Contact:
Christel Henke
414-332-2933
chenke@hansondodge.com
Milwaukee, Wis., Jan. 25, 2010 —A newly released book by ASQ Quality Press offers a case study of the first state transportation agency in the country to achieve ISO 9001:2000 certification for its major business processes. Making Government Great Again: Mapping the Road to Success With ISO 9001 is authored by John D. Baranzelli, ISO quality assurance officer for the Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT).
The book profiles IDOT, which sustained its "first in the nation" achievement by successfully transitioning to ISO 9001:2008 in July 2009. Its registration encompasses all processes involved in the planning, design and construction of road and bridge improvements, maintenance of existing roads and bridges and administrative oversight in the central administrative office and District Six in Springfield, Ill.
While written through the lens of a transportation agency applying the ISO 9001 standard, the principles and techniques discussed in this book can be employed in many government agencies and service providers. The pillars of the book are the eight quality management principles of the ISO 9000:2005 standard, and the major requirements of the ISO 9001 standard are explained within the context of these quality management principles.
"Many organizations struggle with the proper execution of strategy," said Baranzelli. "The problem generally isn’t the strategy which has been developed, nor is it the employees who have been empowered to implement it. It is a lack of sufficient structure necessary to keep improvement initiatives moving forward," he notes.
As this book shows, a management system based on the requirements of the ISO 9001 standard can improve the ability of government agencies—and other service organizations—to implement their strategy and achieve their goals.
Published by Quality Press, the publishing arm of ASQ (American Society for Quality), this 208-page hardcover book is available online at http://www.asq.org/quality-press. Learn more about the benefits of ISO 9001 for city and county government from the author during a free webinar available on demand via http://www.asq.org/government/why-quality/overview.html. A portion of proceeds from the book with be donated to the Make-A-Wish Foundation ©.
ASQ Quality Press is the world’s leading publisher of quality-related books, offering resources for every level of quality professional—from quality newcomers to quality experts—across a vast array of industries. Quality Press is the publishing division of the world’s largest and most renowned quality organization.
ASQ, (The American Society for Quality) www.asq.org, has been the world’s leading authority on quality for more than 60 years. With more than 85,000 individual and organizational members, the professional association advances learning, quality improvement and knowledge exchange to improve business results and to create better workplaces and communities worldwide. As a champion of the quality movement, ASQ offers technologies, concepts, tools and training to quality professionals, quality practitioners and everyday consumers. ASQ has been the sole administrator of the prestigious Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award since 1991. Headquartered in Milwaukee, Wis., ASQ is a founding sponsor of the American Customer Satisfaction Index (ACSI), a prominent quarterly economic indicator, and also produces the Quarterly Quality Report.