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  • support 4:35 am on February 22, 2014 Permalink | Reply
    Tags: , ICT, ISO, , Smart Cities, Smart Grid,   

    Quality Management and Smart Community Infrastructures: Managing Environmental Impacts 

    Community services like energy, water supply, waste management and transport require large infrastructure systems which are important for economic and social development, but they can also have a heavy cost on the environment.

    ICT is the spoke in a large wheel that transcends pure telecommunications and includes transportation, smart grids, telehealth and more.  Telecom and technology providers not only have to navigate network security, driven by an increase in M2M and cloud applications  (ISO 27001 is an option), they must also implement sustainability and environmental objectives (ISO 14001 is an option).

    There are certainly multiple approaches to these very interconnected industries and services, of which ICT is the backbone.  ICT is critical in the function and management of smart cities and smart grids.

    ISO is always looking for new ways to provide guidance in these areas.  Another such approach is looking at Smart Community Infrastructures.  These infrastructures take into consideration environmental impact, economic efficiency and quality of life, in order to build prosperous and sustainable cities.

    The new ISO technical report, ISO/TR 37150:2014, Smart community infrastructures – Review of existing activities relevant to metrics, aims to do away with this confusion by reviewing relevant metrics and providing stakeholders with a better understanding of available solutions.

    While we feel strongly that implementing quality standards like ISO 14001 and TL 9000 are appropriate ways for individual organizations to tackle these issues, there are other approaches, techniques and “guides” that are constantly being floated. Sometimes, they impact ISO standard updates and methodologies.

    Remaining informed about emerging trends that could influence NGOs, that in turn can influence administrations, is very important.

    Here is a short video from ISO that was recently posted regarding ISO/TR 37150 regarding Smart Community Infrastructures:

     

    If you require more information on the implementation of ISO 9001, ISO 27001, ISO 14001 or TL 9000, please contact us at info@bizphyx.com.

     

  • support 1:01 am on April 1, 2012 Permalink | Reply
    Tags: ICT, Information and Communication Technologies, , ISO/IEC, ,   

    ISO By The Numbers and The Force Multiplier For ICT Innovation 

    This month, we have added some new resources to our Knowledge Base, including papers on ISO By The Numbers and The Force Multiplier For ICT Innovation.

    In 2011, references to ISO and its standards on Internet media sites increased by 128,937 compared to 2010, with a total of 467,830–presenting a rise of 38% according to ISO.org.  This is of particular interest to our clients who work so hard to achieve their TL 9000, ISO 9001 and ISO 14001 certifications.  There’s clearly a global interest and buy-in on implementing the important ISO standards.

    In a recent article from ISO, in 2011 ISO published 1,206 new or revised standards, bringing the total number of current standards in the ISO catalog to 19,203.  According to ISO, thirty-eight ISO national member bodies provided the administrative and technical services for the committees developing standards.  The demand for new standards is also on the rise.  In 2011, 1,419 new projects for ISO standards were registered, raising the number of items in the work program to 4,007.

    To really understand the depth and scope of ISO standards throughout the globe, you can obtain the full publication, ISO in Figures from the ISO store.   A complimentary summary brochure can be downloaded from ISO.org or you can download a copy from the BIZPHYX Knowledge Base.

    Also of interest to our clients and readers is another publication recently released from ISO and IEC (The International Electrotechnical Commission).  The IEC manages Conformity Assessment Systems, which certify that equipment systems or components conform to its international standards (semiconductors, fiber optics, nanotechnologies).  Their joint technical committee (ISO/IEC JTC 1) has placed an emphasis on ICT (Information and Communication Technologies).

    The thoughts and findings that will continue to result from the JTC 1, the multiple subcommittees (SCs) and the working groups (WGs) will certainly have an influence on TL 9000, the telecommunications quality standard, which is evolving to reflect ICT.  We have a copy of this paper called The Force Multiplier For ICT Innovation on the BIZPHYX Knowledge Base.  This PDF outlines how the JTC 1 is hard at work integrate standards and guidelines for all these complex technologies.

    Just consider for a moment the interrelation of the multitude of communications and software products and services–and what that means for the volume of standards that include security.  In that overlay or “force multiplier”, you have products and services that integrate with smart cards, bar codes, information security, biometrics, cloud computing and so much more.

    It is in the ISO/IEC JTC 1 where the heavy lifting begins.  This is where the basic “building blocks of new technologies are defined and where foundations of important ICT structures are laid” (more than 2,400 standards and related documents).

    Clearly, it’s clearly all about ICT.  In fact, QuEST Forum has recently redefined its value proposition, “… QuEST Forum unifies the global ICT community through the implementation of TL 9000, an industry specific quality management system that is built on ISO 9001 and the eight quality principles.”

    QuEST Forum’s IGQ Work Group is hard at work preparing to release R5.0 of the TL 9000 Measurements Handbook (possibly by the end of 2012).  The IGQ team has already proposed changes to the Product Category Tables A-1 through A-3 and these revisions are currently out for review by certified member companies.

    We’ll see what develops in the next few years from the ISO/IEC JTC 1 and what influence the outcomes will have on the evolution of TL 9000.  For more information, please contact info@bizphyx.com.

     

  • support 1:58 pm on February 8, 2012 Permalink | Reply
    Tags: , ICT, , , , , ,   

    TL 9000 Road Map: A Busy Year For A Rapidly Deploying ICT Quality Standard 

    The 2012 QuEST Forum Leadership Summit took place last week in Dallas (January 30-February 3).  It was an incredible week of networking, sharing, learning and of course–strategizing.  During “The State of the Forum” presentation, QuEST Forum 2012 Executive Board Chair, Trevor Putrah and QuEST Forum COO, Don Pickens provided a recap of 2011 and outlined plans and goals for 2012.

    2011 was defined as a year of “continuing progress”.  There was growth in TL 9000 registrations and the Member Value Survey and the TL 9000 Survey yielded very high scores in the categories of member satisfaction and likely to renew.  QuEST Forum continues to engage small businesses through the Small Business Subgroup.  The efforts of the Membership and TL 9000 Recruitment team enabled QuEST Forum to retain and add many new members.

    Although 2011 presented some real economic challenges (coupled with many mergers and acquisitions throughout the industry), there was a substantial growth in certified locations which increased to 1,978, (up from 1,692 in 2006), with the majority of that growth occurring in the APAC region, followed by the Americas region.

    It was also revealed that TL 9000 is on the fast track to become the Chinese National Standard for telecommunications quality.  Leadership has been added in all global regions, including the addition of paid staff for the India Hub.  Arun Malik with Bharti Airtel is now the Executive Director of the India Region.

    QuEST Forum also strengthened the global benchmarking study for the Network Reliability Centers with the inclusion of relevant measures developed by major service providers.  Performance Data Reports demonstrate that the use of the TL 9000 QMS continues to improve industry quality and reliability.

    So, what are the challenges and initiatives for 2012?  First and foremost, QuEST Forum has defined its vision: “to be the global force for improving the quality of products and services delivered to customers of information and communication technologies” (ICT).  Make note of the acronym ICT as TL 9000 evolves to integrate information and communications quality objectives.

    The focus for 2012 has been defined as “Driving TL 9000 Measurements Throughout the Global ICT Supply Chain”.  To support this effort, there is a plan to strengthen QuEST Forum though further membership growth and regional engagement.  This includes fortifying relationships with other industry associations, government agencies and regulatory bodies throughout the globe.  With that, QuEST Forum is committed to driving the TL 9000 standard in the cable industry and other related communication technologies.

    Strengthening benchmarking efforts and TL 9000 in particular for services providers, network operators, managed services and wireless operations will further support the 2012 focus.  Broader engagement of TL 9000 throughout the communications supply chain is the big goal.  While APAC growth is solid, EMEA still remains a challenge and there are steps being taken to help with that influence in Europe.

    There are some very aggressive strategic initiatives planned in Marketing Outreach, Performance Data Reports, Network and Service Reliability Performance and Measurements For Next Generation Networks.

    For example, with Network and Service Reliability Performance, there is a plan to expand the areas of study to include wireless and managed services.  With the Next Generation Network Measurements (EB-9) initiative there is an accelerated effort to enhance TL 9000 measurements to address converged, next generation and IP-based communication networks.  Tim Harden, President of Supply Chain and Fleet Operations for AT&T is leading the Next Gen initiative.  Tim is the 2012 Vice Chair and Chair Emeritus of the QuEST Forum Executive Board. In addition to his governance with the Next Gen initiative, Tim will be heading to Korea next month to help develop leadership for the Korean Hub.

    This focus for 2012 reflects a bold and energetic plan which also includes several global events such as the APAC Best Practices Conference, April 3-5 in New Delhi and the EMEA Best Practices Conference June 11-13 in Madrid, Spain.

    It goes without saying that several BIZPHYX executives are very involved in many of these enterprises.  Bob Clancy is Secretary of the Global Business Excellence Group (GBE).  Jennifer Simcox is Secretary of the Americas Region and Chair of the New Member Sub-Team.  BIZPHYX President and CEO, Sue Clancy is Co-Chair of the Jump Start Mentor Program and Co-Chair of the Small Business Group.

    Jennifer and Sue were recognized for their contributions at this year’s Leadership Summit and awarded with the 2011 QuEST Forum COO Award.  Jennifer and Sue are both two-time recipients of this award.  BIZPHYX Senior Vice President, Bob Clancy was presented with same award for 2010.

    When there are changes or upgrades to report regarding the TL 9000 standard, you can be confident that BIZPHYX will be able to guide you through the process.  You can access subject matter information on our knowledge base, podcast channel and here at the support desk.

    So that’s the QuEST Forum TL 9000 road map for 2012.  It’s going to be a busy year for a rapidly deploying ICT quality management standard!

    Check back soon as we’re going to provide readers with some guidance on TL 9000 curriculum paths.  This subject came up while preparing for India’s TL 9000 Overview courses (Bob Clancy is heading to India this weekend).  Later in the month, we will also provide you with an update on our TL 9000 education efforts at the NTCA Conference, also taking place next week in San Diego.  If you need immediate assistance on TL 9000, ISO 9001 or ISO 14001, contact: info@bizphyx.com.

     

     

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