Introduction
Hello
and welcome to thepulse. With the launch of the 5th Generation
of Q-Pulse just around the corner, this issue is a 5th Generation
Special Edition.
We want to update you on where we are with the new Q-Pulse,
tell you about a couple of key features of the latest version
and let you know about the exciting consolidation of the Gael
Quality Group into Gael Ltd. We will also be revealing the winner
of the Christmas Caption Competition along with all the usual
Q-Pulse news.
The
King is dead. Long live the King
 The
times they are a changing. Historically the Gael Quality Group
has been structured into three separate trading companies; Gael
Quality Ltd for UK Q-Pulse sales, Gael Quality International
for international Q-Pulse sales and Gael Ltd for all MindGenius
sales. The three trading companies in the group have all enjoyed
considerable success in diverse markets and sectors by providing
easy to use innovative products that help organisations overcome
operational challenges.
With
the approaching release of the new Q-Pulse, Gael has completely
revamped its solutions to provide an application that encourages
ownership of the Compliance Management system across the organisation.
Q-Pulse now provides a vehicle for organisation-wide advancement
and also reduces the bureaucratic burden of Compliance Management.
Importantly
the new Q-Pulse now incorporates our MindGenius business-mapping
application, which assists with the collation and understanding
of information leading to operational improvement and effective
and efficient change control. This new Q-Pulse solution raises
the bar in the Compliance Management software marketplace. It
provides users in ISO, Aviation, Healthcare, Food and Corporate
Governance sectors with operational tools far exceeding any
of the typical record management solutions currently available.
With
the coming together of Q-Pulse and MindGenius to provide an
unparalleled Compliance Management solution, the Gael Quality
Group has also decided to restructure in line with this change.
As a result, all Gael companies have been consolidated into
one legal entity trading as Gael Ltd.
Consequently, from 1st April 2006, Gael Quality
Ltd and Gael Quality International Ltd have come together to
form a trading division of Gael Ltd. As all operational issues
are carried out by exactly the same staff as before, it is anticipated
that this change will be completely seamless to our user base
with the exception of accounts departments, who may need to
update company and bank details.
These
are exciting times for Gael as we look to further consolidate
our position as the leading provider of Compliance Management
solutions that add real value to your organisation. So whilst
there was a tear in our eyes when Gael Quality Ltd and Gael
Quality International ceased to trade, we’re sure that
the reign of Gael Ltd will be a long-lasting and successful
one.
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It's
the final countdown...
No,
we haven’t decided to get dodgy perms and play air guitar
to the 80’s classic rock song by Europe. The final countdown
to the launch of the 5th Generation of Q-Pulse is underway.
It won’t be long now until the new Q-Pulse is with you
all.
With
a completely different look and feel, the new Q-Pulse is set
to challenge compliance stereotypes by allowing companies the
chance to grow their business through their compliance system.
The first stage of Beta testing is now well underway, with over
80 organisations working with us to provide feedback on the
functionality and usability of the new Q-Pulse.
The
product is vastly different from Version 4.2. There’s
a whole host of new features, intended to make compliance more
user friendly. These include the LaunchPad and a business mapping
tool that has been fully integrated into Q-Pulse. This means
that the system can be used for more than simply managing compliance.
It can help organisations introduce real business changes.
We
want everyone to know about the launch, so look out for our
adverts in the June edition of Qualityworld. Q-Pulse will feature
heavily with adverts and inserts in the publication to coincide
with our product launch. Our new adverts will incorporate a
new look and feel to complement the new Q-Pulse style.
Qualityworld, published by the Institute
of Quality Assurance, is the only quality magazine in the UK
to feature the latest news, in-depth editorial and jobs in quality.
Distributed to 15,000 readers each month, it is therefore the
perfect place to check out our new branding.
For
more information on how Q-Pulse can help your organisation introduce
real business change, please contact info@gaelquality.com.
If you would like to attend our online presentation, or have
some feedback on our new look, please email us at info@gaelquality.com.
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“Flying
coffins” lose their wings due to compliance failures
Recent air tragedies such as
the Helios crash in Greece last summer, remind us that while
air travel may be the safest form of transport, it is only as
safe as the plane we are travelling on. Jacques Barrot, the
European transport commissioner dismissed some aircraft as "flying
coffins," which is sure to concern the millions of us who
fly each year.
We can however feel a little more secure in
the safety of the air craft we fly on in future, at least within
Europe, after the introduction of the EU legislation banning
92 “dangerous” airlines from flying within the region.
The move was proposed last year after a summer when more than
500 people died in plane crashes worldwide, and was introduced
last week.
Quite often EU regulations come under fire for
being too bureaucratic, a famous example of course being regulations
on the shape of bananas. Yet, this is one case where they really
could save lives.
Aviation
safety is of course of vital importance in the industry and
one that the vast majority of airlines do comply with 100%.
However, those that don’t are putting their passengers
lives at risk due to greed or incompetence. Some unscrupulous
airlines allow aircraft to fly that are not airworthy and do
not comply with regulations. They fail to meet global standards
and are not compliant with international regulations. This can
be due to factors involving cost, yet some airlines seem to
believe they do not have to comply with international regulations.
The airlines banned from flying are all based
out with the EU, with the majority located in Africa. Others
banned included some based in Thailand, Bangladesh and Kazakhstan.
They do not comply with current EU regulations regarding passenger
and aircraft safety. However, the legislation has shown, it
doesn’t matter how small your airline may be or where
it is based, you are still not exempt from the regulations or
responsibility of being a carrier.
One way to ensure regulations are met and customer
safety is paramount is to use an electronic Compliance Management
system such as Q-Pulse. Air Astana, in Kazakhstan, is one airline
that always puts their customers first. They are Q-Pulse users
and customer safety is their number one priority.
Malcolm
McDonald, Quality Manager of Air Astana airlines said:
“We are of course a business at the end of the day but
where safety is our paramount concern and a business that really
cares about our customers well-being. As a result of this, we
have invested in Q-Pulse to ensure we are meeting all EASA Part-145
and Kazakhstan CAC safety rules and regulations and exceeding
them where possible.”
Q-Pulse is widely respected throughout the aviation
industry and has a varied customer base that includes Emirates,
TUI and Lufthansa. We even held a dedicated Aviation user group
in Dubai in January in conjunction with Emirates Airlines. This
gave those in the industry the chance to share tips and advice
on how Q-Pulse can really help meet international standards.
The
easiest way for the banned airlines to be permitted to fly within
the EU again would be to comply with industry recognised standards
such as JAR-OPS and EASA Part-145 (and implement an electronic
management system such as Q-Pulse). Until then, we can be thankful
that EU regulations are concerned with more than just bananas.
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Q-Pulse
given the Regal seal of approval
Gael
Ltd are delighted to announce that their Compliance management
software, Q-Pulse, will be implemented across all the new Chivas
Brothers sites following Chivas Brothers recent acquisition
of Allied Distillers.
Chivas Brothers is the Scotch whisky business of Pernod Ricard,
whose vision is to become the world’s leading premium
Scotch whisky and Gin Company.
The whiskies in Chivas Brothers premium portfolio are consistently
award winning, attracting accolades from some of the most prestigious
and influential international awards bodies in the world. Most
recently in 2005, The Glenlivet 21 year old was awarded the
prestigious trophy for ‘Best Single Malt Scotch Whisky
over 12 years old’ at the International Wine & Spirit
Competition (IWSC) whilst achieving gold medals at the same
competition in consecutive years from 2002 to 2005.
Chivas Brothers are aware that there is a higher customer expectation
when you are working in a premium market. As a result of this,
they have been using Q-Pulse for the last five years to meet
customer expectations. Chivas Brothers plan to introduce Q-Pulse
across their leading brands.
‘At Chivas Brothers we insist on the highest standards.
Q-Pulse can help meet these high standards and ensure we are
giving customers the service they expect.’
Fiona Whitelaw, Process QA Leader, Chivas Brothers.
To find out more about Chivas Brothers, www.chivas.com
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Lift
off for the LaunchPad
Ownership
is a major problem in compliance. It is often very difficult
to make employees view compliance systems as little more than
a burden and to engage with them. They are often difficult to
use with too much information available to the individual user.
Too often the Compliance Management system has a bad press.
We
wanted to help companies and individuals realise that it doesn’t
have to be this way. With the 5th Generation of Q-Pulse we have
introduced the LaunchPad feature to help achieve ownership.
Those of you who attended the recent user groups in the UK and
Dubai or joined in on a webex session will already realise its
significance. For everyone else, LaunchPad is the customisable
screen that is available to all users. From LaunchPad, each
individual can access documents that are relevant only to themselves.
It can also be set
up to check outstanding actions and functionality, to report
concerns or to initiate actions to support the Compliance Management
system. It provides a clear and easy to use portal to the whole
Compliance Management system and one that is relevant to each
user as an individual.
If you have overall
responsibility for the management system, the single screen
of LaunchPad gives a quick view of how well the system is being
maintained and what actions remain outstanding. This allows
you to address problem areas quickly and as you believe necessary.
Similar information
is available to individuals. The only difference being, the
data presented is restricted to that which is relevant to them.
This, of course, saves valuable time and ensures the system
is easier to use for the individual. This is done without ever
compromising on the integrity of the record or how others are
able to view the record. This subtle flexibility again helps
to keep individuals engaged with the management system.
Furthermore, from
the Q-Pulse LaunchPad, users can suggest changes or improvements
throughout the management system. This provides a mechanism
to allow individual voices to be heard. As a result, this contributes
significantly to achieving collective ownership of the Compliance
Management system.
LaunchPad will help
you breathe new life into your Compliance Management system.
An easier life is an attractive prospect to anyone. LaunchPad
will help make life easier for Q-Pulse users and that is sure
to be a good thing.
For
more information on how Q-Pulse can help your business grow,
please contact Martin Bowman, bowmanm@gaelquality.com
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Cut
complaints about compliance
Compliance. Is it just a coincidence that the word looks so
similar to the word complaint? For many companies and individuals,
complaining is exactly what they do when they have to use their
Compliance Management system. It can seem too much like hard
work with no satisfying end result. But what if your Compliance
Management system could not only be simple to use but could
also help you bring about real business change?
We
wanted to meet these aims with this version of Q-Pulse. So,
not only does it have a new look, feel and features that make
it easier and more intuitive to use but it also has added extras
to help you grow your business.
Easier functionality
means that users will be more willing to engage with the compliance
system. The LaunchPad is a customisable screen that allows users
access to only the information that is relevant to them. It
is simple to use and won’t swamp and baffle users with
information overload. Users can see at a glance the amount of
outstanding tasks they have and when they are required to finish
them by.
Growing
your business through your Compliance Management system is a
very real prospect. The new Q-Pulse has even more graphical
elements to help you spot trends. But how often do you as an
individual or does your organisation sit down and take stock
of where you are? How often do you sit down and really think
through plans for the future? Time is always an issue in these
days of impending targets and deadlines but sometimes spending
a little time gathering thoughts is all it takes to come up
with a breakthrough solution.
We have
integrated a business mapping tool into Q-Pulse to help identify,
collect, organise and understand information regarding a specific
situation or problem. It is simple to use and is invaluable
when brainstorming, problem solving or analysing the impact
of change. Combined with Q-Pulse it takes the management of
compliance to a whole new level.
It’s
easy to use too and has 3 basic features, known as the 3 Essentials,
which will get you started and Mapping in no time. Mapping is
based on Tony Buzan’s Mind Mapping theories and is a tried
and tested business solution that has been used throughout all
sectors, for over 40 years.
Fewer
complaints about compliance? This will be the reality you can
look forward to with the 5th Generation of Q-Pulse.
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City
of growth the backdrop for Q-Pulse user group
Dubai
is growing dramatically at the moment. It is currently the second
largest developing city in the world after Shanghai with enormous
construction and development in various industries. It has attracted
worldwide attention through innovative real estate projects,
sports events and conferences. Therefore, it seemed fitting
that Gael’s only overseas user group, held in conjunction
with Emirates Airlines, should be held there.
The
user group focused on the 5th Generation of Q-Pulse and the
original ways in which it will help organisations take compliance
to a new level. It will provide users with a single framework
that can manage multiple standards across disconnected systems,
including Quality, Safety and the Environment and industry specific
standards such as JAR-OPS, EASA-145 and JAR-FCL.
Held at the Training
College of Emirates Airlines all the delegates were from a cross
section of industry and job roles. Companies represented included
Emirates Airlines, Jumeirah International and the Union National
Bank. The fact that Q-Pulse can meet the aims of such diverse
sectors further highlighted the flexibility of the new system.
One new facility
to be found in Q-Pulse is known as LaunchPad. LaunchPad increases
the effectiveness of the software, makes ownership more achievable
and reduces information overload. The new features certainly
made an impression on our distinguished delegates from the above-mentioned
companies.
Martin
Bowman, Gael’s Sales Director said: “The Dubai user
group was a great success, with excellent feedback received
on the 5th Generation of Q-Pulse and the potential it offers
our Middle East user community. Hosting the meeting in Dubai
displays Gael's strong commitment to the region's Q-Pulse users
and we look forward to holding similar events in the future.
We are extremely grateful to Emirates for providing us with
such a fantastic venue which certainly contributed towards the
day being such a success”.
Robert
Spencer, Flight Operations Quality Manager, Emirates Airlines
is an existing Q-Pulse customer and was hugely impressed with
the next generation of the software commenting that: "Within
the Emirates Group, we have multiple independent Q-Pulse installations.
We wish to achieve greater levels of commonality, flexibility,
functionality, and user friendliness to our installations, and
hope to do so within the context of the next generation of Q-Pulse."
For
further details of our user groups and the new Q-Pulse contact
us now at info@gaelquality.com.
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Caption
Competition
And
now, the moment you've all been waiting for...we have decided
on the winner of last issue's Caption Competition. The standard
of entries was extremely high but the eventual winner, chosen
after much contemplation, is Paul Bradshaw of Plymouth Hospitals
NHS Trust.
His winning entry
is:
"Several delegates began to pray when the Process Flow
tea making analogy began to go into far too much detail!"
Paul
will receive 5 free MindGenius licences and 2 hours of web training
on using the software for brainstorming or root cause analysis.
Since
the standard was so high we decided to award some runners up
prizes too. Each runner up will receive a free MindGenius licence.
These are awarded to:
Dr Ian R Sharp of HPA Colindale, Dr Richard Daw of University
Hospital Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust, Tim Jenkins of Emirates
and Simon Ridgeon of Fuller's Brewery.
A special mention
has to go to Andy Iliffe, at the University Hospital of North
Staffordshire for his entry:
“As
he breaks into another Highland Dance, the audience ponders
whether Paul is really qualified to market a piece of software
called MindGenius” and to Mark Bowman (no relation of
Martin’s, honest!), at Magnet Limited for “Gael
Ltd across the universe, only going forward cos we can’t
find reverse!”
Congratulations to all the winners. We will be in touch with
your prizes.
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That's
it for this edition of thepulse.
The
next edition will be with you in August but if you can't wait
until then, you can check out our regular news, forums and information
on Gael Ltd and on compliance issues at www.gaelquality.com.
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