Going green...environmentally friendly...sustainable...eco-friendly...nature-friendly. What does it all mean? Many organizations are jumping on the GREEN WAGON by implementing ISO 14001 - a perfect companion to the ISO 9001:2000 standard.

ISO 14001 is the International Standard for implementing an environmental management system (EMS). Most organizations impact the environment to some degree. They create waste and have an environmental impact, whether they are a manufacturer or service provider, private or public entity. Implementing and EMS such as ISO 14001 can drastically reduce and eliminate many such impacts.

ISO 14001 was created in 1996. There are over 110,000 certifications in at least 138 countries. The standard specifies requirements - but does not dictate how you must meet them. This is a great way for an organization to cut pollution, save energy, reduce costs, create a sustainable future and good practice, and improve your image.

Certification may or may not be necessary for you. Some organizations are implementing ISO 14001 just because it is the right thing to do. Others are obtaining certification to satisfy customer or regulatory requirements. Going green can amount to implementing very simple changes such as automatic light switches, recycling paper - aluminum cans - glass containers, car pooling, 4 day work week, etc.

The costs to implement an environmental management system are minimal and usually recovered within a short time after implementation. If it were simply a question of "Is it the right thing to do?" then the answer has become evident. With changes in our global climate, rising costs in energy, and a common sense understanding that none of that is going away anytime soon...maybe GOING GREEN is the right thing to do!

25% DISCOUNT ON TRAINING COURSES!!! We are pleased to announce that we are now offering RABQSA accredited Lead Auditor and Internal Auditor training at our facility in Camarillo, CA. We are offering a full schedule of courses including a one day overview for ISO 9001:2000, AS 9100, AS 9110, ISO 14001, TS 16949, ISO 13485, OHSAS 18001, and ISO 22000.

TRAINING COURSE SCHEDULE June 9-13 ISO 9001:2000 5 Day Lead Auditor June 16-18 AS 9100 3 Day Internal Auditor July 14-16 ISO 14001 3 Day Internal Auditor July 21-23 ISO 13485 3 Day Internal Auditor Sept. 8-12 OSHAS 18001 5 Day Lead Auditor Sept. 15-19 ISO 22000 5 Day Lead Auditor Oct. 13-15 ISO 9001:2000 3 Day Internal Auditor Oct. 20-24 AS 9110 5 Day Lead Auditor Nov. 10-14 ISO 9001:2000 5 Day Lead Auditor Nov. 17-21 AS 9100 5 Day Lead Auditor Dec. 8-12 ISO 14001 5 Day Lead Auditor

For a limited time only we offering a 25% discount on all of the above courses. Contact us for pricing. Graphic courtesy of Auke van der Wide

We hope that our little newsletter is informative and don't want to hear that anyone is snoozing on the job....so if you are WAKE UP AND WATCH THIS! (Popcorn is optional and not a bad idea)

If you haven't already done so you may want to watch to watch our little FLASH movie. In just 3 minutes you will get a very good idea of WQN's capabilities. This is FLASH presentation so feel free to forward this to a colleague as the file isn't very large. We hope to eventually send this around the world a few times.(If you need to download FLASH on to your computer we have an easy link on our homepage.)

Today's News Highlights on CIS Software: CIS Software is FREE for the first 2-months and then only $337.00/Month (for a single location) which includes 24/7 support, all document storage and back-up and all new revisions as they become available! CIS Software is a CRM system to reduce your expenses and waste and improves customer service to better secure your future in these "tough times"!

CIS Software can save hundreds and thousands of dollars once implemented that directly impact your bottom line! CIS has a solution for Human Resource and Training that will save thousands of dollars and ensure that all training is automatically scheduled and completed!

CIS addresses opportunities for improvement and follows-through on the implementation (Preventive Action)! CIS can make a MAJOR impact on how you do business! Log into www.cissoftware.com to learn more. We just wanted to remind everyone that WQN is a Master Distributor for CIS and if you are looking for an effective, paperless solution to track your system this is well worth it. In fact, it shouldn't even cost you a penny when you add up the savings and find all those hidden costs we were discussing earlier.

Don't just take our word for it, take the CIS challenge yourself. Click on the following link and check out the CIS Saving Calculator. This will only take 1 minute if you view the sample and a few more if you would like to plug in your own numbers. YOU HAVE NOTHING TO LOOSE WITH A FREE 2 MONTH TRIAL AND NO CONTRACT. Contact WQN to start your free trial today!

This month we have a question for all of you and we urge you to drop us a line with any feedback, but please try to be as specific as possible.

If you could change anything regarding your existing quality system what would it be?

Are you satisfied with your quality system? Does it fit your industry, size and complexity of your business? Are you spending too much time trying to keep up with documentation? Are you rushing around right before audits, making sure everything has been done and completed? Are the internal audits effective and given the proper amount of time necessary? Is the system continually improving? Do the employees understand their roles and responsibilities within the quality system? Do they have access and use all the available tools? Is there anything missing?

Please reply to the newsletter or send comments to news@wqntoday.com.

A few weeks ago we had invited our local ASQ section (American Society for Quality) over to our facility to hear a presentation on how organizations can obtain FREE MONEY in government funding. There is a large amount of funding available to most companies...all you need to do is ask and applying is free and relatively easy. Copies of the presentation are available upon request.

What we touched on toward the end of the presentation was this: Have you ever considered using college interns at your facility? This time of year there are a number of new graduates who are looking to enter the job market. There are also many career fairs that provide an excellent opportunity to meet with the job seekers as well as provide professional organizations the opportunity to showcase themselves.

You may want to consider bringing interns in for a variety of reasons. They do not have a great deal of job experience, nor do they have a great deal of bad habits. They are full of fresh and creative ideas. Not all new ideas are practical, but what we found in our intern experience is that they "help stimulate the rest of the workforce".

Students who are still in school may opt for a trade. You provide the "on the job training" and rather than pay them a wage they receive a class credit. Others may come on at entry level wages. Both sides should be flexible with no promise of permanent employment. We recommend weekly/monthly reports with plenty of feedback. The best approach is a "let's see how it goes and we can take it from there" attitude. Regardless of the outcome - both sides will learn and hopefully come out winners!

There are so many ways to skin a cat. If it can be done we will find a way to do it... WQN, Inc. provides professional quality consulting to internationally recognized quality standards and applications including; ISO 9001:2000, AS 9100/9110/9120, ISO 13485, ISO 14001, ISO 17025, TS 16949, SIX SIGMA, 5S, LEAN Manufacturing, Reorganization and more. Our services range from consulting, gap analysis, on going maintenance, internal auditing, full system development, customer/regulatory requirement, supplier audits, and integration workshops (on or off site). We are also the only training organization to offer the "Baustein Koncept" (building block) series of workshops. Build and customize your own training program from these building blocks or different workshops that cover - Process/Quality Improvement, Tools for Teaming, Training and Organizational Development, LEAN Manufacturing, JIT/CTM Practice, Cycle Time Management, Process Mapping, Customer Satisfaction, Surveys, Employee Motivation, and many more. Log on to: WQN's Baustein Workshops Now offering RAB/QSA Certified Lead/Internal Auditor Training in our Camarillo facility. Call us today for a FREE analysis or at least to answer any questions you may have and offer some realistic option. You can do it on our dime... 877-WQN- TODAY (877-976-8632)