Assurance Management Research Articles

Quality Assurance Practices of the Food Manufacturers in Malaysia

In the context of food manufacturing industry, quality systems are responsible for the assurance of food hygiene, food safety and food quality. Over the years, extensive studies were conducted on quality assurance and quality management models of the SMEs or large companies. Very limited studies reported in food-related field, particularly in the Malaysia context. Previous literature focused mainly on a general and large population. This study intended to fills the gap by investigating the quality assurance practices in the of Malaysia food manufacturing companies. A survey questionnaire was developed and data were statistically analyzed using SPSS version 22.0. Data was tested with Cronbach alpha to check for the reliability and subsequently followed by descriptive statistics. Descriptive statistics were used to identify the current quality assurance practices implemented by the Malaysia food manufacturing companies. It was found that HACCP food safety management system and GMP food hygiene practices were the two most commonly implemented practices among the food manufacturers. This was followed by ISO 9001 system. TQM was found to be the least implemented system. It is believed that this is the first research that cover major dimensions of the international standard. In term of implication to food manufacturers, it was encouraged to make use of the questionnaire as a checklist to facilitate in food quality controlling. At the same time, improve the implementation extent of the existing practices.

PRACTICAL IMPLEMENTATION OF THE EVALUATION OF THE EFFECTIVENESS OF THE ENTERPRISE WITH THE USE OF PARAMETRIC RASCH MODEL

In article the approach to the assessment of the efficiency of industrial production with use of parametric Rasch model in the context of application the assessment of latent variables. Structural diagram of the estimation of production efficiency for mathematical Rasch model estimation of latent variables. The priority assessment model for the selected dynamic model, which in turn allows you to measure the efficiency of a linear dimensionless scale that can easily translate to any other rating scale. In addition to the performance evaluations of the businesses are able to obtain assessment of the performance indicators. As a base for evaluating the performance of the enterprise, it was proposed to include in the enterprise management system four key subsystems (financial, personnel, operational, manufacturing), which form the required level of innovative activity of the enterprise at the proper level of information assurance and information management support. Moreover, it is indicated that the production subsystem is one of the major or critical subsystems for the control, since this subsystem generates economic benefits for the functioning and development of the enterprise. Thus the technique based on the differential contribution of each subsystem of enterprise management: human, financial, operating, production in the results obtained and the observed effects. Provides a practical implementation of the methodology of integral estimation of activity of the enterprises, obtained on the basis of individual assessments of the indicators of their production activities. Purpose – obtaining an integrated estimation of activity of the enterprises, obtained on the basis of individual assessments of parameters. Methodology this article used mathematical Rasch model estimation of latent variables. Results: when applying the proposed estimation model to obtain estimates allowing to obtain a dynamic evaluation of the effectiveness of specific company and also research the importance of production indicators in the context of the enterprise will allow to organize effective management of the enterprise. Practical implications it is the obtained results should apply to economic entities engaged in economic production activities.

Commentaries on health services research

Commentaries on health services research

A Reporting Tool for Practice Guidelines in Health Care: The RIGHT Statement.

The quality of reporting practice guidelines is often poor, and there is no widely accepted guidance or standards for such reporting in health care. The international RIGHT (Reporting Items for practice Guidelines in HealThcare) Working Group was established to address this gap. The group followed an existing framework for developing guidelines for health research reporting and the EQUATOR (Enhancing the QUAlity and Transparency Of health Research) Network approach. It developed a checklist and an explanation and elaboration statement. The RIGHT checklist includes 22 items that are considered essential for good reporting of practice guidelines: basic information (items 1 to 4), background (items 5 to 9), evidence (items 10 to 12), recommendations (items 13 to 15), review and quality assurance (items 16 and 17), funding and declaration and management of interests (items 18 and 19), and other information (items 20 to 22). The RIGHT checklist can assist developers in reporting guidelines, support journal editors and peer reviewers when considering guideline reports, and help health care practitioners understand and implement a guideline.

The Canadian Area of Focused Competence (AFC) in Cytopathology experience: the first four years

The AFC in cytopathology program was created in 2012 to address the societal need in Canada for Cytopathology leaders with in-depth specific knowledge of Cytopathology diagnostics, laboratory management, quality assurance and risk management to ensure high quality and accurate patient outcomes. So far, the developed AFC program in Cytopathology has been successfully implemented in three academic centres, and it stands as a model for competency-based advanced training in Cytopathology.

The Quality Assurance Management of Graduates in Ma’arif NU Vocational High School Bobotsari and Muhammadiyah 2 Vocational High School Purbalingga

A research entitled Quality Assurance Management of Graduates in Ma’aarif NU Vocational High School Bobotsari and Muhammadiyah 2 Vocational High School Purbalingga, has done to find out the form of the quality assurance management of graduates, to find out the steps to reach quality assurance management of graduates, and to find out the assesment of quality assurance management of graduates in Ma’arif NU Vocational High School Bobotsari and Muhammadiyah 2 Vocational High School Purbalingga. The benefits of the research are theoritically expected to contribute ideas for the development of quality assurance management of graduates in vocational high schools. In other words, this study is expected to be a source of discussion and a source of inspiration, and practically, for principals of vocational high school institutions in taking decisions related to the development of vocational high school education institution he leads, as an effort to improve the quality of school management to ensuring the quality of education esspecially quality of the graduates, add knowledge of quality assurance management of graduates. This research was qualitative descriptive research and the subject of the research are principal, vice principals, quality management representative team, teachers, employees and others who can provide information related to the research. This research was conducted using data collection methods such us observation, documentation and interview. The result of research show that Quality assurance management of graduates in Ma'arif NU Vocational High School Bobotsari and muhammadiyah 2 Vocational hig school Purbalingga using the form QMS ISO 9001: 2008, both of schools using Deming’s 14 Theories as the steps and also religious way as a partner to reach quality assurance management of graduates, The assesment of quality assurance management of graduates in Ma’arif NU Vocational High School is through self assesment and external audit. While in Muhammadiyah 2 Vocational High School Purbalingga is through self assesment, fulfillment customer satisfaction, monitoring & measurement, and external audit.

A qualification procedure to manufacture and repair aerospace parts with electron beam melting

This paper is focused on qualification procedures for metal parts manufactured using new additive manufacturing (AM) techniques in the aerospace industry. The main aim is to understand the interaction between these technologies and the stringent regulatory framework of this industry in order to develop correct quality assurance and quality control procedures in accordance with the certification process for the technology and spare parts. These include all the testing and validation necessary to implement them, as well as to maintain their capability throughout their life-cycle, specific procedures to manufacture or repair parts, work-flows and records, amongst others. An entire qualification procedure for electron beam melting (EBM) to reproduce and repair an aerospace part has been developed and it is presented in this paper. These will be part of the future quality assurance and quality management systems of those aerospace companies that implement AM in their supply chain.

Rationalising data use for general practice: a missed opportunity?

Practices and practitioners are required to produce bespoke reports using data for an ever-increasing range of purposes, including, among others, appraisals, contractual monitoring, quality assurance, and performance management by several bodies, without regard to unnecessary duplication of effort. Examples include producing numerous individual patient care plans for clinical commissioning groups (CCGs), a minimum of one completed audit cycle every 5 years for each GP as part of General Medical Council revalidation, and responses to the 130 questions of a Care Quality Commission (CQC) inspection. This huge non-clinical workload adds stress to practices and may be contributing to the current GP recruitment and retention crisis. The priorities of data use cannot solely be monitoring and performance management; to improve population outcomes (for example, premature mortality, morbidity, hospital admissions, time lost from work), we argue that general practice must also use data to strengthen its essential public health role. Local populations’ characteristics should be examined to better understand both health needs and the effect of interventions on outcomes, beyond the limited scope of the Quality and Outcomes Framework (QOF).1 This requires: Although this article considers mainly data extraction, interpretation, and presentation, a distinction needs to be made between these processes and the processes of data collection and entry. The designers of information systems need to support users …

Adaptation of Information Quality and Assurance Management Paradigm in a Strategic Public Sector Organization

Information quality despite being a critical area in organizations lacks in comprehensive methodologies for its adaptation and improvement even after years of active research and practice. Therefore adaptation of information quality while ensuring information assurance has become a major concern for strategic organizations to upgrade their IT (Information Technology) Assets. The issue exists specifically in organizations with integrated access to distributed data. In this article, a new model is proposed that is derived after addressing issues in already existing information quality and information assurance adaptation models, showing the methodology and its advantages for strategic organizations. However, this model has to be adapted to the requirements and needs of an organization; since it is a reference model. The steps and procedures are identified in quality and assurance adaptation model to bring abstract standard into practice.

Education for Sustainable Development: a Strategic Tool for Quality Improvement of Higher Education

It has been long known that quality assurance (QA) is a system to develop quality standards in Thailand. However, it is not easy to implement the concept throughout a whole organization, for example, to include in a university, faculty members, program specifications, management team, and so on. This paper is to explain a case of strategic management of quality assurance using education for sustainable development (ESD) in the university with social enterprise concept. An example of the university with the mission statement of “to serve society” can drawn more attention using ESD concept to faculty in stead of QA regulation concept. The conceptual framework of the implementation was shown how QA can be developed in curriculum embedding with an ESD concept.

Effects of NextGen Concepts of Operation for Separation Assurance and Interval Management on Air Traffic Controller Situation Awareness, Workload, and Performance

ABSTRACTObjective: Determine how combinations of NextGen-automation concepts for separation assurance and spacing affect air traffic controller (ATCo) situation awareness, workload, and performance.Background: In previous research, situation awareness was not measured with valid and reliable instruments. Previous work also evaluated separation assurance and spacing concepts individually, and did not examine weather.Method: Retired ATCos worked en route and transitional sectors. Four operating concepts for separation assurance and spacing were tested based on whether automation or ATCo was responsible for each function. Standard methods for assessing workload and situation awareness were used; performance measures included safety and efficiency.Results: Workload was lowest when both functions were automated; however, situation awareness depended on operating concept and sector. In the en route sector, the highest levels of situation awareness were found for ATCo-managed separation assurance and automation-managed spacing. In the transitional sector, the highest situation awareness occurred when ATCos performed both functions. The numbers of loss of separation were highest for ATCo-managed separation assurance; sector complexity depended on weather, but only for automation-managed separation assurance. Spacing efficiency was highest for ATCo-managed separation assurance, but more communications were required.Conclusion: In air traffic management, separation assurance and spacing functions interact with each other in determining ATCo workload, situation awareness, and performance, depending on sector characteristics and weather. Therefore, evaluations of NextGen-automation solutions must include multiple concepts of operation, and involve different sectors and environmental conditions.

Epistemic governance and epistemic innovation policy in higher education

Epistemic governance and epistemic innovation policy formulate a critique against too-narrowly defined approaches to governance, where governance follows one-sidedly bureaucratic or technocratic considerations. Instead, epistemic governance (also quality management and quality enhancement) and epistemic innovation policy should be regarded as a plea for a more comprehensive understanding, where the explicit-making, comprehension and reflection of knowledge, knowledge production, and knowledge application are keys for a successful governing and governance. For the further progress of advanced knowledge society, advanced knowledge economy, and advanced knowledge democracy, universities and the higher education sectors are crucial for driving development. How should the governance of higher education, the quality enhancement of universities, and the careers of academic faculty (the academic profession) be organized? Epistemic governance introduces here a novel approach and understanding. Epistemic governance emphasizes that the underlying epistemic structure, the underlying epistemic base, or the underlying epistemic paradigms (knowledge paradigms) of those organizations, institutions, or systems (sectors), which should be governed, are being addressed. This defines a benchmark and set of criteria for internal and external governance in higher education that is interested in applying a good, effective, and sustainable governance. Quality assurance, quality enhancement, and quality management of higher education, from the perspective of epistemic governance, should also orient themselves to quality and quality dimensions that cross-refer to the underlying epistemic structure of higher education. In a traditional understanding, the academic career patterns of the academic core faculty at universities follow a tenure-track logic. Cross-employment (multi-employment), on the contrary, refers to academic faculty (the academic profession) with simultaneous employment contracts to more than one organization only within or both inside and outside of higher education. Epistemic governance, in combination with crossemployment, should add to the organizational flexibility and creativity of universities and other higher education institutions, supporting the integration of a pluralism and diversity of knowledge production (basic research in the context of knowledge application and innovation), the formation of nonlinear innovation networks, and providing a rationale for a new type of academic career model.

Introducing a legal mandate for basic medical education accreditation in Korea.

Introducing a legal mandate for basic medical education accreditation in Korea.

The necessity for management of common subjects and quality assurance for higher education of mastery of skills by using qualifying examinations in university Liberal Arts classes

We discuss quality assurance for education content and evaluation of mastery of skills by using qualifying examinations in university Liberal Arts classes. It is considered that there are three merits in using those examinations: ‘Clarity of degree of achievement and evaluation criteria’, ‘Easy management for multiple classes’, and ‘Encouraging students’ learning motivation’. Then we show a case of teaching qualifying examinations in information literacy classes as an example of quality assurance of education at our college.

A Quantitative Approach to Information Systems Audit in Small and Medium Enterprises

An Information Systems (IS) Auditor performs several audit related functions in a Small and Medium Enterprise (SME) such as preparation of a written IS audit procedure, comparison of actual IS configuration with documented configuration standards, assess whether IS assets are secure, check the access rights for users and system services, check for the presence of IS security procedures and finally analyze transactions in an information system. The current work focuses on a quantitative approach to measure the effectiveness of the IS audit functions in selected small and medium enterprises. The variations in KPI scores between sectors and regions are analyzed for the sample SMEs. Finally, the operational best practices for IS Auditors working in SMEs are suggested.Keywords: Information Systems (IS), IS Audit, Key Performance Indicator (KPI), Small and Medium Enterprise (SME), Maturity Level Index1 IntroductionAn enterprise is mainly involved in economic activities. It can be categorized as Large, Medium or Small depending on the limits for investment, number of employees, balance sheet and total turnover. SMEs are contributing for economic development across the world. Information Systems Audit plays an important role in SMEs for running computer based application systems. Information Systems Audit ensures protection of IS assets and maintains data integrity. It also helps in achieving organizational goals and facilitates efficient usage of resources [1]. SMEs in the modern environment extensively make use of information system resources. This will ensure smooth flow of information between various sub systems and improves the business processes as well. An Information Systems (IS) Auditor performs several audit related functions in a Small and Medium Enterprise (SME) such as preparation of a written IS audit procedure, comparison of actual IS configuration with documented configuration standards, assess whether IS assets are secure, check the access rights for users and system services, check for the presence of IS security procedures and finally analyze transactions in an information system.2 ObjectivesThe objectives of the present work can be stated as follows:1) To assess the existence of IS Audit expertise in SMEs with reference to the KPI- Maturity level Index.2) To study the variations in the KPI scores between the sectors and regions.3) Suggest operational best practices for IS Auditors with respect to Information Systems Audit in SMEs.3 Related WorkThe article by Tommie W. Singleton [2] analyses the four phases of the Controls Development Life Cycle, viz., design, implementation, operational effectiveness and monitoring. The design phase involves IS controls pertaining to Top Management, Quality Assurance Management, Operations Management, Security Management, Systems Development Management, Data Resources Management, Programming Management and User Applications Management. The implementation phase should carry out the controls listed in the design phase. The operational effectiveness phase is concerned with ability of the controls to perform their goals (e.g. prevent a material misstatement). The monitoring phase involves continuous auditing on the controls and proper review of the change management procedures.The monograph by Khabib [3] gives an overview of controls for applications, data centre operations and access security. It also gives an overview of computer based audit techniques to independently test computer data. Jim Kaplan proposed [4] a simplified representation of the enterprise information environment. He gave an overview of IS audit process, accuracy, consistency and reliability of data, controls for the core processes and application systems.The fourth annual Information Systems Audit Benchmarking Survey conducted by Information Systems Audit and Control Association (ISACA and Protiviti in 2014 [5] highlights the challenges and concerns relating to computer and internet security, IS staffing and resources, IS risk assessment and IS audit reporting structure. …

The Management Model of Vocational Education Quality Assurance Using ‘Holistic Skills Education (Holsked)’

This research is conducted to formulate an education quality assurance management model, which focused on vocational schools or SMK. The model covers an early process of students deciding to choose a certain SMK until the post graduation of students. Quality assurance is an important aspect to improve in education, especially in SMK, which is expected to be the leading efforts to increase human resources. Therefore, a special management model form of quality assurance toward SMK is needed. Holistic Skills Education (HOLSKED) is one of its manifestations which is designed to assure the quality of SMK in a simple way by doing six steps. They are Pre-entering Behavior, Entering Behavior, Process, Assessment, Evaluation, and Output which included in the early process during the student's application until the process of assuring students after half a year of graduation. This research applied Research and Development approach. The method used in the data collection process is qualitative and quantitative ones. The number of the samples is four SMK in which each has sixty-one people. Three SMKs are used as the samples for the initial test, while the rest is for the model test. There are four ways used in the data collection techniques, they are documentation, observation, interview, and questionnaire. HOLSKED resulted in some improvement of SMK's quality: HOLSKED could change the mind-stream of the majority of students to be more creative and productive, students do not depend on the available facilities, but on the contrary they try to find the way to solve the lack of the facilities at their school, and normative and adaptive materials are presented more practically, not theoretically, by the teachers. HOLSKED is an education quality assurance management model which is constructed scientifically because it is a model of quality assurance for SMK. In 1999, the National Education Department launched a supplement of Competency Based Training (BCT), in which it is an amalgamation of knowledge, skills and attitudes. The SMK graduates should have competency related to computer and intrepreneurship. The first competence is to anticipate the era of globalization, while the second is to develop the sipirits of entreprenurship which can create the jobs. The results of this model prove effective, especially to develop the mindset and awareness of the students to gain special expertise. This model can encourage vocational students to develop entrepreneurial ideas so that graduates are capable of not only working in a company but also creating their own businesses. The aspects developed through this model are mindset, independence, problem solving, innovation, and entrepreneurship.

The Critical Role of Internal Audit in Addressing Bank Fraud: A Conceptual Framework and Critical Review of the Literature with Future Extensions.

The recent global financial recession highlighted the critical role that the banking system plays in the modern economy. Banks are complex financial institutions that operate in a constantly changing business environment and deal with high levels of risk, while facing fraudulent actions in regular basis. In order to address these problems, banks engage in various internal audit techniques such as the implementation of controls and prevention tools, the usage of anti-fraud methods and data mining. The aim of this paper is to redefine the contribution of internal audit in the banking system by highlighting its crucial role in addressing bank fraud. This is achieved by initially proposing a new conceptual framework and then by providing a thorough critical review of both theoretical and empirical literature which helps in determining the value of internal auditing. The results confirm the fact that internal audit can play a major role in risk assurance and bank fraud management thus, ensuring their normal and uninterrupted operation. The paper also provides some useful insights for future application of internal audit methods in the banking sector thus, laying the ground for a fruitful dialogue among the various stakeholders.

The Cervix Cancer Research Network: A Global Outreach Effort on Behalf of the Gynecologic Cancer InterGroup

The Cervix Cancer Research Network: A Global Outreach Effort on Behalf of the Gynecologic Cancer InterGroup

TU‐AB‐BRD‐02: Failure Modes and Effects Analysis

Current quality assurance and quality management guidelines provided by various professional organizations are prescriptive in nature, focusing principally on performance characteristics of planning and delivery devices. However, published analyses of events in radiation therapy show that most events are often caused by flaws in clinical processes rather than by device failures. This suggests the need for the development of a quality management program that is based on integrated approaches to process and equipment quality assurance. Industrial engineers have developed various risk assessment tools that are used to identify and eliminate potential failures from a system or a process before a failure impacts a customer. These tools include, but are not limited to, process mapping, failure modes and effects analysis, fault tree analysis. Task Group 100 of the American Association of Physicists in Medicine has developed these tools and used them to formulate an example risk‐based quality management program for intensity‐modulated radiotherapy. This is a prospective risk assessment approach that analyzes potential error pathways inherent in a clinical process and then ranks them according to relative risk, typically before implementation, followed by the design of a new process or modification of the existing process. Appropriate controls are then put in place to ensure that failures are less likely to occur and, if they do, they will more likely be detected before they propagate through the process, compromising treatment outcome and causing harm to the patient. Such a prospective approach forms the basis of the work of Task Group 100 that has recently been approved by the AAPM. This session will be devoted to a discussion of these tools and practical examples of how these tools can be used in a given radiotherapy clinic to develop a risk based quality management program.Learning Objectives: Learn how to design a process map for a radiotherapy process Learn how to perform failure modes and effects analysis analysis for a given process Learn what fault trees are all about Learn how to design a quality management program based upon the information obtained from process mapping, failure modes and effects analysis and fault tree analysis. Dunscombe: Director, TreatSafely, LLC and Center for the Assessment of Radiological Sciences; Consultant to IAEA and VarianThomadsen: President, Center for the Assessment of Radiological SciencesPalta: Vice President of the Center for the Assessment of Radiological Sciences

TU‐AB‐BRD‐04: Development of Quality Management Program

Current quality assurance and quality management guidelines provided by various professional organizations are prescriptive in nature, focusing principally on performance characteristics of planning and delivery devices. However, published analyses of events in radiation therapy show that most events are often caused by flaws in clinical processes rather than by device failures. This suggests the need for the development of a quality management program that is based on integrated approaches to process and equipment quality assurance. Industrial engineers have developed various risk assessment tools that are used to identify and eliminate potential failures from a system or a process before a failure impacts a customer. These tools include, but are not limited to, process mapping, failure modes and effects analysis, fault tree analysis. Task Group 100 of the American Association of Physicists in Medicine has developed these tools and used them to formulate an example risk‐based quality management program for intensity‐modulated radiotherapy. This is a prospective risk assessment approach that analyzes potential error pathways inherent in a clinical process and then ranks them according to relative risk, typically before implementation, followed by the design of a new process or modification of the existing process. Appropriate controls are then put in place to ensure that failures are less likely to occur and, if they do, they will more likely be detected before they propagate through the process, compromising treatment outcome and causing harm to the patient. Such a prospective approach forms the basis of the work of Task Group 100 that has recently been approved by the AAPM. This session will be devoted to a discussion of these tools and practical examples of how these tools can be used in a given radiotherapy clinic to develop a risk based quality management program.Learning Objectives: Learn how to design a process map for a radiotherapy process Learn how to perform failure modes and effects analysis analysis for a given process Learn what fault trees are all about Learn how to design a quality management program based upon the information obtained from process mapping, failure modes and effects analysis and fault tree analysis. Dunscombe: Director, TreatSafely, LLC and Center for the Assessment of Radiological Sciences; Consultant to IAEA and VarianThomadsen: President, Center for the Assessment of Radiological SciencesPalta: Vice President of the Center for the Assessment of Radiological Sciences