Thursday - September 24, 2009
Professional Development Meeting

Our meeting on the 24th of September will be at Radisson Hotel for one time. We will move back to the Holiday Inn Select, at 1655 N. Central Expressway, Richardson 75081 for the October 22 meeting.

Radisson Hotel
981 N. Central Expressway
Richardson, TX 75080
(972) 644-4000

The Leadership Team is excited about our list of presenters and topics we've been able to get for this year. Please come visit with us.

PD Topic: The Quality of the "Made in China" Brand – What It May Mean for ASQ

Abstract: China has about 20% of the world’s population but only 6% of the world’s gross domestic product or GDP, the total market value of goods and services produced by workers.  The US, on the other hand, has 4.6% of the world’s population and it produces 25% of the world’s GDP, four times larger than China.  Yet during 2008, the US had a negative $268 billion balance of trade with China and as of January 2009, mainland China owned 24% of the US’s $9.9 trillion in national debt.  Clearly, the economies of China and the US are interdependent.  At the same time the world is experiencing massive globalization.

Yet during the past three years the “Made in China” brand has taken big hits from excessive amounts of lead in toys, heaters found to overload and smoke, bad wiring in fans, dangerous candles, dryers with electrocution hazard, improperly flammable lights, defective and dangerous tires, tainted seafood, poisonous toothpaste, and the highly publicized tainted milk scandal.  39,965 Chinese children visited clinics due to illnesses induced by the chemical melamine found in milk and 21 Chinese dairy producers were implicated including the three largest:  Yili, China Mengnio, and Bright Dairy and Food.  Has all this so diminished the brand it can’t recover or is it but chinks in the brand’s armor and enough is being done to improve quality?

This presentation will enlighten ASQ members about myths and truths about the quality of the “Made in China” brand along with an outlook and insightful characteristics about China’s economy, workforce, and governmental standards.  In addition, because ASQ has created a China “footprint” via ASQ China, ASQ Dallas members will also be briefed about why and how ASQ is focusing on China.  Much of this talk will be based on the author’s six months experience working in Shanghai and Shenzhen during 2008.  Attendees will leave with fresh knowledge about the quality of so many products they buy every day from Wal-Marts across the USA.

 

Speaker: Michael English

Michael is one of three founding partners of Best Practices Benchmarking & Consulting LLC, a research driven, management consulting, and publishing firm that is a world-leader in the field of best practice benchmarking.  Between 1972 and 1998 as a manager ascending to executive positions of increasing responsibility, Michael passionately “pushed the envelope” towards achieving the highest levels of customer-focused, business performance excellence results for GTE Corp, now Verizon.  This journey led Michael to master applications of customer satisfaction measurement, Baldrige Criteria assessments, self-directed teaming, ISO/TL 9000, managing by process, unconditional service guarantees, customer relationship management, benchmarking, supplier performance report cards, and leveraging intellectual capital.

As director of quality and customer service, Michael led GTE Telephone Operations’ 1989 Malcolm Baldrige Award application and site visit teams and then he shaped the TQM system of GTE Directories, playing a key role when that GTE company won the 1994 Baldrige Award.  He served four-years as a Baldrige examiner (1993-96) and participated in three site visits.  During 1995, he co-chaired the GTE team that researched and developed a master plan for continuously improving all the key processes of GTE Telephone Operations and in 1996 did the first ISO9000 certification of special services.  During 1998, Michael accepted a retirement package ending his 26-year GTE career just before GTE merged with Bell Atlantic to form Verizon Telecom.

Tutorial Topic: 5S/Visual Workplace – A Fundamental LEAN Tool

Abstract: This tutorial will present an introduction to the fundamental LEAN tool of 5S/Visual Workplace.  We will review its importance as a foundation to build on, purpose and “how to get started” as well as some real life examples.

Speaker: Mike Bottoms

Mike has been a member of the American Society for Quality since 2004 and an active member of Section 1402 since 2007. He has served as PD Chair and Tutorial Chair for this section over last 2 years. He is currently a Certified Six Sigma Black Belt and working as a Six Sigma Senior Black Belt and Operational Excellence Manager for the CertainTeed Corporation. Mike current oversees Six Sigma projects and Operational Excellence programs at 4 plants in Southern US.