South Island

Christchurch NZ Post Mail Processing Centre

On 19 March twenty branch members were guests of New Zealand Post at their new Christchurch mail processing centre. Our host and tour guide was Edwin Boyce, the Engineering Manager who is also a Six Sigma specialist. Recently NZ Post upgraded all its processes and machines under a project entitled: 'Future Post' that will see all mail in NZ being processed at only one of five main centres. The volume of mail handled by these centres makes for interesting reading. Did you know that:

Our visit began with a description of how mail under this new system is sorted, which very simply involves two types of machine. The first type reads the address and prints a bar code onto the letter; this is the 'brain' machine. The second type of machine reads the bar code and places the item into the correct bin. This machine is not nearly so clever but it is fun, more like a model train set on 'speed'!

Edwin pointed out some of the problems they had experienced while commissioning the new machines, and commented that most were rectified using simple quality tools and analysis rather than making serious modifications to the machines.

However the machines must work with the variable quality of letters that arrive at the sorting centres, and things like fridge magnets in a letter can really foul things up because they make the letter stick to the inside of the machine - creating an internal 'traffic' pile-up!

After the tour of the site and watching the machines sort letters as well as the hand-sorting of them, we enjoyed a quick supper and social chat.

Christchurch CQA Certificate Presentation

All the 2007 CQA class, except one, gathered at Tuskers Bar and Bistro for a reunion meal and presentation of their certificates. This has been a regular event now for over five years. Lynley Coburn, Co-chair of the Canterbury Branch, and Education Manager, congratulated the group and presented the certificates.

New Zealand Quality Day 2008

10th June, 2008

Novotel, 72-112 Greenlane East, Ellerslie (off Greenlane Motorway Exit roundabout)

NZOQ Northern branch is hosting this year's New Zealand Quality Day in Auckland followed by the National NZOQ AGM. The day will focus on personal and organisational development, business improvement and innovation as a build up to our NZOQ signature event in Queenstown

Click here to download the registration flyer. (157 kilobytes)

NZ Quality Day 2008 is a full day of dynamic presentations based on the quality journeys of varied and successful leading organisations as well as knowledge sharing from some of our leading educational institutions. This annual NZOQ event is always an inspiring and energising event for business improvement, change, quality, risk, health & safety managers, practitioners and entrepreneurs! Come along and celebrate NZ Quality Day with us on the 10 June 2008!

For further information, contact Ceillhe Sperath.

Christmas Breakfast

South Island Branch made sure there was a ‘Happy Christmas’ at the end of 2007.

And there was a great turnout for our breakfast networking meeting at the Latimer Hotel – a real quality event with lovely food, great service and the very best of company.

The venue tried to talk us into using the main restaurant but we had to explain that we would be far too noisy and boisterous for a public setting! The joke competition was as bad as ever.

Entertainment this year included the planning, development and quality testing of many interesting ?ight vehicles (but only in paper!) – jets, planes, airliners – all in Christmas colours. The objective of the exercise was to ?re your jet into Santa’s sack while we were all giving a hearty rendition of Snoopy’s Christmas.

Graeme Absalom had an advantage over many of us as he has his private pilot’s licence and was the only one to land on target. Some other aerospace workers may have to undergo further training. Megan was awarded a special prize for making an amazing emergency landing when her plane missed the target but nonetheless landed safely on Liz as she was bending down to pick up her jet plane.

Lynley Coburn, Co-Chair

NZOQ South Island Regional Branch

2007 Annual General Meeting, April 18th 2007

Vice-Chairperson Report

It is my pleasure to present the NZOQ South Island Branch report for 2006 – 2007 year. Apologies from our Chairperson Pete Nolan who cannot attend tonight.

The cornerstone of organising ourselves for the year ahead is our Annual Plan. With only a small number of changes to the Branch Committee from the previous year and ably guided by Chairperson Pete Nolan, we were very efficient in producing the Annual Plan for 2006 – 2007.

In the Annual Plan we set specific Key Target Areas for 2006 – 2007. They were:

Before I make some comment on the activities that supported these Key Target Areas, I want to thank the tireless efforts of the Branch Committee in making the things we planned to happen, happen.

Thank you - Graeme Absalom, Roger Atkinson, Alison Carter, John Kenny, Peter Nolan, Andy McNaught, Ailsa Milner - for your energy, commitment and support (for me and for each other) in making this past year successful, fun and rewarding for NZOQ, the Branch membership and for ourselves.

Finances

You will see from our financial statement that we continue to create many events and activities at low, or no, direct cost to the Branch or to members. The importance of Canterbury Quality Day in terms of operating income is obvious.

I would like to acknowledge the work of Andy McNaught in ensuring prudent financial management practices were seen to. Thank you, Andy. Andy will present the Financial Report separately.

Chat Groups

Chat groups met over an extended lunchtime (12.45 to 1.45) on a Wednesday every one – two months.. Chat Groups continue to see keen people, willing to share their ideas and experience; also happy to ask for the input and advice of others. Each chat group has a member-driven pre-determined topic The sharing of knowledge through the diverse group allowed attendees to bring along thoughts, ideas, experiences, queries, and enjoy chatting with networking friends. Topics for this year have included:

Process/Procedure Documentation

How we manage the development of quality manuals, the updating, the control, the level of detail, the storage …

how we tap into other sources of organisational knowledge; what software packages we use, links with Business Process Management – i.e. how does it all work, and can we do it better

Planning, Resourcing and Finding Time for Quality

As we launch into a new financial year, how do we develop and implement quality plans; schedule improvement projects; advocate for time spent “working on”, as well as “in”, the organisation.

How do we integrate quality initiatives with the “day to day”?

Cultural change – how easy is it? Organisational Culture: A quality culture; a culture supporting quality

How does the organisational culture help or hinder the achievement of quality goals?

What can we do to enhance the positive cultural norms?

Appreciative Inquiry: What is it? A tool for your quality toolbox; a cultural shift; a new way

Documentation: Keeping it current. Solving the challenge of outdated information. Tracking procedural change

Chat Groups are providing an effective meeting point for people with rich sharing and learning opportunities. Thank you Ailsa for your willing hosting of this important element of NZOQ South Island.

Site Visits

Site Visits proved a successful combination for educational and networking opportunities during the year. Graeme Absalom has worked hard to provide a variety of site visits for us – thank you Graeme. Highlights included:

New Zealand Police Service, Communication Centre, 111 CALLS

Where we gained an inside look at what happens when someone dials ‘111’ and how technology supports this emergency service.

Tyco Electronics (NZ) Ltd

An inside look at how the technology is put together to help provide a safer environment in a Christchurch manufacturing facility..

Dynamic Controls Ltd

Dynamics includes the largest contract electronic manufacturing unit in New Zealand, making products for several of New Zealand’s largest electronic companies. Dynamic Controls has ISO 9001 (Quality), ISO 13485 (Medical Devices) and FDA Registrations. They have been working on Lean production for 17 months. A recent ISO 9001 auditor described the company as being in the top 5% of NZ/Aus for best practice.

Skope Industries

Skope Industries has been using the Eli Goldratt’s principle known as the Theory of Constraints to improve its processes. This concept has been available now for some time and Skope have been using it for 5 to 6 years. The ideas turned manufacturing on its head when the principle was first developed and they are now used to create breakthrough improvements in many organisations.

PPCS Ltd.

For this visit we joined with members of the NZ Food Science Technology group. PPCS is New Zealand’s largest meat processing company with a beef processing plant at Belfast. During our visit we saw the beef slaughter and boning operation. To provide product that meets the stringent requirements for these export markets the plant must meet both the overseas market requirements administered by the NZFSA and customers’ quality standards. PPCS operates a generic quality system across all its plants which at plant level incorporates a risk management programme (RMP), including HACCP, ZFT and NMD. Other monitoring programmes include testing for fat content, meat colour, pH and microbiology while an internal audit programme provides assurances that systems are functioning effectively.

Site Visit to Telecom Ltd

Telecom is New Zealand’s leading communication company and many of its services are provided by an invisible infrastructure. We explored behind the scenes and through the underground tunnel system – an amazing visit!. We viewed the cables coming into the premises, the frames holding the telecommunication electronics and the supporting air conditioning and other support equipment.

For all this process to work properly Telecom has an extensive management system. Reliability is vital with communication systems and Telecom has a thorough preventative maintenance programme and is constantly monitoring the equipment to ensure maximum reliability.

The Christmas Breakfast

The Christmas Breakfast was again another fun event. The added entertainment of The Twelve Days of Christmas (reinvented) and some hilarious “candle-bobbing” allowed some good memories with very telling photographs.

Professional Development Seminars

A third in the excellent series of seminars was presented by Keith Royce. This NZOQ South Island Branch subsidised seminar covered the skills of “High Performing Meetings” and was well received.

Relationship with the University of Canterbury (MBA Programme)

A further panel presentation was made with students of the Canterbury MBA. It is rewarding to see this continuing relationship with the MBA programme.

Education

Continued success with the presentation of Certificate in Quality Assurance and the Quality in Healthcare: Practical Skills courses during the year. The past year has also seen a number of our tutors present these courses in other centres throughout New Zealand. The Branch has actively marketed nationally advertised NZOQ courses in the region.

A number of students used the quality projects developed during our courses to enter quality award programmes and there were numerous successes – a solid indication of the strength of the course material.

Health Special Interest Group

The group remains a strong network for quality professionals in the health sector and continues to provide a knowledge sharing forum for NZOQ members. It is interesting to see the health membership is always very well represented at all our events.

Newsletter

There have been less newsletters this year. Our Chairperson Pete Nolan is now Editor of QNewZ – we have seen a number of our events captured and produced in this magazine for everyone to read about!

Canterbury Quality Day 2006

A most successful CQD in all regards. We enjoyed the high calibre of speakers, the networking opportunities and were delighted to host the NZOQ National AGM and many members from further afield that Christchurch

And a multitude of thank yous!

I wish to thank all of the membership of the Branch for their continued support for, and involvement with, the many activities of our Branch.

I, also, want to thank our many friends around the region for the support and assistance during the past year. Site Visit hosts, Chat Group hosts and venue providers for various events. A special thank you to Medlab for the use of their Boardroom and facilities during the year – thank you Alison.

Special thanks to John Kenny for his many years of service to South Island NZOQ. John is taking a well earned rest from Committee duties

Thank you all.

Lynley Coburn

Vice - Chairperson 2006 – 2007
NZOQ South Island Branch

South Island Christmas Party