Recent Updates

Our latest news

5 Steps for a Successful Internal Product Quality Audit
by Ted's Business

An internal product quality audit is a way to stay on top of any existing problems and initiate changes without having external audit recommendations. No matter how closely your industry is supervised, showing the effort to self-audit will go a long way towards keeping good relations with all external auditing agencies. Below are the five steps needed to conduct a successful product quality audit.

1. Initial Phase

The first part of doing an internal audit is to make the decision that you want to do an audit. This seems simpler on paper than in reality. This will have to involve everyone from the president or CEO to department heads, managers, and supervisors. The amount of coordination can seem extraordinary. It is wise to have human resources or other administrative level employee designated as the head of the process.

2. Preparation for an Audit

Preparing for the audit is nearly as critical as the performance itself. There needs to be a great deal of coordination with all involved parties. It needs to be scheduled during a time that is not in direct conflict with large product order fulfillment. There is much paperwork that can be done ahead of time, which will leave the note taking, observations and measurements for audit day. You will need to locate the dates of last equipment inspection and whether there have been any recent on-site calibration services used. Determination of quality needs to be deferred to the date of the audit. Reschedule if any of these seems to be a problem for the day chosen. It is better to adjust the day than struggle and get poor results based on a lack of being prepared.

3. Performing the Audit

The product quality audit will study every aspect of the product manufacture process from start to finish. You will look at how sensible the product handling is, the calibration of the machines and see if the results are in compliance with the mandated quality desired. It is a thorough look at how each department flows together to create an end product that is of high quality.

4. Reporting the Findings

All findings and recommendations need to be written up in a report that can be distributed to each department and the head of the company for inspection. Be as thorough as possible with each area that was observed and tested. Be as truthful as possible so that any flaws can be remedied.

5. Taking Corrective Actions

Corrective actions can be as simple as a change in the way raw materials are handled, how various departments interact, getting on-site calibration services to look at equipment that seems off or better designs in packaging. The goal is to improve the overall quality of every product manufactured by the company.

Although internal audits cannot be used to satisfy outside governmental auditing requirements, the resulting changes made for improvements will be helpful. Make internal product quality audits a regular task.

How Technology is Impacting Canadian Education Industry? Let’s Have a Closer Look..
by Ted's Education

Canada is the second largest country in the world and has revolutionized the typical class room learning with technology. Computers alone have enhanced the learning procedure with internet. Technology is widely used in elementary and secondary education in Canadian schools. It works like a guideline in the school curriculum that enhances the productivity of teachers and students.

  • Virtually all schools of Canada have computers.
  • Almost 98% of schools have Wi-Fi connection.
  • A wide range of technology like television, print, teleconferencing and online programs are used in the class rooms.
  • Almost all school going children are using a computer in school and at home.

Technology immensely increases the involvement of a student, thus motivating the child in his day to day learning. It elevates and accelerates the learning and grasping process. Technology works as a powerhouse by generating new concepts and transforming the teaching methods in an absolutely new way. It reduces stress on the teacher as well as the students. Technology also connects the teachers to their students in many ways as the teacher is accessible even after school hours due to the benefits of internet.

Canada has highly advanced cities with modern technology but these cities are few and often far apart. Canada being huge, there is often vast expanse of wilderness, prairies, farmlands, plains, mountains and rivers in between the cities. All these elements are an ordeal for many Canadian children. Those who are living on islands or small rural areas far away from city, find it more than difficult to travel to far away schools in the nearest towns.

Fortunately, technology has taken a front seat to erase this problem at least in theory. For example, students on Baffin Island, cannot travel to proper schools in Victoria or Toronto everyday, but due to technology they can access classes from their local areas. Many small and rural schools are benefited in this way with distant learning. They are provided an online curriculum. E-learning is also provided based on the course they are following.Many school boards and provincial services are helping these local schools through e-learning.

Online learning opportunities and the use of open educational resources has also reduced the cost associated with instructional materials. Canada uses technology to provide online learning from grades K-12.

Virtual online learning – These virtual schools enroll students on a full time online learning for Grades K to 12. Students don’t tend to enter a school building at all but receive the entire instructions online and earn all their credits through online courses and activities. Many online schools provide a free computer and internet on subsidized rated when a student enrolls.

Blended Learning program is one in which part of education is online and the other part is in a proper school building where a child studies with other students in a group.This provides an integrated approach to the students’ education.

Use of technology can be best appreciated by the students in secondary and post-secondary phases of their education. These students have lot to find out as they have to apply for graduation courses, vocational courses or advanced learning opportunities. Basic internet access across the country gives all students a vast arena of knowledge that might be unavailable otherwise. Technology has also made it possible for students and their parents to be well versed with so many scholarships and benefits programs by the Canadian Government. One such tax shield program is Heritage Resp (Registered Education Savings Plan), which ensures a secure investment for a student to use at the time of his post-secondary education.

How A Better Understanding of Software Requirements May Prevent Potential Issues
by Ted's Technology

While software requirements, licencing and specifications provide essential information regarding the use of digital applications, there are countless businesses and organizations who allow a poor understanding requirements to create problems which could have been avoided. From hiring and maintaining an on-site IT department that has the technical skills and background needed to address requirement-related issues to investing in applications that may be used to automate the process, there are several ways that businesses may be able to avoid the issues, complications and obstacles that may stem from improper use of software. Taking steps to ensure requirement-related issues are less likely to cause problems can often be a far more cost-effective, convenient and effective way to deal with the situation.

Tasking IT Staff and Departments to Deal With Requirement Management

While there are some key applications that may remain unchanged and in use for years or even decades, there are typically multiple instances of digital software that may be installed, modified or replaced far more frequently. Relying on users who may lack the technical expertise needed to manage software requirements may often prove to be a costly misstep. Relying on on-site IT professionals or even third-party services and contractors to deal with such issues is often the best approach to take. The technical nature of requirements and licencing can create no end of problems for those who lack the right training or professional background.

Automating Software Requirement Management Efforts

Failure to adhere to user agreements and licencing terms may find businesses faced with costly fines or avoidable fees. Applications that may be used in order to facilitate or automate efforts to manage software requirements can make a real difference when it comes to ensuring all digital resources are able to be properly utilized. Even the most dedicated and well-trained IT staff can occasionally make mistakes, especially when it comes to managing the licence and requirements of multiple programs and resources. Automated management efforts are far more likely to ensure that businesses and other organizations do not fall victim to an oversight.

Addressing Both Current and Future Requirement Needs

The efforts and processes needed to ensure that all software requirements are able to be met can change drastically over time. Businesses that undergo expansion and organizations that may make substantial upgrades to their digital working environment can soon find themselves faced with problems should they fail to plan ahead. Taking stock of current needs and ensuring that future software requirements are less likely to go overlooked can both be important concerns. If you need more information, Blueprint Software Systems may be able to provide you with additional resources on their website.

The Importance of Performance Calibration to Employee Management Process
by Ted's Technology

Have you been trying to get the best solution in regard to a performance distribution that really differentiates your best from your average or worst workers so that you can reward the high performers to motivate as well as retain them? Well, do not try the forced distributions because they will be met with a few lawsuits and a lot of resistance. Instead, opt for a softer approach- performance calibration. This is a process where managers within a department merge to talk about the performance of workers and agree on the performance appraisal ratings.

Performance calibration is based on past performance and it ensures an objective performance evaluation of past performance for each employee is made in relation to other employees in similar roles or job groups. Managers apply the same standards to all employees.

Advantages of Performance Calibration

1. The main goals of performance appraisal is to efficiently differentiate high performing employees from average or poor performing ones so that the high performers can be compensated and retained.

2. The process of performance appraisal serves to increase the preciseness of performance ratings. Through the collective discussion, managers get new insights into the performance of their employees and this reduces potential bias. Managers become accountable to one another for the appraisal ratings made for the employees.

3. Performance appraisal reinforces and clarifies the basis for high performance across a leadership team. During the appraisal meeting, managers will talk about the justifications for the performance assessment ratings provided. Through this discussion, a common language around determining performance calculations across all managers is built. This way, managers will be better placed to discuss the reasons behind the assessment ratings with workers, and create development plans to be used for ongoing performance development and career improvement.

4. The accuracy achieved through performance appraisal increases the probability of employees perceiving the calibration process as fair. Since succession, promotion, and compensation decisions are partly based on the performance assessment ratings, it is paramount that workers believe that they are being evaluated fairly.

Conclusion

Performance appraisal is an important aspect in the employee performance management process. Such discussions help managers to deliver performance assessments that are fair and accurate and help companies retain high performing employees. You should however, remember that, an organization’s performance management system can either hinder or enhance high performance. It pays to regularly analyze performance review scores and ratings, looking for anything that might indicate mis-calibration and correcting it. Performance reviews need to be more consistent and fairer, cultivating employee satisfaction and engagement. You may find it useful to visit Calibration Service for more information.