QUALITY SNIPPETS

The South African Quality Institute (SAQI) has embarked on a quality approach to business, which has resulted in a number of promising outcomes and greater efficiency in the past year. This includes:

• Settling in at the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR), with facilities which include a fully equipped training centre;
• Enhanced marketing efforts resulting, amongst others, in a dramatic increase in web page views from a previous average of 3 700 per month to over 21 000 for the month of October 2009;
• Introduction of a brand new course – entitled the “Cost of poor quality”;
• Presenting a successful National Quality Week;
• A 52% increase in membership since September 2008;
• Entering into various international partnership agreements, such as the one with the National Quality Institute of Canada; the Nieu Zealand Organisation for Quality and the CQI in the United Kingdom.

SAQI has, furthermore, embarked on a social responsibility programme which saw the distribution of about 20 000 copies of a SAQI-endorsed book on quality by Dr. Richard Hayward being distributed to schools across the country.

For more information on SAQI and its various initiatives for 2010, including the annual SAQI conference in May 2010 contact Vanessa@saqi.co.za, or e-mail info@saqi.co.za