Blogs

August 2024 Columbia Basin ASQ Newslettr

By Jo Haberstok posted yesterday
The August 2024 Columbia Basin ASQ newsletter is now available. We are still officially on “summer break” from holding any section meetings this month, but we are already taking reservations for our September 14 Site Visit to Ice Harbor Brewery in Kennewick. Space is limited, so be sure to sign up soon. There are several virtual meetings and webinars being offered by other ASQ divisions and organizations this month – lots of opportunities for learning and growing! And remember… Recertification Units (RUs) can be earned for participating in meetings/events, viewing your monthly free member gifts, or by serving in a section leadership ...

August is National Wellness Month

By Jo Haberstok posted yesterday
AUGUST IS NATIONAL WELLNESS MONTH The American Psychological Association’s dictionary entry states that wellness is a “ dynamic state of physical, mental, and social well-being.” However, the creator of the wellness model with eight dimensions, Margaret Swarbrick, suggested a more nuanced and practical definition: “ A conscious, deliberate process that requires a person to become aware of and make choices for a more satisfying lifestyle.” Based on Swarbrick’s eight dimensions, here are some key aspects of wellness: Physical Wellness : Maintaining a healthy body through regular exercise, proper nutrition, and adequate sleep are ...

August 20 - Medical Device Division Hybrid Webinar: "Guerilla Tactics for Quality Leadership"

By Jo Haberstok posted yesterday
Check out this hybrid/virtual webinar on August 20 from ASQ's Medical Device Division GUERILLA TACTICS FOR QUALITY LEADERSHIP: GETTING THINGS DONE WITHOUT FORMAL AUTHORITY Hybrid ASQ Medical Device Division Webinar August 20 from 8:00 am to 10:00 am PDT The term “guerilla tactics” may conjure images of ragtag armed fighters skulking about the jungle to ambush a better outfitted target. Obviously, that’s not what this workshop is about when it comes to changing your organization’s culture around quality. A better definition in this context, paraphrased from Google’s Dictionary, is that of a member of a small independent ...

August 9 - Six Sigma Forum Virtual Webinar: " Are You Attracted to the Lure of Using AI?"

By Jo Haberstok posted yesterday
Check out this virtual webinar with ASQ's Six Sigma Forum on August 9! ARE YOU ATTRACTED TO THE LURE OF USING AI? ASQ Six Sigma Forum Virtual Webinar August 9 from 9:00 am to 10:00 am PDT In case you missed the incredibly popular and highly rated session from the 2024 Lean Six Sigma conference, here is your chance to experience it. The lure of Artificial Intelligence (AI) exists in many facets of our lives-- both personally and professionally. AI is often involved in one of the top news stories of the day. Just the mention of AI in a business report makes stock prices leap. But really - how good is AI? ...

August 6 - Virtual Webinar (ASQ Inspection Division) "Modeling & Reducing Variation in Product Development and Manufacturing"

By Jo Haberstok posted yesterday
Check out this Virtual Webinar on August 6! MODELING AND REDUCING VARIATION IN PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT AND MANUFACTURING ASQ Inspection Division Virtual Webinar August 6 from 4:00 pm to 5:30 pm PDT Engineers are taught to create designs that meet customer specifications. When doing so, the focus is usually on the nominal values rather than variation. We need designs that are insensitive to variability in the inputs; for example, an engineer choosing nominal values for the resistors in a voltage divider that minimizes the variation of the output voltage. Much of the literature on robustness is dedicated to experimental ...

Thinking about Taking a Certification Exam?

By Jo Haberstok posted yesterday
PREPARING FOR ASQ CERTIFICATION EXAMS Are you considering getting certified through ASQ? Not sure which exam to pursue? ASQ offers several options and resources to help individuals prepare for exams, including books and training. The Certification Pathway Tool is a great place to start. Answer a few questions about your field(s) of interest (e.g., Management, Foundational Quality, Engineering, Six Sigma, Auditing, Inspector/Technician), educational background, and years of work experience, and it will show/suggest the ASQ certification(s) that you may be eligible to apply for.

July 2024 Columbia Basin ASQ Newsletter

By Jo Haberstok posted 27 days ago
The July 2024 Columbia Basin ASQ newsletter is now available. We are officially on “summer break” from holding any section meetings in July and August. Keep checking our website for information about future meetings/events. There are several virtual meetings and webinars being offered by other ASQ divisions and organizations this month – lots of opportunities for learning and growing. NOTE: We have rescheduled our section’s site visit to Ice Harbor Brewery in Kennewick to September 14 – be sure to check out the announcement in the newsletter (and make your reservations soon)! And remember… Recertification Units (RUs) can ...

June 1 Site Visit Cancelled due to Low Registration - Bummer!

By Jo Haberstok posted 06/07/24
Hopefully we will be able to reschedule and more folks will sign up next time! This sure was disappointing - despite advance marketing to a wide audience, we had to cancel our planned Site Visit/Tour at Ice Harbor Brewery in Kennewick on June 1. Perhaps it was due to a number of other events/activities on the same date? It doesn't seem possible that the number of registrations received for this event was so low because of the location or the opportunity to tour the brewery in their new facility and to learn more about their quality philosophy. We are definitely going to try to reschedule this site visit for another time - possibly in September or October ...

Columbia Basin ASQ Awarded Silver PEP Recognition for 2023 Activities and Accomplishment

By Jo Haberstok posted 05/29/24
COLUMBIA BASIN ASQ RECOGNIZED FOR 2023 SECTION ACCOMPLISHMENTS We are pleased (and very proud!) to share the following message! May 8 Message received from the ASQ Performance Excellence Program (PEP) Committee On behalf of the Performance Excellence Program (PEP) committee, we want to thank you for all the hard work of your leadership team over the past year (CY 2023) to support your members and ASQ overall. We are pleased to announce that the Columbia Basin Section has received the SILVER award recognition for 2023. The PEP award program was created to recognize Member Units for excellent performance that reinforces ASQ’s thought ...

"Beer's the Thing!" June 1 Columbia Basin ASQ Site Visit/Tour at Ice Harbor Brewery

By Jo Haberstok posted 05/29/24
Columbia Basin ASQ Section 0614 Site Visit Date: Saturday, June 1, 2024 Check-in: 1:50 pm PDT Tour Starts at 2:00 pm PDT Note: Following the tour, everyone is invited to meet in the Pub for a late no-host lunch and socializing/networking. There is no charge for attendance, but space is limited, and registration is required by May 29. Send an email to denise.clements@aecom.com . “BEER’S THE THING” Site Visit to Ice Harbor Brewery 10 East Bruneau Avenue – Kennewick, Washington Join us on Saturday, June 1, for a tour of Ice Harbor Brewery. Russ Corey, Brewer Emeritus, will ...

June 2024 Columbia Basin ASQ Newsletter

By Jo Haberstok posted 05/29/24
Our Columbia Basin ASQ June 2024 Newsletter is now available, here or in our Library.

May 2024 Columbia Basin ASQ Newsletter

By Jo Haberstok posted 05/29/24
Our May 2024 section newsletter is now available, here or in our Library.

EPRI: Enduring, Accelerating, and Collaborating with Others - May 15 Columbia Basin Virtual Meeting

By Jo Haberstok posted 04/26/24
Hope you will join us on May 15 for this meeting and presentation! Columbia Basin ASQ Section 0614 Virtual Meeting & Presentation (as part of ASQ Pacific Region) Date: Wednesday, May 15, 2024 Time: 6:00 pm to 7:30 pm PDT There is no charge for attendance, but registration is required by May 12. Send an email to denise.clements@aecom.com . EPRI: Enduring, Accelerating, and Collaborating with Others Presenter: Jessica Lemieux Program Manager, Nuclear Quality Management Electrical Power Research ...

April 2024 Columba Basin ASQ Newsletter

By Jo Haberstok posted 03/28/24
The April 2024 Columbia Basin ASQ newsletter is now available. Be sure to sign up for our April 16 virtual section meeting. Steve Prevette will present “ Applying Dr. Deming’s Methods in the Workplace.” There are also virtual meetings and webinars being offered by other ASQ divisions and organizations this month – check them out! And remember… Recertification Units (RUs) can be earned for participating in meetings/events, viewing your monthly free member gifts, or by serving in a section leadership or team member role.

Applying Dr. Deming's Methods in the Workplace - April 16 2024 Columbia Basin ASQ Virtual Meeting

By Jo Haberstok posted 03/27/24
Join us on April 16 for this virtual meeting/presentation! Date: Tuesday, April 16, 2024 Time: 6:00 pm to 7:30 pm PDT There is no charge for attendance, but registration is required by April 13. Send an email to denise.clements@aecom.com . Applying Dr. Deming’s Methods in the Workplace Presenter: Steve Prevette Instructor, ASQ Fellow & CQE For many years managers have jumped from one “new” leadership theory to another. At one time, W. Edwards Deming was preeminent in the field of quality, and in many circles, ...

Save the Date! April 16 - "Applying Dr. Deming's Methods in the Workplace"

By Jo Haberstok posted 03/21/24
The full announcement will be posted soon, but here's a sneak preview. Our Columbia Basin ASQ section's April 16 virtual meeting will feature presenter Steve Prevette and the topic "Applying Dr. Deming's Methods in the Workplace." Attendees will be introduced to Dr. Deming's System of Profound Knowledge. This is an interesting mix of the "hard side" such as statistical analysis and understanding systems, with the "soft side" of psychology and culture. We will discuss how Statistical Process Control interacts with Human Performance, Theory of Knowledge (how do I know what I know) with Operational Definitions and System Thinking. Steve will relate ...

Join us March 27 for "Nuclear Quality Audits & Assessments: Sharing Resources for Quality Success"

By Jo Haberstok posted 03/05/24
Columbia Basin ASQ Section 0614 Virtual Meeting As part of ASQ Pacific Region Date: Wednesday, March 27, 2024 Time: 6:00 pm to 7:30 pm PST There is no charge for attendance, but registration is required by March 24. Nuclear Quality Audits and Assessments: Sharing Resources for Quality Success Presenter: Katrina Anderson NIAC Steering Committee Audit Checklist Chair Nuclear Quality Manager, AECOM The Nuclear Industry Assessment Committee (NIAC) was established in 1994 by nuclear industry quality professionals. ...

2023 Section Activities Recap - and 2024 Plans

By Jo Haberstok posted 02/28/24
2023 COLUMBIA BASIN ASQ SECTION RECAP – AND 2024 PLANS by Jo Haberstok We submitted our Annual Report to ASQ last month, in which we provide information about how we did in the past year. This includes membership/recruiting, meetings, our myASQ Community site, and more. Here is a recap of our 2023 activities/efforts. Membership/Recruiting Efforts: Membership in our section declined just slightly last year. This is due in part to retirements and relocations. On the bright side, however, we gained six (6) new members! Meetings/Offering Learning Opportunities: We held eight (8) virtual (via MS Teams) meetings and ...

February 2024 Newsletter

By Jo Haberstok posted 02/06/24
The F ebruary 2024 Columbia Basin ASQ newsletter is now available. Be sure to RSVP by February 18 for the ASQ Pacific Region virtual section meeting on February 21 – our section is hosting this meeting, which features Dr. Oliver Perez and the topic " Artificial Intelligence (AI) in Supply Chain Including Quality Control and Systems ." Information is also available about several other ASQ sections' and organizations' meetings in February – check them out, too!

Join us February 21 as we host a Pacific Region ASQ event: "AI in Supply Chain including Quality Control and Systems"

By Jo Haberstok posted 02/06/24
As part of our region's 2024 plan to offer a number of regional meetings/events, our Columbia Basin section will be hosting this virtual meeting/presentation in February. Hope you can join us! ASQ Pacific Region Virtual Meeting Hosted by Columbia Basin ASQ 0614 Section (via MS Teams) - Please RSVP by February 18 to denise.clements@aecom.com Date: Wednesday, February 21, 2024 Time: 6:00 pm to 7:30 pm PST Artificial Intelligence (AI) in Supply Chain including Quality Control and Systems Presenter: Dr. Oliver Perez, PMP, CSBB Senior Director of Engineering, Edwards ...