other languages of the world. These include theusual Masculine, Feminine, and Neuter genders, aswell as a COMMON gender. Common gender pro-nouns are usually taken from the Masculine, but onedifferentiates by usage.

Unless I am showered with letters demanding thatI quiet these tutorials, in the next issue we will talk aboutthe qualifications for the METROLOGICAL ENGINEER-ING and ANALYSIS SUPPORT HEAD. That is theindividual heading the sub-organization that furnishesthe non-hardware and analytical support for the orga-nization. In addition, maybe we will be able to talk somemore about the developments at the California StateUniversity—Dominguez Hills. Meanwhile, for your ve-hement letters of protest (I am not expecting manyletters of approbation), I can be reached at the sameold stand:

Phil Painchaud1110 West Dorothy DriveBrea, California, 92821-2017Phone: (714) 529-6604FAX: (714) 529-1109e-Mail: [email protected]

Certified Calibration Technician (CCT) Program UpdateOctober 21, 2000 marks completion of the first

major milestone in the development of an ASQ certifi-cation program for calibration technicians. The mile-stone occurred at ASQ headquarters, Milwaukee, Wis.,where an initial proposal developed by MQD’s certifi-cation committee was presented to ASQ’s certificationboard for consideration.

ASQ’s certification board, comprised of programadministrators and ASQ members representing eachof ASQ’s existing certification programs, is responsiblefor determining the viability/practicality of new certifica-tion programs. The proposal, presented as a CertifiedCalibration Technician (CCT) program, was the cumu-lative effort of six months work by MQD’s committeewhose members span commercial and private sectors,laboratory accreditation bodies (A2LA, NVLAP),academia, training providers and various governmentagencies (NASA, DOD, DOE).

The written CCT proposal addressed market needs,market trends, support and commitment issues, avail-able technical resources, general program content,etc. This written proposal was provided to board mem-bers prior to its formal presentation so that questionscould be prepared beforehand. Shortly after the CCT

initial proposal was presented and follow up questionsanswered, ASQ’s Certification board voted unanimouslyto support the proposal.

The next step in the ASQ certification process is thecreation of a CCT job analysis survey that will be sentout in mass mailings to industry/academia/govern-mental agencies to help determine the skills, trainingand experience necessary for a CCT. If you would liketo contribute to this important initiative and help shapetomorrow’s calibration practitioners, MQD’s certifica-tion committee is looking to add new members fromconsulting, academic, commercial and governmentsectors.

If interested please E-mail MQD’s committee chairat: [email protected].

Chris GrachanenASQ MQD Certification Committee Chair


The California State University - Dominguez Hills Story:HISTORY AND CURRENT STATUS OF

METROLOGY EDUCATIONBy: Phil Painchaud

The fact that the California State University—Dominguez Hills (CSUDH) is seriously considering theestablishment of an academic degreed course involv-ing the measurement sciences has been touched uponseveral times in THE LEARNING CURVE column inthis publication. On May 18, 2000, the CurriculumAdvisory Board of the Division of Extended Educationof that University met under the aegis of Dean MargaretGordon. This prestigious body, (composed of a bal-ance assembly of university administrators, academ-ics, current faculty, graduate students, and measure-ment and quality experts from the interested public),reviewed and approved a preliminary four year curricu-lum leading to a Bachelor of Science Degree in Quality(with a Measurement Science Option). I say “prelimi-nary” because it still needs “fine tuning” for the latteryears. However, it is nearly ready to go for the fresh-man year. However, we must keep in mind that finalapproval must be by the University hierarchy and notby this Committee, or even by Dean Gordon herself.

This may require some explanation, especially forthose individuals who have not been following thestory: a decided lack of opportunities for academiceducation in the measurement sciences (Metrology)currently existing in this country. There are a number ofinstitutions providing vocational training . Some ofthose institutions are doing so quite well. However,only one, Butler County Community College, in ButlerPA, is attempting to teach measurement science aca-demically; and then only as a two year program. Theirgraduates have no place to go to continue on from thebasic metrology education they have received at But-ler. They must either go to work in industry and foregoa degree in four years or matriculate into some otherinstitution’s engineering or science curriculums for afull four-year degree.

Conventional science and engineering schools forthe most part have been reluctant to even discussMetrology as a separate academic curriculum. Theygenerally feel that a course or two in measurements,specific to the Engineering or Science discipline inquestion, and taught within that curriculum, is all that isneeded. This may possibly be true if all the studentwants is a degree in that specific discipline. However,any true Metrologist must be omni-disciplinary, i.e.,they must cover the entire spectrum of technical disci-plines.1

It is generally agreed that we must somehow re-place our present generation’s supply of Metrologists,who are dying off at an alarming rate. This journal hasprinted obituaries for at least three in the past fewissues. Some institution has to do it; we do not have thetime for the luxury of the conventional path of educatingPhD’s in Physics and/or Chemistry and then convert-ing them (if they are interested) into Metrologists.Institutions approached in the past have just not beeninterested in establishing true Metrology curriculumswhen they looked at it from a pure business standpoint.Whether we like it or not, we must recognize that auniversity is a business—it must have a cash flow. Itmust examine its market to ascertain if it has sufficientpotential paying students to support the costs of anynew program. (When our esteemed former Editor-in-Chief saw this, he commented, “I couldn’t agree more.We have to establish the discipline and show there arejobs for them. When that happens the Universities willcome panting and begging to teach such a program.”)

This is where CSUDH came into the picture. Theyhave been very fortunate to have Dr. E. EugeneWatson heading their Graduate Program for Mastersof Science in Quality. Gene Watson is a former head ofPhysical Metrology for a major aerospace/defensecompany as well as a noted Acoustical Physicist in hisown right. This Master’s Program has been mostsuccessful. It has been in existence for about ten yearsand has recently graduated its three hundredth Mas-ters in Quality. It has pioneered in “Distance Learning”and has off-site classes at local industrial plants andseveral hundred on-line (via Internet) students as wellas the more conventional on-campus classes.

Watson soon discovered, among his Master’s stu-dents, a gross lack of comprehension of Metrology—what it is, and its importance to the Quality Function. Healso came to realize that his Master’s Program had no“feeder” program, i.e., a program turning out Bachelorsof Science in Quality.2 He reasoned—in common mod-ern industrial practice Quality and Metrology are oftenclosely related, “So why not try to ‘kill two birds with onestone’?” He realized that he would have problemsselling the concept of a pure Metrology Program to theUniversity System hierarchy. However, selling the con-cept of a “feeder program” to an existing successful(spelled “financially lucrative”) Quality program wouldbe much simpler—and it was.


He also knew that once a basic program wasapproved, there would be few complaints about addingoptions relating to the main direction of that program.Thus came the idea of an academic course leading tothe Degree of Bachelor of Science in Quality with aMeasurement Science Option . The Administrationapplauded and assigned the task of developing thisProgram to Dean Gordon and her Division of ExtendedEducation. This, at the same time, was both veryunusual and very fortunate. First, it is very uncommonfor a baccalaureate level undergraduate program to beadministered by a school of Extended Education, whichis generally intended to further the education of per-sons who have already attained their baccalaureate.And second, Dean Gordon is just the person to accom-plish such a task. She is one remarkable and impres-sive lady.

Her first move, about a year ago, was to have Dr.Watson assemble a Curriculum Advisory Board for theProgram. As this developed, it became a distinguishedpanel of authorities in Quality and Measurements, aswell as University personnel well versed in theUniversity’s requirements and the State of Californiarequirements for the granting of a degree. Their objec-tive was to include everything necessary for the propereducation of a degreed professional in Quality or in theoptional Measurement Science, but, on the other hand,to try to use as many of the existing courses in theUniversity Catalog as feasible. The Board has metmonthly for nearly a year and subcommittees as oftenas once a week. On May 18, 2000 they finally approveda preliminary curriculum. It still needs considerablefine-tuning and several of the required courses do notexist yet, as several course descriptions need to bewritten.

Since the “fine tuning” is at this time incomplete, wewill not attempt to delineate a precise schedule here;we will however list some of the specific courses, uponwhich agreement has already been reached:

THE FIRST YEAR:• To start the freshman so that he can intelli-

gently and articulately communicate: Fresh-man Composition, Technical Communications,and Foundations of Speech.

• To start the freshman’s familiarity with hismathematical tools: College Algebra andTrigonometry, and Calculus I.

• To begin immersing the freshman scientistin the sciences: Principles of Biology.

• And, to provide the freshman scientist withcurrent tools: Computer Applications for Sci-entists.

THE SECOND YEAR:• During the sophomore year, the technical courses

start to become more stringent: Elementary

Statistics and Probability; General Physics;Fundamentals of Quality and ISO 9000; In-troduction to Computers and Basic ProgrammingI & II; Critical Thinking and Problem Solving;and General Chemistry.

THE THIRD AND FOURTH YEARS:• In the upper division, the third and fourth

years, we have: Science and Technology: theHistory of Quality and Measurement; Elec-tronics; Measurement Science: Fundamen-tals; Statistical Quality Control; MeasurementScience: Advanced (Electrical and PhysicalMetrology); Design of Experiments; AdvancedTechnical Communications; Measurement Un-certainty; Dimensional Analysis; Profession-alism, Ethics, and Leadership; and two se-mesters of Major Senior Projects (MeasurementRelated).

(EDITORIAL NOTE: In THE LEARNING CURVEcolumn, of this issue, the author discusses the qualifi-cation requirements for certain Metrology staff mem-bers. This curriculum as outlined above does much tosupport those requirements for entry level Metrolo-gists. Of course further education and training is nec-essary to bring the neophyte up to senior level, andnothing can replace years of practical experience. Westrongly recommend you study the current issue ofTHE LEARNING CURVE. fv)

We have delineated above only those coursesapplicable to the Measurement Science Option; thereare many others peculiar to the main track Qualitypreference. Most of these would be of but minorinterest to a Metrology candidate, but are available if sodesired.

Naturally, along with these technical courses areboth the University requirements as well as the State ofCalifornia required courses for a degree. Also includedare electives and liberal arts courses. These are obvi-ously required to form the well rounded, cultured,articulate Professional that every Metrologist is sup-posed to be.

Constructive criticism is solicited from the knowl-edgeable Metrology Community. Critiques and/or ques-tions may be addressed to me (my address is inLEARNING CURVE column), or (in writing only) di-rectly to Dean Margaret Gordon, Division of ExtendedEducation, at the California State University—Dominguez Hills, Compton, CA, 90747-1000.1 I once had the head of the Mechanical Engineering Department of a veryprestigious state university tell me directly that Metrology does not exist, andhence we could not even discuss it!2 True, all of his Master’s candidates were required to have an acceptableBachelor’s degree in some allied field before matriculating into the Master’sProgram, but none of these Bachelor’s degrees were in Quality.


Knowledge Management Metrology:Overview Profiles on Best Practices

by Frank Voehl

In its initial stages, Knowledge Management Metrology (KMM) has been applied most fully in industries that areprocess-intensive, research-driven, information-based, logistical or subject to deregulation. From this base,knowledge practices will spread to many more sectors in the years to come.

Telecommunications: With an explosive mixture of technology and competition providing the infrastructure forthe new economy, the business differentiator is knowledge.

A/E/C: The architecture, engineering and construction of large building projects requires the creation andexchange of knowledge among the parties involved.

Transportation: Moving people and freight is the end result, but increasingly transportation is all aboutinformation. Logistics systems ensure profitable operations.

Media and Entertainment: The content industries sell information as product. Increasingly, digital media arereplacing traditional forms of media as core segments are redefined.

Energy: Competition in the gas and electric utilities market will drive innovations. Petroleum discovery, extractionand refining are knowledge-based processes.

Pharmaceuticals: Development of new drug therapies is a knowledge-enabled process, from the biologicalscience to the product development to the regulatory approval.

Chemicals: Regulatory compliance and production efficiencies weighed against risk assessment yield knowl-edge-based product innovation and market advantage.

Technology: Silicon and software embody knowledge as functionality. The information industries rely heavily onmanagement of intellectual property rights.

Financial and Legal Services: From banking to insurance to securities to law offices, new financial products andservices are information-based. Managed knowledge accelerates innovation.

Consumer Products: Packaged goods are developed, marketed and delivered to the consumer via informationsystems. Retailers are on the front lines of customer service.

Healthcare: Changes in the health-care system are enabled by knowledge–from insurance to hospital adminis-tration to the methods of individual health workers.

KMM StrategiesTechnology access is such a basic strategy that virtually every company with a successful knowledgemanagement metrology program adheres to it. The strategies of the six organizations profiled all feature thecommon denominator of technology. PeopleSoft employees, for instance, get a portable computer loaded withLotus Notes and other software that allows them easy access to corporate data from wherever they happen to beworking. Employees from all departments also utilize a corporate intranet.

Pillsbury uses a virtual library to warehouse key data sources and patents. At Ernst & Young, every professionalis provided with a laptop and access to the vast resources of the firm's KnowledgeWeb from anywhere in the world.According to CKO John Peetz, “The only way for an extensive knowledge management process to function atoptimum performance is to possess the technology that facilitates that process.” Accordingly, Avery Dennison hastapped into the $100 billion annual patent market with innovative 3-D data warehousing and expects its licensingrevenues to increase to over $125 million annually by the end of the year 2000.

Long Island College Hospital has tapped into a $19 billion information sharing industry to gain competitiveadvantage and share vital information. Buckman Laboratories also outfits employees with mobile technology.“Knowledge workers don't turn off their brains when they leave the office,” said knowledge specialist Rumizen.“Their creativity, desire to share knowledge, and dedication to the job are not bound to regular working hours andthe prescribed workplace. We give them the opportunity to work when and where they choose.”

Dave Sriberg, vice president of information technology at Brodeur Porter Novelli agreed: “When buildingapplications to expand knowledge-sharing capabilities, you must look at how the people work, and then give them


the tools to do their work more easily.” Mike Sockol, director of interactive services at the same firm, concurred:“You need to create a utility that is intuitive, sensitive, and addictive. It needs to be easy to use, even fortechnophobes. It should address the needs of its users by providing an improved alternative to existing systems.And it should become so valuable that the user cannot imagine working without it.”

The following 10 Profiles/Case Studies are the first in a series of three (30 case studies overall) that will focus onthe practical application of Knowledge Management Metrology best practices and tools in the world of businesstoday.

Profiles/Case Studies1. Cooking up Knowledge Management at

Pillsbury

Profile: Pillsbury, which has brought us such house-hold staples as the Jolly Green Giant and the PillsburyDough Boy and owns the Haagen Dazs ice creambrand, launched a KM pilot in its R&D division in May1997.

History: Founded in 1869 as a flour miller, Pillsbury isnow a $6.2 billion-a-year market leader in many bakedand frozen food categories. In 1989, the Minneapolis-based food company merged with UK conglomerateGrand Metropolitan, which later combined withGuinness (beer) to form Diageo. Diageo's four mainbusinesses are Burger King, Pillsbury, Guinness, andUnited Distillers & Vintners.

KMM Strategy: Bring new products to market morequickly by implementing knowledge management prac-tices in the company's 550-person research and devel-opment organization.

Structure: Pillsbury's knowledge metrology effortbreaks down into four divisions–Information Manage-ment, Continuous Learning & Performance Support,Technology Knowledge Center, and Knowledge Man-agement Strategy, which fall under two officers of thecompany, the CIO and CTO. While three sectionsreport up to the CTO, Information Management, whichdeploys information systems, reports on the dotted lineto the CIO.

Success Story: Under the old system, it took 17signatures and nearly 90 days to run a label designthrough the entire organization. Each label had to getapproval from marketing, food safety, nutritionists,consumer response, and many other internal divisionsthat contribute to what goes on the label. With theknowledge management program in place, it takes justnine days to approve a new label.

Special Projects: Creating a virtual library, whereemployees can find research patents, recipe specs,and engineering processes, as well as business andtechnical documents.

Hurdles: Making it easier for people to use the virtuallibrary. “People are creative, and illogical at times, ingetting information,” says Brenda Stewart, KnowledgeManagement Strategy Project Leader. “Frustration

comes because the technology is not as creative as thepeople who use it.”

Outlook: The R&D program is only a pilot, but smallerknowledge management activities are underway allover Pillsbury. Parent Diagio is watching closely toassess prospects for knowledge programs in its otherbusiness units.

2. Long Island College Hospital is Off theCritical List Thanks to its Use of Data Ware-housing for Cost Management.

Profile: When Don Snell took over as CEO of the LongIsland College Hospital (LICH) two years ago, thepatients weren't the only ones who were sick. The NewYork state teaching hospital, with some 516 beds,2,700 employees, and 200 residents and medicalstudents, was hemorrhaging some $1.5 million a month.With only about $5 million in reserves it was nearingbankruptcy. Yet there was hardly a laptop in sight.

History: The healthcare industry has been amassinga wealth of information on patients, their treatmenthistories, and costs for years. But only recently havehospitals started to mine that data to restore profitabil-ity and determine how to deliver the most cost-efficientand effective care in the process. Snell recalled. “Allreporting and accounting was done pretty much byhand.” To make matters worse, New York state wasjust about to deregulate its schedule of fixed fees forservices and the hospital had no way of figuring outwhat to charge to make a profit. “We had a desperateneed for an information system,” said Snell, “yet wecouldn't afford some of the megasystems, which cancost in the millions.”

KMM Strategy: To get the hospital back on its feet,Snell presented a plan to slash $25 million from oper-ating expenses and late last year he purchased a$30,000 decision support system. The system wasHealthShare One from HealthShare Technology, Inc.,a small privately held software company in Acton,Mass., and it gets at least some of the credit for theresulting financial turnaround. “The chief medical of-ficer has quantified potential savings of 1.5 million intwo departments alone,” Snell said. HealthShare Tech-nology is a relatively small player in a fast-growing$330 million niche of the $19 billion medical informa-tion technology industry, according to G2R Inc., a


market analysis firm based in Mountain View, Calif. Anumber of competitors (including the Baltimore-basedHCIA Inc., with $83 million in revenues; TransitionSystems, Inc., of Boston, with revenues of $44 million;and HBSI International, Inc., of Bellevue, Wash., with$18 million in revenues) offer similar databases thathelp hospitals make competitive decisions, said CharlesSinger, vice president of First Consulting Group ofBoston, one of the largest healthcare information tech-nology consulting firms in the country.

Structure: When HealthShare Technology constructsdatabases, which form the core of the decision supportsystem, the company gathers discharge data reportedby hospitals to agencies in the majority of states.Information on some 800,000 patients comes fromMassachusetts alone. Aside from the patient's name,which is kept confidential, each record includes almostevery other detail from age and gender to the name ofthe patient's physician and payer. There's informationon illnesses and their severity, treatment, tests per-formed, length of stay, and the amounts hospitalscharge for each factor. To complete the competitivepicture, HealthShare marries that data with actualcosts of that care from reports each hospital mustprepare for the federal government to receive Medi-care reimbursement.

Success Story: The information provided byHealthShare One, which is based on ACI US Inc.'s 4thDimension, is so detailed, Snell used it to determine hisown hospital's internal costs, negotiate fees withhealthcare providers, and to review the practices of thehospital's physicians. “You have your costs and rev-enue per DRG [Diagnosis Related Group, a standardhealthcare diagnosis classification system], per proce-dure, per physician, and per patient if you want it,” hesaid. Now, a new version of the software, called HealthShare Two, will “allow LICH to generate a more de-tailed level of product line cost analysis and will be usedin negotiations with managed care companies,” Snellsaid.

Special Projects: HealthShare Technology is a smallcompany with a big idea. Company president RichardSiegrist realized back in 1992 that the medical profes-sion was sitting on an untapped gold mine of publiclyavailable information that ought to be the envy of datamining proponents everywhere. Imagine an industrywhere you can not only track your competitor's marketshare and the prices they charge, but also know thedetailed history of each customer, the quality of theproducts your competitors offer and how much it coststo produce them. “Hospitals have had access to thistype of information for about fifteen years,” said Siegrist.“But it is not until the last four or five years they havestarted to make use of it.”

Hurdles: Instead of fancy data flythroughs or statisticalanalyses, HealthShare Technology has added a set offeatures that executives can use to automatically pre-pare a printed report comparing any hospital unit to thatof its competitors. The report makes recommendationson ways to reduce costs and illustrates them withcharts and tables. Though small, HealthShare Tech-nology has gathered an impressive list of customers.These include New York's Beth Israel and Sisters ofCharity health care systems, the Partners HealthcareSystem in Massachusetts, and two multi-state HMOs:Oxford Healthplan and Healthsource. For Snell,HealthShare One proved critical in contract negotia-tions with a commercially managed care organization.Snell determined the hospital would actually lose $200a day on an offer to pay a flat per diem fee for treatingpatients. “Within half an hour we knew what it wascosting every single one of our competitors and that wehad the second lowest cost on the market, so we couldwalk away from the contract,” he said. Eventually thehospital was able to renegotiate the contract with areasonable profit margin.

Outlook: The hospital has also used the software tocut down costs by figuring out what fees it should paya group of physicians for the use of their ultrasoundkidney stone crushing machine and what to chargepatients for the procedure. “We negotiated a reason-able fee that gave them a profit margin and kept oursas well. In the past they were able to take advantage ofour organization because we couldn't do the analysis,”he said.

Hospital Best Practices: But the most importantcontribution to cost cutting by HealthShare One andTwo is likely to be long range, as the hospital figures outthe best and most cost-effective ways of treating pa-tients. To this end, the hospital has prepared a profileof each of its physician’s practices to determine whichwere doing the best job at keeping costs down. Physi-cians who order unnecessary tests or prescribe longerhospital stays have been asked to change their prac-tices to conform to their colleagues, said Snell. “Wehad a problem with patients staying too long. Now wecan compare each physician's length to the best prac-tice within their department and to those of otherhospitals as well.”

Figuring out these “best practices” and getting thephysicians to build them into standard protocols is oneof the major benefits of this type of software, said DougO'Boyle, the director of healthcare information strate-gies practice at the meta Group, Reston, Va. “This iswhere the big performance gains in healthcare will be.All hospitals will need software like this.”

Next Step: Centers of Excellence. HealthShare Oneand Two are giving Snell a leg up on the competition at


the moment. But the value of the system won't diminishonce everyone has access to the same data. Hospitalswill simply specialize in what they are best at. O'Boylealready sees hospitals creating “centers of excellence,”he said. “They will still provide other services, but theywill focus on those that can establish them as marketleaders.”

3. Avery Dennison Visualizes Gains in Rev-enue from Intellectual Property Licenses.

Profile: Avery Dennison is one of those invisibly every-where companies. The $3 billion school and officesupplier holds the leading position in various productcategories with brands (Marks-A-Lot and Hi-Liter) thatare among the most recognized in the industry.

History: Even more invisible to the consumer areAvery Dennison's intellectual property assets. Thecompany's patents form one of their main revenuechannels for many consumer products (notebooks,three-ring binders, organizing systems, glues, fasten-ers, business forms, tickets, tags, imprinting equip-ment, and components), which gives them a key com-petitive advantage over their top competitors, including3M, Esselte, and Fortune Brands.

KMM Strategy: The hidden source of wealth in intel-lectual assets has provided companies with billions ofdollars in licensing revenues from under-utilized pat-ents and similar amounts from infringements on pat-ents related to key product lines. The number ofpatents issued in the United States has increased 150percent since 1980, and patent-related revenues like-wise increased from $3 billion to almost $100 billion inthe same period. With the explosion in activity, compa-nies have had a difficult time managing their patentassets and applications.

Structure: Avery Dennison's Pasadena, Calif.-basedResearch and Development Division has overcomethe restrictions of the traditional hard-copy patent re-view process by applying Intellectual Property AssetManagement (IPAM) software from Aurigin Systems ofMountain View, Calif. In turn, Aurigin’s product incor-porates data visualization technology from In-xightSoftware, a Xerox PARC spin-off in Palo Alto, Calif.The combination is already yielding big benefits.

Success Story: As manager of intellectual property atAvery Dennison, it is Lori Morrison's responsibility, asshe described it, “to transform human knowledge intoeconomic wealth.” With Aurigin’s IPAM, “I can see howto improve the quality of my patent. I can see what mycompetitor is doing and compare or contrast with ourin-house patents.” Using a 3D presentation feature, theprogram not only enables Morrison to visually separatepatents by type and division, but can also track thecorporation’s top inventors through patent visualiza-tions, improving opportunities for inventor incentive

programs. Morrison said that her turnaround time inindividual patent evaluation has been reduced fromweeks to a few hours. “This is a patent attorney'sdream,” she said.

Special Projects: The visualization component of theAurigin's software is built using Inxight's 3D HyperbolicTree technology. It displays data in a branching designthat lets users view and navigate 10 to 100 times theamount of information on screen than might be view-able in a traditional file and folder or spreadsheetinterface. It enables users to visualize and understandcomplex relationships between their patents and com-petitors’ patents. Inxight licenses its Hyperbolic Treetechnology to other software companies in other mar-kets and applications.

Hurdles: The use of 3D visualization software in busi-ness is groundbreaking. Visualized data capitalizesupon the human brain's innate visual interpretativebiology and allows the instant interpretation of mean-ingful patterns and knowledge versus the more time-consuming review of textual data. Aurigin PresidentDan'l Lewin said, “Our software allows critical informa-tion to be distilled quickly from what would otherwise bean overwhelming amount of patent data.” The Auriginsoftware also allows Morrison to share analytical datavia the corporate intranet to research and developmentsites in Ohio and Asia, enabling instant collaborativeanalysis. The information is secured via the IPAMsystem, allowing Morrison to limit access to qualifiedusers. She said that the communication level in onlinediscussions has improved due of the information pro-vided by the visualizations.

Outlook: Avery Dennison has not yet quantified theimpact of IPAM upon company revenues. But DowChemical has estimated that it expects to boost licens-ing royalties from $20 million today to $125 million by2000, an increase partially due to the assistance of thedecision-support tools from Aurigin. Dow also plans tocut $40 million in tax maintenance over 10 years byidentifying unused patents that it can let expire. That'sa lot of impact from knowledge management technolo-gies. Avery Dennison may keep a low profile, but thosekinds of dollar swings are very visible on the corporatebalance sheet.

4. Spotlight on team players at Ernst and Young.

Profile: Ernst & Young is the nation’s fastest-growingprofessional services firm, with 29,000 employees and87 locations. The Center for Business Knowledge(CBK) is Ernst & Young’s “secret weapon,” said JohnPeetz, chief knowledge officer. The CBK incorporatesmany programs, including EY/InfoLink and the EY/KnowledgeWeb.

History: The Ernst & Young staff visits the EY/KnowledgeWeb 20,000 times daily, making it resound-


ingly successful. Using features such as scalability,Lotus Notes connectivity, and advanced search capa-bility technologies from Verity, EY/KnowledgeWeb in1997 went from a pilot program to full U.S. implemen-tation in eight weeks.

KMM Strategy and Structure: The system provided auniform repository for the firm's collective knowledgeas well as that of outside sources such as industryanalysts and reports. According to Peetz, some reluc-tance by employees to adapt to such systems is to beexpected. “Any organization embarking on KM initia-tives encounters resistance. It can take many forms:‘this is client confidential’ (which is sometimes true);‘only I know how to use this, someone else will foul itup’; or ‘if I share this, it will leak outside the firm’.”

Success Story: How did E&Y overcome these barri-ers? “We were blessed with a collaborative culture tobegin with,” Peetz continued, “so changing this mindsetwas less difficult for us. We incorporated sharing intothe compensation system, trained people to use whatwas shared, encouraged people to visit the KWeb,wherein they found value, and did all the usual commu-nicating to explain the vision. Peetz credits top man-agement support in Ernst & Young's implementation ofits KM plan. “We have an extremely supportive man-agement group. They talk and walk the game everyday. Knowledge management and the CBK are firmlyembedded in the company's business strategy. Butultimately, people contribute because they get valueout the back end. There's a critical mass principleoperating here.”

Outlook: Another strong reason for Ernst & Youngemployees to share what they know is that the com-pany values their participation. “Ultimately, being rec-ognized as an expert is a critical career goal for most ofour people. And the best way in today's environment tobecome known as an expert is to publish. If someoneneeds a toy manufacturer supply chain specialist, thebest way to locate one is to find our best material in thatarea and find out who created it. If you don't contribute,you don't become known.”

5. Provide open access to collected infor-mation at Peoplesoft.

Profile: PeopleSoft builds client/server applicationsthat redefine traditional approaches, putting power inthe hands of users while adapting to the ever-changingnature of business.

History: “The PeopleSoft culture was designed aroundsharing information and tacit knowledge,” said TracyLeighton, manager of the PeopleSoft Knowledge De-velopment Team. Leighton credits Lotus Notesgroupware with moving the company toward a self-service knowledge management system, before thecollaborative process was begun in earnest. “Once we

got the intranet knowledge solution (called Eureka!-The PeopleSoft Knowledge Base) online, we soon hadrequests from departments that wanted to add theirknowledge for all to share.”

KMM Strategy and Structure: The company’s knowl-edge base was started with third-party content fromInference, a customer relationship management soft-ware provider. Inference enabled new PeopleSoft us-ers to customize content for their specific issues andsolutions. PeopleSoft’s policy is to give all employeesaccess to all the collected knowledge databases. “In-formation becomes knowledge only when it’s useful tosomeone,” said Marcia Connor, of PeopleSoft’s Cor-porate Education Services. “We can’t second-guesswhere and when the information becomes useful. Justbecause I don't see information as useful to any givenindividual doesn't mean that it isn’t or won't becomeuseful to them.

Hurdles: “To limit access to information is diametri-cally opposed to the PeopleSoft core value of how wetreat ourselves and our customers. We provide all thetools for every person so that they can do their job thebest way they know how.”

6. Acorda Therapeutics Offers Tangible In-centives for Sharing.

Profile: Acorda Therapeutics develops recuperativeand rehabilitative products for spinal cord injury andother central nervous system conditions. The companydevised a “team or die” approach for its core group ofresearch scientists that includes direct financial incen-tives.

KMM Strategy: Ron Cohen, president and CEO ofAcorda Therapeutics, said that the scientists wereselected based on two key criteria. Each had to be atthe top of fields deemed critical to the company'smission, and each had to be prepared to contributewithin a team structure. “We emphasized teamwork inconversations with every scientist and proposed tothem that they might achieve worthy goals by workingtogether and sharing information with their peers,”Cohen said.

Structure and Projects: They illustrated the conceptwith historically successful examples, such as theHuntington's Gene Project of the ‘80s and the Manhat-tan Project. Finally, we employed a carrot-and-sticktechnique, telling the scientists that teamwork was themost important operating principle of the company,and if they participated, they would benefit by beingpart of a team of superb scientists working on cutting-edge projects. They would also vest stock in thecompany over time. “Along with the incentives, Acorda'sapproach included a healthy dose of disincentives,”Cohen said. “Lack of teamwork would result in imme-diate dismissal from the company’s projects and forfei-


ture of all benefits. We asked every person we invitedto be part of the organization to agree explicitly to theseterms.”

Success Story: Cohen said a consensus has emergedthat the only way to ensure truly open cross-communi-cations within the company is to guarantee each mem-ber the security of their ideas, data, and knowledgeuntil such time as they choose to make these morepublicly available outside of the company. So far, thissystem seems to be working well.

Hurdles: Cohen compares the sharing culture with hisexperience as an oarsman in college rowing in aneight-man shell with coxswain. “I preferred this toindividual sculling,” he said. “The victorious scullerreceives individual glory; the eight receive glory as avarsity boat. But when you row in an eight, you feel asthough you possess the strength of the whole team.That feeling cannot be replicated in a single scull. Andeven a mediocre eight will always beat an Olympic-quality sculler.

Outlook: “Overall, I believe that many people want tofeel that they are part of a mission that is bigger thanthemselves, that gives meaning to their lives, and thatthey could not possibly accomplish outside of a teamstructure. As long as they trust that everyone else in theenterprise is playing by the same rules, they will shareknowledge.”

7. A Young Company Demonstrates the In-dividual and Group Value of Shared Knowl-edge.

Profile: Brodeur Porter Novelli, a fairly young growingteam devoted to public relations and client service, hasdeveloped a sophisticated system of ensuring that allemployees have access to the collected intelligence.

KMM Strategy: This is done through a series ofdatabases, including the company intranet, which isused for internal knowledge sharing and metrologymanagement, and The Knowledge Network, a custom-ized internal system that shares information aboutemployees, services, and skills.

Structure: These databases, networked with the Lo-tus Notes Domino backbone, put people in contact witheach other for true collaboration, according to JenniferWysocki, marketing communications manager atBrodeur Porter Novelli. “If you needed an expert onHTML programming who is fluent in French and hasexperience developing extranets, you could execute asearch, and the Knowledge Network will tell you whomeets that search criteria,” she said.

Success Story: When the company rolled out itsknowledge management system in December 1996, itwas quickly adopted partially because upper manage-ment was involved from the start, Wysocki said. “Man-

agement, in turn, rallied the troops, getting their buy-inearly on. We empowered the people to drive thisinitiative, having teams identify client and employeeneeds, along with the best systems and practices tomeet both. And then we made it measurable so wecould track responses and usage to refine the system.”Employees tap into the Knowledge Network systemthrough the company intranet, Connect, so responseand usage can be measured similar to hits on Websites. By monitoring such feedback, management isable to address lower-usage areas using focus groups,small team meetings, and informal surveys.

Hurdles: “Once we identify some causes for low us-age, we can make adjustments, put it back on Connect,and let people know what’s changed. Then we're backto measuring usage again. It’s an ongoing cycle, but ifKM is going to work it’s necessary,” Wysocki said.“Generally, the end users see value in the process andhaven’t needed any additional incentives.”

Outlook: As Jan Lawlor, senior vice president, put it:“We want to tap into each other’s brains.”

8. Making certain that Management is Enthu-siastic and Involved at Buckman Labs.

Profile: Buckman Laboratories, headquartered in Mem-phis, with 22 offices in 19 countries and operations inmore than 80 countries, is a manufacturer of specialtychemicals.

KMM Strategy and Structure: Buckman associatesuse K’Netix, an interconnected system of knowledgebases, to share solutions and to ensure that theircustomers get fast and accurate responses to ques-tions or concerns.

Company lore holds that CEO Bob Buckman con-ceived of K’Netix when he was bedridden with a badback. Frustrated at being out of touch with his com-pany, Buckman drafted a prototype of the perfectinformation-sharing network. It makes a good story,said Melissie Rumizen, assistant to the chairman forknowledge sharing at Buckman Laboratories, but “ourKM efforts predated that incident.”

Success Story: She said the company first began aneffort to identify and disseminate best practices acrossthe corporation. Designated employees busily gath-ered practices and trotted around the globe. However,the information took too much time to collect anddistribute, and the practices were invariably out of dateby the time they were disseminated. Seeking a betterway to share knowledge, Buckman's engineers de-signed a network that could tap the knowledge of allemployees and provide a means to share informationas quickly as possible in response to customer needs.That was the real start of K’Netix.


Special Projects: Initially implemented usingCompuServe (now Worldcom Advanced Networks), anew version of K’Netix running under Lotus Dominointegrates standard Internet services and includes adocument repository. The client side uses MicrosoftOutlook Express for email and newsgroups. InternetExplorer is used to access document libraries both forcontributions and search and retrieval, while MicrosoftNetMeeting is used for online interactive chat func-tions.

Hurdles: Buckman employees are comfortable withthe technologies for sharing, but it wasn't always thatway. “In the beginning,” Rumizen said, “the first systemoperator for K’Netix would check usage of the systemand give Bob [Buckman] the names of those notparticipating. Bob then would send a pleasant email:‘Hi. I have noticed that you haven’t been active on thesystem. Is there something we can do to help you? Doyou need some special training?’ Word quickly gotaround the company that Bob was personally trackingindividual participation.”

Outlook: Rumizen contends that there has to be activeassistance when moving from command-and-controlto collaboration. “You have to teach people how to bementors rather than bosses,” she said, citing ManagingBy Influence (Schatz and Schatz, 1988), which con-tends that the key to successful leadership is evokingcommitment rather than imposing authority. “Also, theanswer is not just to trash middle managers for not‘getting it.’ We have to remember that these individualsare the best and brightest in the company. We pro-moted them. The key question is how do we get themcommitted to this new direction? We have to teachthem how to influence others. “Time does wonders,Rumizen said. “As our people became more comfort-able with the very significant cultural change, collabo-ration increased and is now part of the fiber of thecompany. Culture change takes significant chunks oftime, and it has to involve top management if it is goingto be successful. You cannot delegate it.”

9. Rewriting the Unwritten Rules at Rutgers.

Profile: Rutgers University (State University of NewJersey) has 50,000 students and 5,000 researchersand faculty scattered among a dozen campuses in thestate.

KMM Strategy: To facilitate communication, Rutgersis spending $100 million to lay high-speed fiber opticsthat will link all of its classrooms, offices, laboratories,and dormitories. Professor Wise Young, director of theNeuroscience Center at Rutgers, is currently engagedin establishing a new collaborative research facility atthe university. The center is being designed for knowl-edge sharing, not only for laboratories within Rutgersbut in conjunction with over 60 other research labora-

tories around the world. Every part of the laboratory isspecialized for efficient communication and sharing ofvisual, audio, and numerical data, as well as real-timepersonal interactions. Even many of the laboratoryinstruments are designed to allow groups of users toaccess them remotely.

Structure: The center will use primarily two types ofsoftware for remote collaboration: Timbuktu Remoteand CU-SeeMe. Timbuktu allows people to work oncomputers as if they were physically sitting in thecentral lab. CU-SeeMe allows up to eight individuals tovideo conference with each other. “Both programs arecheap and powerful, and are flexible enough to accom-modate a variety of Internet bandwidths,” Young said.

Success Story: Young’s future purchase plans in-clude a microscope (the Zeiss 510) with state-of-the-art video cameras that can collect and store slideimages in the form of movies. “Instead of throwing aslide on the wall to show an image, a lecturer canaccess a server over the Internet to play a high resolu-tion video movie,” Young said. “In Osaka (Japan), forexample, there is a high-voltage electron microscopethat can be used over the Internet.

Hurdles: Costing millions, such microscopes and fa-cilities are beyond the means of individual scientists. Itis also important to allow such a facility to be usedaround the clock, to make the most of the investment.This is the wave of the future he said. Such cutting-edge technological advancements require people towork together in new ways, as well. “One has to learnto collaborate. It doesn't come naturally,” Young said.

Outlook: “Because our academic and business orga-nizations are predicated on competition, there is anatural reluctance to share and to give. But it can anddoes happen. As a member of a team, you begin torealize that the whole is greater than the sum of theparts. You realize that being part of the team allows youto do things that you would never otherwise be able todo.”

10. New Hardware-software Alliance BetweenCompaq and Lotus hopes accidents WillHappen.

Profile: You might say that Houston-based CompaqComputer Corporation is learning about knowledgemanagement the hard way. The world's largest com-puter manufacturer has been trying to absorb twoenormous acquisitions: After buying Tandem Comput-ers in June 1997, it merged with Digital EquipmentCorporation only half a year later.

History: Retention of both customers and employeesdepended on getting the right information to the rightpeople quickly and reliably. “As we’ve seen with all themergers and acquisitions going on lately, it’s very


important to have a good information infrastructure.You need to keep the sales force up to speed, and youneed to address all the needs of your customers,”according to Sharon Fortmeyer-Selan, director of en-terprise solutions marketing at Compaq. “We’ve expe-rienced these challenges firsthand.”

Strategy: This experience comes in handy forCompaq’s latest venture. In July, the company an-nounced a new alliance with Lotus Development Cor-poration to offer customers integrated knowledge man-agement solutions. The alliance is counting onCompaq’s leadership in the NT server market andLotus’ expertise in collaboration and KM. “Knowledgemanagement is a big market,” explained Andrea Ramon,director of strategic alliances at Lotus. “We’re lookingat how to expand together.” By being one of the first tolead and support customers through the entire knowl-edge management process—from hardware to con-sulting—they expect the alliance to capture the KMmarket.

Structure: For Compaq, Lotus was a clear choicesince the companies have a large mutual customerbase. At the same time, Lotus’ applications fit well intoCompaq’s KM strategy, Fortmeyer-Selan said. Compaqnow offers a hardware line that stretches from thepalmtop to the desktop to corporate data centers. Italso has a service network capable of supportingbusiness customers with global account management.Lotus, meanwhile, now provides a single architecturestructure for Internet, messaging, knowledge manage-ment and enterprise integration. Together, the allianceaims to make high-performance Web-based collabo-ration and messaging systems easier to deploy. “WithLotus we can provide a much more robust solution tocustomers.”

Success Story: Fortmeyer-Selan said, “It’s a com-plete solution based on customers’ needs, not a pre-defined set of answers. “Compaq is determined tocreate the same kind of success partnering with Lotusas it did with Siebel Systems, a leader in sales informa-tion systems. They teamed up in March 1997 to provideintegrated enterprise solutions for automating sales,telemarketing and call-center information systems.Compaq became Siebel's preferred deployment plat-form for Microsoft Windows NT and ended up withnearly 65 percent of that market.

Special Projects: Compaq and Lotus kicked off thepartnership with two Notes- and Domino-driven KMapplications developed by two Lotus Premium Busi-ness Partners, Cipher Systems and GlobalServe Cor-poration. The first, Cipher’s Knowledge-Works, helpscompanies process and analyze competitive intelli-gence. Tapping into employee sources and outsideexpertise, data is translated into a summary that iden-

tifies information sources and rates them according toimportance and reliability. The second, GlobalServe’sResearch Accelerator, helps R&D organizations iden-tify critical knowledge, reduce research redundancyand facilitate researcher collaboration. It also providesprotection for valuable intellectual properties.

Hurdles: Alliance partners Lotus Services Group andCambridge Technology Partners offer consulting ser-vices to guide and advise customers if necessary.

“Our customers want knowledge translated into action.They want to look downstream and see immediatebenefits that justify their investments,” explained An-drew Mahon, senior manager for strategic marketing atLotus.

Contact the following websites: Compaq ComputerCorp., www.compaq.com, (281) 518-5970

Lotus Development Corp. , www.lotus.com/solutions/knowledge.nsf, (617) 577-8500

Outlook: Generally, today's early adopters of KM toolsenjoy quick results since they are predisposed tochange, Mahon suggested. Many have experiencewith discussion databases such as Lotus Notes, whichaccelerate the sharing of information and expertise.But information sharing is not necessarily knowledgemanagement, Mahon emphasized. Using the informa-tion is what counts. Sometimes two employees pass inthe hall, “accidentally” exchange information abouttheir current projects and elicit help from each other.“Our goal is to make sure these knowledge accidentsoccur all the time,” said Mahon.

These profiles/case studies are part of an upcomingbook on “Knowledge Management Metrology for Re-sults” by Frank Voehl and are offered here as a follow-up to a previous article by the author titled “BusinessDevelopment, Metrology, and Knowledge Manage-ment.” Frank Voehl is the Editor of The Standard andthe Chair of ASQ’s Community Quality Council Com-mittee. He can be reached at [email protected] or at hiswebsite: www.strategyassociates.cc

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Reporting Capability NumbersRichard DeRoeck

QA Engineer/Alpha [email protected]

(617) 824-4447

“The more you know what is wrong with a figure the more useful it becomes.”

John TukeyStatistician

IntroductionSo…what’s the Cpk of your process? Does this sound familiar? It should. Today, capability indices such as

Cpk, Cp and Ppk have become the latest fad in judging product/process quality. This question is often raised byyour customer, usually a quality auditor possessing little knowledge about capability numbers and their meaning,looking for some “magic” number such as 1.33, 1.50, 2.00 or thereabouts. It has also been my experience thatthese capability numbers are always requested without consideration of process stability or distribution shape. Ibelieve this fixation with capability numbers have actually become a detriment to continual quality improvementefforts, such as variation reduction through identifying and eliminating special cause variation. But don’t despair,all is not lost. The inevitable questions about process capability provide an opportunity to educate and perhapsimpress your customer on the uncertainties and limitations of using such numbers, along with demonstrating acapability analysis that can be easily understood by those with little statistical training. This method assess thecapability of your process by calculating multiple capability indices, such as Cpk, over time and to plot thesenumbers on a Process Behavior chart (also known as a XmR chart), along with a histogram of the individual valuesto provide context for interpreting these numbers. Although not an exact method, by calculating and chartingcapability numbers over an extended period of time, instead of providing a one-time value, a truer picture of yourprocesses’ capability can be established.

The following methods are simple (no confidence intervals, statistical tables, complex formulas, normalityassumptions or lack of fit tests). Although there has been recent criticism to these simple but proven methods bythose trained in “classical” statistical studies, the aim of this paper is to help those working in the trenches in a realmanufacturing environment better understand and interpret the capability of their processes. In such anenvironment, the quality of raw materials is often inconsistent, equipment and machines break down, preventivemaintenance procedures and schedules are haphazard or nonexistent, measurement systems inadequate, workinstructions fuzzy and unclear, and operator training sporadic while goals and schedules need to be met. It’s wherefine statistical theory collides head-on with the realities of production. It’s a world where quality professionals work.

The following case study uses common statistical tools and formulas to evaluate and display the processcapability of a die bond process in a semiconductor manufacturing operation. It does so by monitoring processstability over time and then calculating an average capability value.

Note: For readers of the STANDARD , this is same manufacturing process published in a previous article titled:The Design of a Measurement Process Plan.

Three Statistical Tools used to for the Capability Study

X, R Process Behavior chartXmR Process Behavior chartHistogram of individual values

Formulas used to Perform StudyEstimated standard deviation= R/d2

Cpk = X -LSL/3(R/d2)


A Description of the Die Bond ProcessAn ASM die bonder picks silicon die from a 4-inch wafer and places each die onto a very thin layer of conductive

epoxy that has been deposited on a ceramic substrate for bonding. After the die and epoxy have been cured for1 hour, a sample is tested for bond strength. A die shear tester records the force required in grams to shear offthe die. A 3-piece sample is sheared every 2 hours and the results recorded on an , R (Average and Range)Process Behavior chart (Figure-1). This chart shows approximately 3 months of die shear data .Before any capability study is to be performed, the process must show a reasonable degree of stability. Whiledetermining process stability seems rather straightforward, it’s not quite that simple. This is because there is nodefinitive set of detection rules that govern whether a process is in statistical control. Walter Shewhart, the inventorof the control chart, used only one detection rule to identify what he referred to “special cause” variation. Otherwell-known detection rules include the 4 Western Electric (W.E.) Zone Tests and those published by statistician/author Lloyd Nelson. While these additional rules will improve the charts’ ability to detect moderate size processchanges it does so at the expense of increasing its false alarm rate (attributing special cause variation when onlycommon cause variation exists). This is a price Hi-volume production areas are not willing to pay. In such amanufacturing environment, to stop production is a last resort; therefore the process behavior chart is generallyused as a conservative analytical tool (few false alarms while allowing some missed signals). As with anymanufacturing process, deciding what detection rules to use is a matter of sound judgment, economics andprocess knowledge. This is not a theoretical/academic question but a practical one. In other words, what detectionrules make sense for a particular process? For the die bond process the decision was made to use only W.E. ZoneTest 1 (points beyond the process limits) for monitoring this process. In Figure 1, the first 100 subgroups were usedto calculate process limits. The resulting process behavior chart of the die shear data is predictable with nomeasurement values beyond the process limits on either the or R chart. Since the chart displays a process instatistical control, as defined by our choice of detection rules, it therefore qualifies for a process capability study.The capability study compares the natural process limits to the product specification. For this particular die sizearea (18.5 mil*18.5 mil) the product specification is 425 grams minimum.

n = 3, k = 304X

X

X and R Process Behavior chart


Cpk calculations for weeks 1 though 17

Week 1=1133-425/3(225)=1.048 Week 10=1196-425/3(154)=1.666Week 2=1175-425/3(241)=1.039 Week 11=1181-425/3(183)=1.279Week 3=1172-425/3(223)=1.117 Week 12=1209-425/3(178)=1.465Week 4=1168-425/3(134)=1.850 Week 13=1192-425/3(197)=1.299Week 5=1088-425/3(177)=1.250 Week 14=1181-425/3(191)=1.322Week 6=1175-425/3(151)=1.654 Week 15=1250-425/3(160)=1.721Week 7=1147-425/3(183)=1.317 Week 16=1217-425/3(127)=2.070Week 8=1184-425/3(196)=1.288 Week 17=1155-425/3(172)=1.414Week 9=1119-425/3(194)=1.195

Step 3:Plot each week’s Cpk values on an individuals process behavior chart. On this chart the X-axis represents time(17 weeks) while the Y-axis denotes the weekly Cpk values. Once you have collected a dozen or so values,calculate process limits and averages lines for both the X and mR chart. While it is preferable to have at least 25subgroups before setting process limits, useful limits can be calculated with fewer values; therefore using 16moving ranges for setting your limits is sufficient. Of course, as more data becomes available, the process limitsshould be revised.

Cpk Process Behavior Chart

A Graphical Method for Displaying Process Capability (Cpk)The following steps were used to calculate and display process capability for the die bond operation.

Step 1:For the die bond process each week’s die shear data from the and R process behavior chart were collectedand the following summary statistics calculated:

The process estimated standard deviationThe process mean

Step 2:Using the formula shown below, a Cpk value for each week’s die shear data was calculated. Approximately 50die shear measurements were taken and these data were used to calculate the Cpk values. Vertical lines weredrawn in on the and R chart (Figure-1) to denote each week’s data used to calculate its Cpk value.

X

X

X

Cpk X LSL/d2LSL 425 grams

d2 1.693 for n 3

= −== =

R/d2


Step 4:Construct a histogram of the individual measurements from the process behavior chart. More than 900 individualmeasurements (taken from the 304 subgroups) were used to generate the histogram. (Figure-3).

Histogram of Die Shear Measurements

Step 5:Interpretation of the Cpk Process Behavior Chart and Histogram:

The XmR Process Behavior chart of the weekly Cpk values shows a more realistic picture of the processes’ truecapability by the use of multiple values. A fairly large sample size used for calculating each weeks Cpk numberis required to ensure a valid estimation. The mean or average of the X chart is 1.41. This is the best estimate ofprocess capability for the die bond process. This average Cpk number is slightly higher than the one-time value(1.37) calculated from all the data (see figure-3). Of course, the real benefit of using multiple Cpk values to assessyour processes’ capability is to understand the variation associated with such a value so that a properinterpretation can be made. For the die bond capability performance, the 3-sigma limits are:

These limits indicate that the average Cpk value of 1.41 can vary from 0.59 to 2.23 without indicating a changein the capability of this process! In other words, unless the die bond process is changed in some fundamental wayand remains predictable, the capability will continue to fluctuate between these two Cpk values. In addition,consecutive week-to-week values can vary as much as 1.00. How do we interpret the shape of the histogram?First, all of the 912 individual measurements taken over a 3-month period are well beyond the lower specificationlimit (LSL) of 425 grams. This, along with the process being predictable, tells us quite a bit about the capabilityof the process. But what about shape of the histogram, does it provide any useful information that we don’t alreadyknow? As a general rule I look to see if the shape of the histogram is approximately normal (bell-shaped andsymmetrical about the mean) to determine whether the average is a good statistic to use for calculating capabilityformulas. If the histograms drawn from your measurements show a heavily skewed distribution shape, you couldsubstitute the medium statistic (the half-way point of the data set) for the average statistic in order to calculate yourCpk value. If for example the distribution of die shear data were positively skewed, with a lower specification limitof 425 grams minimum, the standard formula used would underestimate the capability of the process. On the other

UCLx 2.23LCLx 0.59

UCLR 1.00LCLR 0

====


hand, if the distribution were negatively skewed an overestimate of process capability would result. In our examplethe histogram seems to follow, at least approximately, a normal bell-shape curve and therefore the average is anacceptable estimate for central tendency of the die shear data. A word of caution: as Lloyd Nelson has pointedout, it is dangerous to read too much into the shape of a distribution. Also, a recent book on the Normal Distributionand its relationship to the Process Behavior Chart (1) warns us of the misleading outcomes that can result whentrying to fit data to an expected probability model.

Some Issues Regarding Capability Indices (A Personal Perspective)It seems as though not a week goes by without me reading, in some technical journal, about another way ofcharacterizing process capability (as if I’m not confused enough!). Author Don Wheeler refers to this as CapabilityConfusion (2). A partial list of capability indices include the following:

Cp Cpm CpuCpk Z-upper CplPpk Z-lower PpCR Zmin PrCm DNS Cmk

With so many different capability indices to choose from, it’s no wonder why many quality professionals areconfused as to their meaning, their differences and applications. A recent book published on process capabilityruns to nearly 900 pages! (3) Then there is the issue of normality to consider. If process capability analysis failsto account for the non-normality of the data it may produce inaccurate long-term yield estimates (4).

If statistical thinking and methods are ever to be embraced by industry, they have to bepresented in a way that makes them assessable and understood by the non-statistician .

While there will always be situations that require the use of advanced statistical tools (Design of Experiments,Analysis of Means, Analysis of Variance, Regression) and the help of a qualified statistician, there also is anunnecessary fixation on complexity for its own sake. There also exists a widening gap between the statisticalmethods/tools being published in today’s technical journals and those methods commonly used in industry as partof a continual improvement methodology. Until production workers and management discover for themselves thebenefits of using statistical methods, not much will change. Fortunately, some in the statistics community, workingwith practitioners, have recognized this problem and have taken steps to remedy the situation. In order to helpbridge this gap, many simple but proven statistical graphs/methods are being introduced by well-knownstatisticians/authors (i.e. Joiner, Wheeler, Balestracci and Pyzdek) in order to make these techniques availableto a wider audience. Hopefully this trend will continue as the philosophy of statistical thinking becomes morewidespread.

Some Lessons LearnedFor any single capability value to have meaning, I recommend that the following steps be taken:

1. Verify that the process under evaluation displays a reasonable degree of control/stability. How one definesstability is determined by traditional SPC methods and process knowledge. Both issues need to be carefullyconsidered.

2. Plot capability values over time. Capability numbers (such as Cpk) vary even when the process being monitoredis stable, therefore knowing the uncertainty associated with such a number is needed in order to interpret itcorrectly. Calculating an average Cpk value and valid statistical process limits provides a simple way of knowingwhether your processes’ capability has actually changed or is just subject to common cause variation.

3. Construct a histogram of your process data. Knowing the relative shape of your distribution will help you betterinterpret these capability numbers.

SummaryAll statistics vary over time, and capability indices such as Cpk are certainly no exception. By plotting these valueson a time-series chart one can easily generate meaningful capability indices.

Whether we like it or not, capability indices will continue to be used in the foreseeable future. Since that’s today’sreality, doesn’t it make sense to use them in a way that best characterizes the capability of your process and canbe understood by your customer? So the next time your customer asks you to report on a process capabilitynumber, show them a better way.


The Standards SceneDan Harper

Reference:

1. Wheeler, Donald J. Normality and the Process Behavior Chart (Knoxville, Tenn. 2000)2. Wheeler, Donald J. Beyond Capability Confusion (Knoxville, Tenn.: SPC Press. 1999)3. Bothe, Davis. Measuring Process Capability (McGraw Hill. 1997)4. Pyzdek, Thomas. Pyzdek’s Guide to SPC Volume Two (Tucson, Arizona: Quality Publishing. 1992)

This year, the last of the 20th Century or the first ofthe 21st – depending on how you measure–has had alot of action in the standards development arenas. Thebig attention getter for most folks has been the finaliz-ing of the new ISO 9000:2000 series–the three newstandards replacing the 1994 versions.

For those of us in the calibration and metrologyareas, there’s been the impact of the first year out forISO 17025:1999, and its adoption as an AmericanNational Standard. Then of course, there is the devel-opment of the new ISO 10012–intended to replace ISO10012 Part 1:1992 which addressed a confirmationsystem for measuring equipment, and ISO 10012 Part2:1997, which covered control of measurement pro-cesses.

First, the new ISO 9000, 9001 and 9004 have beenadvanced to the Final Draft International Standardlevel and are currently out for vote. No more com-ments, just a vote yea or nay by the members of ISOTechnical Committee 176. The last of the issues wereresolved at the Kyoto Japan meeting in July.

If you haven’t been keeping tabs on the work onthese three key documents, the new ISO 9000:2000covers quality management system fundamentals andterminology. It has quality management concept dia-grams and explanations, with the old ISO 8402 defini-tions and a whole bunch of new definitions integratedinto it. The terms and definitions are separated intoseparate sections for general areas of quality manage-ment topics and activities. There are separate sectionsfor terms relating to quality; management; organiza-tion; process and product; characteristics; conformity;documentation; examination; audit; and last but notleast, for QA for measurement processes.

Actually, there is some potential misunderstandingin a few of the terms in the new 9000. For example, theword “traceability”, which I think we have considered“ours” – has a definition different than that in the VIM.There’s a note that says that for metrology the VIMdefinition is the accepted version.

For the new ISO 9001:2000 - the title is “Qualitymanagement systems – Requirements.”

The first thing you may notice is that the format andorganization of the document is different from the 1994version. The most important thing is that the 2000version emphasizes a process approach in qualitymanagement and achieving customer satisfaction.

The venerable clause 4.11 in 9001:1994 hastransitioned to Clause 7.6 in the 2000 version, and laysout the requirements for monitoring and measuringdevice control. Let’s take a quick look at those require-ments.

First, Clause 7.6 says that you have to decide whatmonitoring and measuring you’re going to do and whatequipment you need to demonstrate conformity ofproduct to requirements. It then directs you to developprocesses to ensure that the work is done in a mannermeeting the requirements called out for the measuringand monitoring.

From the hardware standpoint, there is a short list ofthings to be done when necessary to achieve validmeasurement results. This is a familiar list, basicallyfrom 9001:1994 Clause 4.11: calibration against trace-able standards; adjustment when needed; cal statusidentified; sealed or safeguarded to prevent unautho-rized tweaking; and protection from damage etc.

There are also the requirements for confirmation ofsoftware as fit for use, records, and for reviewingrecords, etc., if the equipment is suspect and a require-ment for corrective action on the equipment and on anyproduct affected.

Notice something? No mention of documented pro-cedures in this clause. The key to this is found back atthe beginning of the requirements, Clause 4 of9001:2000.

In Clause 4.1 and 4.2, it is clearly stated that theorganization has to identify the processes neededthroughout the organization; not only identify, but alsoensure, that the criteria, methods, resources and infor-mation are available to get the work done.

Another item that might shake a few of us up – nospecifically stated requirement for measurement un-certainties to be estimated or documented, etc. But


then, there is a requirement for calibration, and estima-tion of uncertainties is part of that, isn’t it?

Keep in mind that required documentation includeswhatever is needed to ensure the planning, operationand control of the processes is done correctly. Wideopen. Not specific, but it’s clear that you have to havecontrol of the processes, and you have to spell out indocumentation and procedures what is needed to bedone. An additional requirement is for a quality manualfor the organization. And, the user is referred to ISO10012 Part. 1, and 10012 Part 2 for additional guid-ance.

Maybe this will give you some idea of the newdirection that ISO 9001:2000 takes. You can’t just go toClause 7.6 and think that’s all you have to do formonitoring and measuring equipment. You have toread and digest the whole document and define howyou’re going to control your processes and prove thatyour product meets stated requirements.

Enough on 9000. So what’s doing on ISO/IEC17025:1999? This replacement for ISO/IEC Guide 25has been on the market for almost a year. Since it’sintended for demonstration of laboratory technical com-petence and the accreditation of laboratories, the tran-sition to 17025 will take a while. 17025 has morerequirements that Guide 25, and whether or not thereis major heartburn with it will come out as the accred-iting organizations such as A2LA and NVLAP startassessing to it.

The major news about ISO/IEC 17025 is that theadoption as an American National Standard is under-way – and by three organizations working together.Yep, the American Society for Quality, American Soci-ety for Testing and Materials, and NCSLI (new namefor the National Conference of Standards Laborato-ries) are all making the adoption. This is a very goodthing, for all have a deep-rooted interest in 17025, andthe common effort will surely open the way for othersimilar project in the future. It is my understanding thatthe names of all three organizations will appear on thecover – sort of like the VIM, which lists the seven parentorganizations involved with its development.

So what’s new on 10012?Currently titled “Measurement control system”, this

new standard is in the Committee Draft 3 stage. Thatmeans that it’s been through iterations and out forcomment to the international community. It is intendedto provide the requirements to ensure your measure-ment process is a good one – that the measurementresults are valid, whether the measurement process isin a cal lab, on the production floor, inspection, wher-ever.

In combining ISO 10012 Parts 1 and 2, most of therequirements of both those standards have been re-tained, although there is a lot of re-wording, settingbasic requirements but not so prescriptive that you aredirected on HOW to meet the requirement. Yes, mea-surement uncertainty is still required, as is traceability,records, and identification of measuring equipmentstatus but not specifically labeling on the equipment,etc. It is much, much more definitive than ISO 9001:2000in what is required to ensure a valid measurement ormonitoring process.

What is it not? It is not a calibration system standard.It is not intended to be a stand-alone document for anytype of calibration or testing laboratory registration oraccreditation. It does not tell you how to do things at thelowest level but only that you must do them. Themanagement and the metrological function of the orga-nization have some latitude in tailoring the measure-ment processes to meet the business needs.

There is a long bibliography in an appendix and fournormative references: ISO 3534-1:1993: Statistics-vocabulary and symbols – Part 1: Probability andgeneral statistical terms; ISO 9000:2000: Quality man-agement systems – Fundamentals and vocabulary;the VIM: 1993: International vocabulary of basic andgeneral terms used in metrology. BIPM, IEC, IFCC,ISO, IUPAC, IUPAP, OIML; and the GUM: 1995: Guideto the expression of uncertainty in measurement. BIPM,IEC, IFCC, ISO, IUPAC, IUPAP, OIML.

Well, that’s enough for this time on the three bigthings for this year. There are more things going on thatmay impact us in the future – the revision of the VIM isunderway, as is revision of ISO 3534 series. TheNCSLI will be reviewing Z540 for possible revision tocome into alignment with ISO 17025; and of coursethere are the industry specific standards such as ISO14000, QS9000, AS9000, TL 9000, and a bunch ofothers. ISO 19011, the new auditing standard replac-ing the current 10011 series, is somewhere in the CD.2– CD.3 phase. And new work items in ISO are beingproposed, such as a standard for handling complaints,and one for selecting a consultant.

More later.

Questions or comments? Call, write or e-mailme.


NIST News for Today's Metrologistand Metrology Practioner

New Noise Measurement System Now inService at NIST

Manufacturers of electronic components and sys-tems used in the 4-12 gigahertz range, such as tele-communications gear, satellite receivers and amplifi-ers, cellular phones and radar equipment, now haveaccess to an improved service at NIST for the mea-surement and calibration of noise.

A new calibration system just placed in service,which includes an automated coaxial (GPC-7) radiom-eter, will provide faster, more economical measure-ments at multiple frequencies. The system uses avector network analyzer to measure reflection coeffi-cients and asymmetries, and stores them in a lookuptable. The new strategy is much faster than using six-port reflectometer measurements.

A description of the new system and its uncertaintyanalysis has just been published as NIST TechnicalNote 1518, Design and Testing of NFRad:A New NoiseMeasurement System. To obtain a copy of TN 1518,contact Chriss Grosvenor, MC 813.01, NIST, Boulder,Colo. 80303-3328; 303-497-5958; [email protected].

Weights and Measures Documents NowAvailable on the Internet

NIST Handbook 44, Specifications, Tolerances,and Other Technical Requirements for Weighing andMeasuring Devices, and NIST Handbook 130, UniformLaws and Regulations in the Areas of Legal Metrologyand Engine Fuel Quality, are now available on theinternet.

Manufacturers, as well as international weights andmeasures organizations, can now easily access ac-cepted specifications and tolerances for scales andother measuring devices in NIST Handbook 44. Theyalso can view model weights and measures laws andregulations, which have been adopted by most states,in NIST Handbook 130. NIST's Office of Weights andMeasures posted these documents to increase theirdissemination and availability.

Both NIST Handbook 44 and NIST Handbook 130are published by NIST and have been adopted by theNational Conference on Weights and Measures, a

voluntary standards organization that works closelywith NIST to ensure uniform weights and measures inthe United States.The two handbooks are now avail-able at www.nist.gov/owm under "General Informa-tion."

NIST Office of Weights and MeasuresSelects New Chief

Henry Oppermann has been selected to replace GilUgiansky as Chief of the Office of Weights and Mea-sures. Oppermann was Deputy Chief of NIST's GlobalStandards Program. Gil Ugiansky has been promotedto the position of Deputy Director, Office of Measure-ment Services.

ACT, EDS and WorkPlace Training Partnerto Provide Nationwide Calibration Training

ACT, Inc., the organization best known for its ACTassessment in college entrance and placement examsand EDS, a global information services company, havejoined with WorkPlace Training in developing a nation-wide system of computerized training centers locatedat community colleges and technical schools.

The ACT Centers™ will provide training for busi-nesses and individuals aimed at boosting the skills ofthe nation's workforce. The program is currently avail-able in 40 host institutions in 22 states, and a goal of250 locations has been set for year's end 2001. Fourstates, Colorado, Kentucky, Oklahoma and Hawaii,have committed to establishing the ACT Centersthroughout their community college systems.

WorkPlace Training has provided training modulesfor the program in: introductory measurement andcalibration, precision electrical, dimensional, tempera-ture, pressure, flow, mass, force/torque measurement,uncertainty and SI metric. In addition to calibrationsubject areas, WorkPlace has also provided coursewarein adult literacy/employability skills, computers andinformation technology, industrial safety and technicalskills.

For further information on ACT locations andWorkPlace Training courses, contact WorkPlace Train-ing at tel 800-472-2564 , [email protected].

NIST News


David Alderman Named New NVLAPChief

David Alderman has been selected as NVLAP'snew chief, succeeding Jim Cigler, who retired. Alder-man has been with NVLAP for 12 years. He served asprogram manager for NVLAP's asbestos program andwas responsible for the accreditation of over 600 labo-ratories. In 1994 he was named Deputy Chief of NVLAP,managing day-to-day operations, as well as serving asprogram manager for NVLAP's Fasteners and MetalsProgram.

Notes

Edmunds Gages Celebrates GoldenAnniversary

Edmunds Gages celebrates their 50th Anniversarythis year. Founder Robert "Bob" Edmunds began thecompany as a parts machining business that grew intogage manufacturing in 1950. The company todayoffers a wide selection of sophisticated dimensionalmeasurement equipment backed by a world classcalibration facility.

Edmunds Sr. still works at his desk for a few hourseach day, but the company helm has been passed toson, Robert F. Edmunds Jr.; and grandson RobertEdmunds III works in the company as well.

The company's website at: www.edmundsgages.com offers tech tips on dimen-sional measurements and quality assurance, as wellas product information.

Common Time Scale Set for North AmericaThe official time scales of North America are coor-

dinated through regular comparisons among the Ca-nadian National Research Council, the Mexican CentroNacional de Metrologia, and the NIST. After severalyears of international comparisons and negotiations,NRC, CENAM and NIST recently have declared thattheir respective versions of Coordinated UniversalTime (known as UTC) are equivalent to within fivemillionths of a second for time measurements andwithin one part in a trillion for frequency measure-ments.

The common time scale defined by the declarationis known as UTC North America; and within the stateduncertainties, the time supplied by any of the threenational laboratories - UTC(NRC), UTC (CENAM) orUTC (NIST) - can be used as UTC North Americawithout corrections or conversions.

This declaration supports trade and technologyacross the region, especially for such things as timetags for financial transactions and scientific observa-tions. The three institutions hope that a common timeeventually can be extended to include all members ofthe Interamerican Metrology System (SIM-SistemaInteramericano de Metrologia), an organization whosemembers include nearly all of the nations in North,Central and South America and the Caribbean.

To access the official time in any U.S. time zone, goto www.time.gov. For times outside the United States,the site offers links to a UTC display and an interna-tional time zone web site.

PTB Develops Infrared StandardsApplications of infrared remote sensing (IRS) are

rapidly increasing in a variety of fields such as mete-orology, environmental monitoring, agriculture, miningand oil exploration. Therefore, it has become importantfor national measurement institures to develop stan-dards for infrared instrumentation.

A recent cooperative project between thePhysikalisch-Technische Bundesanstalt (PTB), Ger-many, and the Max Planck Institute for Meteorologyrequired calibrated detectors for the investigation ofocean temperature. Temperature changes of only 0.1K in the ocean have a crucial impact on the CO2content of the earth's atmosphere. The PTB has devel-oped heat-pipe blackbody radiators as primary infraredradiation source standards for calibrations of low tem-perature IRS instruments with large target areas. Theirspectral radiation emission can be calculated fromtheir temperatures on the basis of Planck's radiationlaw. The heat pipes are operational in the temperaturerange from -60&degC to 960&degC. Their tuneabletemperatures are directly related to the SI base unit oftemperature with standard uncertainties between 30mK and 190 mK by means of standard platinumreistance thermometers.

The calibration standards will enable PTB to complywith the growing demands in the fields of radiometricthermometric calibrations for wavelengths of 1&micromto 50 &microm. For further information contact J.Fischer, fax +49-30-34-81-510, email: [email protected].


Standards UpdateThe US Standards Group on QEDS is pleased to

offer us news on the latest standards-related develop-ments in quality management, environmental man-agement, dependability and statistical methods.

These short bursts of information, courtesy of TheInformed Outlook, are designed so that we all canquickly stay abreast of all those changes in these typesof standards which will impact our businesses and wayof life.

Draft International Standards Are NowAvailable

The Draft International Standards (DIS) of ISO9000:2000, ISO 9001:2000 and ISO 9004:2000 arenow available for purchase from the American Societyfor Quality (ASQ).

Jack West, Chairman of the US Technical AdvisoryGroup (TAG) for ISO/TC 176 stated, “Certainly, someminor changes may be expected before the new inter-national standards are published, but the DISs arefairly mature and organizations may now start to plantheir transition to the new revisions.”

These revisions have been long awaited and will befollowed shortly by a validation survey on ISO/DIS9001:2000 and ISO/DIS 9004:2000 to ascertain theirimpact on the business community (see news briefentitled “Validation Program for ISO/DIS 9001:2000…”week of Nov. 22, 1999).

West also noted that “The revisions to the ISO 9000family of quality management system standards arebeing made so that they reflect a more modern under-standing of quality. With an increasing interest in thesequality standards by more non-traditional organiza-tions, there is a greater need to revise ISO 9000 interms of presentation, terminology, format and require-ments to ensure that users around the world are betterserved.”

If the DISs receive a positive vote, there will be onemore brief vote on the Final Draft International Stan-dards (which will incorporate any changes adoptedbased on DIS comments) prior to the release of the finalInternational Standards. It is anticipated that this con-sensus building process will result in the revised stan-dards being published late in the fourth quarter of 2000.

You are encouraged to get copies of the DISs, readthem, make plans for adjusting your system as re-quired — and submit comments to reflect your con-cerns about the DIS language (special comment proto-col applies, and questions regarding the comment

process may be directed to Margie Wirth, StandardsCoordinator, at 800-248-1946, ext. 7256). Commentsare being welcomed from everyone, whether a mem-ber of the US TAG or not.

You may order copies of the DISs by contactingASQ Quality Press customer service at (800) 248-1946 or through their web site at http://qualitypress.asq.org. The cost is $40 US and the itemnumber is T1600. All three DIS documents are in-cluded in one package (117 pages).

Lofgren Elected IATCA Chairman;Succeeds John Hulbert

George Lofgren, QMS President of the RegistrarAccreditation Board (RAB), was elected chairman ofthe International Auditor and Training CertificationAssociation (IATCA) during the organization’s plenarymeeting in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

Lofgren, who will serve a two-year term as chair-man, succeeds John Hulbert, formerly of the JointAccreditation System of Australia and New Zealand(JAS-ANZ). Hulbert has taken on the newly createdrole of executive director in which he performs the dayto day operations for IATCA.

“George’s election as IATCA chairman is a tribute tothe years of work and travel he has devoted in helpingto create and launch IATCA’s worldwide programs,”stated Joseph Dunbeck, RAB chief executive officer.

Lofgren previously served as the vice chairman ofthe organization and was chairman of working grouptwo which is responsible for auditor training courseprovider and training course criteria.

“IATCA was originally created because there weredisparate systems for auditor certification throughoutthe world. The organization set about to provide con-sistency in the certification requirements and the ad-ministration of those requirements. In a relatively shorttime, I believe we have made great progress towardthose goals,” Lofgren stated.

To date, RAB has certified 165 RAB IATCA SeniorAuditors and 19 RAB IATCA Auditors. On the courseprovider side, the ANSI-RAB NAP has accreditedseven IATCA QMS auditor training courses.

Chelsea Football Club Scores with ISO9000

Chelsey FC, one of Britain’s top football clubs, hasbecome the first in the world to score with ISO 9000.The club — which has achieved its best league positionin 29 years and qualified for the European Champions


NIST/NACLAPartnership Proposal

The National Institute of Standards and Technology(NIST) and the National Cooperation for LaboratoryAccreditation (NACLA) have proposed a partnership toachieve a broadly recognized laboratory accreditationsystem in the United States, thereby simplifying pro-cesses for demonstrating that products comply withdomestic and foreign requirements. In a notice pub-lished in the May 19 Federal Register, the two organi-zations said they plan to sign a memorandum ofunderstanding (MOU) that will reduce the redundancyand complexity in the often puzzling and duplicativerealm of laboratory accreditation.

Laboratory accreditation is a form of conformityassessment to assure that products, processes orsystems comply with regulations or voluntary stan-dards. Such activities include tests of components andaccreditation methods for assessing the proficiency oftesting laboratories. They also include procedures forevaluating the competency of laboratory accreditors,which is the focus of the proposed NIST-NACLA agree-ment.

A copy of the draft MOU will be posted on June 1,2000, on the NIST website at www.ts.nist.gov. Writtenpublic comments can be sent to NACLA Comments,Office of the Director, Technology Services, NIST, 100

League — has received an ISO 9002 certification of thequality system operated by its merchandising activity.

Chelsea Village Merchandising is responsible formore than 3,000 product lines for Chelsea fans. “Oursuccessful registration to ISO 9002 shows that wemeet international quality standards,” said ChrisManson, managing director of Chelsea Village Mer-chandising.

“We needed to be able to show that our manage-ment systems met the expectations of our customersand began the registration process last year. BSI(British Standards Institution) assessed our on-siteactivities, examined our documented procedures andsurveyed our overall operations,” said Manson.

BSI was Chelsea’s registrar. In order to gain ISO9002 certification, Chelsea was required to identify itsquality needs, established a quality program, devel-oped quality manuals, trained staff to use the qualityprogram and monitored its use and effectiveness.

“It is very exciting that we are the first football clubin the world to achieve this accolade,” said Manson.“We honestly believe that in today’s market-place, thekey to success is quality.”

Bureau Drive, Stop 2000, Gaithersburg, Md. 20899-2000.

In the United States, there are an estimated 50,000testing laboratories and more than 100 laboratoryaccreditation programs, nearly all of them in the privatesector. Although it has effectively addressed safetyand consumer-protection needs, this decentralizedconformity assessment system is sometimes criticizedas inefficient.

Many testing laboratories, for example, undergomultiple accreditation audits to satisfy various govern-ment and industrial programs, even though their re-quirements and scopes of accreditation are similar. Inaddition, federal agencies differ greatly in their ap-proaches to assessing whether products or servicesmeet their procurement or regulatory requirements.

Trade agreements introduce yet another variable.Under several, including the U.S.-European UnionMutual Recognition Agreement, which went into effectin December 1998, NIST is responsible for designatingU.S. testing laboratories, product certifiers and otherconformity assessment bodies to carry out MRA activi-ties.

Donald N. Heirman, president of NACLA and formermanager of Lucent Technologies’ Global Product Com-pliance Laboratory, says the proposed relationshipwith NIST will advance the goals that motivated severalprivate and public sector organizations to create NACLAin the first place. NACLA was incorporated in 1998.

For NIST, the proposed relationship will help itpromote greater government use of voluntary stan-dards and reduce the complexity of federal, state andlocal conformity assessment requirements. These re-sponsibilities were assigned to NIST in the NationalTechnology Transfer and Advancement Act of 1995.

It is anticipated that accrediting bodies that havebeen recognized by NACLA under the provisions of theMOU will be deemed competent by NIST to supporttrade agreement activities where NIST is a designatingauthority.


News UpdateAt 2000 Assessor Conclave & AnnualMeeting, A2LA Team Prepares for NewChallenges

This May, more than 100 individuals from the A2LAassessor corps, Board of Directors and staff gatheredin Columbia, MD, for the best part of a week, forintensive training and discussion aimed at equipping“Team A2LA” for the many challenges that lie ahead.

Doug Berg provided ample evidence of success inhis Chairman’s State of the Association address at theMay 22 Annual Meeting. He reported that a number ofnew records had been set in 1999:

• 356 new applications for accreditation received• A total of 1348 laboratories accredited• A full-time staff of 29 and 110 on-site asses-

sors• An all-time high of 486 association members

on December 31

He noted further that there had been significantgrowth in the number of attendees at A2LA’s trainingcourses and, at year’s end, a substantial income sur-plus and a healthy balance sheet.

However, self-congratulation about past accom-plishments was not the spirit of the group nor the toneof the many different meetings held in Columbia.Rather, attendees focused on substantial recent andimminent changes in the accreditation world and thesteps that A2LA is and will be taking to meet thechallenges and continue to improve its performance.

To enable A2LA to satisfy the rapidly increasingdemand for its accreditation services, a three-dayassessor orientation course was held on May 17-19,under the tutelage of Daren Valentine, A2LA TrainingManager. Thirty candidates took the course; at its endthey took an exam that must be passed as part of theassessor qualification requirements.

Over the course of the next three days, the Accredi-tation Council and the Criteria Council held meetings,and there were a series of training and discussionsessions for veteran assessors. The highlights of thesegatherings are described in accompanying articles.

A2LA ISO/IEC 17025 TRANSITION PLAN(Goal: Compliance demonstrated by all labs by July 2002.)

(as of 05/23/2000)

AssessmentDate

Options apply to all labs:(New, Renewal, andSurveillance Labs)

Documentation Comments

July, 2000 OPTION I:ISO/IEC 17025

ISO/IEC 17025 Checklist(new requirements bolded)

ISO/IEC 17025 Checklist must beprovided to the assessor(s) prior tothe on-site assessment.

OPTION II:ISO/IEC Guide 25 andISO/IEC 17025 GapAnalysis

a) ISO/IEC Guide 25 Checklistb) document gap analysis using thenew ISO/IEC 17025 checklist, butonly filling out bolded (new) items;Assessors will write up "gaps" inseparate form attached todeficiency report that includes thefollowing statements. "In order tobe considered for accreditation toISO/IEC 17025, objective evidencethat the following items have beenaddressed needs to be provided toA2LA w i th the annua lreview/surveillance."

Bolded items of ISO/IEC 17025Checklist must be completed andprovided to the assessor(s) prior tothe on-site assessment.

Response to gaps due at annualreview (renewals) or surveillance(new).

OPTION III:Guide 25 only

ISO/IEC Guide 25 Checklist All labs selecting this option will berequired to undergo an ISO/IEC17025 on-site surveillance thefollowing year. (This is already arequirement for new labs.)

January 2001 OPTION I or II only

July 2001 OPTION I only


Profile on Metrology: What is CAL LAB?

Transition to ISO/IEC 17025A2LA’s plan for transitioning from ISO/IEC Guide 25

to ISO/IEC 17025 is outlined in the table printed in thisnewsletter. The plan has been approved by the A2LACriteria Council and endorsed by the Board of Direc-tors.

A2LA’s objective is to have all related documents,including updated General Requirements for Accredi-tation of Laboratories and the Assessor Checklist, infinal form by mid-July.

According to the plan, laboratories undergoing as-sessments during the period of July 1 through Decem-ber 31, 2000, have three options: full assessment to17025, assessment to Guide 25 with gap analysis for17025, or assessment to Guide 25 only. For renewallabs, the third option requires an on-site surveillance

visit the following year (automatic for new labs). Thethird option is not available to laboratories being as-sessed after January 1, 2001. After July 1, 2001, alllaboratories will be assessed to 17025.

Assessors will contact laboratories scheduled forassessment during this transition period to ascertainwhich option they prefer. In the meantime, if you haveany questions regarding the A2LA transition plan,please contact A2LA at 301-644-3248.

Status of 2000 A2LA DirectoryThe 2000 Directory is expected to be ready for

distribution by the end of July, 2000. All directoriesmailed to laboratories, users, etc. will be in CD-ROMformat only. A limited number of hardcopy directorieswill be available upon request.

CAL LAB is a publication (and now web page) thatseeks to further the science of metrology (measure-ment) and the industry of calibration through the shar-ing of information about developments in the field. It isnot a magazine empire: it is a handful of dedicatedmetrology enthusiasts that belong to and/or supportthe National Conference of Standards Laboratories(NCSL) and the Measurement Science Conference,the National Council of Weights and Measures, ISA,IEEE, International Society of Weighing and Measure-ment, and American Society of Quality (ASQ).

CAL LAB receives news information from nationallabs and organizations including NIST in the UnitedStates, the NPL in the United Kingdom, the STQCDirectorate in India, the Metrology Society of Australia,ISA, IEEE, ASQ, ISO and contacts from many compa-nies and laboratories around the world. Sometimesengineering, sometimes physics, sometimes confusedwith the study of weather (which it has nothing to dowith except that its instrumentation depends on it)metrology is the science of measurement in all physicalareas from electrical to dimensional and mass (weight)to time, and all other properties and characteristics thatwe can measure in our universe.

Metrology, as a science, continues to grow anddevelop astonishing new levels of measurement accu-racy and exciting new devices that provide thesehigher levels of measurement with greater speed andconvenience. Calibration, the function of providingverification that measurements are what they shouldbe, is essential to industry and commerce. With thegrowing international adoption of the ISO standards forquality, safety and environmental concerns in manu-facturing and services, manufacturers and govern-

ments are realizing the importance of measurementand calibration in commerce. We must harness thatmomentum and use it to establish better educationaland training opportunities for people in metrology andcalibration, higher funding for research and develop-ment, and increased involvement in the managementand quality processes in companies.

Carol Singer, CAL LAB Editor and Publisher, hasreported that they have recently added a special sec-tion to their web page called Art Cohee's World thattakes us from lab bench measurements to other placesin the universe where metrology has been used to bringus everything from art to photos of planets and nebulasto the building of the Great Pyramids of Egypt. SaysCarol: *sometimes we need to remind ourselves of the"bigger picture" of what metrology has really given usand inspire ourselves to realize that the work we doresults in some pretty fantastic things. And sometimeswe just need a moment to reflect on the beauty aroundus–beyond our concrete and glass buildings andstruggles to turn in a report by the end of the day, thereis something that we, as humans, need nearly as muchas food and shelter–beauty, wonder, the excitement ofexploration! My favorite site for instant visual gratifica-tion and inspiration is http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/astropix.html.*The vision at CAL LAB is to provide amedia for the exchange of information about, and for,the field, and in so doing, to further its development andenhance the experience of those working in it. Forfurther information, contact Carol Singer at:[email protected]


Metrology Freeware1. Surface Roughness and Roundness Software

visit digitalmetrology.com

2. Chris Grachanen of the Corporate MetrologyDepartment at Compaq Computer has de-veloped Windows (TM) compatible freewareto assist labs in calculations for uncertainty,tolerance, and mismatch.

His published articles on the freeware:Freeware:Uncertainty CalculatorFreeware:Tolerance CalculatorFreeware: Mismatch Calculator

3. Uncertainty Calculator 2.5

Uncertainty Calculator is a Windows95 pro-gram designed to compute and express mea-surement uncertainty in simple, straightfor-ward manner, for a vast majority ofmeasurements scenarios congruent with thebasic guidelines contained within national/international publications.

For older systems only - Download Uncer-tainty Calculator 1.0 (602kb) for Windows3.1X(602KB)

4. Tolerance Calculator 3.0

Tolerance Calculator is a Windows 3.1 pro-gram designed to perform calculations asso-ciated with the interpretation of equipmenttolerances and other Metrology related func-tions such as test uncertainty ratios (TUR),accumulated uncertainties, consumers andproducers risk, etc. The Tolerance Calcula-tor is intended to provide users with a 'bot-tom line' method for evaluating equipmentspecifications using the same nomenclatureequipment manufacturers use when adver-tising their equipment capabilities, i.e. % ofrange, parts per million (ppm) of reading, %of span, etc.

Download Tolerance Calculator 3.0 (833kb)for Windows95.

5. Mismatch Uncertainty Calculator 1.0

Mismatch Uncertainty Calculator is a new Win-dows 95 program designed to perform un-certainty analysis associated with microwavemismatch components, conversions betweenReflection Coefficient, Return Loss and SWRas well as various other microwave calcula-tions. This program is especially useful forcalculating uncertainties associated withcalibrating 2-port symmetric devices such asattenuators, directional couplers, filters, etc.,

and for determining mismatch loss for eithera perfect load or source.

Download Mismatch Uncertainty Calculator(1.5Mb) for Windows95. (Proper installationrequires both Disk 1 & 2.)

6. Measurement Conversion Software

Dalby Data Measurement Conversion Program

Dalby Data of Denmark has developed a newcalibration software program that includes ameasurement conversion function. This downloadis a stand-alone version of the measurementconversion program.

Download Dalby Data Unit Conversion

DCM is an affordable system for the com-pany with focus on quality assurance andefficient management of calibration. DCM canalso be used gauges which aren't calibrated,since DCM has a wide range of features forgeneral gauge management.

Download fully functional program with a 30day trial limit at www.dalbydata.dk

7. NAPT Measurement Conversion Program

Chuck Ellis of the National Association forProficiency Testing (US organization) has con-tributed his favorite measurement conversionprogram.

Download the NAPT Unit Converter by visit-ing the National Association for ProficiencyTesting.


Educational Institutionsthat Offer Metrology Programs or Classes

USAButler County Community CollegeCollege Drive, Oak HillsButler, Pennsylvania 16001(412) 287-8711AAS Metrology

California State UniversityDominguez Hills, MSQA ProgramCarson, CA 90747Contact: Dr. Gene Watson(310) 243-3880http://www.csudh.edu/[email protected], Metrology CoursesOffers MSQA through the internet

The CCA (Community College of Au-rora) Metrology ProgramLocated in the HEAT (Higher Educationand Advanced Technology) Center on theLowry CampusManufacturing Technology Building III9136 East 10th PlaceAurora, CO 80010

Terrelle Wilson, Program DirectorVoice: (303) 365-8425Fax: (303) 340-2130E-mail: [email protected] site: http://cs.cca.cccoes.edu/metrology

AAS (Associate of Applied Science) inMetrology and Advanced Precision Mea-surement with emphasis in Electrical orPhysical/Dimensional Measurements Cer-tificates are provided for selectedcoursework

Some Metrology courses are available on-line (through the internet)

Students may enroll in the college on-lineat: http://www.cca.cccoes.edu/adm/_adm_reg.html

Students may view a description of on-lineMetrology courses at http://cs.cca.cccoes.edu/infosheets/disciplines/mtr/metrology.htm

Students may see all Metrology coursesavailable in the current course schedule at:h t t p : / /www.cca . cccoes .edu /adm/_schedule.html

Students may register for all availablecourses on-line at http://www.cca.cccoes.edu/adm/_schedule.html by ac-cessing their personal account and follow-ing subsequent instructions

Madison Area Technical College2136 Anderson StreetMadison, WI 53704Contact: Robert L. Brown(608) 246-6861Machine Tool Technology, DimensionalClasses

McComb County Community College14500 Twelve Mile RoadWarren, MI 48093-3899Contact: Ben Selleck(313) 445-7472Dimensional QA, AAS, Certificate

Monroe County Community College1555 S. Raisinville RoadMonroe, MI 48161

Michael MohnAssistant Professor of Materials Technol-ogyPhone: 734-384-4122 Fax: [email protected]/mmohnAAS in Metrology Technology. Empasis ondimensional metrology with training onCMMs.

Ohio State UniversityCoordinate Metrology and MeasurementLaboratoryDepartment of Mechanical Engineering206 West 18th AvenueColumbus, OH 43201Tel (614) 292-8718Fax (614) 292-3163

Piedmont Technical CollegeGreenwood, SC 29648-1467Contact: Ron Ingle(803) 941-8470(800) 868-5528Instrumentation Technology, Electronic En-gineering Technology

Ridgewater College2 Century AvenueHutchinson, MN 55350-3183Contact: Herbert O'NeilTel (800) 222-4424Fax [email protected], AAS Metrology

Sinclair Community College444 West Third StreetDayton, Ohio 45402Contact: George Sehi(513) 226-7921QA Tech, AAS Certificate, QE Tech, Di-mensional Classes

Yuba College2088 Beale RoadMarysville, CA 95901Contact: Don Schrader(916) 741-6934AAS Measurement Science/MetrologyPhysical Mechanical Emphasis

CANADAFleming Institute for Training in Metrol-ogySir Sanford Fleming College743 Monaghan RoadPeterborough, OntarioCanada, K9J 5K2Contact: R. Munshaw(705) 876-1611Advanced Certificate


A sincere word of appreciation to CAL LAB and ArtCohee at Accu-Trace Metrology for their thoughtfuland significant contribution of listings covering thefollowing categories:

• Accreditation Bodies• College & University Sites• Conference Organizations• International Standards Organizations• National/International Metrology Organizations• National Standards Bodies• Standardizing Organizations• U.S. Government Metrology Sites• U.S. National Laboratories• World National Laboratories

Visit the CAL LAB website at www.callabmagfor more details.

Calibration Products & Services (Commercial Sites) -Includes Training

For additional useful links in other areas like physics,astronomy, science, nature and even art, check out thesection of our web site known as Art Cohee's World.Visitor Count

A Compilation of Some Useful Metrology Linksby Frank Voehl and Carol Singer

Accreditation BodiesA2LA - American Association for Laboratory Accredita-tionAPLAC - Asian Pacific Laboratory Accreditation Coop-erationILAC - International Laboratory Accreditation Coop-erationIMEKO - International Measurement ConfederationNATA - Australian National Association of TestingAuthoritiesNVLAP - National Voluntary Laboratory AccreditationProgramDOE Laboratory Accreditation Program - US Depart-ment of Energy

Conference OrganizationsMSC - Measurement Science ConferenceNCSL - National Conference of Standards Laborato-ries

International Standards OrganizationsCIE - International Commission on IlluminationIAEA - International Atomic Energy AgencyIEC - International Electrotechnical CommisionISO - The International Organization for Standardiza-tionITU - International Telecommunication Union

BRAZILInstituto de Pesquisas e EstudosIndustriaisE-mail:[email protected] http://www.ipei.com.brTel 5511 419 0200 r 274Fax 5511 419 0999.(Engineering High School - Industrial Prepa-ration Courses)

DENMARKRanders Tekniske SkoleTeknikerakademietVester Allé 26\DK-8900 RandersDenmarkTel (0045) 87 10 04 00Fax (0045) 87 10 04 33Kvalitets- og MaaleteknikeruddannelsenMetrology Courses

FINLANDHelsinki University of Technology, Me-trology Research Institute http://www.hut.fi/HUT/Measurement/

The main research areas of the MetrologyResearch Institute are in physics of mea-surement and measurement elec-tronics.The responsibilities and researchprojects of the laboratory are concentratedon electronic and optical metrology, on thedevelopment and maintenance of the pri-mary standards of length, wavelength andvarious detector-based optical powerscales. Metrology Research Institute is alsoa National Standards Laboratory for opti-cal quantities.

Courses in electronics and optical mea-surement technology both in undergradu-ate and graduate levels.

SWEDENSwedish National Testing & ResearchInstitute, SPhttp://www.sp.se/metrology/Box 857, S-501 15 Boras, SwedenTel +46 33 16 54 44Fax +46 33 10 69 73Dr L R Pendrillmailto:[email protected]


National Standards BodiesAustralia - SAA - Standards AustraliaCanada - SCC - Standards Council of CanadaColombia - ICONTEC - Instituto Colombiano de NormasTecnicas y CertificacionDenmark - DS - Dansk StandardFinland - SFS - Finnish Standards AssociationFrance - AFNOR - Association franÁaise denormalisationFrance - EDF - ElectricitÈ de France Bienvenue chezEDFGermany - DIN - Deutsches Institut fur NormungGreece - ELOT - Hellenic Organization for Standard-izationHong Kong - Hong Kong Laboratory AccreditationSchemeIreland - NSAI - National Standards Authority of IrelandIceland - STRI - Icelandic Council for StandardizationItaly - UNI - Ente Nazionale Italiano di UnificazioneJapan - JISC - Japanese Industrial Standards Commit-teeMalaysia - DSM - Department of Standards MalaysiaMorocco - SNIMA - Service de Normalisation IndustrielleMarocaineNetherlands - NNI - Nederlands Normalisatie-instituutNew Zealand - SNZ - Standards New ZealandNorway - NSF - Norges StandardiseringsforbundPortugal - IPQ - Instituto PortuguÍs da QualidadeSaudi Arabia - SASO - Saudi Arabian Standards Orga-nizationSingapore - SISLAB - Singapore Laboratory Accredita-tion SchemeSlovenia - SMIS - Standards and Metrology InstituteSpain - AENOR - Asociacion Espanola deNormalizacion y CertificacionSweden - SIS - Standardisaeringen i SverigeUnited Kingdom - BSI - British Standards InstitutionUSA - ANSI - American National Standards InstituteUSA NSSN - ANSI National Standards System Net-work

Standardizing OrganizationsASTM - The American Society for Testing and Materi-alsEIA - Electronic Industries AssociationISA - Instrument Society of AmericaOSA - Optical Society of AmericaSMPTE - Society of Motion Picture and TelevisionEngineersSPIE - The International Society for Optical Engi-neeringUL - Underwriters Laboratories

National / International Metrology OrganizationsAIP - American Institute of PhysicsAIST - Agency of Industrial Science and Technology(JAPAN)

ASQ - American Society for QualityInternational Society for Weighing and Measure-mentsMSA - Metrology Society of AustraliaNCSL - National Conference of Standards Laborato-ries

U.S. Government Metrology SitesDefense Standardization Program (MIL-SPECreform)DOE Technical StandardsGIDEP - Government Industry Data ExchangeProgramNavy Primary Standards Laboratory, San DiegoNIST - National Institute of Standards and Technol-ogyNIST Boulder FacilityNIST Time and Frequency DivisionNWAD - Naval Warfare Assesment DivisionOak Ridge Metrology CenterSandia National LaboratoriesTMDE - Army Metrology PageUSMC TMDE - Marine Corps Metrology Program

U.S. National LaboratoriesACL - Advanced Computing LaboratoryAmes LaboratoryANL - Argonne National LaboratoryBrookhaven National LaboratoryEML - Environmental Measurements LaboratoryFermilab - Fermi National Accelerator LaboratoryINEL - Idaho National Engineering LaboratoryLLNL - Lawrence Livermore National LaboratoryLos Alamos National Laboratory

FETCNational Biodynamics LaboratoryNational Energy Research Supercomputer CenterNational Renewable Energy LaboratoryOak Ridge National LaboratoryPacific Northwest National LabPantexPrinceton Plasma Physics LabSandia National LaboratoriesStanford Linear Accelerator CenterU.S. Department of Energy

World National LaboratoriesAustralia - CSIRO - Commonwealth Scientific andIndustrial Research OrganizationsCanada - INMS - NRC Institute for National Measure-ment StandardsDenmark - DFM - Danish Institute of FundamentalMetrologyGermany - PTB - Physikalsch-TechnischeBundesanstalt (English)Germany - PTB - Physikalsch-TechnischeBundesanstalt (German)


Ireland - Irish National Metrology LaboratoryItaly - IEN - Istituto Elettrotecnico Nazional GalileoGerrarisJapan - ETL - Electrotechnical LaboratoryKorea - KRISS - Korea Research Institute of Standardsand ScienceMalaysia - SIRIM BERHADNetherlands - Nederlands MeetinsituutSlovenia - SMIS - The Slovenian Standards and Me-trology InstituteSouth Africa - NML - National Metrology LaboratorySweden - SP - Swedish National Centre of MetrologyUnited Kingdom - National Physical Laboratory

University & College SitesAstro-Metrology - University of MarylandCenter for Precision Metrology - University of NorthCarolinaCoordinate Metrology and Measurement Laboratory- Ohio State UniversityDepartment of Metrology - Penza State TechnicalUniversity (RUSSIA)Metrology Research Institute - Helsinki University ofTechnologyMeasurement and Information Technology -Tampare University of Technology

Additional Metrology Resource Sites

CMM Metrology Forum - sponsored by Axis-Metrol-ogyCNMS - Canada's National Measurement SystemComite Consultatif poru la Definition du MetreWorking Group for Dimensional Metrology Includeslisting of world contacts in dimensional metrology.Directory of Organizations and Institutes Active inEnvironmental MonitoringEuropean Organization for Testing and CertificationEuromet Points of Contact for Length MeasurementsEuromet Length BulletinFederal Institute of Physics and MetrologyMetrology Forum sponsored by Agilent Technolo-gies, U.K.Hong Kong Standards & Testing CentreIAEA--International Atomic EnergyITS-90 - Temperature resources and informationsponsored by Isotech, Ltd. UK.National Center for Physical AcousticsPMEL For and about PMEL PersonnalSan Diego SupercomputerStandardization Organizations - European BusinessDirectorySwedish National Testing and Research InstituteValid Measurements - Information and articles on theAnderson Loop developed at NASA and related topics.

On the Passing of Phil Katz

Submitted by Frank Voehl

News of Phil Katz’s death was just made publicearlier this year but most of us may have missed thenews. You may never have heard of Phil Katz, butchances are, if you practice metrology in any of itsforms, you’ve used the product he’s known for.Back in 1986, Katz developed a file format–whichhe called “ZIP”–that allowed files to be compressedto a fraction of their original size and later restored,unscathed, to their previous state. He designed asimple but effective program to do this and namedit PKZip, using his own initials (and ensuring forhimself some degree of immortality in the process).

The program was a massive shareware hit, and ZIPquickly became the industry standard compressionformat. More dreamy innovator than businessman,Katz was never able to fully capitalize on his ubiq-uitous creation, and when he died on April 14, 2000,of complications from alcoholism at the age of 37,his passing was largely ignored. But his legacy liveson. Nowadays, most files downloaded from theInternet bear the suffix .zip. In fact, many of us atASQ are involed with a showdown between thelatest versions of WinZip and Netzip, the bestknown of today’s ZIP utilities. Phil, this byte’s foryou.

ObituaryObituaryObituaryObituaryObituary


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Section B:1. I am interested in metrology certification activity at the following levels:

Technician: (6) Engineer: (2) Manager: (8) Scientist: (4)

2. I have visited the MQD website recently. I would rate it a: (1 = worst; 10 = best)

1: (0) 2: (1) 3: (2) 4: (2) 5: (3) 6: (1) 7: (3) 8: (5) 9: (3) 10: (0)

I liked:• Discussion forum, because it was the only thing that worked• The available information (2)• Links• Articles from the Standard• The standards & layouts• Books area and link to Amazon.com• Articles on website and metrology talk• Attribute evaluation• Very little

I would like to see more/less of:• LESS political management issues• MORE published papers• MORE technical & research articles• MORE current information (2)• MORE ISO documentation• MORE of the good job being done by the division• LESS outdated information and cross linked messages• MORE about accreditation

COMMENTS:• I like to printout or file articles. My Netscape does not wrap all articles, only some. Can you look into this?• Would like to see our site updated• Page could not be displayed

3. I would rate the MQD “Standard” newsletter a: (1 = worst; 10 = best)

1: (0) 2: (0) 3: (2) 4: (1) 5: (4) 6: (2) 7: (10) 8: (8) 9: (10) 10: (6)

I liked:• News articles• The article on establishing metrology training• ALL• NIST news• The Contrarion Metrologist (5)• The Learning Curve (5)• Broad range of issues–theoretical, practical, informative• Anything Phil Stein writes (5)• The wide range of subjects• Events• Practical advice• The variety and balance• A2LA news update• Editor’s column• The Standards Scene• The idea of Doctor/PhD• The articles and links to other information and sources• Everything• The article on ASQ certification

I would like to see more/less of:• MORE practical applications• LESS 6 Sigma advertisement disguised as articles• MORE titles reflecting topic discussed since articles are long and not immediately to the point• MORE information on metrology techniques• MORE articles like the Learning Curve/Mech. Measurement specific articles/Gauge R&R articles• Some articles on the statistical software used or favored by the analysts


• MORE commentary• MORE ISO 17025• LESS scientific analysis• MORE business measurement topics• MORE education on different fields of equality• MORE “how to” articles• MORE published papers• MORE technical articles in uncertainty• MORE Frank Voehl• MORE case studies• MORE gage R&R methods and training seminars• LESS of Management Corner• MORE articles on practical metrology techniques, best practices• LESS articles complaining about present metrology state of affairs• MORE articles and letters to Editor• A thicker newsletter• Book reviews on metrology• MORE tutorials on ISO 25/17025• MORE uncertainty• MORE traceability• MORE job floor/lab related articles, not just concepts

COMMENTS:• It’s a great publication. Thanks!• Write it so that you don’t need a degree to understand it• Just received first copy—Appearance is dull and cheap looking

4. Have you recently (in the last year) called someone in the MQD for help? Yes: (3) No: (43)If yes, how long was it until you got a response? One answer = Days; Another answer = 8 hours

10 weeks (called F. Voehl for help)

GENERAL COMMENTS:• Just joining MQD with 2000 membership renewal!• Still waiting

Measurement Quality DivisionAmerican Society for Quality

Executive Council Meeting MinutesJanuary 20, 2000

5:30-7:30 PST

Location: Teleconference and meetingMeasurement Science ConferenceDisneyland Hotel, Anahiem, CA

Attendance: In Person:

Duane Allen–future Chair ElectChris Grachanen–Certification ChairDan Harper–Standards Committee Rep.Tom Pearson–Past ChairPhil Painchaud–Std ColumnistMark Schoenlein–ChairmanDeWayne Sharp–Newsletter EditorPhil Stein–Programs

By Phone:Don Ermer–Region 12 CouncilorRolf Schumacher–Reqion 7 Councilor

Sal Scicchitani–HistorianKarl Speitel–Auditor and Region 2 Councilor

Guests:Annie Kay Erbie-Newell-Headquarters Div. Rep.Paul Hanssen–Workplace TrainingTerrelle Wilson–Community College of AuroraBrian Slattery–Tustin Technical InstituteJim Simons–Sandia National LabsDilip Shah–E=MC3 SolutionsDonald Finney–Member


Minutes: Mark SchoenleinThe minutes from the division October 28th confer-

ence call were briefly reviewed. DeWayne motioned toaccept the minutes and the agenda. Tom seconded.The vote was unanimous for approval.

Chris Grachanen made his presentation first so thatsome of our guests could leave early. The content iscovered under Certification in the minutes.

Chairman’s Report: Mark SchoenleinMark reported that headquarters along with the

Inspection Division is fast tracking a new certificationfor the Quality Practitioner. It appears to be similar towhat is called a “Green Belt”.

The Statistics Division is getting ready to release anew publication about business process measures.Bob Mitchell has said that he would like to work closerwith the MQD.

New Business:As Mark was reviewing the various deadlines for

awards, nominations, and testimonials Phil mentionedthat the MQD also has its Max Unis award. The awardhas not been given a couple of years. There wasdiscussion about a process during which Sal agreed tofollow up on the details.

Dan Harper asked if Mel Fechner was still the NCSLrepresentative. The answer was no.

Treasurer’s Report: Steve CookMark passed out a summary of 1st half year 2000

budget requests. He asked that each functional areaand/or individual review their needs and get back tohim to get the budget firmed up.

He also reiterated about making sure to include adivision check req. form with requests for payment.

Secretary’s Report: Lowell NicodemusThe secretary was not present. Mark recorded the

minutes in writing and on tape.

Education Chair’s Report: OpenPhil Stein commented that the division should continueto do training courses like the Uncertainty pre-confer-ence tutorial he taught at the Midwest Quality Confer-ence held in, Toledo, in September of 1999. He feelsthat there is a demand for courses on varying topics.

Phil Painchaud suggested that someone talk to Dr.Gene Watson about the possibility of becoming thedivision education chair. Phil Stein volunteered toapproach him about it tomorrow.

Mark proposed that a division liaison position be cre-ated to encourage closer interaction with the schoolsand institutions involved in metrology and measure-ment education.

Auditing Chair’s Report: Karl SpeitelKarl reported that he has had no contact or involve-

ment in auditing of the division’s finances for sometime. He said he is working with Paul Bowe at head-quarters to understand what he should be doing.

The division treasurer’s manual doesn’t require thatauditing be done by a division auditor or committee.Phil Stein read the (unadopted by MQD) model divisionbylaws which say that a committee is required. Annie-Kay will send Karl a manual.

Division finance updates are being sent to thetreasurer, by headquarters, monthly.

Examining Chair’s Report: Phil Steinfor Mel Fechner

Our nominated fellow candidate Ragu Kacker fromNIST was turned down because he did not haveenough time as a senior member.

Programs Chair’s Report: OpenPhil Stein reiterated the need to get a committee

organized to plan for a Measurement Quality Confer-ence in Atlanta in the Fall of 2000.

The 2001 conference would be held jointly at NIST fortheir 100th anniversary.

Plans are set for the AQC in May 2000. Tom Pearsonwill be presenting in the MQD track on Wednesday,May 8.

Membership Chair’s Report: OpenMark has asked for a list of MSC attendees. There

appears to be an increased interest by the conference’smilitary attendees in the commercial metrology field,especially around standards. This is a sector that thedivision has not done much with. Annie-Kay stated thatheadquarters might be able to help with a mailing tothese folks.

Vice Chair for Regions Report: MarkSchoenleinMark reported that he has received 10 phone calls inthe last 3 months. He requested that Annie-Kay workwith the headquarters, service call center, to get thecalls referred to the Regional Councilors.

Sal reported that he is working with the GTC to studyhow to better serve the membership.

Newsletter Editor’s Report: DeWayneSharp

The Winter 2000 issue was mailed late to ASQ forprinting. A self stamped interest survey was included.The next deadline is 3/15/00 for the Spring issue.


Website Manager’s Report: OpenMark reported that he has approached George

MacRitchie, Region 10 Councilor, to help with the site.

Historian’s Report: Sal ScicchitaniDan asked about guidelines for what materials to

save.

Standard’s Committee Representative:Dan Harper

Dan will submit a written report.

Certification Chair’s Report: Chris GrachanenChris reported out on the formation of the commit-

tee to work on the development of a Metrology Techni-cian (unofficial) certification. He reported that there is aneed for certification first based on current industry andmilitary trends and that there has been overwhelmingsupport for the project. The completion and presenta-tion of a written proposal to the chair of the ASQcertification board is targeted for either the May orNovember Biannual meeting.

An initial investment of $20,000 in non-refundedfunding from the MQD would be required up-front to getstarted. The first step would be to contract an outsidefirm to undertake a job analysis by 1st quarter of 2001.Chris mentioned that it would be a good idea to take alook at the analysis and proposal done for the CQTbefore starting. He is also gathering information aboutpast DOD training programs, an job NSF study, andcourses being provided by post secondary educationinstitutions. It was also suggested that some of theother divisions may want to become involved in thecommittee.

Chris would like to use the MQD website to solicitcomments in an endeavor to collect information for aBOK and potential questions. There was some con-cern about facilitating input on the site, due to theabsence of a webmaster. Phil suggested that BillCaste, who is currently hosting the MQD site, might beable to help.

Chris asked for approval for travel expenses toprepare for and present to the Certification Committee.Phil Stein made a motion to approve $2,500 for thoseexpenses. Sal seconded. All approved.

Regional Councilor’s Reports : AllRegion 2: Karl Speitel-received 1 call recentlyRegion 7: Rolf Schmacher-received 1 call recentlyRegion 11: Ray Perham (by email)-no activityRegion 12: Don Ermer-no activity

Past Chair and Nominating Chair Report:Tom Pearson

Mark passed out the list of GTC nominees for 2000/2001 National Directors. Sal mentioned that some

divisions may already have a director on the board. Thenames were read and votes tallied. The candidatesselected were Donald Ermer, Kymm Hockman, MichaelMurphy, and Bill Sherman. Phil Stein moved to acceptthe selections, Dan seconded, all approved. The re-sults were sent to headquarters on 1/27/00.

Division officers nominations were due the day afterthe meeting. Duane Allen volunteered to be Chair-Elect.

Next Meeting:The next MQD meeting and conference call will be

from the AQC on May 5th with the time to be announced.Update: this meeting was cancelled but the officers didmeet informally. A follow up conference call was heldon May 22.

Adjournment:Phil Stein motioned to adjourn. Dan seconded. All

approved.

Measurement ScienceConference

Measurements in a Global Economy isthe theme for the annual conference thatwill be held in Anaheim, CA on January18 and 19, 2000.

Review details on http://www.msc-conf.com/.


Membership Report

Monthly MQD CommitteeConference Calls

To improve communication and planning, a confer-ence call has been scheduled for the 2nd Wednesday ofeach month.

Time: 2:00 pm Eastern Daylight TimeNumber: 1-877-233-7852

Code: 329178

Division meetings and conference calls may also bescheduled during some of the upcoming conferences.Watch for announcements.

stnevEgnimocpUtnatropmIecnerefnoC setaD noitacoL rebmuNtcatnoC

1002CSM 1002/91-81/1 AC,miehanA 0837-748-417

1002CQA 1002/9-7/5 CN,ettolrahC 6491-842-008-1

1002LSCN 1002/2/8-92/7 CD,notgnihsaW 9333-044-303

TSIN/DQM 1002llaF CD,notgnihsaW 0254-968-103


Measurement Quality Division OfficersChairDuane Allen .................. U.S. Navy, P.O. Box 5000, Code MS11, Corona, CA 92878-5000 909-273-4783 V

e-mail: [email protected] 909-273-4599 FPast ChairmanMark Schoenlein ........... Owens Illinois Plastics Group, One SeaGAte 29L-PP, Toledo, OH 43666 419-247-7285 B

e-mail: [email protected] 419-247-8770 FChair ElectOpen

Vice Chair for RegionsOpen

TreasurerColleen Gadbois ........... 535 N.W. 112th Ave., Portland, OR 97229-6116 503-646-1380 V

e-mail: [email protected] 503-646-1380 FSecretaryOpen

AuditingKarl F. Speitel ................ 14 Kalleston Drive, Pittsford, NY 14534 716-385-838 H

CertificationChristopher L. Grachanen ..... Manager, Standards Engineering

P.O. Box 692000 MS070110, Houston, TX 77269-2000 281-518-8486 BCompaq Computer Corporation, Corporate Metrology 281-518-7275 Fe-mail: [email protected]

ProgramsDuane Allen .................. MSC 2001Norm Belecki ................. Fall Conference 2001

MembershipOpen

EducationThomas A. Pearson ...... Automated Technology Associates 317-271-9545 ext. 224 B

1635 Expo Lane, Indianapolis, IN 46214 317-271-7974 Fe-mail: [email protected]

PublicationsJ.L. Madrigal .................. Oxford Worldwide Group 801-374-1790 B

1045 South Orem Blvd., Orem, UT 84058 801-374-1790 Fe-mail: [email protected]

Newsletter EditorFrank Voehl ................... St. Lucie Press, 280 Lake Drive, Coconut Creek, FL 33066 954-972-3012 B

e-mail: [email protected] 954-978-0643 FHistorianS.D. (Sal) Scicchitani .... 203 Golf Club Drive, Langhorne, PA 19047

Standards Committee RepresentativeDan J. Harper ................ 535 N.W. 112th Ave., Portland, OR 97229-6116 503-646-1380 H

e-mail: [email protected] 503-646-1380 FKathy Hoath

NCSL RepresentativeOpenSimmons ScholarshipNorm Belecki ................. 7413 Mill Run Dr., Deerwood, MD 20855-1156 301-869-4520 H

[email protected] ManagerGeorge A. MacRitchie ... Benchmark Technologies 419-843-6691 B

e-mail: [email protected] 419-843-7218 FPlease notify the editor of any errors or changes so that this list can be updated.


REGIONAL COUNCILORSRegion 1Joseph Califano , Hemagen Diagnos-tics, Inc., 40 Bear Hill Road, Waltham,MA 02154 • (417) 890-3766, FAX (617)890-3748

Region 2Karl F. Speitel , 14 Kalleston Drive,Pittsford, NY 14534 • (716) 385-1838

Region 3Eduardo M. Heidelberg , CarterWallace, 61 Kendall Dr., Parlin, NJ08859 • (609) 655-6521, FAX (609)655-6736

Region 4Alex Lau , Imperial Oil, 111 St. ClairAve W, Toronto, Ont, Canada M5W-1K3 • (416) 968-4654, FAX (416) 968-5560, E-mail: [email protected]

Region 5Open

Region 6J.L. Madrigal , Brigham Young Univ.,Dept of Statistics, BYU, 222 TMCB,Provo, UT 84602 • (801) 378-7357,FAX (801) 378-5722, E-mail: [email protected]

Region 7Rolf B.F. Schumacher , Coast QualityMetrology Systems, Inc., 35 Vista DelPonto, San Clemente, CA 92672-3122• (949) 492-6321, FAX (949) 492-6321

Region 8Frank Weingard , Actco Metrology Ser-vices, 202, Westview Dr. Meadville, PA16335 • (800) 382-0393, FAX (814)337-8288, E-mail:[email protected]

Region 9Dr. Henrik S. Nielson , HN MetrologyConsulting, Inc., 5230 Nob Lane, India-napolis, IN 46226 • (317) 377-0378voice and fax, E-mail: [email protected]

Region 10George A. MacRitchie , CQE, PE,Benchmark Technologies Corp., 3161N. Republic Blvd., Toledo, OH 43615-1507 • (419) 843-6691, FAX (419) 843-7218, E-mail: [email protected]

Region 11Raymond Perham , Michelin Tire Corp.,Rt 4 Antioch Church, P.O. Box 2846,Greenville, SC 29605 • (864) 458-1425,FAX (864) 458-1807, E-mail:[email protected], orhome E-mail: [email protected]

Region 12Donald Ermer , University of Wiscon-sin Madison, 240 Mechanical Engineer-ing Bldg., 1513 University Avenue,Madison, WI 53706-1572 • (608) 262-2557

Region 13Open

Region 14Chuck Carter , C.L. Carter, Jr. & Asso-ciates, Inc. 1211 Glen Cove Drive,Richardson, TX 75080 • (972) 234-3296, FAX (972) 234-3296

Region 15Bryan Miller , Champion International,Inc., P.O. Box 189, Courtland, AL 35816• (205) 637-6735, FAX (205) 637-5202

Region 25Open

REGIONAL MAP

Please notify the editor of any errors or changes so that this list can be updated.

Non-ProfitOrganizationU.S. Postage

PAIDMilwaukee, WI

Permit No. 5419

The STANDARDThe STANDARDThe STANDARDThe STANDARDThe STANDARD

American Society for Quality

Measurement Quality Division

Fall 2000

American Society for QualityMeasurement Quality Division

611 E. Wisconsin AveP.O. Box 3005

Milwaukee, WI 53201-3005

TIME VALUED MATERIAL

The Newsletter of the Measurement Quality Division

American Society for Quality