Resources

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| Baldrige National Quality Award | Books | Education | General Quality | ISO 9000 | Lean Enterprise | Six Sigma for Service | Standards |

Baldrige National Quality Award

The Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award represents the culmination of decades of effort to improve organizational performance and US competitiveness. The Baldrige criteria comprise a national management system standard for performance excellence. Congress passed legislation in 2005 to expand the Baldrige Award categories to Not-for-Profit organizations. They now join Manufacturing, Service, Small Business, Education, and Healthcare categories. This now makes every organization in the country eligible to compete for the Baldrige Award as a role-model organization.

Baldrige National Quality Program Website
Baldrige National Quality Program promotes and recognizes organizational performance excellence.
Maryland Performance Excellence Awards
The purpose of this awards program is two-fold. First, the awards identify, recognize, and spotlight role model organizations whose performance is worthy of emulation. Second, and perhaps more importantly, the award application process encourages organizations to learn and improve. Through conducting self-assessment, an essential step in preparing the award application, and by utilizing the written feedback report, which all applicants receive, the awards process helps applicants improve the way they manage their organization.
National Institute for Standards and Technology Website
An agency of the U.S. Department of Commerce's Technology Administration, NIST's primary mission is to promote U.S. economic growth by working with industry to develop and apply technology, measurements, and standards. NIST administers the Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award program.
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Books

The following books make great references for learning about quality methodologies, practices and techniques.

Click on the book title to order directly from Amazon.com.

Automated Software Testing
Book Description

The book "Automated Software Testing" published by Addison Wesley addresses the challenge for today's software professionals, who are faced with real schedule deadlines, and need to introduce, manage and perform automated testing on a project. The book, authored by local area residents Elfriede Dustin and Jeff Rashka, addresses the introduction, management and performance of automated testing.
Effective Software Testing
Book Description

The book "Effective Software Testing: 50 Specific Ways to Improve Your Testing" (Addison Wesley) provides experienced-based practices and key concepts that can be used by an organization to implement a successful and efficient testing program. The book, authored by local area residents Elfriede Dustin and Jeff Rashka, provides a distilled collection of techniques and discussions that can be directly applied by software personnel to improve their products, and to avoid making costly mistakes and oversights.
Juran's Quality Control Handbook
Book Description

This is a Quality classic and "must have" for any quality professional. For decades, Juran's Quality Handbook has been the one essential reference in quality management and engineering—the ultimate authoritative source of answers on quality applications, procedures, techniques, and strategies. Now this Fifth Edition—a major revision and the first new edition.
Quality Web Systems
Book Description

The book “Quality Web Systems” addresses the key success factors of quality web systems to include: functionality, ease of use, compatibility with a variety of browsers, security, and system performance and scalability. The book is published by Addison Wesley and authored by local area residents Elfriede Dustin and Jeff Rashka. The book offers a guide to performing test execution using several leading automated test tools. Also provided is a detailed comparison of tools offered by vendors such as Mercury, Rational, Segue, Compuware and Empirix.
The Road Map to Software Engineering: A Standards-Based Guide
Book Description
The Road Map to Software Engineering: A Standards-Based Guide organizes relevant IEEE software and systems standards using two frameworks: the SWEBOK Guide's topical knowledge areas and the widely used IEEE/EIA 12207 standard. This useful guide is endorsed and recommended by the Software and Systems Engineering Standards Committee of the IEEE Computer Society for both practitioners and students.
W. Edwards Deming "Out of the Crisis"
Book Description
Presents the assertion that America needs a new style of management and of governmental relations with industry. A reprint of the 1986 version, based on W. Edwards Deming's 14 Points For Management. Offers a theory about why current management has gone wrong and what to replace it with. Softcover. DLC: Industrial management.

About the Author
W. Edwards Deming (1900-1993) was an international consultant in quality and productivity management. In 1987 President Ronald Reagan awarded him the National Medal of Technology.
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Education

This page provides a list of educational institutions that provide degrees in the quality field. Click on the institution name to go to their website.

California State University
The master of science in quality assurance offered by the California State University provides coursework on the Internet for career advancement in quality, engineering, science, management, healthcare and government institutions. Students have the opportunity to customize their program of study to include areas of professional interest.
Continuous Quality Improvement Server
The Continuous Quality Improvement Server includes the Deming electronic network, community quality electronic network and public sector network, all of which support quality improvement and education in quality. Maintained by the Clemson University Department of Industrial Engineering, most files in this server may be freely distributed.
GradSchools.com
Quality/reliability is included under engineering and technology programs in this useful listing of graduate schools both within and outside the United States. The search engine allows you to narrow down your search by geographic area and find distance education programs. The listings include contact numbers and brief descriptions of programs and degrees offered. Programs can be contacted by e-mail directly from the site.
Kennedy-Western University
The Bachelor of Science and Master of Science in Quality Control programs at Kennedy-Western University comprehensively address SQC and TQM through courses in statistical and industrial quality control; quality engineering and management; quality functions within organizations; and ISO 9000 quality standards.
National Graduate School
The National Graduate School, which focuses on measurable systems management, offers a master's degree in quality systems management. Coursework is completed over 12 months during which students are required to complete a project that achieves tangible results for their employers. The site provides details on the program, course offerings and application procedures.
SearchForClasses - Quality Control Degrees
SearchForClasses is a source to research online and on-campus college degrees. Selecting the ideal career and educational paths are among your most important life choices. This site offers information on hundreds of on-campus and online programs, plus valuable tools to help you sort through and identify the best program for your needs. Bachelor degrees, MBAs, and other college certification programs can be easily browsed and searched.
Thomas B. Fordham Foundation
The Thomas B. Fordham Foundation promotes excellence in elementary and secondary education and improvements in teacher quality. The site describes the work of the foundation, its grant process and available publications. It also lists books on the subject.
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General Quality

This category is used when none of the other topics are sufficient.

North Carolina State University - Industrial Extension Service
The Industrial Extension Service, the first of its kind in the United States, was established in 1955 to help North Carolina industries grow and prosper. More than 50 years later, our mission is still the same.
Quality Digest Magazine Website
Quality Digest – a magazine dedicated to all aspects of quality management, includes some free searches for non-subscribers.
The W. Edwards Deming Institute®
The W. Edwards Deming Institute® is a nonprofit organization that was founded in 1993 by noted consultant Dr. W. Edwards Deming.

The aim of the Institute is to foster understanding of The Deming System of Profound Knowledge™ to advance commerce, prosperity and peace.

Participation in The W. Edwards Deming Institute® means that we share Dr. Deming's vision of a better world. We participate because we strive, with joy, to carry on the work that he began. We seek to conduct ourselves in a manner consistent with his high moral and ethical standards, professional and personal integrity, and commitment to lifelong learning. We do this solely from our dedication to the philosophy and values of Dr. Deming and our belief that together, with humility, we can and will make a difference in the quality of life for everyone.
U.S. Senate Productivity and Quality Award for Virginia (SPQA)
The U.S. Senate Productivity and Quality Award for Virginia (SPQA) is the Commonwealth’s premier awards program for performance excellence. For over 20 years, the SPQA performance excellence criteria have been used by hundreds of Virginia organizations to stay abreast of competition and to improve performance. Today’s business and government environment make it imperative that organizations focus on current challenges: openness and transparency in governance and ethics, the need to create value for customers, the challenge of rapid innovation, and capitalizing on knowledge assets. No matter the size or complexity of your organization, the SPQA performance excellence criteria provide a valuable framework that can help you plan in an uncertain environment.
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ISO 9000

ISO 9000 is...

A series of international standards specifying minimum quality management system requirements that are process and not product-oriented.
Used to address customer satisfaction, by meeting customer and applicable regulatory requirements.
A foundation for improving quality by reducing the variation of the processes that produce our products and services.
Applicable to any industry; including hardware, software, processed materials and services.

International Organization for Standardization Website
This is the site of the International Organization for Standardization. Take a look at the tutorial on the ISO 9001 Standard.
ISO 9001 Auditing Practices Group
This website has been established as an on-line source of papers and presentations on auditing QMSs. The ideas, examples and explanations given reflect the process-based approach that is essential for auditing the requirements of ISO 9001:2000 Quality management systems – Requirements. The website is primarily aimed at QMS auditors, consultants and quality practitioners.
ISO Technical Committee 176
This website is the home of the International Organization for Standardization's (ISO) Technical Committee 176 on Quality Management and Quality Assurance -- the committee responsible for developing the ISO 9000 series of standards and guidance documents.
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Lean Enterprise

Short introduction to this topic

Lean Enterprise Institute
The Lean Enterprise Institute (LEI) is a nonprofit education and research organization founded in 1997 to promote and advance the principles of lean thinking in every aspect of business and across a wide range of industries. A major LEI objective is to create a complete toolkit for Lean Thinkers to use in transforming businesses. The lean toolkit is intended to be a dynamic and continually evolving means of sharing knowledge among Lean Thinkers.
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Six Sigma for Service

Six Sigma is both a quality improvement philosophy and a robust methodology to solve chronic quality problems. It includes a comprehensive and powerful set of analytical tools that are applied within a standard problem solving methodology known as DMAIC (Define, Measure, Analyze, Improve, Control). Since the early '90s, Six Sigma has been sweeping major industries and sectors throughout the US as a strategic initiative with impressive Returns on Investment (ROI).

Please check our Six Sigma for Service webpage for more information.

SixSigmaZone.com Website
Timely, Topical, Fresh, Credible, Clear and Concisely Worded Information for the Six Sigma and Process Improvement Community
Worldwide Conventions and Business Forums (WCBF)
WCBF is an independent organization providing up-to-date Six Sigma Solutions for senior professionals working in the quality sector. We facilitate interactive environments for best practice from key players in their field. WCBF enables international corporations thriving for Six Sigma excellence to benefit from this distinctive pooling of expertise.
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Standards

The application of quality principles is built on standards. This category contains a variety of resources and content associated with the development and application of standards.

American Society for Mechanical Engineers - Baltimore Section
ASTM International
ASTM International is one of the largest voluntary standards development organizations in the world-a trusted source for technical standards for materials, products, systems, and services. Known for their high technical quality and market relevancy, ASTM International standards have an important role in the information infrastructure that guides design, manufacturing and trade in the global economy.
The American Association for Laboratory Accreditation
The American Association for Laboratory Accreditation (A2LA) is a nonprofit, non-governmental, public service, membership society. The mission of A2LA is to provide comprehensive services in laboratory accreditation and laboratory-related training. Services are available to any type of organization, be it private or government. Laboratory accreditation is based on internationally accepted criteria for competence (ISO/IEC 17025:2000). A2LA also offers programs for accreditation of inspection bodies, proficiency testing providers, and reference material producers.
more......
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