It has often been said that there is nothing certain in life but death and taxes. I'd like to add change to that list. As with every other organization that undergoes constant change, Quality Digest continues to evolve as well. You will notice the most dramatic changes in this issue. We added two new columnists for 1998: H. James Harrington and Thomas Pyzdek. Harrington's column, "Performance Improvement," replaces Ken Blanchard's "One Minute Manager." Ken has decided that the pressure of writing a monthly column was just too much in addition to his frequent speaking engagements and book projects. Jim Harrington is a welcome addition to our lineup of columnists. He is a principal at Ernst & Young and serves as the firm's international advisor. He has more than 45 years' experience in the quality profession and is the author of 12 books. Jim is a past president and chairman of the board of both the American Society for Quality and the International Academy for Quality. Our other new columnist, Tom Pyzdek, is also a valued addition to our magazine. His user-friendly approach to SPC is superb. Tom replaces Don Wheeler, who also has been feeling the pressure of writing a monthly column and a hectic travel schedule. Tom's approach to SPC might be a little different from Don's, but he's got a terrific style and message all his own. He has written hundreds of articles and papers on quality topics and authored 13 books. Tom served on the first board of examiners for the Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award and is an ASQ fellow. You will also begin to notice a few changes in our Web site, www.qualitydigest.com, during the next few months. In addition to regular online-only columns by Phil Crosby and Pat Townsend and Joan Gebhardt, customer service expert John Guaspari's online column will debut soon. Plus, in addition to our very popular ISO 9000 and QS-9000 database, we will soon launch a new, free database that will allow users to find just about any quality-related product or service imaginable. One thing that hasn't changed is our commitment to our readers. We intend to continue to provide you with the best-possible quality magazine available. As I mentioned in my November 1997 column, our editorial staff works tirelessly to bring you the latest quality news and information. To help us in that endeavor, please feel free to give us your input. If you've got a success story you'd like to share, we want to know about it. If you have news of a new quality trend or technique, give us a call. If you have a case study or article that you're just dying to write, send it in. We also like to hear from you when we've missed the mark; it helps us learn and grow. Send your comments via e-mail to spaton@quality digest.com. All of us at Quality Digest hope you have a happy, healthy and quality new year! |
