Did You Know? offers a quick look at the broad scope of activities underway within the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) Federation, highlighting the people and initiatives making waves in standardization.
ASQ Releases New Report on Discoveries in Global Quality Research
ANSI member and accredited standards developer ASQ recently issued a report providing insight into international benchmark data and trends related to quality operations and related research. The report, Global State of Quality Research: Analysis, Trends, and Opportunities 2013, provides organizations with useful data on regional quality-related trends, as well as opportunities for potential growth in the field.
According to the report, nearly three-fourths of surveyed organizations worldwide were structured so that their senior quality manager reported directly to the CEO or equivalent position. In addition, the report found evidence that significantly more organizations with annual revenues below $100 million carried out close work with their customers on product performance-related issues than companies with revenues topping $10 billion, among other findings.
The report is drawn from global research work conducted between 2011 and 2013 and includes data making use of nearly 2,000 completed surveys in 22 countries nationwide. ASQ conducted this research in collaboration with APQC, a nonprofit organization focused on knowledge management research, business benchmarking, and related best practices.
To access this free report, visit ASQ's website; free registration is required to view the report.
NFPA Releases Fire Safety News App
ANSI member and audited designator the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) has released a new app for mobile devices that is designed to provide users with important information about the latest fire safety developments. The app, "NFPA News," disseminates instantly updated fire and public safety announcements, information on fire code development updates and changes, and relevant social media content.
The app is available for iPhone and iPad from ANSI member Apple Inc.'s iTunes Store and for devices using Android 2.2 or higher from ANSI member Google Inc.'s Google Play store.
ACMA and Manufacturing Institute Announce Partnership to Combat Manufacturing Workforce Gap
ANSI member and accredited standards developer the American Composites Manufacturers Association (ACMA) has announced the establishment of a new partnership with the Manufacturing Institute, an affiliate of ANSI member the National Association of Manufacturers (NAM).
Under the agreement, ACMA and the Manufacturing Institute will work together to address issues associated with the U.S.'s manufacturing workforce gap; these efforts will include work to support the Manufacturing Skills Certification System, a NAM-endorsed program focused on integrating industry-recognized, portable workforce credentials into educational programs for high school and college students.
For more information about ACMA, visit www.acmanet.org. To learn more about the Manufacturing Institute, visit its official website.
NIST Applies for U.S. TAG Accreditation for Biotechnology
The U.S. Department of Commerce (DOC)'s National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) has submitted an application for accreditation for a proposed U.S. Technical Advisory Group (TAG) to International Organization for Standardization (ISO) Technical Committee (TC) 276, Biotechnology, and has requested approval to serve as the TAG Administrator. The proposed TAG will operate using the Model Operating Procedures for U.S. Technical Advisory Groups to ANSI for ISO Activities as contained in Annex A of the ANSI International Procedures.
For more information, or to offer comments on the application, please contact Clare Allocca, NIST senior advisor for planning and outreach ([email protected]; 301-975-4359), with a copy to [email protected]. The comment deadline is January 6, 2014.