CELEBRATING QUALITY
Laboratory Quality Management Conference 2015
Sheila Woodcock, ART, MBA, FCSMLS(D)
QSE Consulting Inc
ISO 8402/9000 DEFINITION
The totality of features and characteristics of a product or service that bears its ability to satisfy stated or implied needs
OTHER DEFINITIONS
The standard of something as measured against other things of a similar kind, the degree of excellence of somethingOxford dictionary
Quality is an outcome - a characteristic of a product or service provided to a customer and the hallmark of an organization which has satisfied all of its stakeholders. Chartered Quality Institute
MANAGING ORGANIZATIONAL QUALITYCentral to an organization achieving these aims are: The development and implementation of an effective system of
governance: ensuring “management intent” is clearly defined through policies and processes; and ensuring “management intent” is fit-for-purpose with respect to the many stakeholder requirements (reflected in legislation, required external standards, shareholder / trustee requirements, customer and supplier requirements, employee requirements etc)
A commitment to assurance, both of how work is being carried out (i.e. process assurance) and the outputs being generated (i.e. product/ service/project assurance)
Embedding a culture of continuous evaluation and improvement through the use of qualitative and quantitative measures, root cause analysis and adoption of effective improvement techniques
PHILIP CROSBY – QUALITY GURU
Quality is meeting the requirementsQuality is doing it right, the first timeThe performance standard is zero defectsThe measure of quality is the cost of non-compliance (cost of
poor quality)
Quality Management is the structure of elements that allows an operation to achieve Quality.
THE ROLE OF STANDARDS
Fitness for purpose
Interchangeability
Variety reduction
Compatibility
Health and safety
Environmental protection
Better utilization of resources
Better communication and understanding
Enable transfer of technology
Removal of trade barriers
Primary aims of standardization:
ISO FAMILY OF QM STANDARDS
Testing or
Calibration Laboratory
ClinicalLaboratory
Industry
Environment
ISO 9000 QUALITY MANAGEMENT PRINCIPLES
Customer focusLeadershipEngagement of peopleProcess approachContinual improvementEvidence-based decision makingRelationship management
BENEFITS OF STANDARDSFor manufacturers, standards:
Rationalize the process.Eliminate or reduce wasteful material or labour.Reduce inventories of both raw material and finished products. Reduce costs
For customers, standards:Assure the quality of goods purchased and services received. Provide better value for money.Are convenient for settling disputes, if any, with suppliers.
BENEFITS OF STANDARDSCONTINUED
For traders, standards:Provide a workable basis for acceptance or rejection of goods or consequential disputes, if any. Minimize delays, correspondence, etc., resulting from
inaccurate or incomplete specification of materials or products. For technologists, standards:
Provide starting points for research and development for further improvement of goods and services.
EXAMPLES FROM BUSINESSES
Posting number of days accident freeBanners announcing ISO certification Slogans
INTERNAL RECOGNITION
Small, simple, effective Employee of the month recognition From a lab monthly newsletter: Congratulations to Dxxx from
RGH – your suggestion was the winner and I will be sending you a $25 Tim Horton’s Gift card!
Immediate feedback or recognition - examples from UBC LQM participants
“…. We use an internal computer announcement format called the Quality Applause, which congratulates a department and details the quality initiative, or client (physician, patient, staff member) letter, pointing out their experience within our corporation. This announcement is sent to all employees internally, via e-mail. It is a wonderful way of sharing and spreading recognition.”
“…our Hospital does have this program and it is celebrated in the form of selecting one employee every month for his excellent compliance with quality and giving him a Certificate and some cash prize. He can be a staff of Lab or any other department. His selection is done by the Hospital Quality Department based on their surveillance”
“I work in the Core lab at the larger site and during our lab meetings, the Team Leaders do congratulate the entire staff on feedback re: EQA samples, resulting and reporting of critical results to the appropriate area in the required time frame, as well as keeping a positive attitude during stressful times.”
“One on one positive feedback to staff has resulted in increase in staff confidence and self esteem. In some cases staff have remembered my recognition of their ideas years after I gave it and I am a Quality Specialist (non management). When the positive feedback is given by my Quality Manager or one of the Executive the effect is exponential. The important part is making the recognition meaningful”
EXTERNAL RECOGNITION
Professional organization awards and recognition CSMLS
CLSI
CSA and SCC
Provincial societies
Accreditation and certificationQuality programs and courses
QUALITY AWARDS
National awards Excellence Canada Malcolm Baldridge National Quality Award recognizing performance
excellence – U.S. Deming Prize - Japan
Provincial awards BC Quality Awards - Patient Safety and Quality Council Quality Healthcare Workplace Awards (ON) NS Health Authority Quality Awards – modeled after the 3M Health
Care Quality Team Awards, Canadian College of Health Leaders
CELEBRATING ACCOMPLISHMENTS
Small wins and happenings need to be celebrated as soon as possible, either individually or as a group
Bigger wins or events may take more time to plan the celebration Successful accreditation Medical laboratory week - April Healthcare Quality Week – October World Standards Day – October 14th (or closest day)
WORLD QUALITY MONTH - NOVEMBER
National Quality Month (NQM) is a public awareness campaign that encourages business, industry, government, and academia to focus on the strategic importance of quality and continuous improvement.
WORLD QUALITY DAY
Purpose is to promote awareness of quality around the world and to encourage individuals' development and organizations' prosperity.
First promulgated by the United Nations in 1990, World Quality Day aims to raise international awareness of the important role quality plays in ensuring nations' prosperity.
In the UK, Chartered Quality Institute (CQI) will celebrate World Quality Day with events from November 11-15. The South African Quality Institute also celebrates National Quality Week annually.
2nd Thursday of the monthNov 12, 2015
Recognizing and celebrating quality can only serve to improve quality, will you change anything?
There are many opportunities to celebrate, one of the biggest is coming up – World Quality Day November 12th
SUMMARY