PDCA – where does it come from?

Deming Cycle, PDCA

The Deming Cycle, or PDCA Cycle is a continuous quality improvement model consisting of four repetitive phases and seven steps for continuous improvement and learning: Plan, Do, Check and Act. The PDCA cycle is also known as the Deming Cycle, the Deming wheel of continuous improvement. Its origin can be traced back to the eminent statistics expert Mr. Walter A. Shewart – in the 1920’s he introduced the concept of PLAN, DO and SEE. The late Total Quality Management (TQM) guru and renowned statistician Dr. W. Edwards Deming modified the SHEWART cycle as: PLAN, DO, CHECK, and ACT.

Like many others, my introduction to PDCA and continuous improvement was in identifying manufacturing process faults. However, later as a director of Information Technology, I was able to apply the same learning, use the same PDCA cycle to
improve both the technical and administration processes. This resulted in saving time and reducing costs.

I have seen PDCA used very effectively in project management, construction, internet business development, as well as managing a number of personal projects.

Identifying continuous improvement projects with our team(s) is a great way of getting team members involved as well as capitalizing on their skills and knowledge

WHAT IS QUALITY?
“Quality is never an accident; it is always the result of high intention, sincere effort, intelligent direction and skillful execution; it represents the wise choice of many alternatives.” William A. Foster

I would not be totally honest with you if I did not admit that I have struggled at times – deadlines, wanting to push ahead.

It’s one of the classic ‘Catch 22s’ – I am far too busy fixing problems to spend the time on continuous improvement techniques.

Of course, there will always be that urgent personal or urgent business dilemma that needs 100% of our time and energy to resolve. It’s called ‘life’.

The key point is once we get into the habit of PDCA, once we apply the discipline to maximize the benefits that this continuous improvement methodolgy has to offer us, we will be able to…

What Is An Improvement Cycle?

“Everything we do is a process, every process has a customer”

The Improvement Cycle is a highly disciplined and rigorous approach to problem solving using the Plan, Do, Check, Act (PDCA) methodology developed by Dr. W. Edwards Deming.

The Improvement Cycle consists of seven steps, 3 in the Plan phase, 1 in the Do phase, 1 in the Check phase, and 2 in the Act phase.

The PDCA cycle needs to be used in a continuous manner, select your theme or project, assess the current situation, plan and implement your solutions, check the effects of your changes, standardise on your new improved process, and plan for future improvements – the cycle continues.

change and improvement are two different things,
focus on improvement, change will follow naturally

In my experience in various facets of organizations, I’ve found that opportunities are awarded most often to the person who has the best ATTITUDE for the job, not necessarily the one with the most APTITUDE for the job.

By changing your attitude to be more positive, people will want to talk to you, and you’ll get more opportunities. More opportunities means more chances of success, more chances of success means more success, and more success means a better, changed, life. You do want to live a GREAT life, don’t you?

So how do you change your attitude? Here’s 3 tips to help you get started.

1. Focus on what you CAN do – when someone asks you for help, even if you’re not the person that can help them, focus on the CAN. Let them know you CAN help them contact the right person to get their question answered. If you’re looking for a job and someone asks you a question about what you can’t do, turn it around and focus on what you can do. Let’s say the question is “Can you type 100 words per minute?” and you can only type 80 words per minute. Answer the question “I CAN type 80 words per minute with 95% accuracy.”

2. Smile at everyone you meet – Take 1 day and smile at every person you meet. Don’t worry if they don’t smile back, just keep smiling. By the end of the day, you’ll be happier because smiling automatically gives you more energy than frowning. Try it if you don’t believe me!

3. Answer “as if” – Pick 1 day, and no matter how you’re doing, think about your best possible day, and when people ask you’re how you’re doing, answer “as if” you’re having your best possible day. I always answer that I am doing great, and though at first it felt a bit forced, now, every day, I really am GREAT!

Remember: only YOU can make your life better. So I ask you, will you settle for average, or will you do what it takes to Make it Great!?

Phil Gerbyshak, motivational speaker and self-improvement advocate, challenges you to “Stop having a nice day…and Make it Great!” His website at http://MakeItGreat.org is updated regularly with thoughts about how you can take control of your life and stop letting life take control of you.

Yes – you should definitely use an astringent. This is especially true if you wear makeup. Using a toner will help to get some of the “leftovers” out of your pores. Less stuff in your pores = less breakouts!

However, you must be careful about what type of astringent or toner you use. Get the wrong type and you’ll end up being flaky, oily, or (most likely) both. As a rule of thumb, if you see a commercial with teenage actors and an astringent, don’t buy that product! Yes – even if you’re a teenager. These formulas are usually cheap and harsh. Sometimes they even sting which is never a good thing. To pick the right toner, read the labels before you buy. Reject anything you find containing: SLS, paraben preservatives, color dyes, salycic acid, & fragrance. These are irritants that may cause skin problems.

So what should you buy? I suggest something natural and gentle. The only astringent I use is Dickinson’s Witch Hazel Toner. You might find this at a drugstore or health store near you. It has some alcohol in it, but this is naturally occurring in witch hazel. Witch hazel is my favorite astringent because its super gentle, easy to use, affordable, and versatile. If you prefer a different kind of astringent, there are many recipes that you can find online for 100% natural formulas. However, they may require refrigeration and have a very short shelf life. Another great toner for your skin is fresh lemons. I hear many models swear by this!

One more factor for you to consider is your cotton ball or pad. For the best results, use only organic cotton on your face. Cotton is one of the most pesticide-sprayed crops in the world. You don’t want that stuff on your face, do you? Organic cotton is a bit pricey, but I think its well worth it.

So there you have it. Astringents are good for your skin under the right circumstances. Use a gentle formula after washing your face, and before moisturizing to help clear your acne. Remember that astringents only need to be used once a day, preferably at night. Using a good toner will help to get your skin extra clean without over-drying and hopefully help with your acne.

Note: Feel free to reprint this article as long as you include my resource box and make sure the link to my website is active.

Jessica Kihara

Learn How I Cured My Acne!
http://www.InformationHotSpot.com/acne.html

A dong is a very traditional martial toy tried out by both blokes and gals. Dildos have astonishingly made it big ever since triple X movies became accepted in the eighties. Whilst marital aid come in legions of sizes, most often the sex aids are penis shaped. Some sexual toys are specially produced for popping in the anus. Gents who like anal sex with a sex aid repeatedly choose dildos that play with the prostate because of the super orgasms prostate play with gives them. There are countless sex toys out there for lads, and dongs are the very greatest.

The most common sex dong uses are vaginal or bottom penetration. Depending on the kind of sex dildo, some dildos will be used for oral penetration or as mouth gags. Regardless of your sexual preference, whether folk are straight, gay or bi, female or male, there is a marital aid out there to quench your sex needs. Double sided dildos will be tried between 2 partners at once. These dildos could be used for simultaneous anal and bum penetration, and when played with in this way adult play can often be much more exciting. Dongs furthermore fit into harness mounts for S&M play. Dongs are good fun and a sex toy each lad should have in their house. If you like sex you should try it with your favourite Adult Toys.

Your home is not just a comfort giving dwelling unit for you but instead it can be fruitfully utilized as means of availing finance to complete different works. Homeowners loans help you in getting loan for every personal purpose such as making improvements in home, buying a vehicle, going to a holiday trip, paying for different expenses etc. Borrowers can take homeowner loans at lower interest rate and easy terms-conditions.

Since you own a home, you would like to opt for a secured homeowner loan under which you will keep your home as collateral with the lender. The collateral works as security of the loan for the lender. For borrowers, the collateral plays more roles. It is on the basis of the collateral that borrowers can bargain for a lower interest rate and higher loan amount. This means if your home is having higher equity, lender may provide greater loan at lower interest rate.

Lenders generally provide homeowner loans to the borrowers up to £75,000.In cases where a larger loan is the need; the lender will evaluate that how much the borrowers have to pay for previous debts and the market value of the collateral. Difference of the two is called equity and the equity will be deciding factor in higher loan.

Homeowner loans can be availed at lower interest rate. This is because the loan is well secured. As compared to unsecured loans, the secured homeowner loans are available at 2-3 percent lower interest rate. There is flexibility in repayment of the loan. You can choose your own repayment term ranging from 5 to 30 years as per your repaying capacity.

Homeowner loans can easily be taken also by people having bad credit. Lenders will not check the credit of the borrowers because the loan has already been secured. However, in case of a bad credit, the terms and conditions may be slightly harder as the lenders do not want to go for expensive repossession of the collateral. In order to improve credit score you should first make efforts to pay off easy debts and also check your credit report for any errors in it. On FICCO scale of 300 to 850, credit score of 720 and above is considered as risk free while below 580 is taken as unsafe for offering loan.

It is always beneficial to apply for homeowner loans online. The online lenders do not charge any fee and also you get numerous loan offers. You can select suitable loan package as per your budget.

Homeowner loans are made for requirements of every borrower who is in need of finance. You should pay monthly installments regularly and clear the loan in time. Take special care about the loan amount and the repayment term keeping your repayment capacity in mind.

If you want to hang on to your excuses and your excess weight then stop reading now!

If however, you want to get that DIET monkey off your back (and those inches off your waist), then by all means read on.

In the past few weeks a few colleagues and I decide to start a “BIGGEST LOSERS” club in which we would all weigh and measure ourselves weekly (the measuring part was my idea and you’ll see why later). Now, no instructions were given regarding how to lose weight just the assumption that exercise would be required and that we would all be there to support each other should we falter along the way.

All great intensions but, after the first day we lost one person, the rest of us however decided to ‘get the party started’ for want of a better phrase. I ascertained from a fellow ‘biggest loser’ that some of our colleagues had decided to go for the quick fix of shakes and pills, whilst some others decided on the ‘Starve Yourself Mingled with Exercise’ method. So, I watch in anticipation of what will unfold in the coming weeks and whether that DIET MONKEY will fall off or hold on for dear life.

As it happened, week two into our quest I went on vacation for four wonderful weeks doing what I do best, eating and sleeping, not really making any changes to my routine. Oh! Did I mention that my vacation time was during the beautiful summer Christmas period of the southern hemisphere. That means christmas yummies, day after christmas yummies, new years indulgences and the like. What a wonderful time I had. And yet I still managed to consistently loss unwanted inches despite the norm of putting on weight during this period, mostly because of my very simple ‘GAIN BACK YOUR LIFE WEIGHT LOSS PROGRAM’.

On return, I found that the DIET MONKEY for my fellow colleagues was indeed holding on for dear life, and not only that had grown into a GORILLA. I felt empathy for my mates watching them feeling dejected, feeling like they’ve made no progress. Why you ask? Because they unfortunately fall into the ‘3 reason why we fail at diets’ – FANATICAL DIETING, EMOTIONAL EATING OR CONDITIONING.

As well at this they have followed the normal DIETING mishaps of thinking that the ‘all mighty weight scales’ is going to magically change it’s mind in dramatic numbers from day to day, week to week, hence the reason why I suggested we should measure ourselves. Basically weighing yourself in this manner only promotes a sense of FAILURE and feeling bad about yourself. You don’t take criticism from other people, so why torture yourself – I’m here to tell you to STOP BEATING YOURSELF UP. Give yourself a break, if you feel you absolutely must weigh yourself make it every two weeks and that DIET MONKEY will definitely start to loosen it’s grip.

7 weeks down the track and my colleagues are rejoicing in the total amount of inches lost in comparison to minimal weight lost or gained. It is a great thing in deed to see enthusiasm back in their eyes. Watch this space I am sure it will surely be a great race to the finish especially to see if that DIET MONKEY is still hanging around.

Author Bio: Gillian Tarawhiti BSc, Dip BM, Dip Ed, is Founder and CEO of Community Training Centre & Gain Back Your Life Centre, A registered EFT Practitioner, Member of AAMET and Online Training and Support to the new and not so new netpreneurs. Gillian is also the author of eBay Billion Dollar Goldmine, and the creator of the Multiple Ripple Effect System © 2004. Permission is granted to reprint this article in print or on your web site so long as the paragraph above is included and contact information is provided to http://www.gainbackyourlife-eft.com

I hate it when Saddam Hussein gets proved to be right …

Buried in all his pre-invasion bluster was a promise that Iraqis would give the Americans ‘another Viet Nam’ if they tried to occupy the country. To many, this sounded like just another empty threat, but I took note when he said it.

The reason for my attention had nothing to do with Saddam or any tribal fealties in his favor. Instead, it gave me pause to recall a comment made to me by a veteran foot soldier who fought in World War II. We had a conversation in Geneva in the early 1980s, just before the Cold War began to thaw. I remarked about the superior weapons technology that I thought gave America a distinct advantage over the Soviets, and the vet responded by dismissing hi-tech armories.

“War is about killing your enemy one at a time and gaining territory a step at a time,” he said. “And you can only do that with the grunts on the ground.”

In what’s become a prolonged battle between the forces of technology and terrorism in Iraq, Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld is the latest to challenge the old vet’s advice. It’s also looking like he’ll be the latest to rue that decision.

However, such repentance will probably not occur in the short term. Just as the Gulf of Tonkin fabrication — where the Johnson presidency alleged a since-debunked North Vietnamese torpedo boat attack on an American destroyer — and the Watergate burglary were subordinated to the public as mere historical footnotes by the administrations in power at those times, the present American presidency appears to believe its power of office can trample any truth that may give the lie to its Iraqi folly.

The trappings of the American presidency are such that the presidency’s ability to do this is an established fact. Richard Nixon suppressed the truth long enough to win re-election. Lyndon Johnson ultimately saw a nation so divided by the Viet Nam issue that he chose not to seek a second term, but not before plunging the USA into a full-scale war. Now, it’s George W Bush who has slithered into another four year term, based in part on his administration’s spin machine successfully keeping the roots of his Iraqi misadventure obscure to the public.

The harsh reality is that the omnipotence of the world’s most powerful government makes the task of calling it into immediate account virtually impossible. Before any resistance can be effectively raised, considerable damage — in lives and resources — has already been irretrievably done.

We already know that in Iraq, there were no weapons of mass destruction. This has been countered by the presidential argument that, well, Saddam was a bad man. We also know now that there was no relationship between al-Qaeda and Saddam. Yes, said the presidency, but there could have been in the near future; this soon became a self-fulfilling prophecy. Furthermore, even though the presidency claimed that American forces would be welcomed as liberators in Iraq, the locals there have so far shown a strange way of expressing their gratitude.

How can these retorts go so consistently uncontested, with the possible exception of The Daily Show, which is merely a cable comedy channel’s satire of the news?

Now comes further evidence which damns the dubious premises of presidential Iraqi policy, which has recently appeared in the journal, Foreign Affairs. The author, Paul Pillar, is the recently resigned CIA head of intelligence for the Near East and South Asia, who held that office from 2000-2005. His job included managing the Bush administration’s secret assessments regarding Iraq. In the article, he contends that invading Iraq was a pre-ordained goal and that, if the presidency had to resort to misleading information in order to gain support for doing so, then they would provide it.

The article, ‘Intelligence, Policy and the War in Iraq’ doesn’t have any new revelations. Its significance is the fact that Mr Pillar, a 28-year CIA operative, was directly involved in the picking and choosing of data ordered by the presidency to make its case, rather than being allowed to take the more ethical and responsible path of reviewing all data and arriving at objective conclusions. (Lest someone attempts to accuse Mr Pillar of being a bureaucratic malcontent, he was installed on the faculty for Security Studies at the prestigious Georgetown University soon after his resignation from the CIA.)

The astounding carnage of Viet Nam — 58,000 American dead, over 150,000 wounded; approximately 2-4million Vietnamese dead and wounded — still dwarfs the totals for the Iraqi incursion, but tell that to each family who loses a loved one and see if it offers them any solace. These soldiers, fighters and innocents are not dying or being maimed for noble causes, but for cynical agenda: vague definitions of an enemy on one side and warped extreme fundamentalism on the other. The fact that the casualties in Iraq show no signs of subsiding make the assertions in Mr Pillar’s article all the more exasperating.

A new documentary has also been recently released. ‘Why We Fight’ was produced and directed by Eugene Jarecki, who used a spectrum of interviews to delve into the effects of current American foreign policy. These range from former Bush adminstration officials to critics to American fighter pilots to a policeman who lost a son when the jets hit the towers in New York.

Jarecki’s premise is based on a famous ‘farewell’ speech by Dwight David Eisenhower in 1961, who warned of a shadowy ‘military-industrial complex’ that had the potential to hijack American foreign policy without the public’s ability to sufficiently contain it. Given Eisenhower’s status as the Allied supreme commander in World War II as well as his presidency, his warning was not only jarring, but prophetic, especially coming as it did on the throes of the Viet Nam conflict. All appearances now are that it’s even more pertinent today.

In retrospect, it is also ironic to think that it may have been the Americans who were being held in check by the balance of power posed by a totalitarian Soviet regime. There’s no doubt the reverse was true, as well, but I had always thought the Americans realized their best global weapon was their culture; I continue to believe their culture, not their weaponry, caused the USSR to collapse. As such, I fail to understand why each successive American presidency hasn’t realized that simple and obvious observation.

Putting that point to an unscientific test, I’ve asked various citizens of Iraq — and Iran, for that matter — what foreign country they most admire, and more often than not, they cite the USA. If I follow that with a question about which government they least admire, they cite the USA. Call me simplistic, but not only does it seem burgers and bluejeans do a better job of making friends, they cause significantly fewer deaths in the process.

However, as long as the American public allows its presidency the inherent power of overbearing rebuttal to any dissenting information without a constant call to justify itself, there will be no subsidence in damaged lives or diverted resources.

Until then, as Saddam, the old vet and history have combined to predict, Iraq is a grunt’s war, fought one building at a time. And, like every other war, not every grunt will come home alive or well.

J Square Humboldt is the featured columnist at Longer Life’s website, which provides information designed to improve the quality of living. He’s at longerlifegroup.com/cyberiter.html

Public Calling and Image

Personnel of the British Royal Family become involved in various official royal engagements year on year, all through the United Kingdom, as formally documented in the Court Circular, to respect, encourage & study the accomplishment or happenings of individuals, associations and firms in a variety of sections of life. As representatives of the Queen, they repeatedly connect with the public in commemorating past times, vacations, celebratory & unspeakable incidences and frequently also sponsors or takes part in several generous, intellectual and social activities.

Their visits abroad on behalf of the United Kingdom (called State Visits when the sovereign legitimately visits other government officials) draws public interest to kind connections within and between the Commonwealth and other nations, to British freight and trade, & to Britain as a historical, vacation, & tourist location. Their present jobs & traditional roles constitute the peak of an up to date “royal court,” and present a particularly British & historical vision to formal procedures (e.g. Trooping the Colour) & flavour to public demonstrations (Like that of the State Parties, Ascot).

All through their lives they draw immense press exposure in the form of pictorial, newspaper and radio commentary on the subject of their daily activities, family associations, means of passage, qualities, fashion, actions, and public positions.

Funding

Finances that help the Monarch in the implementation of her roles as the chief of state of the United Kingdom comes from the Civil List. This is a return of a tiny share of the profits from the Crown Lands that are supplied by the monarch to parliament at the foundation of every reign; all Crown Land being supervised by The Crown Estates, an institution accountable to parliament. In the two thousand and three-four fiscal year, the amount provided was one hundred and seventy-six million pounds, where the Head of State’s expenses was merely thirty-six million pounds. The Queen’s costs does not encompass the outlay of safety. Whilst on holiday in England why not find out about the Royal Family History.

You’ve thought about it for awhile now. There’s a good chance you’ve rationalized it and said, “Next year I’ll get my own business started.” Guess what? It’s next year, and there’s no better time than the present to get your home business started.

So What’s The Secret?

Is there a secret to starting and making money with a home business? What about making lots of money? Are there just a few people out there that can be successful? Or can anyone make it happen? In my research of successful home-based business owners, I’ve found two essential ingredients to success: having a good attitude and lots of determination. Call me crazy, but we can all have these and it isn’t going to cost us a dime.

But I Don’t Have The Money To Start A Home Business

We are often caught up with the situations we find ourselves in, and see no possible way to start a home biz. Maybe you’re broke with barely enough money to survive, let alone to start a home business. You could be a single mom raising your family all by yourself. Maybe you’ve been burned by one to many work-at-home scams and have given up on the idea that you can make a home business work.

It’s easy to tell yourself that you could never start, let alone run a home business because of this or that reason. It’s easy to rationalize “Well those people who are super successful, they probably had a bunch of money to start their business with and they probably knew all the right people.” Well, that’s usually not the case. Any self-employed person will tell you how hard it really was to make their business a success. It always comes down to lots of hard work!

What Are You Focused On?

Many years ago I was teaching my youngest daughter to ride her bike without training wheels. She was riding on the side of the road, and was very nervous about running into the curb. Every time she would start to peddle, she’d immediately look at the curb, and sure enough, she’d head straight for it. I explained to her, “Look at where you want to go, not where you don’t want to go.” It’s funny how when you look straight ahead, the bike goes straight ahead, but when you focus on where you DON’T want to go, you end up there.

The mind is a wonderful machine and it can be our best friend. If you constantly tell yourself that you can be a success, you can make money doing what you love; your mind will find a way to make it happen. A quote by Edward Vernon Rickenbacker says, “I believe that if you think about disaster you will get it. Brood about death and you hasten your demise. Think positively and masterfully with confidence and faith, and life becomes more secure, more fraught with action, richer in achievement and experience.”

Make Your Dreams Come True – Make Money Doing What You love

When you think about the type of business you want to start, think about what it is you love to do. Try not to focus on a business because you are told about all the money you can make. Instead look at what you enjoy doing. What you are already naturally gifted at doing.

All businesses take time to grow and make money. Even the ones you are told will make you a ton of money. Wouldn’t you rather work hard at something you enjoy to make a living?

It’s Up To You

No matter where you are coming from, it’s your attitude and determination that will ultimately decide the fate of your home business. If you want to work-at-home badly enough, then you need tell yourself on a daily basis that you will find a way to make it happen, and you will be a success at it. Do this and your business will not only get started, but is will also grow and thrive. With a positive attitude and determination you can move mountains!

Liz Folger is the founder of www.bizymoms.com. Bizymoms.com is the leading online resource for work-from-home ideas. The site offers home-based business start-up kits, online classes, e-books, chats and enthusiastic support for moms who want to have it all – a family and a career. Visit www.bizymoms.com for more information.

Video conferencing facilitates learning by allowing remote or distant learners to meet regardless of their location. Students can take classes at multiple universities. In essence classes that are not available at one location may be available at another through video conferencing. Video conferencing can also benefit non traditional students who are not able to attend classes during normal hours.

There are various types of videoconferencing; which is suitable for your application will depend upon the IT structure available and what it is that you actually want to achieve. Video conferencing has in the past been relatively expensive, but prices are coming down and it is possible for anyone with a fast enough internet connection to operate a video conference.

There are excellent quality video conferencing systems out there. Many of them are well worth the dollars that they cost. And, because technology continues to grow, you’ll find that prices for video conferencing will become more competitive. It is the way of the future. Is your company in the future? Using video conferencing can help to insure that it is there.

Most video conferencing terminals also require what is called a codec or Compressor/Decompressor interface. This piece of equipment helps compress information being passed from audio to video to make transmission of materials feasible over the Net. Without this piece of equipment most files would be too large to send from one computer to another. The process of compression data using a codec machine is often referred to as decoding and encoding information.

Finally, a computer and reliable internet connection are also necessary to facilitate video conferencing. A high speed connection is recommended to make the video conferencing experience not only endurable but also enjoyable. The actual computer you have is not as important as the size of your display. Remember that when using video conferencing equipment, the larger your display the better your picture and the more easily a time you will have ‘conferencing’ with other people on the Web.

Conferencing – Providing conferncing information. Learn about web conferencing,
audio coferencing, video conferencing, etc. Find out about web data conferencing & web
exchange conferencing here.