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by Gordon Sellers
Click on software title for full review
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Easy-to-Use Simulation Tools |
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EtQ 9000 Maps takes some of the headache out of ISO 9000 or QS-9000 documentation by helping users create flowcharts for their plant's processes and organizational responsibility rather than written descriptions. The software includes models for most of ISO 9000's 20 elements. Minimum system requirements: 486-based PC or better, VGA monitor or better, mouse, Windows 3.1 or higher, 4 MB RAM and 1.5 MB disk space. Plus, a copy of ABC FlowCharter 4.0 or Visio. An additional 5 MB hard-disk space for ABC FlowCharter module; 21 MB for full installation. Minimum installation 9 MB hard-disk space; up to 19 MB hard-disk space for typical installation. Price: EtQ 9000 Maps costs $499. Contact: EtQ Management Consultants Inc. 399 Conklin St., Suite 208 Farmingdale, NY 11735 Telephone: (516) 293-0949 Fax: (516) 293-0784 |
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Optima! and Optima! Express are highly automated process mapping tools operating under Windows 3.1 or later. Both tools greatly simplify the process mapping task, and Optima! adds excellent process simulation capabilities. Both are Rummler-Brache compliant. Minimum system requirements: Windows 3.1 or later, VGA monitor or better, a Microsoft-compatible mouse or other pointing device, 8 MB RAM and 6 MB disk space. Price: Optima! Express costs $349. Optima! costs $695. Contact: AdvanEdge Technologies Inc. 10170 S.W. Hedges Court Tualatin, OR 97062 Telephone: (503) 692-8162 Fax: (503) 692-2451 Web: www.advanedge.com/ |
ISO 9000 Documentation
With EtQ 9000 Maps
EtQ Management Consultants is a full-service management consulting firm providing services and solutions to help companies achieve ISO9000 and QS-9000 registration expediently and cost-effectively. Their approach includes the audits, training and tools to achieve registration. The firm's principals were lead auditors and trainers of auditors for the largest U.S. ISO 9000/QS-9000 registrar. Based on their extensive experience, they developed EtQ Solutions, a software package built as a Lotus Notes application, to handle the recording, tracking and reporting required by ISO 9000/QS-9000. Integrated into EtQ Solutions are the flowcharts, i.e., process maps, now available in a separate product known as EtQ 9000 Maps.
EtQ 9000 Maps uses a technique called process maps to draw the office/plant processes required for ISO 9000/QS-9000 registration. The product includes 35 maps (out of a possible 47) that companies need to achieve compliance. EtQ 9000 Maps provides models of the required ISO 9000/QS-9000 office/plant processes along with the proper format, layout, organizational responsibility and level of detail to make process mapping easy for the user.
EtQ 9000 Maps includes:
4.1 Management Responsibility 4.2 Quality System 4.3 Contract Review 4.5 Document and Data Control 4.6 Purchasing 4.7 Control of Customer-Supplied Product 4.9 Process Control 4.10 Inspection and Testing 4.11 Control of Inspection, Measuring and Test Equipment 4.13 Control of Non conforming Product 4.14 Corrective and Preventive Action 4.15 Handling, Storage, Packaging, Preservation and Delivery 4.16 Control of Quality Records 4.17 Internal Quality Audits 4.18 Training 4.20 Statistical Techniques EtQ 9000 Maps allows the user to avoid writing procedures that take time and can be confusing. A process map is easy to read and understand; the maps are already created, in effect, as users ""fill in the blanks" on templates and apply them to their organization. The maps include a flowchart that diagrams the process, on the left. On the right appears a Help area that includes definitions, referenced maps, associated maps and prerequisites.
EtQ 9000 Maps comes in two versions: manufacturing or chemical. It comes in two flowcharting formats: ABC FlowCharter or Visio.
ABC FlowCharter is available from Micrografx Inc., 1303 Arapaho Road, Richardson, TX 75081, (214) 234-1769, fax (214) 994-6227,www.micrografx.com.
Visio is available from Visio Corp., 520 Pike St., Suite 1800, Seattle, WA 98101-4500, (206) 521-4500, fax (206) 521-4501,www.visio.com.
When using with Visio, first launch Visio, then open the EtQ 9000 Maps folder, which holds the process maps stored in Visio format. Select the process map you wish to view.
This product is very useful; the flowchart templates of process maps will greatly speed up the process of creating documentation for ISO 9000/QS-9000 registration. Users may still have to write some procedures or supporting documentation for the process maps; however, EtQ 9000 Maps reduces the requirement significantly.
and Optima! Express:
AdvanEdge Technologies Inc. has delivered two business engineering tools that leverage the growing need for business managers to analyze and manage business processes that traverse organizational boundaries. The management-and-development team has extensive experience in the technical documentation tools field and has chosen to leverage the proven process-mapping method, popularized by TheRummler-Brache Group, known as functional deployment charting. While the tools are not complex, they do possess the ability to capture a great deal of information for the analysis of business processes.
AdvanEdge provides two products for the mapping and simulation of business processes. These products are specifically designed to meet the company's strategy of providing easy-to-use process mapping and simulation software to analyze business processes across various industry segments. Optima! Express is intended for wide deployment. Optima! provides the addition of process simulation capabilities. Maps created by Optima! Express can be read by Optima!
Optima! Express, a highly automated process-mapping tool, gives users the capability of creating process maps by defining functional groups as horizontal bands, then placing the appropriate flow symbol into the functional group that performs the process step. Users connect the symbols with lines and then add text to show the processflow. Optima! Express provides a tabular mode that allows users to enter text into the rows of a table. Once the text entry is complete, the user can switch to the graphical view.
Some of the more advanced features in Optima! Express include the ability to assign attributes or variables to build a process model. It includes many predefined attributes, as well as the capability for users to create attributes specific to their needs. Optima! Express also has the ability to define a statistical distribution and a built-in expression builder, which allows users to describe the process model in detail.
Optima! is the high-end version of the Optima! product family. It provides all of the facilities that are found in the Optima! Express product -- such as automated process mapping -- as well as features specific to process simulation and analysis. These additional capabilities include an expression language and a statement builder for defining statistical distributions. Also, a simulation guide allows users to create scenarios for their simulations, and a trace view adds color-keyed process animation, which brings the flowcharts to life as simulation runs. Optima! allows users to view the results of multiple simulations side by side for direct comparison of various scenarios. It also features an extensive reporting facility, which includes the ability to produce attractive charts.
Optima! is one of the few products that directly supports a process-mapping notation. Although users can create any type of flowchart, the product is specifically designed to automate the creation of the Rummler-Brache deployment flowcharts, with the aim of making this kind of process easy to create.
Both Optima! and Optima! Express possess an attractive layout, each having a clean, straightforward interface. The power in the process-mapping interface, with automation specifically designed to support Rummler-Brache compliant diagrams, is the best in the industry. The process simulation capability in the Optima! product exceeds anything available in this price range and rivals that of more expensive and complex tools.
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March 97 Quality Digest