Welcome to thepulse, Gael Ltd's quarterly Q-Pulse e-mail newsletter.

In this edition we are happy to announce the Phase 2 release details of Q-Pulse 5, including the areas to be released and how you'll be able to get your hands on them, and the launch of our unique ISO 27001 product that we have produced in conjunction with IT Governance, one of the key authorities in this area. We will also be taking a look at how to introduce a competency management framework into your organisation as well as our interactive user groups, scheduled for summer.

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Now’s the time many of you have been waiting for: the release of several key Q-Pulse modules. The Document web client, Training, and Asset Management modules will be released at the end of April and will be available to all Q-Pulse Version 5 users covered by a current support contract.

The new Document web viewer can be easily deployed both internally and externally across the supply chain which brings more control back to your organisation over levels of quality throughout supplier organisations and all without the need for any local software installation. It provides a common access point to all policies and procedures in a secure and structured manner, thereby radically reducing the risk of document-related process errors.

The new Training and Competence module looks set to challenge the traditional problems associated with managing competency. The module will allow for the measurement and management of competency ratings whatever the level or status of the employee being measured, and supports organisations in the ongoing development of their personnel.

Unlike Q-Pulse 4.2, the new Asset Management module allows you to have as many checks against pieces of equipment as you require, including Risk Assessment for ISO 27001. The Asset Management module builds on the foundation of its Version 4.2 predecessor whilst adding new capabilities such as the ability to track asset non-conformances via customised workflows. This means that issues against assets are now managed in a structured and systematic manner, resulting in swifter resolution times and enhanced knowledge levels.

We will be holding a Q-Pulse V5.1 online presentation on the 15th May at 15.00 UK time, which will cover how the new modules will assist your compliance efforts. Space for the online presentation will be limited to 100 attendees and demand is expected to be high. Email Martin Bowman on martinb@gaelquality.com to book your place.

As was the case with the initial Version 5 release, the new modules will be distributed in a controlled manner, so contact us on info@gaelquality.com if you wish to consider their introduction into your own organisation.

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To provide further information on the Phase 2 release, Gael will be holding a series of UK-based user groups. This time around, however, we would really like to change the focus of the user groups and have them primarily driven by user feedback, minimise our speaking and maximise our customers. As a result, we would like to extend an invitation to all Q-Pulse 5 customers to present at the events and share their experiences with other Q-Pulse users.

We’re really interested in how implementing and maintaining Q-Pulse 5 has been for our customers and would like to hear about how the implementation went, any challenges that you faced during it and how you overcame them, regardless of whether there has been a migration of data from Q-Pulse 4.2 or a new implementation of the Q-Pulse system.

The user groups are planned for summer 2007. Venues are still to be confirmed but we'll keep everyone informed as soon as we have the details.

If you are interested in presenting or would simply like to attend one of the groups, please contact info@gaelquality.com for further information.

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With the release of the new modules, many of you may now be asking: what's next? Where will Q-Pulse go after Phase 2? The next step on the journey beyond Phase 2 will see further additions to our web functionality, with web interfaces for the CAPA and Auditing modules. Web-based solutions can be easily deployed both internally within the organisation and externally throughout the supply chain, with no requirement for any local software installation.

We will also be developing a report handling system for Q-Pulse. Whilst this will initially be aimed at the aviation sector, to handle ASRs, MORs, GORs, and CCRs, it will be flexible in its design and it's our full intention that it will be modified to cover other mandatory reporting events such as clinical incident forms within the healthcare environment and risk assessments in a safety or IT governance environment.

We aim to release the web interfaces for the CAPA and Audit modules by the 4th quarter of this year as a free upgrade for those customers with a Q-Pulse Enterprise edition. The occurrence handling system will follow afterwards and be available to purchase as an add-on option to Q-Pulse.

We'll be keeping you updated over the course of this year. Keep an eye on our website at www.gaelquality.com for further information.

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Are you able to manage competencies effectively?

Competency management, or the organisational management of expected areas and levels of performance, has become increasingly prominent since its introduction in the 1980s and is now a recognised part of the majority of organisations. However, it is an extremely difficult area to manage effectively and requires the implementation of a well-planned framework.

Building a framework to manage competence can be difficult and time-consuming. There are a variety of factors to be considered, but you should only include in your framework those factors which can be measured. The most common competencies to base your framework around, according to the Chartered Institute of Personal Development, include people management and leadership, business understanding and customer focus.

There are several ways to go about building a competency framework. You can either build your framework from scratch or take advantage of tried and tested existing frameworks and modify them to suit your own business needs. It is possible to draw on the competency lists produced in support of occupational standards and the framework of National and Scottish Vocational Qualifications. Frameworks developed in this way are often linked with progression towards recognised qualifications. There are also a number of competency lists on the web that are available from a variety of different sources, although you must consider carefully their relevance to your particular organisation. Laws regarding topics such as discrimination must also be considered when producing your framework.

Motivation of staff, both line managers and other employees, is key in achieving effective competency management. In order to keep motivation high, it is vital to involve people in every stage of the framework process, including taking part in the design of the framework, thoroughly explaining the new system and framework to them and providing relevant training to all employees to cover all the key points they need to know.

Despite the time required to set up a competency framework, there are many advantages to the system. Employees have a clear set of objectives to work towards which can help with motivation levels and staff retention. It also means organisational appraisal and recruitment system are fair and open and there is a recognised set of standards against which people can be managed. A competency framework can also ensure that employee objectives and organisational objectives are linked, which means employees can see how their improved skills can have an effect on the business as a whole. Organisations can also use the key abilities of their employees to drive their business forward.

While introducing such a framework can be bureaucratic and time-consuming, implementing a compliance management system with competency management capability like Q-Pulse can vastly save time and effort. A system such as Q-Pulse can also ensure that it is not expensive or time-consuming to keep competencies, some of which change frequently, updated.

The new Training and Competence module within Q-Pulse allows for the full measurement and management of competency ratings and:

A new training course will be planned at some point in the future. Keep an eye on our website at www.gaelquality.com for further information.

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Clock ticking for fertility centres

With increasing rates of infertility and the heartache this brings, demand for assisted conception services has increased greatly. However, standards in this sector have varied greatly from country to country across the European Union. The EEC Cells and Tissues Directive and the HFEA Standards for Assisted Conception Centres look set to change this, but time is running out for centres to demonstrate compliance with the Directive and receive a licence from them. At the beginning of May, any centre across the EEC that cannot prove compliance with this standard and that does not possess a licence, will no longer be allowed to operate.

Since Q-Pulse is ideal for demonstrating compliance with this standard, we recently attended the Fertility 2007 exhibition where there were over 400 attendees, all from fertility centres. The speakers included Stuart Emslie, a prominent international advisor in this field, and Sue Avery, from the Birmingham Women's Hospital Assisted Conception Unit. This gave us the opportunity to raise awareness of Q-Pulse and its ability to assist fertility organisations with areas such as: document control, including all aspects of change control activities for documents; managing the audit process through to conclusion; tracking and maintaining comprehensive records of staff training; and managing corrective actions in order to reduce exposure to risk.

The conference also allowed renewed contact with existing users such as Manchester Fertility Services and Bath Assisted Conception Unit and gave us the opportunity to gather feedback on their experience of the Q-Pulse solution.

For more information on how Q-Pulse can help you to manage, maintain and demonstrate compliance with this standard, please contact info@gaelquality.com.

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There have been countless stories in the press recently of information security breaches, such as the recent case where hackers stole information from at least 45.7 million payment cards used by customers of US retailer TJX, which owns TJ Maxx, and UK outlet TKMaxx. The UK’s largest building society was also recently fined £1 million for exposing customers to an increased risk of financial crime, following the theft of a laptop containing confidential customer information. Would your organisation be able to afford such a fine or recover from it?

As the security of information becomes increasingly prominent, the penalties for failing to implement effective systems and controls to protect the confidentiality, integrity and availability of information are escalating. Aside from any financial consequences, there is a severe risk of damage to reputation, customer retention and profit if your organisation’s information is found to be open to exploitation. As a result, organisations must ensure they have a policy in place to secure their information.

The ISO 27001 standard has been developed to give organisations a means to ensure their information is secure and represents global best practice in this area, but traditionally achieving and maintaining to this standard requires a huge effort in terms of time and cost.

However, the launch of a new version of Q-Pulse looks set to change this. Q-Pulse for ISO 27001 has been developed through a unique collaboration between Gael and IT Governance Ltd, an international authority on the ISO 27001 infosecurity standard.

The new Q-Pulse for ISO 27001 radically simplifies the management of best practice Information Security Management Systems by combining Gael’s best-selling compliance management technology with IT Governance’s proprietary toolkit for the documentation and process management of the ISO 27001 standard. Q-Pulse for ISO 27001 is highly scalable and enables customers to tailor an installation to their precise needs.

Martin Bowman, sales director of Gael, commented, “Compliance has moved from a backroom concern to a top priority for senior management, but the issue is still associated with bureaucracy. This can deter companies from putting in place the necessary processes or maintaining them afterwards. Information security is too vital to be bogged down in paperwork and the new Q-Pulse system is set to transform the compliance management process. It not only makes ISO 27001 easier to achieve, but crucially makes it simpler to keep up over the long term.”

Alan Calder, chief executive of IT Governance, said, “ISO 27001 is the gold standard in information security, but people who think that just getting certified is the end goal couldn’t be more wrong. That is only the beginning – what makes the difference between success and failure is how you make infosecurity work for you over time. This new software offers a great way to ease the compliance process and ensure that ISO 27001 really acts as an asset to the business.”

The system is being launched this week at the InfoSec Europe trade fair at London’s Olympia. For further information on Q-Pulse for ISO 27001, please contact info@gaelquality.com or call +44 (0) 1355 593400.

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That's it for this edition of thepulse.

The next edition will be with you in July but if you can't wait til then, you can check out our regular news, forums and information on Gael Ltd and on compliance issues at our website at www.gaelquality.com.

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