CMSi acquires IP rights to Quality Minds, LLC

April 6, 2012 Leave a comment

April 6, 2012

ImageWe are happy to announce that an agreement has been reached for the acquisition of the intellectual property rights to materials and products owned by Quality Minds, LLC of Charleston, South Carolina.  President Stephen Deas founded Quality Minds in 1997.  Since inception, Stephen has captured his 20+ years of organizational improvements lessons into an extensive catalog of workshops and online professional development courses.  Late Thursday evening, Stephen & I signed an agreement allowing the rights for distribution and ownership of the Quality Minds series to be purchased by CMSi.

One of core strategies for CMSi’s 2012 business plan is to further diversify offerings to existing and potential customers – both in the southeastern United States as well as internationally.  The CMSi Advisory Board has challenged us to broaden our breath of SMEs (subject matter experts) as well as creating products that can be offered online.  As a service organization, our primary target has been to add product options for our customers.  Downloadable products will allow us to serve our customer-needs globally, day and night, via online training courses, templates and other tools.

A few online courses that will be made available for download in the coming weeks:

  • ASQ Certification Prep Course for Certified Quality Engineers (CQE)
  • ASQ Certification Prep Course for Certified Quality Auditors (CQA)
  • ASQ Certification Prep Course for Certified Six Sigma Greenbelts (CSSGB)
  • ASQ Certification Prep Course for Certified Six Sigma Blackbelts (CSSBB)
  • Minitab
  • Lean Concepts & Tools
  • Process Mapping
  • SPC
  • FMEA
  • Problem Solving

We believe that the Quality Minds online series will be one of the major catalysts that takes CMSi to the next level both within the Charleston, SC region as well as globally.

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March 27-28 | TS 16949 for Process Owners (16hrs)

February 24, 2012 Leave a comment

ISO/TS 16949:2009 Standard for Process Owners (16hrs)

March 27-28, 2012  |  Charleston, SC

Download the Course Registration Form

Description:   This course caters to the process owners (top & middle management) within automotive manufacturing organizations who have a responsibility to demonstrate their commitment to the quality management system.   This course will teach process owners the value of the automotive process approach, an overview of how to use core tools as intended and the basics of ISO/TS 16949 compliance.  Case studies and scenarios make this course fun.  If you are looking for a course that will help your organization “live it” versus just “look it”, look no further.  This course is for you.

Designed for:  Process Owners (manufacturing, support and management processes), Internal Audit Team Members, Supplier Quality Engineers & Managers, Process Improvement Managers, Continuous Improvement Managers, Organizational Development Managers, Quality Engineers, Manufacturing Managers

Course Agenda

Day 1

  • Introduction & Welcome
  • Gathering of Student Goals & Expectations (CSRs)
  • Overview of ISO 9001 & ISO/TS 16949 – Part I
  • The Automotive Process Approach
  • Use of Turtle Diagrams for Process Mapping
  • Overview of ISO 9001 & ISO/TS 16949 – Part II

Day 2

  • Overview of ISO/TS 16949 Requirements
  • Deep Dive of ISO/TS 16949 Requirements – Clause 5.0, Management Responsibility
  • Lean Manufacturing – Simple Tools & Techniques
  • Problem Solving Techniques
  • CAPA – Corrective Action & Preventive Action
  • Student Goals & Expectations (Reviewed)

Download the Course Registration Form

For a full list of all training dates, visit:  http://cmsicharleston.com/training

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Process Flow Diagrams

February 17, 2012 Leave a comment

Several customers have asked recently about an AIAG standard for process flow diagrams.  While there is no standard template within the AIAG core tools (blue manuals), there are guidelines within the APQP manual that automotive organizations should adhere to.

The AIAG – APQP Manual (Second Edition), section 3.3 states, “The process flow chart is a schematic representation of the current or proposed process flow.  It can be used to analyze sources of variation of machines, materials, methods, and manpower from the beginning to end of a manufacturing or assembly process.  It is used to emphasize the impact of sources of variation on the process.”  The flow chart helps to analyze the total process rather than individual steps in the process.  The flow chart assists the organization’s product quality planning team to focus on the process when conducting the PFMEA and designing the Control Plan.

The Process Flow Chart Checklist below can be used by the organization’s product quality planning team to verify completeness or set a standard within the organization for basic flow chart requirements.

Image

The following shapes are typically used to illustrate various process steps within a flowchart.

• Operation (circle) – Value-added manufacturing step
• Transport (arrow) – Movement of product or components from one operation step to the next
• Inspection (square) – Product or process inspection step
• Storage (triangle) – Component or part storage
• Combination: Inspection & Operation (square & circle) – Value-added manufacturing step with distinct product or process inspection steps with variable output data
• Delay – Designed delay that is part of the process

Software Tip: These shapes can be found in the Microsoft Visio “Process Flow” or Microsoft Powerpoint Insert > Shapes menus.

Microsoft also has a site full of FREE templates that can be downloaded for a variety of different flowchart uses.

Happy flow-charting!

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