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    Vol. 20, No. 1 March 2006The Newsletter of the Measurement Quality Division, American Society for Quality

    CCTYour Name Here

    XXX

    How much is the CCT certification really worth? According to the 2005 Salary Survey published in the December 2005 edition of Quality Progress, the average salary for technicianswithout ASQ certification is $39,625. The average salary for technicians that have receivedtheir CCT is $55,715. A difference of +$16,090!! Each job/circumstance is unique...However,these numbers speak volumes for the possible advantage of obtaining your CCT certification.

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    TABLE OF CONTENTShe StandardVol 20, No. 1, March 2006

    orj

    Advertising

    Since

    ;

    .

    Letters to the Editor

    Information for AuthorsThe Standard

    one

    Editor and PublisherJay L. Bucher6700 Royal View Dr.De Forest, WI 53532-2775

    Voice: 608-277-2522Fax: 608-846-4269Email: [email protected]

    [email protected]

    Submit your draft copy to Jay Bucher, with arequest for a quotation. Indicate size desired.

    The Standard is published in-housethe requester must submit a photo or graphicof their logo, if applicable. The followingrates apply:Business card size ............................ $1001/8 page ............. ........... ........... ....... $1501/4 page ........................................... $2001/3 page ........................................... $250 page ............................................. $300Full page ......................................... $550

    Advertisements will be accepted on a perissue basis only no long-term contracts willbe available at present. Advertising must beclearly distinguished as an ad. Ads must berelated to measurement quality, quality ofmeasurement, or a related quality field. Adsmust not imply endorsement by the Measure

    ment Quality Division or ASQ

    The Standard welcomes letters from members and subscribers. Letters should clearlystate whether the author is expressing opinion or presenting facts with supporting information. Commendation, encouragement,constructive critique, suggestions, and alternative approaches are accepted. If the content is more than 200 words, we may deleteportions to hold that limit. We reserve theright to edit letters and papers.

    publishes papers on the quality of measurements and the measurement ofquality at all levels ranging from relativelysimple tutorial material to state-of-the-art.

    Papers published in The Standard are notreferred in the usual sense, except to ascertain that facts are correctly stated and to assure that opinion and fact are clearly distinguished from another. The Editor reserves the right to edit any paper.

    CHAIRS COLUMN ......................................................................3 CCT UPDATE ................................................................................6 THE FUTURE OF QUALITY .......................................................8 THE LEARNING CURVE...........................................................11 MQD MEETING MINUTES ..............................................14 & 15 MQD MEETING & TELECONFERENCE SCHEDULE ...........16 MQD 2005 ~ 2006 LEADERSHIP...............................................17 MQD OFFICERS AND COMMITTEE CHAIRS .......................19 MQD REGIONAL COUNCILORS .............................................20 NCSLI WORKSHOP & SYMPOSIUM.......................................22 METROLOGY JOB DESCRIPTION INITIATIVE ....................23 MJD SURVEY RESULTS ...........................................................24

    FROM THE DESK OF THE EDITOR/PUBLISHER

    Welcome to the first newsletter for 2006. Looks likewe made it through 2005 with four quarterly editionspublished on time. Of course, every coin has its flipside...now we are expected to maintain the quality andtimeliness of all future newsletters. We will try ourbest to fulfill those expectations. Speaking of coins, allCCT alumni should be getting their new CCT challenge coins very soon. My sincere congratulations toeach and every one of you. A rendition of the coin ispictured on the front cover of this edition. The MQDofficers sincerely hope you enjoy this unique, one-of-a-kind coin. The pictures on pages 5, 7 & 18 are used to test the level of stress a person can

    handle. The slower the pictures move, the better your ability of handlingstress. Alleged criminals that were tested see them spinning around madly;however, senior citizens and kids see them standing still. None of theseimages are animated - they are perfectly still. Enjoy! The article, The Future of Quality, is different than the one Graeme refers to in his column.Also, at the very end, we have included the Metrology Job Descriptionsurvey results. So, without further ado...Happy Valentines, Presidents,and St. Patricks Day to all.

    at

    The Standard is published quarterly by the Measurement Quality Division of

    ASQ; deadlines are February 15, May 15, August 15 and November 15. Text infor

    mation intended for publication can be sent via electronic mail as an attachment in

    MS Word format (Times New Roman, 11 pt). Use single spacing between sen

    tences. Graphics/illustrations must be sent as a separate attachment, in jpg format.

    Photographs of MQD activities are always welcome. Publication of articles, prod

    uct releases, advertisements or technical information does not imply endorsement

    by MQD or ASQ. While The Standard makes every effort to ensure the accuracy

    of articles, the publication disclaims responsibility for statements of fact or opinion

    made by the authors or other contributors. Material from The Standard may not be

    reproduced without permission of ASQ. Copyrights in the United States and all

    other countries are reserved. Website information: MQDs homepage can be found

    http://www.asq.org/measure. 2005 ASQ, MQD. All rights reserved.

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    MQD

    CHAIRS COLUMNBy Graeme C. Payne

    We are entering a year of celebration, and facing afuture where the inevitability of change is the onlything that is certain. 2006 marks the 60th anniversary of the founding of ASQ, and also the 15th anniversary of the formation of the MeasurementQuality Division. Neither organization is the samenow as it was when it started, and the nature ofquality and metrology have both changed over the

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    Recognition of Change

    This can also be a time forrecalibrating our vision for thefuture. The historical information will show us where we havebeen. We also need to look forward, to see where we want to bein the next five years, ten years or more. What doyou want from the division? What changes will we

    time periods. have to make as our professionchanges? What can we do to preparefor the unforeseeable future? We needto discuss this together to reach a

    The Measurement Quality Division

    Celebration

    shared vision and achievable goals.

    was chartered as a Division on May19, 1991. That means the upcoming There has been a change in the Divi-

    2006-2007 year is our 15th Anniver sion leadership since the last issue of

    sary year! Of course, in a sense the this newsletter. Karl Wigdal asked to

    organization is older than that. It grew step down as Treasurer, and Jay

    from the Metrology Technical Com- Bucher offered to move into that posi

    mittee that was created by the Inspec tion. The nominating committee se

    tion Division in 1972. lected Rick Roberson to be the new

    I think it would be great if, in the next several issues of this newsletter, we feature some historicalinformation. This will help refresh and documentit, and will (I hope) be of interest to those whohave become MQD members more recently In mycase, I joined ASQ only a couple of months beforethe Division was chartered, so I have no directknowledge of anything that happened before. Wealso have newer membersour Historian, KeelaSniadach, for examplewho only know about thepast couple of years and are trying to find outmore. If you share some history, it will help all ofus.

    We need your help to do this, especially if you areone of our Charter Members. Please send information to me, Keela or Jay Bucher, the newsletter edi

    tor. We can use written recollections, copies oforiginal brochures, posters, newsletters or otheritems, photographs or whatever else you can share.Electronic files are preferable but anything elsewill work as well. If you need the originals backwe can scan them or make copies in other ways.All of this will help document the history of ourDivision.

    Chair-Elect. Rick, who is from Norman, Oklahoma, will take over the Chairperson position inJuly 2007 (see Ricks bio on page 13).

    It is important to plan how to deal with both personal and professional change. For example, last

    week (as I write this) I was notified that my position will be eliminated at the end of March. As I'ma contractor, I can't move to anything else in thecompany. In the area of change in the profession,the nature of metrology is changing with increasedelectronics and automation, smaller dimensions,higher frequencies, more visibility and control ofmeasurement uncertainty and so on. The amountand type of calibration is also changing as the mixof industries changes in each country. If you havenot already read it, I suggest looking at the articleThe Future of Quality by Scott M. Paton, in the

    February 2006 issue ofQuality Digest. If you don'thave a free subscription to the print copy, them a g a z i n e i s a v a i l a b l e o n l i n e a twww.qualitydigest.com. (The article starting onpage 8 is different)

    Graeme C. PayneDivision Chairperson

    Vol. 20, No. 1 The Newsletter of the Measurement Quality Division, American Society for Quality March 2006

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    MQD Page 4

    We Need to Hear From YOU

    The Division leadership team the elected officers,the committee chairs, the representatives and liaisons to other organizations, and the regional coun

    cilors are here for several reasons. We managethe affairs of the Division, represent the membership (you!) to ASQ Headquarters and other organizations, provide information when needed, and tryto implement the Division's mission, vision andgoals.

    In order to be effective in serving you, we need tohave some feedback. We cannot work well in avacuum. We need to hear from you, not only whenwe mess up but also when we are doing well, andespecially if you want to share a point of view that

    may not have been considered.

    We recognize that you are busy we all are. However, we do appreciate occasional feedback. Wemay not always be able to do everything you want.On the other hand, if you don't let us know whatyour desires or point of view are, we may not thinkto consider it at all.

    Contact information for the leadership team members is in every issue of this newsletter, and is onthe Division web site (www.asq.org/measure/).

    Please, let's talk.

    How the Division Represents You

    Some members have asked about how the Divisionrepresents them at various conferences put on byother organizations, and the expenses associatedwith that representation.

    The Measurement Quality Division regularly participates in several activities. Within ASQ, there is

    the annual World Congress. In addition, we represent you by co-sponsoring and exhibiting at theannual Measurement Science Conference (MSC)and the annual NCSL International (NCSLI) workshops and symposium. In all three cases, there is atleast one officer, and usually several other members, at the event. We feel that it is important tocontinue this. MSC is a consistently high-quality

    metrology technical conference;many people believe it is one ofthe best of its kind. NCSLI alsohas high quality conferences thatattract top managers, engineersand scientists from all levels ofmetrology; it is likely that thecompany you work for is a member of NCSLI, and some of ourmembers are also individual members of NCSLI.The ASQ World Congress is, of course, ASQ's annual conference, and the Division's attendance asan exhibitor is expected.

    Whenever someone from the leadership team isgoing to one of these events in order to representthe Division, we do reimburse the actual expensesconnected with that representation. If the person is

    doing other things as well, those other expenses aretheir own responsibility.

    For example, let's look at the Measurement ScienceConference, which will be over by the time youread this. I was there representing the Division.That means much of my time was spent on the exhibit floor, talking with people who come by ourexhibit booth. The MSC itself is two days, Thursday and Friday. Exhibits have to be set up onWednesday and cannot be torn down until after theend of the conference on Friday afternoon. That

    means I had to be there from Wednesday to Saturday (because of flight schedules.) The Divisiondoes pay for those hotel days and the airfare(discounted, advance-purchase non-refundabletickets.) Since I also wanted to attend a few of thetechnical sessions, I had to pay for the conferenceregistration but the Division does notreimburse mefor that it is a personal expense. One of the features of MSC is that they always have very goodquality short courses and tutorials on Mondaythrough Wednesday. Many are put on by NIST;others are courses given by people such as our own

    Dilip Shah. Those are all extra cost. I attended atwo day course put on by NIST, and I have to payfor that myself. The added days at the hotel are alsoa personal expense, because they were not requiredto represent the Division. Also, if I was being paidto put on one of those courses, none of the ex-

    (Continued on page 5)

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    (Continued from page 4)

    penses for the week would be covered because thatwould come out of the fees paid to me for presenting the course.

    Again, the only expenses that are reimbursed arethose directly associated with representing the Division. This means that, in the case of the MSC,considerably less than half of what I actually spentwill be paid for by the Division. That is typical forany of us. Add to that the fact that I have to pay myown ASQ membership fees I have never workedfor a company that pays for any of that and youcan see that volunteering for a member leadershipposition is definitely a non-profit proposition.

    I don't mean to scare anyone away from volunteering for a leadership position. We need more hands

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    to help with the work! But, I alsowant to be open about what theDivision pays for and what itdoes not pay for. This is typicalat all levels of ASQ, from Sections all the way up to the President and Board of Directors. Therelevant policies can be found onthe ASQ web site at http://w w w . a s q . o r g / a b o u t - a s q / h o w - w e - d o / documents.html .

    I appreciate being asked questions like this. It givesan opportunity to explain how things are done, solicit feedback on how we can improve, and document the policy for future leaders if it has not already been done. Please let me know how we cando better

    Other Division Activity

    February 14 Graeme Payne (Chair) was speaker at Section 1102 meeting, Columbia, SC.March 1 Dilip Shah (Immediate Past Chair) presented a tutorial course on Measurement Uncer

    tainty. This was a pre-conference tutorial associated with MSC.March 2 Division meeting teleconference, Anaheim, CA.March 2 3 Graeme Payne (Chair) represented division as an exhibitor at the MSC 2006.Vol. 20, No. 1 The Newsletter of the Measurement Quality Division, American Society for Quality March 2006

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    MQD

    CCT UPDATEBy Chris Grachanen

    MQD Certification Chair

    There were 159 candidates that sat for the 05 Dec

    2005 offering of the CCT exam. Of those that tookthe exam 88 passed. As of 01 Jan 2006 there are

    now a total of 552CCT alumni. Heartycongratulations goout to all new CCTalumni.

    CCT ALUMNI

    ish Cut Score workshop. The workshop is scheduled for June 23 & 24 at ASQ headquarters in Milwaukee, WI.

    tification.

    .

    Volunteers will

    tion.

    tin, [email protected]

    CALL FOR SPANISH SPEAKING

    ASQ Certification is looking for 12 professionalsacross North America to assist with the CCT Span

    The workshop participants must becurrent ASQ members and hold a current CCT cer

    They must be fluent in reading and understanding Spanish. ASQ will reimburse travel upto a maximum of $400 and pay for hotel accommodations (arrival Thursday June 22 and departureSunday June 25). Breakfast and lunch will be provided during the workshop.

    Participants are required to sign a nondisclosure agreement This limits your performingexam preparation training, authoring, or otherwisesharing specific knowledge about the examinationfor a period of two (2) years. This is to ensure that

    the knowledge you gain about the exam is not usedin a manner that would give an unfair advantage toanyone sitting for a future exam.receive 2 RU credits to apply towards recertifica

    If interested please forward a resume to Mary Marfor consideration.

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    "highest concentration" down through "lowerconcentrations".

    Boeing

    PCI

    TRW Automotive

    The following is a list of companies that have thelargest concentrations of newly certified CCTprofessionals. The companies are listed from

    SIMCO Electronics

    St. Jude Medical

    Wyle Laboratories

    Western States Calibration

    Medtronic Inc.

    PharmEng Technology Inc.

    Total CCT Alumni: 552

    Sat for Passed %

    Date of Exam Exam Exam Passed

    7-Jun-2003 97 69 71%

    6-Dec-2003 107 69 64%

    23-May-2004 4 4 100%

    5-Jun-2004 133 102 77%

    4-Dec-2004 139 104 75%

    4-Jun-2005 152 116 76%

    4-Dec-2005 159 88 55%

    Vol. 20, No. 1 The Newsletter of the Measurement Quality Division, American Society for Quality March 2006

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    MQD

    The Future of QualityIn fifteen years, will you recognize

    your organization?By H. James Harrington and Frank Voehl

    Changes in practices, technologies and methodsthat show promise today most likely will be extended and widely used tomorrow. One futurelooking trend in today's leading organizations is therenewed interest in customer focus. As more companies improve information technologies and implement just-in-time and lean production systems,an increasing number of made-to-order productsand services will become available. Managingquality in the year 2020 will demand new types ofquality management functionalities, more intensivesupplier-qualification systems, and shared designand production information.

    Buzzwords are emerging already for the new quality world, as predicted by quality researchers andfuturists such as A. Blanton Godfrey and PatrickDixon. These buzzwords point to "sense-and-respond" systems replacing the former "make-and-sell" systems. The advantages of low-inventory orno-inventory systems, coupled with no unsold ordiscounted merchandise and truly satisfied customers, are so promising that future-focused organizations are encouraged to move quickly and endorsethese concepts. Given all the buzz, it's interestingto stand back for a moment and see what the worldof quality might look like in the year 2020.

    The FUTURE of quality defined

    The organization of 2020 will be dominated by sixfactors represented by the acronym FUTURE,which stands for fast, urban, tribal, universal, revolutionary and ethics. The acronym is based on theresearch and work of Patrick Dixon(www.globalchange.com), a well-known international futurist. In the business world of 2020, mastering the quality-related aspects of these six factors will be essential to survival and prosperity.

    Fast

    The world is changing faster than management realizes. Survival will require organizations to usequality-based scenario planning before events occur. Quality improvement rapid-response plans willhelp to make every dollar count. The binocular lensof market research can't predict the future in a rapidly changing world--it just shows what consumersthink. In 2020, we'll need bifocal leadership: clear,short-range thinking and sharp action to steer

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    Ten Conclusions for Managing the Future

    Thirty years ago, visionary Xerox executive PeterMcColough asked, Is it inevitable that organizations such as Xerox should have their periods ofemergence, full flower of growth and prestige andthen later stagnation and death? McColougheven identified the causes of the fate awaiting hiscompany as it moved from an enterprise loose onprocedure, unclear on organizational lines, variable in policies to an institution governed byrules written and unwritten and the heavy hand ofcustom. To avoid the stagnation and death thatMcColough foretold more than 30 years ago, thefollowing factors need to be seriously considered:

    1. Prepare for the unexpected.

    2. Get ready for faster reaction times.

    3. Develop flatter organizational structures.4. Build teams and alliance partners.

    5. Grow with the global village.

    6. Practice cultural sensitivity.

    7. Invest heavily in technology.

    8. Create a family work atmosphere.

    9. Provide a vision with purpose and meaning.

    10. Enhance your leadership and quality manage

    ment competencies.

    through the downturns, as well as accurate visionand steady nerves to see well into the future. Quality managers in the year 2020 will need to be familiar with the next wave of techno-change.

    Implications for the quality practitioner: Speedwill be foremost, and value-information and earlywarning systems will provide managers with comprehensive solutions to their day-to-day problems."Management historians" will provide value information to analyze organizational successes andfailures. In 2020, who will be watching your radar

    screen? Where will you get fresh insights? Whatquality tools will you use to harness external perspectives to protect you from institutional blindness?

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    (Continued from page 8)

    UrbanBig demographic and social "lifestyle" shifts willaffect your business: fickle fashions, aging butwealthy populations, retired people inheriting trillions of dollars, aggressive competition for top tal

    ent, female consumer influence, human cloning,medical breakthroughs, virtual relationships and ahost of other factors, including the huge untappedchallenge of megacity markets in emerging economies. These societal changes are fundamental tothe future shape of your business because they'llalter how people think and feel. Soft factors mightcreate your best business opportunities. But areyour teams gearing up to exploit them?

    Implications for the quality practitioner: Population growth, water shortages, and crime and drugaddiction will be major threats to the quality of lifein our communities and our homes. What early

    warning indicators will you have in place to lessenthe effects upon your organization?

    TribalPoor project management is one of the majorcauses of quality program failure. Although theworld of 2020 will be increasingly globalized, tribalism will become the most powerful force onEarth. Groups of people will identify only witheach other, often through projects. Brands will actas relationship partners and create product tribalism, where consumers will "belong" to their products (and vice-versa). Relationship marketing willfoster special alliances with customers by gatheringand employing massive amounts of informationabout individual vs. tribal behaviors and buyinghabits.

    Tribalism today makes people proud of who theyare and provides a national identity. It also affectsus all through niche branding and product loyalty.The key to all successful mergers and leadershipwill be harnessing the quality elements of tribalculture. Although future team leaders will continueto manage up to 20 others, successful tribal leaderswill create dynamic people movements of morethan 100,000.

    Implications for the quality practitioner: Tribalism will continue to be the basis of all family, teamand workplace belonging, with a renewed and increased respect for culture. How will you maketribalism work for your organization and its qualityof worklife, while rebuilding group confidence anda sense of belonging in a future world of constantworkforce reductions?

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    UniversalThe opposite of tribalism is universality. Globalization will hasten the emergence of the global superbrand and create huge pressures to manage globaloperations more effectively. New technologies aswell as virtual teams and companies will be key to

    this new paradigm. In today's business environment, we're still playing games with globalization.Many business leaders are already spending morethan six weeks a year flying to and fro at 35,000feet, and it's no fun anymore. Successful multinationals will need new management models to growbeyond the constraints of constant air travel. Quality leadership will dominate the shape of all largecorporations, as competitors realign through rapidmergers, acquisitions, disposals or new partnerships. However, reactions to universal quality standards will grow and require careful handling. Powerful global structures will emerge and affect manyorganizations' international interests.

    Implications for the quality practitioner: Globalmanagement will most certainly lead to job insecurity, erosion of nonwage benefits and further weakening of trade unions. How will you globalize yourorganization's management style and structures?

    RevolutionaryFew people in your workforce will likely be activemembers of political parties, although vast numbers will have signed petitions or campaigned forcauses. With the death of left/right politics and theweakening of "big" government power, corporations will increasingly be held responsible for theiractions by single-issue groups. Examples includethe war against terrorism, animal welfare and childlabor in the textiles industry. Quality-related issuesstrike hard, and their effect can be difficult to predict. Clear quality policies, strong values and rapidmedia response teams will be vital to success in2020. Will you have quality measures in place formonitoring these areas sufficiently? Just-in-timewill continue to grow as a major quality program,even though its effect to date has been on inventorycost. In 2020, we'll need to look at total inventorycosts because a high percentage of our products'components will be manufactured in Asia.

    Implications for the quality practitioner: The inventory cost of one month's shipping will be a ma jor consideration when outsourcing decisions aremade. Add to that the additional cost of fuel, andmany of the decisions we make today to outsourcelabor-intensive activities won't be justified. Taxstructures will be negatively directed toward thecompany that puts an individual out of work. If

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    your organization outsources from the UnitedStates, be prepared to pay higher taxes to offset theadditional costs that unemployed workers bring tohumanity.

    EthicsThe United States will stop focusing its quality effort on manufacturing and technology because inthe future it will have no engineering capabilities.At the present time less than 5 percent of U.S. students are taking engineering classes, compared toChina's 40 percent, according to a National ScienceFoundation study. By 2020, more than 90 percentof all engineering students who graduate from college could be Asian. With that kind of skill shift,there's no way that the United States will be able tocompete in the manufacturing and technologyfields. Instead, the areas of culture change andquality philosophy will become increasingly im

    portant in shaping the vision and values of the organization. Whenever CEOs talk about the future,they end up focusing on the personal concerns theyhave, their vision and values, priorities, ethics, motivation, culture and spirituality. All these will bekey issues for large corporations in the year 2020.

    Implications for the quality practitioner: Whatkind of world do you want to live in? Because ethics and values will carry us through periods of tremendous change and continue to provide increasedcontext and meaning to visions and missions, whatwill your role be in shaping these changes?

    The FUTURE at workFinancial rewards are not motivating factors in andof themselves. The genesis of this thinking goesback to the work of Abraham Maslow and Frederick Hertzberg. Retaining and motivating top executives in the future will involve various core job dimensions, such as autonomy, feedback, task identity, skill variety and supervisory satisfaction. Personal work motivation has already changed dramatically during the last five years and will continue to do so because it's much deeper than worklife balance. The key to capturing people's passionwill be to show how the quality of your products

    and services builds a better world, not only for individuals and their families, but also for the community and humanity as a whole.

    A second force, the explosion of information technology, will continue to drive change in ways we'rejust now beginning to grasp. The Internet, with itspromise of new distribution channels, customerinformation on unimagined scales and instant communication across continents, will continue to

    Page 10

    change the way people think about business. We'llselect hotel rooms, buy plane tickets, listen to anddownload music, browse newspapers from thousands of cities, and shop for almost every conceivable product without leaving our own portals. Managing the quality of these transactions, services and

    products will demand new ideas, new methods,critical thinking and new tools.

    A third force, virtual companies, will also stretchour ability to manage quality in the year 2020 andbeyond. As companies follow the lead of Nike,Williams-Sonoma or Sara Lee and establish busi-ness-partner networks rather than vertical or horizontal organizations, we'll find a vastly increasedneed for clear specifications, procedures and communication. Companies such as Volkswagen inBrazil now have suppliers install and test parts onthe assembly line, which changes Volkswagen'srole to that of coordinator and planner rather than

    manufacturer.

    Imagining current trends taken to extreme limitswill offer another way to safely extrapolate the future. Customer focus will continue to be essential.Nypro Clinton, for example, has reduced its customer base by more than 90 percent to becomemore customer-focused. By concentrating on asmall number of good customers, the company canco-design and co-locate production facilities anddevelop true business partnerships.

    Riskier predictions include speculations about technological breakthroughs or other societal or managerial changes. What happens when informationand communication become virtually free? Orwhen products and services become available anywhere in the world? The year 2020 will require thatwe manage development teams comprising thousands of far-flung independent programmers whocreate new operating systems and make them available for almost nothing. Information quality willbecome a critical issue, while new methods andtools for managing across company boundaries willbe essential. Old practices of price negotiations andcontracts will have radically changed and transformed into new cooperative partnerships with

    rapid sharing of information, plans and practices.Quality-driven business-process management willradically extend across company and value-chainboundaries and into customer operations. Timecycles will continue to shrink, and informationflows, decisions and changes will occur with lightning speed.

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    MQD Page 11

    THE LEARNING CURVEBy Phil Painchaud

    This is the forty-fourth in a series of essays purported to be written concerning the general subject

    of Metrology Education but which often wandersomewhat as befits both the available material andthe current whim of the author. Over the span ofthe past fourteen years the one unchanging elementof its composition is that it is always in the format

    until after the publication deadline you have set for this issue.So went my other data source!Now I am left to my own devices, please bear with me.

    I have been rereading several ofmy previous columns. COL-UMN 34 in particular drew myattention. In it I had explained that I had beenasked to review a Masters Thesis for a Masters

    of an open letter to our Boss, the re-Candidate of Dr. Watsons Masters in

    nowned Editor of this hopefully periodicQuality Program at California State Uni

    journal.versityDominguez Hills. That candidatehad experienced a lifetime in Calibration

    Dear Boss:in both the Military and in industry, andwas now in the process of acquiring a

    I believe that we both had expected thisgood handle on Metrology through his

    column to be an analysis and commentary Masters level studies in Quality Assuron the testimony that was given at out

    ance. He was currently in the process ofMetrology Education Session at last

    utilizing his new found knowledge andyears Measurement Science Conference. In thelast issue (Column 43), I did quote some of yourtestimony and comment on it. I sent copies of Ms.Frenchs transcripts to everyone involved all ofthe identifiable individuals who gave testimonyasking them to edit their portions. We surely didnot want to be placed in the embarrassing situationof promulgating something that was transcribed inerror or misspoken by the individual. But Boss,

    you are the only one among all those who weresent drafts that bothered to return their edited copies. True, Dr. Watson did phone me and tell methat he felt that his was ok as is use it. Butwhile the testimony from both of you was excellent, it is scarcely a consensus of the overall opinions expressed by both our panel of experts andthose of members of the audience as presented atour session.

    Now before you or one of our readers jump me onit, I did use some of your testimony in the last issue

    of THE LEARNING CURVE, but that use wasbased on its individual merits as befitted the themeof that column, not a part of a consensus. So onesource of material for this issue was shot to youknow where. My other pertinent source at this timeof year is usually the Annual Measurement ScienceConference, however this year the Conference ismuch later than usual (due, I am told, to schedulingproblems with the hotel). Boss, it will not be held

    Calibration experience in the analysis and correction of costly problems in the manufacturing operations of his current employer. He was concentrating on those problems arising due to the lack ofproper Metrological control. His thesis was actually a record of his findings and solutions. I pointedout that while I could not agree with all of his solutions, many of the statements he made in his thesiswere outstanding in profundity. I shall repeat a few

    here and comment.

    --------Metrology is a system. It must be

    looked at on a worldwide scale. It cannot be

    localized. It cannot exist in a vacuum.------

    How true that is! My own expression was for manyyears, Metrology cannot be contained in an IvoryTower, it must be open, visible, and completelyintegrated with our daily life. We must alwaysremember that Metrology is not just a technologynor is it an engineering discipline. it is a fundamen

    tal sciencea broad horizontal science encompassing all physical sciences without exception. It covers not only all sciences, but also every facet of ourdaily lives. In one way or another it influences ourhome life, our professional and workaday lives, ourtransportation, our health care, our education, and

    (Continued on page 12)

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    (Continued from page 11)

    so on. It cannot be held in a vacuum or an IvoryTower; it is omnipresent.

    In light of the foregoing, my Masters Candidatemade another wise observation;

    Effective Metrology requires a highly visible

    top down commitment by management. It can

    not be left to the individual whims of the tech

    nician, the engineer, or the product line man

    ager.

    I countered ( in Column 34) with, In previouscolumns you have heard me preach (or soap box

    if you prefer) that an effective efficant Metrology

    organization can only be managed by competent

    Administrative Metrologist reporting directly and

    solely to top management. It must not be hiddeneither organizationally or physically. It must stand

    out such that every member of the parent organiza

    tion, from top to bottom, can observe its every

    move as it sets an example of efficiently, effica

    ciousness, ethics, and integrity. It must become the

    conscious of the entire organization. What Idid not add, but should have, is that the Administrative Metrologist must accomplish all of this withhumility. Metrology is no place for the ego trips wesee so often today. I am reminded of a quotation ofone of the ancient sages (I cannot remember who),

    Humility is more than scriptural wisdomits asurvival skill. All who contribute must be recognized and credited.

    My next gem from my Masters Candidate is diachronic to our usual concepts of justice in a democracy, i.e. innocent until proven guilty.

    Metrology------makes the usual assumption

    that the data collected is questionable and un

    certain-----

    In Metrology, all measurements at all times mustbe considered suspect until irrefutably proven to beidiomorphic (proper for the application), andwithin the specifications for accuracy, precision,and resolution, all within the environmental factorsspecified. Neither you nor anyone else within yourchain of command (unless you are NIST) can issuean order that a measurement complies with all of

    Page 12

    the specified criteria withoutfully documented empirical evidence backing that claim. By Actof Congress, the National Institute of Standards and Technology (formerly the National Bureau of Standards) is always correct and is the only agency inthis nation that can issue suchedicts. If that agency were not in that solo top position, we would have technological anarchy. In everyday language, if your boss orders you to certifyor to otherwise promulgate a measurement youknow to be incorrect, that order does not make itcorrect. Or, to counter phrase the usual democratictradition, It must be considered guilty untilproven innocent.

    My next excerpt from my subject thesis is on amatter that is constantly in argument nearly everywhere. I have been able to close that argumentmany times by using the reference I cite below.The statement goes:

    -------Metrology cannot exist unless it is uni

    formly applied to everyone in the process.------

    How many times have we heard the baseless argument, My measurements dont need to be checkedbecause I am only doing R&D, not production.?

    Or, I dont want my instruments calibrated as I amonly making comparative measurements? Thebest irrefutable argument negating these argumentsthat I have ever encountered was written forty-fouryears ago in 1962. You will find it in NBS Miscellaneous Publication 248, Page 203, in a paper entitled Instrument Recall Concepts and Policies,and authored by none other than Jerry L. Hayes thelong time head of the U.S Navy Metrology Engineering Laboratory. I can only recommend that youacquire a copy of that paper and sell the philosophywithin your own sphere of influence.

    My final extraction from the thesis is probably thebest description that I have ever encountered concerning what the Calibration element of the overallMetrology function is all about:

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    (Continued from page 12)

    ----Calibration is actually the act of historical

    story telling. It is the act of creating an NIST

    traceable uncertainty statement. It relates a

    units performance with respect to an SI unit of

    measurement at a specific time, using a specific

    set of standards, by a specific individual, at a

    specific place, in a specific environment. Even

    a unit operating well outside of its stated manu-

    facturers range of operation, can be calibrated

    using this philosophy. Physical adjustments of

    indication to closely represent the value tar

    geted is strictly an act for ease of use and inter

    pretation. Without a qualifying uncertainty

    statement it has little meaning.---

    I might suggest that you print out the above statement, frame it, and hang it over your work station.

    During years gone by, from time to time I havepublished a few technological brain twisters. I havebeen asked to try a few more. Ill do one here, ifyou want more, tell me so. This one goes:

    HOW MANY WATTS DOES IT TAKE TO

    COOK A HOT DOG?

    This is a real question; it was used in a final examby a university. I will give you these clues: Theanswer is independent of the mass of the sausage

    used and is also independent of the means used toapply the energy: i.e., thermal conduction, thermalradiation, thermal convection, electrical resistively,or microwave induction. Send me an e-mail withthe correct answer and I shall credit you.

    We will call it quits for this issue, however I wouldlike to ask one favor of any of you who happen torouse out of your lethargy and decide to contactme. Please, when you are contacting concerningmaterial in a specific column, tell me which column you are referring to by number. For example

    this column is Number 44. The column number isalways contained in the preamble to that column. Iget many calls and e-mails that just open up andstart; I read your column, and then go on, thusand so, etc. I never know which column they arereferring to. A while back an individual called andit took quite many minutes of AT&T Long Distance time to figure out that they were referring to a

    Page 13

    column published nearly fiveyears before. When I write a column I have only a vague ideawhen it will be finally publishedand even less of an idea whenyou may receive and read it. Butwith a number I can identify itinstantly. Thank you.

    I hope will have seen many of you at the upcomingMeasurement Science Conference. In the meanwhile, I am still at the same old stand.

    PHIL PAINCHAUD1110 WEST DOROTHY DRIVEBREA. CA 92821-2017TELEPHONE: 714-529-6604FAX: 714-529-1109

    e-mail: [email protected] [email protected]

    Richard D. (Rick) RobersonChair-Elect

    Rick has been appointed as the Chair-Elect for theMeasurement Quality Division of ASQ. He will fillthe position for the rest of the 2005~06 term, andfill the position during the 2006~07 term. Following is a short bio on Rick.

    Rick has worked in many different places aroundthe world with the US Air Force on active duty,civil service, and contractor. He currently is thelead technician of the electronics section of theTinker AFB calibration laboratory. He graduatedfrom Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University in2002 with a degree in Management of TechnologyOperations (cum laude). He has been a member ofASQ for three years and is a Certified CalibrationTechnician (CCT). Rick has volunteered his timeas a Subject Matter Expert for several Item Writingand Item Review workshops for the CCT program.He also is the current Certification Chair for ASQSection 1408 (Oklahoma City).

    On behalf of the officers and committee chairs ofthe Measurement Quality Division...Welcomeaboard, Rick. Your dedication and support of MQDis much appreciated.

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    MQD Page 14

    MQD Teleconference MinutesMarch 2, 2006

    Attendees:Chris Grachanen Graeme PayneJay Bucher Bill McCulloughKarl Wigdal Dan HarperDuane Allen Dilip ShahPhil Painchaud

    MinutesGraemeGraeme welcomed everybody to the meeting. His position with Delta Airlines has been eliminated andwill cease the end of March. The Division Management Agreement (DMA) will be going before theASQ board. The DMA could be in place by July 1, 2006.

    JayJay and/or Karl will contact Bruce Brown at ASQ to see if he will do an audit of our books. If he is un

    able, they will look at having a CPA performing an audit before Jay takes over as the new Treasurer.Any expense for the audit will come out of the division funds.

    ASQ donated four (4) copies of The Metrology Handbook for door prizes at MSC 2006. A big thanks tothem for their generosity. Lots of interest at the booth to see copies, which unfortunately were not available.

    Phil

    Phils column in The Standard is approaching its 50th installment. Though sometimes controversial,

    The Leaning Curve always makes for interesting reading and is The Standards longest running independent column.

    Bill

    Z540.3 has passed the full committee. A draft is available and can be viewed on NCSLIs web site.

    DilipMQD had a session on Friday, March 3, at MSC 2006. The presenters were Dilip and Bob Graham fromSandia Labs. Dilip stated that Craig Gulka says space is available at NCSLI Workshop & Symposium2006 to hold a CCT exam. Dilip will followup.

    ChrisSummary of the MJD survey sent to NCSLInewsletter (also included at the end of thisedition).

    Professional Examination Services (PES) iscurrently working on draft job descriptionsfor Calibration Technician, Calibration Engineer and Metrologist. It is anticipated thatthese drafts will be provided to the core teamfor review by mid-March.

    Minutes compiled by Graeme, Jay and Chris.

    Our illustrious Chairmanning our booth.

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    MQD Page 15

    MQD Teleconference MinutesJanuary 10, 2006

    Attendees:Chris Grachanen Graeme PayneJay Bucher Bill McCulloughKarl Wigdal Norm BeleckiDon Ermer Eduardo M. Heidelberg

    MinutesGraeme

    Welcomed everybody to meeting and started it by giving an update of ASQs Division Affairs Councilactivities and information about the upcoming ASQ World Conference on Quality and Improvement(WCQ&I) conference being held 01-03 May 2006 in Milwaukee, WI.

    The new ASQ Management Agreement once ratified (voted scheduled for 01 Jun 2006) will be replacing ASQ Division by-laws in order to provide better flexibility and alignment with existing division

    structure and activities.

    The will be volunteer leadership training classes prior to WCQ&I conference. Those that attend the leadership training will be attend the conference at the reduce rate of $250. MQD supports officers planningon attending the WCQ&I conference.

    Karl

    Provide an update on MQD financial status. As of Nov 2006, there is $9k in checking and $73.5k inmarket fund. Professional Examination Services (PES) has been paid for administration of MetrologyJob Description as well as Quality Challenge Coins for minting of CCT commemorative coins (1000minted).

    Jay

    No activities to report regarding NISTs US Measurement System Roadmap. Deadline for article submittals to The Standardis 15 Feb 2006.

    Norm

    The Joe Simmons Scholarship was not awarded in 2005. There were only two candidate submittals for2005 both of which were deemed not meeting criteria for awarding of the scholarship.

    The Joe Simmons Scholarship still has not been given non-profit status by the IRS. Work is in progress

    in creating a Joe Simmons Scholarship website.

    Chris

    There were 159 candidates that sat for the 05 Dec 2005 offering of the CCT exam of which 88 passedgiving a total CCT alumnus of 552 as of 01 Jan 2006. Congratulation letters sent out to all new CCTalumnus.

    (Continued on page 16)

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    (Continued from page 15)

    One thousand CCT commemorative coins have be minted and delivered to Graeme.Currently Chris is investigating using ASQs third party fulfillment supplier andASQs distribution group as to which can provide shipping and handling services atthe best rate for distribution of the coins to CCT alumni. A letter to accompany eachcoin still needs to be drafted.

    Bill

    Z-540.3 revision will be voted on at upcoming Measurement Science Conference (MSC). It is expectedto be approved. The next volunteer opportunity will be to form a committee to develop a Z-540.3 handbook to provide guidance for the standards use.

    Don

    Dons informative paper on R&R measurements will be appearing in the next two installments ofQuality Progresss Measure for Measure.

    Graeme

    Next MQD meeting will be on 02 Mar 2006 at MSC at 6:00pm Pacific Time. On behalf of MQD, GregGay, chair of ASQs Inspection Division was recommended for an ASQ national directorship. Graememotioned to close meeting, Jay seconded, meeting closed.

    Respectfully Submitted,

    Christopher L. Grachanen

    ASQ MQD Secretary

    Division Meeting & Teleconference Schedule

    Here are the planned dates and places for Division meetings and Leadership Team teleconferences forthe rest of 2006. Every meeting is by teleconference. Where a location is specified, any members in thearea are welcome to attend in person. This information is also posted on the Division's web site.

    Tuesday, May 2, 2006 6:00 pm CDT ASQ World Congress, Milwaukee, WIWednesday, August 9, 2006 6:00 pm CDT NCSLI Symposium, Nashville, TNTuesday, October 10, 2006 2:00 pm EDT TeleconferenceTuesday, November 14, 2006 2:00 pm EST Teleconference

    2006 ~ 2007 OfficersPosition Name

    Chair Graeme Payne

    Chair Elect Rick Roberson

    Secretary Chris Grachanen

    Treasurer Jay Bucher

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    MQD Page 17

    2005-2006 MQD LEADERSHIP

    Officer Name Business Phone E-mail Address

    Chair Graeme PayneBus. (404) 714-4255Home (678) 380-9380

    [email protected]

    Chair-Elect Richard D. Roberson (405) 739-5080 [email protected]

    Secretary Christopher Grachanen (281) 518-8486 [email protected]

    Treasurer Jay L. Bucher (608) [email protected]

    [email protected]

    Committee Chair Name Business Phone E-mail Address

    Audit Committee Duane Allen (909) 273-4783 [email protected]

    Certification Committee Christopher Grachanen

    Examining Committee Graeme Payne

    Historian Keela Sniadach (608) 298-4681 [email protected]

    Immediate Past Chair Dilip Shah (330) 328-4400 [email protected]

    Newsletter & PublicationsCommittee

    Jay L. Bucher

    Nomination Committee Dilip Shah

    Program Committee Dilip Shah

    Liaisons, Representatives& Other

    Name Business Phone E-mail Address

    NCSLI Liaison Christopher Grachanen

    SharePoint Administrator Jay L. Bucher

    Simmons Scholarship Norm Belecki [email protected]

    Standards CommitteeRepresentative

    Bill McCullough [email protected]

    Website Manager Christopher Grachanen

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    2005 ~ 2006 MQD Meeting Attendance 3/2/06 5/1/06

    Officers

    Chair P P P P

    Chair-Elect P P P P N/A

    Chair-Elect Rick Roberson N/A N/A N/A N/A

    Secretary P A P P

    Treasurer Karl Wigdal P P P P N/A

    Treasurer N/A N/A N/A N/ACommittees

    Program Dilip Shah P P A P

    A A P A

    Standards Comm. Bill McCullough P P P P

    ASQ Staff

    Karen Prosser A P N/A N/A

    N/A N/A A A

    Regional Councilors

    Region 03 A A P ARegion 07 Randy Farmer P P A A

    Region 12 Don Ermer A P P A

    Region 14 Keith Bennett P A A A

    Members & Guests

    Don Ruth P

    Georgia Harris P

    Howard Zion P

    8/10/05 10/11/05 1/10/06

    Graeme Payne

    Jay Bucher

    Chris Grachanen

    Jay Bucher

    Liaisons & Representatives

    Simmons Scholarship Norm Belecki

    Community Care

    Jeannette Cooke

    Eduardo Heidelberg

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    MEASUREMENT QUALITY DIVISION OFFICERS AND COMMITTEE CHAIRS

    Chair, Examining ChairGraeme C. PayneGK Systems, Inc.4440 Weston Drive SW, Suite BLilburn, GA 30047 USAVoice: (770) 931-4004 / Fax (866) 887-9344E-mail: [email protected]

    Immediate Past Chair, Nominating ChairProgram Chair

    Dilip A. ShahE = mc3 Solutions197 Great Oaks Trail #130Wadsworth, Ohio 44281-8215Voice (330) 328-4400 / Fax (330) 336-3974E-mail: [email protected], [email protected]

    Chair-ElectRichard D. Roberson Joe Simmons Scholarship10301 Clinkenbeard Rd NE Norm BeleckiNorman, OK 73026 7413 Mill Run DrVoice (405) 321-8580 Derwood, MD 20855-1156E-mail: [email protected] Voice (301) 869-4520

    E-mail: [email protected]

    Secretary, Certification Chair, WebsiteManager, NCSL International Representative Historian

    Christopher L. Grachanen Keela Sniadach Manager, Houston Metrology Group Hewlett- Promega Corp. Packard 5445 East Cheryl Parkway P. O. Box 692000 MS070110 Houston, TX 77269-2000Voice (281) 518-8486 / Fax (281) 518-7275 E-mail: [email protected]

    Madison, WI 53711Voice (608) 298-4681 / Fax (608) 277-2516E-mail: [email protected]

    ASQ Division AdministratorTreasurer, Publication Chair, Newsletter Ms. Jeannette CookeEditor/Publisher, Share Point Administrator Voice (800) 248-1946

    Jay L. Bucher E-mail: [email protected] Bucherview Metrology Services 6700 Royal View Dr. De Forest, WI 53532-2775Voice (608) 277-2522 / Fax (608) 846-4269 E-mail: [email protected] [email protected]

    Standards Committee Representative

    Bill McCullough McCullough Consulting 1936 June Cr Carson City, NV 89706 Voice: (775) 883-3042 Fax: (775) 883-3042 Cell: (775) 220-6424 E-mail: [email protected]

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    ASQ MEASUREMENT QUALITY DIVISION REGIONAL COUNCILORS

    Regional Councilors represent the Division to members and Sections in their geographicareas. Regional Councilors are appointed for renewable two-year terms, and are advisory

    members of the Division leadership team.Region 1 (CT, MA, ME, NH, RI, VT)

    Volunteer Opportunity!

    Region 2 (NJ, NY, PA)

    Volunteer Opportunity!

    Region 3 (CT, NJ, NY)

    Mr. Eduardo M. Heidelberg Pfizer Parlin, NJ 08859 E-mail: [email protected]

    Region 4 (Canada)

    Mr. Alexander T. C. Lau ExxonMobilWhitby, ON L1R 1R1 E-mail: [email protected]

    Region 5 (DC, DE, MD, PA, VA)

    Mr. Richard A. Litts Litts Quality Technologies Downington, PA 19335

    E-mail: [email protected]

    Region 6 (AK, CA, HI, ID, MT, OR, UT, WA,WY)

    Volunteer Opportunity!

    Region 7 (AZ, CA, NV, part of Mexico)

    Mr. Randy D. Farmer Metrology Solutions Chula Vista, CA 91913 E-mail: [email protected]

    Region 8 (OH, PA)

    Volunteer Opportunity!

    Region 9 (IN, KY, OH)

    Ryan Fischer, ASQ CCT Laboratory Accreditation Bureau New Haven, IN 46774 E-mail: [email protected]

    Region 10 (OH, MI)

    Volunteer Opportunity!

    Region 11 (NC, SC, TN, VA)

    Volunteer Opportunity!

    Region 12 (IL, MN, ND, SD, WI)

    Dr. Donald S. ErmerASQ Fellow; Eugene L. Grant Medal (2001)

    University of WisconsinMadison Madison, WI 53706 E-mail: [email protected]

    Region 13 (CO, IA, KS, MO, NE, SD, WY)

    Volunteer Opportunity!

    Region 14 (AR, LA, NM, OK, TX, part ofMexico)

    Mr. R. Keith Bennett TRANSCATKingwood, TX 77339 E-mail: [email protected]

    Region 15 (AL, FL, GA, LA, MS, Puerto Rico)

    Mr. E. Bryan MillerASQ Fellow

    Bryan Miller Consulting Florence, AL 35633 E-mail: [email protected]

    Region 25 (all other countries)

    Volunteer Opportunity!

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    MQD Page 21

    (Continued from page 10)

    ConclusionToday's focus is on Six Sigma; tomorrow's focuswill be on error-free performance. There will be aradical focus on reducing the time interval betweenwhen errors occur and when they're measured atthe individual level. Knowledge management willplay a big part in quality in the service industry.Historically, prevention is one art to which we'venever found the key. We talk prevention but practice correction.

    By 2020, we'll stop teaching problem solving andfocus on developing new methodologies in preven-tion--ones that really work so we don't need tosolve the same problems over and over again.Quality in U.S. manufacturing organizations is improving at a rate of about 10 percent a year. Quality

    in service is improving at less than 5 percent ayear, and in some sectors, such as the airline industry, it's going in a negative direction. Meanwhile,customer expectations are increasing at a rate of 15percent to 20 percent per year.

    The bottom line is this: The FUTURE of qualitylies in reversing the existing negative trends whilethere's still time.

    About the authors H. James Harrington is CEO of the Harrington Institute Inc. and chairman of the board of Harrington Group. He has more than 55 years of experience as a quality professional and is the authorof 22 books. Visit his Web site at www.harrington-institute.com.

    Frank Voehl has more than 30 years of experience

    as a systems engineer and quality professional and

    is the author/co-author of 16 books and hundreds

    of articles and papers on quality management, con

    tinuous improvement and teamwork. He is the

    chairman and CEO of Strategy Associates Inc.

    Editors note: This article firstappeared in the December 2005issue ofQuality Digest. Heres al i n k t o t h e i r w e bsite...www.qualitydigest.com. Abig THANK YOU goes out toQuality Digest for allowing us toreprint this article.

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    METROLOGY JOB DESCRIPTIONINITIATIVE

    By Chris Grachanen

    The MQD / NCSLI Metrology Job Description(MJD) survey results have been compiled / summarized and is currently being used as the basis for

    mittal to the U.S. Department ofLabor's Standard Occupational Classification (SOC) system. Readersmay remember that the SOC systemis used by all Federal statisticalagencies to classify workers into

    developing job descriptions for sub

    occupational categories for the purpose of collecting, calculating, anddisseminating data. The SOC is used as the guide

    for developing the Bureau of Labor Statistics' Occupational Outlook Handbook. The OccupationalOutlook Handbook is a nationally recognizedsource of career information, providing valuableassistance to individuals making decisions abouttheir future work lives. The Handbook describeswhat workers do on the job, working conditions,the training and education required, average earnings as well as expected job prospects in a widerange of occupations.

    It was in the development of the Certified Calibra

    tion Technician (CCT) program that I learned thatthe SOC's current job descriptions for calibrationpractitioners were fragmented among many different job titles, and inaccurate in communicating jobexpectations. Without faithful job descriptions, it isunlikely that prospective candidates will be steeredinto the Metrology field by educators. In addition,demographic information, such as how many folksare in the Metrology profession, how many folksare leaving the profession, etc., can not be accurately determined. In early 2006, the Bureau of Labor Statistics will begin soliciting input for updates

    and additions to the SOC listing for the next formalrelease. The SOC is updated once every ten years.The last SOC update was completed in 2000. Bu-

    Page 23

    reau of Labor Statistics administrators agreed that updating theSOC would be the first logicalstep in assuring the OccupationalOutlook Handbook accuratelydepicts calibration practitioneroccupational information andassociated demographics.

    T (6)METROLOGY JOB DESCRIPTION I

    :

    HE FOLLOWING SIX PAGES ARE THE

    NITIATIVE

    SURVEY RESULTS

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    American Society for Quality

    Metrology Job Description Study

    Survey Results

    February 2006

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    JOB DESCRIPTIONS FOR CALIBRATION PROFESSIONALS

    I. Education and Experience Requirements1

    Calibration Technician

    Education: Technical school or military (PMEL) training

    Experience: 0 to 2 years

    Required skills and abilities:

    Determine the kind of measurement tools and equipment needed to do a job. Perform routine maintenance and calibration on equipment and determine when and what kind

    of calibration and maintenance is needed.

    Use mathematics to solve measurement related problems. Conduct tests and inspections of products, services, or processes to evaluate quality or

    performance. Determine causes of measurement errors and decide what to do about it. Choose the right mathematical methods or formulas to solve a problem. Apply measurement science principles to specific problems to produce answers that make

    sense.

    Recognize when a measurement is wrong or is likely to go wrong.

    Calibration Engineer

    Education:Experience:

    Associates or Bachelors degree3 or more years

    Metrologist

    Education: Bachelors degree or military (PMEL) trainingExperience: 5 or more years

    1 For all positions, years of experience can be substituted for education.

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    II. Essential Knowledge and Desired Knowledge2

    Calibration Technician

    Essential Knowledge Desirable Knowledge

    Algebra Trigonometry Basic computer skills Electronics advanced (circuit analysis)Electronics basic Measurement sciences Calibration Engineer

    Essential Knowledge

    Algebra

    Basic computer skills

    Electronics basic

    Measurement sciences

    Statistics basic

    Technical writing

    Quality Management Systems (ISO 9000 Series)

    Metrologist

    Measurement sciencesStatistics basics

    Technical writingQuality Management Systems (ISO 9000 Series)

    Desirable Knowledge

    Trigonometry

    Calculus

    Computer programming

    Physics

    Electronics advanced (circuit analysis)

    Engineering electrical

    Engineering mechanicalStatistics advanced (ANOVA, DOE, gage R & R)

    Algebra

    Electronics basic

    Essential Knowledge Desirable Knowledge

    Analytic geometry

    Trigonometry Physics

    Basic computer skills Electronics advanced (circuit analysis)

    Geometric dimensioning and tolerancing

    2 Essential knowledge was selected by >65% of survey respondents, desirable knowledge was selected by 51

    65% of survey respondents.

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    III. Essential Responsibilities for Calibration Technicians, Calibration Engineers,

    and Metrologists

    ResponsibilityCalibration

    Technician

    Calibration

    EngineerMetrologist

    1. Calibrate inspection, measurement, and test

    equipment (IM&TE) in one of the following

    disciplines - electrical, dimensional, optical,

    physical/mechanical, chemical - in order to

    ensure compliance with published

    specifications.

    2. Maintain primary and/or intrinsic calibration

    standards.

    3. Maintain secondary and/or working calibration

    standards.

    4. Develop calibration procedures and methods,according to detailed specifications, blueprints,

    drawings, and other technical requirements.

    5. Collect, compile, measure, summarize, and

    record data gathered during calibration.

    6. Analyze measurement data for identifying

    abnormalities, trends and/or predicting future

    values.

    7. Identify IM&TE out-of-tolerance conditions and

    perform corrective action via adjustments,

    component replacement, correction factors, etc.

    8. Identify and correct measurement errors, as

    applicable.

    9. Prepare calibration reports and certificates. 10.Inspect and evaluate new calibration standards

    for proper operation before releasing to

    calibration laboratory.

    11.Recommend IM&TE for use in measurement

    applications.

    12.Recommend standards for use in calibration

    applications.

    13.Adapt existing calibration equipment, standards,

    and techniques to accomplish unique

    measurements tasks for which they are not

    principally used.

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    ResponsibilityCalibration

    Technician

    Calibration

    EngineerMetrologist

    14.Apply engineering knowledge to the design and

    development of calibration methods, fixtures,

    and IM&TE not commercially available.

    15.Develop, document, and maintain calibration

    systems and procedures, based on principles of

    measurement science, technical analysis of

    measurement problems and accuracy and

    precision requirements.

    16.Perform uncertainty evaluation and analysis for

    measurement standards and associated

    measurement processes.

    17.Design and document measurement reference

    material for laboratory use.

    18.Conduct technical audits of the calibration

    laboratory to verify traceability of standards and

    compliance with published standards and

    guidelines.

    19.Develop software for calibrating IM&TE. 20.Develop software for the maintenance of

    calibration standards. 21.Develop, implement, and maintain the

    calibration laboratory's quality systems per

    published standards and guidelines.

    22.Train subordinates in calibration concepts and

    procedures.

    23.Perform technical assessments for personnel

    performance reviews.

    24.Perform laboratory housekeeping. 25.Maintain laboratory recognition/accreditation. 26.Provide technical advice to other departments of

    the organization.

    May be performed, but not in all positions.

    MQD Metrology Job Descriptions 4 February 2006

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    IV. Extent to Which Knowledge is Required3

    for Entry-Level Calibration

    Technicians, Calibration Engineers, and Metrologists

    Knowledge

    Calibration

    Technician

    Calibration

    EngineerMetrologist

    Algebra Trigonometry Analytic geometry Calculus Basic computer skills (word processing,

    spreadsheets)

    Computer programming Physics Electronics basic Electronics advanced (circuit analysis) Engineering electrical Engineering mechanical Engineering systems

    Measurement sciences Geometric dimensioning and tolerancing Statistics basic Statistics advanced (ANOVA, DOE, gage R & R) Technical writing Quality Management Systems (ISO 9000 Series)

    3 Grey indicates 35% to 55%, 51% to 65% for light blue, and greater than 65% for red of respondents indicating