Standards Group Leadership Council

Strategic Plan

SGLC/97/N48 REV 5.1
Approved October 17, 1997

PREFACE

The mission, vision, objectives and strategies are the result of a systematic planning process, starting with premise statements from a wide variety of individual members of the constituent organizations within the U.S. Standards Group on Quality, Environment, Dependability and Statistics (QEDS).

The strategies to achieve the identified objectives are intended to focus the resources of each of the constituent organizations in fulfilling our collective mission. The Standards Group Leadership Council shall review and update the strategic plan on an annual basis.

U.S. STANDARDS GROUP on QEDS

The U.S. Standards Group on QEDS consists of the members and leadership of national organizations concerned with the development and effective use of quality, environment, dependability and statistics standards. For each technical discipline there is a U.S. Technical Advisory Group (TAG) to an ISO or IEC Technical Committee representing U.S. interests in the development of international standards. Counterpart organizations focused on national standards include Accredited Standards Committee Z1, the Reliability/Maintainability/Supportability (RMS) Partnership, and the ASQ Standards Committee.

The U.S. Standards Group on QEDS provides national leadership and coordinates efforts to develop, promote, and deliver standards and supporting products that are responsive to customer needs. An important component of this leadership is two-way communication with customers to: identify their needs, assess the suitability of standards and supporting products, develop products to fill the shortfall, and facilitate the appropriate use of the resulting product portfolio.

STANDARDS GROUP LEADERSHIP COUNCIL

The Standards Group Leadership Council (SGLC) consists of the chairs of the constituent organizations and several at-large members.

The SGLC serves as a vehicle for the leaders of each constituent organization to benefit from working together to identify and address the major, common issues for the welfare of our customers and other stakeholders.

MISSION

To satisfy the generic and sector-specific needs of U.S. stakeholders related to quality, environment, dependability and statistics standards and their use, thereby contributing to U.S. competitiveness.

VISION

To be nationally recognized as a leading provider of leadership and customer support for all aspects of standardization related to quality, environment, dependability and statistics.

STRATEGIC PLAN

OBJECTIVES & STRATEGIES

Four objectives and their associated strategies follow.

Objective 1: Customers
Identify our customers and their needs and assess whether customer needs are being met.

Strategy A: Develop and implement processes first to identify our customers and then to understand their needs.

Who: SGLC
When: May 31, 1998

Notes: Customers include policy/decision makers, users and professionals in each technical discipline.
Prioritization may lead to identifying primary customers.
Needs must be from the customers perspective.
Needs may relate to conformity assessment.

Strategy B: Develop and implement a process to assess the current portfolio with regard to identified customer needs and to recommend modifications to the product portfolio.

Note: Product portfolio includes (not exclusive to the American Society for Quality's product line):
- standards (all QEDS standards)
- guides
- interpretations
- standards and conformity assessment related information
- standards meetings
- related conferences, training and publications

Who: ASQ Staff & SGLC
When: December 31, 1998

Tactic 1.B.1: To create a database for all standards-related products and their usage and make available through the Standards Group Web Site.

Who: Ian Durand
When: December 1, 1997

Strategy B: Tactic 1.B.2: To formalize the standards week meeting planning process. (continued)
Who: Ian Durand
When: March 31, 1998

Tactic 1.B.3: To create a process that uses the outputs of Strategy 1.A and the contents of the database to provide inputs for strategies 2A and 2C.
Who: Ian Durand
When: September 30, 1998

Strategy C: Develop cooperative working relationships with other standard developers and user organizations.
Who: SGLC
When: June 30, 1999

Tactic 1.C.1: Identify whom to develop stronger relationship(s) with:
1. ANSI
2a. Sector Specific / Consortia (Automotive, Aerospace, Chemical, Food & Drug, IT, Medical Devices, Pharmaceutical, Et Al.)
2b. Government Agencies (CPSC, DOD, FAA, FDA, ICSP, NASA, USDA, Et Al.)
3. Standards Development Organizations / Trade Associations (ASTM, EIA, ISA, ITIC, NEMA, SAE, UL, Et Al.)
Who: Jack West
When: TBD

Tactic 1.C.2: Identify sectors who have unmet management systems standards needs for the purpose of establishing a generic process to partner with the sectors in resolution of their needs.
Who: Kim Trautman (Brian LeHouillier)
When: TBD

Tactic 1.C.3: Identify what relationships are today, define what a reasonable mutually beneficial and satisfactory relationship would look like, identify gaps and plan development.
- personal relationships
- process / finances
- linkages through companies versus through organizations
- understand awareness level (may yield need for education)
Who: Wayne Bowden
When: TBD

Strategy A: Develop and implement a process which translates customer needs into product specifications.
Who: SGLC
When: December 31, 1998

Strategy B: Influence the development of international standards, and promote their use in lieu of national standards as appropriate.
Who: SGLC
When: Ongoing

Tactic 2.B.1: Identify conformity assessment issues for those standards of which we have responsibility and plan actions to resolve (an outcome- based process).
Who: Harry Wadsworth
When: TBD

Tactic 2.B.2: Develop a process to operationalize the strategy.
Who: Maureen Breitenberg
When: TBD

Strategy C: Develop, promote and deliver a coherent set of user-friendly products which support the standards and are based on market needs.
Who: ASQ & SG
When: Ongoing

Strategy A: Develop and implement a process to: recruit qualified volunteers, use their skills, and acknowledge their participation.
Who: SGLC
When: June 30, 1998

Strategy A: Tactic 3.A.1: To implement a database recording membership, (continued) participation, interests, skills and assignments for all Standards Group members.
Who: Dennis Arter
When: TBD

Strategy B: Develop and implement a plan to engage the American Society for Quality subject matter expertise to assist in meeting all objectives.
Who: SGLC
When: June 30, 1998

Strategy C: Evaluate professional and administrative support needs for current and new initiatives.
Who: SGLC
When: Quarterly

Strategy A: Establish and facilitate use of modern technology to increase effectiveness of communications with all stakeholders.

Note: Stakeholders include everyone with an interest in any of the standards under the purview of the constituent organizations of the U.S. Standards Group on QEDS.
Who: SGLC & ASQ
When: December 1, 1997

Tactic 4.A.1: To establish and maintain a public and private Web Site.
Who: Dennis Arter
When: November 1, 1997

Tactic 4.A.2: To establish a Standards Group publicity coordinator (volunteer) to support existing paper-based channels and create additional channels as needed.
Who: Dennis Arter
When: TBD

SGLC/97/N48 REV 5.1
7October 17, 1997

This Strategic Plan was developed by the Standards Group Leadership Council. Comments and inquiries should be directed to Brian LeHouillier, Director of Programs and Operations, ASQ; Ian Durand, Chair, Accredited Standards Committee Z-1, or Dennis Arter, Deputy Chair, ASQ General Technical Council.

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