ENGLISH LANGUAGE COURSE
FOR STUDENTS OF
QUALITY MANAGEMENT
O. Glivenkova
N. Gunina
N. Nikulshina
I. Shelenkova
Министерство образования и науки Российской Федерации
Федеральное государственное бюджетное образовательное учреждение высшего профессионального образования
«Тамбовский государственный технический университет»
О. Гливенкова
Н. Гунина
Н. Никульшина
И. Шеленкова
Английский язык
Для специалистов в области управления качеством
Учебное пособие
Тамбов
УДК 802.0 (076)
ББК Ш13(Ан)я923
Рецензенты:
доктор педагогических наук, профессор О.А. Артемьева
доктор педагогических наук, профессор П.В.Сысоев
Гливенкова О. А., Гунина Н. А., Никульшина Н. Л., Шеленкова И. В. Английский язык для специалистов в области управления качеством: учебное пособие. - Тамбов: Изд-во ФГБОУ ВПО ТГТУ. - 2011. 98 с.
Данное пособие по английскому языку предназначено для бакалавров, магистрантов и аспирантов, специализирующихся в области управления качеством и стандартизации.
Пособие состоит из семи тематических разделов, в которых последовательно раскрываются основные понятия методологии всеобщего управления качеством, описываются базовые положения теорий зарубежных «наставников качества», определяются типы стандартов и принципы их формирования и взаимосвязи с инновациями, обсуждаются вопросы качества в системе высшего образования.
Пособие содержит аутентичный материал и разработанный на его основе комплекс заданий, ориентированных на взаимосвязанное формирование умений во всех видах иноязычной профильно-ориентированной речевой деятельности.
CONTENTS
MODULE 1. QUALITY AND QUALITY MANAGEMENT................................ 4
Unit 1.What Is Quality?............................................................................................. 4
Unit 2. From The History of Quality Management............................................ 17
Unit 3.Total Quality Management......................................................................... 44
MODULE 2.THE WHAT, WHY, AND HOW OF STANDARDS..................... 59
Unit 4. International Standards and Principles of Their Development........... 59
Unit 5. Standardization and Innovation............................................................... 71
MODULE 3. QUALITY IN THE SYSTEM OF HIGHER EDUCATION........ 78
Unit 6.The Bologna Process and European Higher Education Area.............. 88
Unit 7.Modern Quality of Old Traditions..................................................................
List of references...................................................................................................... 98
MODULE 1
QUALITY AND QUALITY MANAGEMENT
UNIT 1
WHAT IS QUALITY?
The aims of this unit:
· to make you think about different aspects of the concept of quality;
· to analyse various definitions of quality;
· to list typical quality characteristics of goods and services;
· to practice in identifying and remembering new technical and economic terms.
START UP
The term 'quality' is often used in a vague, blurred way. It means different things to different people. So the definition of quality varies from person to person. Some may define quality as reasonably bug-free, delivered on time and within budget, meets requirements and/or expectations, and is maintainable.
Look at the different views of Quality from different persons. Which of them do you share?
What other aspects of Quality can you name?
2 This is how different people define “quality”. Read the definitions and decide which of them is the most adequate in your opinion.
1. ‘Quality is complete satisfaction at the lowest possible cost…’
2. ‘…When who comes back is the client, not the product…’
3. ‘Quality is the extent to which products, services, processes, and relationships are free from defects…’
4. ‘You can not separate the process and the human factor, therefore I believe that Quality, when built into a product, generates emotions and feelings within those who have taken part in it's creation. When you have made something that you are proud of, when you have produced a product that brings smiles to your customers, then you have achieved Quality. You'll know it, they'll know it, and each of you will prosper from it.’
5.‘Products and services that meet or exceed customers' expectations’.
READING
1 Skim the text about the nature of quality. Find an appropriate heading for each paragraph.
a. economic definition of quality
b. a difficult term to define
c. philosophical aspect of quality
d. techniques for managing the quality
e. total quality organisation
f. quality in common use
1. ___ A quality (from Latin qualita) is an attribute or a property. In contemporary philosophy, the idea of quality and especially how to distinguish certain kinds of qualities from one another remains controversial
The Greek philosopher Aristotle (384 - 322 BC) analyzed qualities in his work, the Categories. According to him, qualities may be attributed to things and persons or be possessed by them.
John Locke, an English philosopher and physician (1632 – 1704), presented a distinction between primary and secondary qualities in his ‘An Essay Concerning Human Understanding’. For him, a quality is an idea of a perception. Primary qualities are intrinsic to an object—a thing or a person—whereas secondary qualities are dependent on the subjective interpretation and the context of appearance.
2. ___ Subjectively, something might be good because it is useful, because it is beautiful, or simply because it exists. Determining the quality therefore involves an understanding of use, beauty and existence. The usefulness aspect is reflected in the common usage of quality. In common use, quality can mean a high degree of excellence (“a quality product”), a degree of excellence or the lack of it (“work of average quality”), or a property of something (“the addictive quality of alcohol”).
3. ___ If you look at all technical or economic aspects of quality, you will also see that there is no specification of quality. The word quality seems to trigger a multitude of definitions, so selecting a single definition is difficult.
Table 1.1. presents an array of definitions, each of which is concise and meaningful. There seems to be no single correct or best definition. The meaning of quality differs depending upon circumstances and perceptions. Quality is a different concept when tangible products are the focus versus the perception of a quality service. The meaning of quality is also time-based or situational.
4. ___ A frequently used definition of quality in economics is “Quality is the totality of features and characteristics of a product or service that bear the ability to satisfy stated or implied needs of customers”.These may include performance, appearance, availability, delivery, reliability, maintainability, cost effectiveness and price. It is, therefore, imperative that the organisation knows what these needs and expectations are. In addition, having identified them, the organisation must understand them, and measure its own ability to meet them.
5. ___ Quality starts with market research – to establish the true requirements for the product or service and the true needs of the customers. However, for an organisation to be really effective, quality must span all functions, all people, all departments and all activities and be a common language for improvement. The cooperation of everyone at every interface is necessary to achieve a total quality organization. Customers, managers, engineers, line operators, and clerks at every level of an organization’s hierarchy must be involved in enhancing and managing quality.
6. ___ Numerous methodologies have been created to assist in managing the quality. Many different techniques and concepts have evolved to improve product or service quality. There are two common quality-related functions within a business. One is quality assurance which is the prevention of defects, such as by the deployment of a quality management system. The other is quality control which is the detection of defects, most commonly associated with testing which takes place within a quality management system .
Little q and Big Q
Organizations focusing on quality control and inspection activities (little q) will fail to be fully effective. They must transform their thinking to 3)________.
Quality is strategic
Quality or the absence of it, has a 4)______ on the organization. Consumers buy certain products and request services based on their knowledge and perception of the organization and what it provides. Accumulated experiences and perceptions of customers ultimately make or break an organization.
a. strategic impact b. the right things right the first time. c. cost of quality, process management approaches, and measurement techniques d. quality across organization (Big Q).
3 Can you explain the difference between goods and services? If you are not sure, read the following info and list three criteria for differentiating between goods and services.
In economics and accounting, a goodis product that can be used to satisfy some desire or need. More narrowly but commonly, a good is a tangible physical product that can be contrasted with a service which is intangible. As such, it is capable of being delivered to a purchaser and involves the transfer of ownership from seller to customer. For example, an apple is a tangible good, as opposed to a haircut, which is an (intangible) service.
Goods that are scarce (are in limited supply in relation to demand) are called 'economic goods,' whereas those whose supply is unlimited and which have no price in terms of efforts to acquire them, (such as air) are called 'free goods.'
Service is the intangible equivalent of an economic good. They are such as accounting, banking, cleaning, consultancy, education, insurance, know how, medical treatment, transportation. No transfer of possession or ownership takes place when services are sold, and they (1) cannot be stored or transported, (2) are instantly perishable, and (3) come into existence at the time they are bought and consumed.
4 In the table below you can see examples of quality characteristics. Decide which of them are for goods, which are for services. Some of the characteristics are inherent in both goods and services. Put a tick in the corresponding columns.
| quality characteristics | for goods | for services |
| Simplicity of Design | ||
| Aesthetics | ||
| Reliability | ||
| Availability | ||
| Credibility | ||
| Competence | ||
| Durability | ||
| Ease of Use | ||
| Safety | ||
| Communication | ||
| Reasonable Price | ||
| Ease of Disposal | ||
| Accuracy | ||
| Maintainability | ||
| Performance | ||
| Completeness | ||
| Timeliness | ||
| Serviceability |
5 Mark the following statements as true (T) or false (F). If you think a statement is false, change it to make it true. Prove your point of view.
| Statement | T | F |
| 1. Quality is a perceptual, conditional and somewhat subjective attribute and may be understood differently by different people. | ||
| 2. The common element of the business definitions of quality is that the quality of a product or service refers to the perception of the degree to which the product or service meets the customer's expectations. | ||
| 3. From the standpoint of consumers, quality is the degree to which a specific product conforms to a design or specification or degree to which the product/service was produced correctly. | ||
| 4. Quality control is most commonly associated with the prevention of defects, deficiencies, wastes. | ||
| 5. Durability is intrinsic to both products and services. | ||
| 6. In technical usage, quality can have two meanings: a. The characteristics of a product or service that bear its ability to satisfy stated or implied needs; b. A product or service free of deficiencies. | ||
| 7. Quality is seen as being a very important factor in any business. It does not have to be a physical product for which quality is important: service industries are just as much concerned with quality, as are manufacturers. | ||
| 8. Inherently useful and relatively scarce tangible items (articles, materials, merchandise, supplies) produced from agricultural, construction, manufacturing, or mining activities are goods. |
DISCUSSION POINTS
1 Comment on the following statements:
a. “Face is the index of mind, Quality is the index of a product”.
b. “Quality is not achieved by doing different things. It is achieved by doing things differently”.
c. “Quality is hard to define, impossible to measure, easy to recognize”
Fig. 2.1. Deming Cycle (PDCA)
It is a universal improvement methodology, the idea being to constantly improve, and thereby reduce the difference between the requirements of the customers and the performance of the process. The cycle is about learning and ongoing improvement, learning what works and what does not in a systematic way; and the cycle repeats; after one cycle is complete, another is started.
1.2. Dr Joseph M. Juran (1904-2008)was the first to ground the transition from Quality Control to Quality Management. He believes that quality does not happen by accident, it must be planned, and that quality planning is part of the trilogy of planning, control and improvement.
Good quality management requires quality actions to be planned out, improved and controlled. The process achieves control at one level of quality performance, then plans are made to improve the performance on a project-by-project basis, using tools and techniques such as Pareto analysis. This activity eventually achieves breakthrough to an improved level, which is again controlled, to prevent any deterioration (see Fig. 2).
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VOCABULARY PRACTICE
J. Juran was the first to propose the use of Pareto Analysis in quality management. Read and translate the text. Use the word given in capitals at the end of each line to form a word that fits in the space in the same line.
| PARETO’ RULE IN QUALITY MANAGEMENT In his early days as a young engineer Joseph Juran noted that when a list of defects was arranged in the order of frequency, (1) _________ few types of defects accounted for the bulk of those found. As his career in management progressed he noted the (2) __________ of this phenomenon in other areas. The idea of `the vital few and the trivial many' was forming. In the 1930s J. Juran was (3) ___________ to the work of an Italian sociologist and economist, who had produced a mathematical model to explain the unequal (4) __________ of wealth. Studying the distributions of wealth in different countries, Pareto noticed that a fairly consistent minority – about 20% – of people controlled the large majority – about 80% – of a society's wealth. In preparing the first (5) ________ of the Quality Control Handbook Juran needed a form of shorthand to describe his idea. Remembering Pareto's work he captioned his description as `Pareto's principle of (6) __________ distribution'. Since then `the Pareto Principle' has become a standard term to describe any situation where a relatively small percentage of factors are (7) ________for the substantial percentage of effect. Juran was, in reality, the first to identify and popularise the 80:20 rule as a (8) ___________ principle. The Pareto effect operates in quality improvement like that: 80% of problems usually stem from 20% of the causes. Pareto charts are used to display the Pareto principle in action, arranging data so that the few vital factors that are causing most of the problems reveal themselves. Concentrating (9) ______________ efforts on these few will have a greater impact and be more cost-effective than (10) ___________ efforts. | RELATIVE OCCUR INTRODUCTION DISTRIBUTE EDIT EQUAL RESPONSIBILITY UNIVERSE IMPROVE DIRECT |
4 One of the key words of this unit is the word “management”. It is known to have different meanings. This can be illustrated by the following sentence:People who wish to have a career as a manager must study the discipline of management as a means toward practicing the process of management.
So, ‘management’ can denote:
a. the people who control and operate a business or organization
b. the process of organizing, coordinating and controlling activities
c. discipline – subject with principles, concepts and theories
d. career.
READING
1 Read the text about Japanese quality gurus and answer the questions:
1. What is Dr Kaoru Ishikawa famous for?
2. What are the advantages of cause-and-effect diagrammatic representation?
3. How does Pareto effect operate in quality improvement?
4. Kaoru Ishikawa argued that 95% of organization problems can be solved with the help of 7 tools. What are they?
5. Who does the idea of robust product design belong to?
6. What three stages should off-line quality control be divided into according to Taguchi?
7. What is the name of Shigeo Shingoassociated with?
8. What is the effect of SMED system?
9. How does Poka -Yoke system operate?
10.Why is it reasonable to differentiate between errors and defects?
2. THE JAPANESE WHO DEVELOPED NEW QUALITY CONCEPTS
2.1. Dr Kaoru Ishikawa (1915-1989)made many contributions to quality, the most noteworthy being his total quality viewpoint, company wide quality control, his emphasis on the human side of quality, the Ishikawa diagram and the assembly and use of the “seven basic tools of quality”:
• Pareto analysis which are the big problems?
• Cause and effect diagrams what causes the problems?
• Stratification how is the data made up?
• Check sheets how often it occurs or is done?
• Histograms what do overall variations look like?
• Scatter charts what are the relationships between factors?
• Process control charts which variations to control and how?
He believed these seven tools should be known widely, if not by everyone, in an organisation and used to analyse problems and develop improvements. Used together they form a powerful kit.
One of the most widely known of these is the Ishikawa (or fishbone or cause-and-effect) diagram. Like other tools, it assists groups in quality improvements.
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VOCABULARY PRACTICE
WESTERN GURUS
3.1. Philip B Crosby (1926-2001)is known for the concepts of “Quality is Free”, “Do It Right First time” and “Zero Defects”.
He considers traditional quality control and acceptable quality limits to represent failure rather than assurance of success. Crosby therefore defines quality as conformance to the requirements which the company itself has established for its products based directly on its customers' needs. He believes that since most
companies have organisations and systems that allow deviation from what is really required, manufacturing companies spend around 20% of their revenues doing things wrong and doing them over again. According to Crosby this can be 35% of operating expenses for service companies.
Crosby did not believe that workers should take prime responsibility for poor quality. In his scheme of things, management sets the tone on quality and workers follow their example; while employees are involved in operational difficulties and draw them to management's attention, the initiative comes from the top. Zero defects means that the company's objective is 'doing things right first time'. This will not prevent people from making mistakes, but will encourage everyone to improve continuously.
Crosby's Quality Improvement Process is based upon the Four Absolutes of Quality Management:
1. Quality is defined as conformance to requirements, not as 'goodness' or 'elegance'.
2. The system for causing quality is prevention, not appraisal.
3. The performance standard must be Zero Defects.
4. The measurement of quality is the Price of Non-conformance, not indices.
Crosby also defined the five characteristics of an “Eternally Successful Organisation”:
1. People routinely do things right first time
2. Change is anticipated and used to advantage
3. Growth is consistent and profitable
4. New products and services appear when needed
5. Everyone is happy to work there.
3.2. Tom Peters (1942)identifies leadership as being central to the quality improvement process, discarding the word “Management” for “Leadership”. The new role is of a facilitator, and the basis is “Managing by walking about” (MBWA), enabling the leader to keep in touch with customers, innovation and people, the three main areas in the pursuit of excellence. He believes that, as the effective leader walks, at least 3 major activities are happening:
• Listening suggests caring
• Teaching values are transmitted
• Facilitating able to give on-the-spot help
In contrast to rigid and distant management, in MBWA practice managers spend a significant amount of their time making informal visits to work area and listening to the employees. The purpose of this exercise is to collect qualitative information, listen to suggestions and complaints, and keep a finger on the pulse of the organization.
VOCABULARY PRACTICE
COMPREHENSION
DISCUSSION POINTS
1 Think about the following points for a few moments:
1. Do you agree with the assertion that one of the quality’s significant achievements of the 20th century was Japan's rise to a state of an economic superpower, second only to the United States and ahead of nations like Great Britain and Germany?
2. If ‘yes’, how can you explain this phenomenon?
3. How did the West react to Japan’s quality revolution?
4. What do you know about the contribution of Russian scientists to the world’s theory and practice of quality management?
SELF-CHECK QUESTIONS
1.What does quality management involve?
2.What does quality control differ from quality management?
3.What does quality improvement imply?
4.Who is said to be the father of the quality management theory and why?
5.What does Juran’s quality trilogy include?
6.What is the contribution of A. Feigenbaum to quality philosophy?
7.What made Japan seek for the help of American quality gurus after World War II?
8.What is Dr Kaoru Ishikawa famous for?
9.Who does the idea of robust product design belong to?
10.What is the name of Shigeo Shingoassociated with?
11.What is quality according to Philip Crosby?
12.What is the new role of management in T. Peters’ conception?
GLOSSARY
| acceptable a. | приемлемый; допустимый; подходящий |
| alert v. | предупреждать |
| allocate v. | распределять, размещать |
| appraisal n. | оценка, экспертиза |
| argue v. | аргументировать, приводить доводы, доказывать; утверждать, заявлять |
| assurance n. | обеспечение; гарантия |
| awareness n. | знание, осведомленность; информированность (o чем-л.); осознание (чего-л.) |
| benchmark n. | ориентир, эталон, стандарт для сопоставлений, отправная точка, критерий |
| breakthrough n. | прорыв; выдающееся научное или техническое достижение |
| capital-intensive a. | капиталоёмкий, требующий крупных капиталовложений |
| caption v. | озаглавливать |
| causation n. | причинность, причинная обусловленность |
| cease v. | переставать (делать что-л.), прекращать |
| commitment n. | обязательство |
| conformance n. | соответствие; согласование |
| constancy n. | постоянство, неизменность, устойчивость |
| cost-effective a. | доходный, прибыльный, рентабельный |
| costs n. | затраты, издержки, расходы |
| crucial n. | ключевой; критический, решающий, важный |
| defect n. | недостаток, дефект, недочёт; изъян, порок; неисправность, повреждение, поломка |
| delay n. | задержка, запаздывание, отсрочка |
| department n. | подразделение, отдел, отделение, бюро; цех |
| deterioration n. | ухудшение (состояния или качества); порча, повреждение, износ |
| deviation n. | отклонение |
| discard v. | отбрасывать, отвергать; отказываться |
| distinguish v. | отличать, различать, выделять, проводить различение |
| drive out v. | выколачивать, вытаскивать, подавлять, изгонять |
| effectively adv. | фактически, в сущности, практически; эффективно, действенно |
| eliminate v. | устранять; исключать; уничтожать; ликвидировать, аннулировать |
| emphasise v. | подчеркивать, акцентировать, придавать особое значение |
| encompass v. | охватывать, заключать |
| encourage v. | поощрять, содействовать, способствовать, стимулировать |
| evidence n. | подтверждение, доказательство |
| exhortation n. | увещевание, наставление |
| expenses n. | расходы; затраты, издержки |
| explicit a. | точный, явный, определённый |
| facilitator n. | помощник, посредник |
| failure n. | неблагоприятный исход, неудача, провал; неисправность, неполадка, поломка, авария |
| fishbone diagram n. | диаграмма причинно-следственных связей |
| gain n. | доход, выгода, прибыль; прирост, увеличение; улучшение |
| guru n. | наставник, учитель, авторитет, ведущий специалист, светило |
| hidden a. | скрытый, спрятанный, невидимый |
| histogram n. | столбиковая диаграмма |
| implement v. | выполнять, осуществлять; обеспечивать выполнение, реализовывать |
| index (pl. indices) n. | показатель, индекс, коэффициент |
| inevitable a. | неизбежный, неминуемый, неотвратимый |
| institute v. | вводить, учреждать; устанавливать; основывать, |
| kit n. | набор, комплект |
| loop n. | петля, цикл |
| magnitude n. | величина, значение |
| message n. | сообщение, донесение; извещение, информация, идея |
| momentum n. | количество движения, импульс, толчок, движущая сила |
| noteworthy a. | заслуживающий внимания |
| ongoing a. | продолжающийся, непрерывный, постоянный, проводящийся, непрекращающийся |
| performance n. | работа; функционирование; исполнение, выполнение; производительность; эффективность |
| pie chart n. | круговая диаграмма; секторная диаграмма |
| prescribe v. | предписывать; устанавливать |
| prevention n. | предупреждение, предотвращение, профилактика |
| productivity n. | производительность, продуктивность |
| proofing n. | обеспечение защиты |
| prototyping n. | макетирование, моделирование |
| pursuit n. | стремление, поиск, преследование |
| qualify v. | квалифицировать, отвечать требованиям, определять, уточнять |
| quota n. | норма, норматив |
| responsibility n. | ответственность, обязанность |
| revenues n. | доходы |
| robust a. | устойчивый; прочный, жёсткий; надёжный; трудоемкий |
| scatter chart n. | диаграмма разброса |
| sheer a. | абсолютный, явный, единственный, исключительный |
| shorthand n. | стенография |
| supervision n. | наблюдение; надзор, контроль; руководство; заведование; регулирование |
| supplier n. | поставщик |
| tolerance n. | допустимые пределы; допустимые отклонения; выносливость, терпимость |
| vigorous v. | мощный, интенсивный; решительный |
| workmanship n. | мастерство, квалификация; качество работы, уровень мастерства |
| zealotry n. | фанатизм |
UNIT 3
TOTAL QUALITY MANAGEMENT
The aims of this unit:
· to make you think about the role of Quality Management System in global competitive markets;
· to analyse basic characteristics of TQM;
· to give description of the building blocks of TQM;
· to explain the essential requirements of TQM;
· to provide information on customer-supplier interfaces.
START UP
Try to define TQM using the information below.
TQM stands for Total Quality Management where
Total – made up of the whole
Quality – degree of excellence a product or service provides
Management – act, art or manner of planning, controlling, directing,…
Therefore, TQM can be defined as the _________ of managing the ___________ to achieve _________ .
READING
1 Read the text and match the headings to the number of the section.
a. culture change
b. definitions of TQM and the characteristics of TQM
c. customers and suppliers (internal and external)
d. the building blocks of TQM
e. the essential requirements of TQM – commitment and leadership
f. quality management and company competitiveness
1. ____ In the past two decades many organizations throughout the world have been under tremendous pressure. Some have been battered by international competition, others by new entrepreneurial companies that redefined businesses, and yet others were seriously challenged by new technologies which created formidable alternatives to their products and services. Some leading companies have changed rapidly. While some of the new companies have become major players, other companies are still engaged in daily battles for survival, and many other companies have disappeared.
During these years there has been an increasing global emphasis on quality management. In global competitive markets, quality has become the most important single factor for success. Quality management has become the competitive issue for many organizations. Juran has gone so far as to state that, “Just as the twentieth century was the century of productivity, the twenty-first century will be the quality century.” (Juran………)
2. ____ There are many definitions of total quality management around. Some define total quality management in a way different to some others. But in general definition of total quality management should contain the following characteristics:
- TQM is a customer focused approach;
- aims at satisfying customers or delighting them;
- provides best quality at lowest price;
- it is company wide strategy;
- involves everyone in the organization;
- prevention of defects is the way and the target is zero defects;
- total quality management is methodical;
- it is based on information;
- it is a continuous process.
So TQM can be defined as a process and philosophy of achieving best possible outcomes from the inputs, by using them effectively and efficiently in order to deliver best value for the customer, while achieving long term objectives of the organization.
Another way to put it- TQM is the way of managing for the future, and is far wider in its application than just assuring product or service quality – it is a way of managing people and business processes to ensure complete customer satisfaction at every stage, internally and externally. TQM, combined with effective leadership, results in an organisation doing the right things right, the fist time, every time. At it’s simplest, TQM is all managers leading and facilitating all contributors in everyone’s two main objectives:
(1)total client satisfaction through quality products and services; and
(2)continuous improvements to processes, systems, people, suppliers, partners, products, and services.
The core of TQM is the customer-supplier interfaces, both externally and internally, and at each interface lie a number of processes. This core must be surrounded by commitment to quality, communication of the quality message, and recognition of the need to change the culture of the organisation to create total quality. These are the foundations of TQM, and they are supported by the key management functions of people, processes and systems in the organisation.
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MODULE 2
UNIT 4
VOCABULARY PRACTICE
WHAT IS A STANDARD?
Put at its simplest, a (1) _________is an agreed, repeatable way of doing something. It is a published document that contains a technical specification or other precise criteria designed to be used consistently as a rule, guideline, or definition. Standards help to make life simpler and to (2)________the reliability and the effectiveness of many goods and services we use. Standards are created by bringing together the experience and (3)________of all interested parties such as the producers, sellers, buyers, users and regulators of a particular material, product, process or service.
Standards are (4)________for voluntary use and do not impose any regulations. However, laws and regulations may refer to certain standards and make compliance with them (5)______. For example, the physical characteristics and format of credit cards is set out in standard number BS EN ISO/IEC 7810:1996. (6)______to this standard means that the cards can be used worldwide.
Any standard is a collective work. Committees of manufacturers, users, research organizations, government departments and consumers work together to (7)_______standards that evolve to meet the demands of society and technology. British Standards' staff act as secretaries to these committees and project manage the production of standards. As the world’s oldest National Standards Body, BSI British Standards has over 100 years’ experience of bringing together these often very (8)______viewpoints and of facilitating consensus.
| 1 A regulation | B standard | C draft | D text |
| 2 A decrease | B put up | C increase | D minimize |
| 3 A expertise | B advantages | C benefits | D money |
| 4 A used | B applied | D done | D designed |
| 5 A optional | B compulsory | C insignificant | D irrelevant |
| 6 A Listening | B Meeting | C Satisfying | D Adhering |
| 7 A meet | B draw up | C write | D fulfill |
| 8 A varied | B similar | C same | D unreliable |
COMPREHENSION
DISCUSSION POINTS
Using the words and expressions in the box discuss the questions below:
| create competitive advantage; inspire trust; reduce business cost; ensure the quality, compatibility and safety of vast selection of manufactured goods; have a positive influence on service provision and business management; create customer confidence; market growth; technological evolution; allow effective and profitable competition. |
Consensus
The views of all interests are taken into account: manufacturers, vendors and users, consumer groups, testing laboratories, governments, engineering professions and research organizations.
Industry wide
Global solutions to satisfy industries and customers worldwide.
Voluntary
International standardization is market driven and therefore based on voluntary involvement of all interests in the market-place.
There are three main phases in the ISO standards development process as follows.
The need for a standard is usually expressed by an industry sector, which communicates this need to a national member body. The latter proposes the new work item to ISO as a whole. Once the need for an International Standard has been recognized and formally agreed, the first phase involves definition of the technical scope of the future standard. This phase is usually carried out in working groups which comprise technical experts from countries interested in the subject matter.
Once agreement has been reached on which technical aspects are to be covered in the standard, a second phase is entered during which countries negotiate the detailed specifications within the standard. This is the consensus-building phase.
The final phase comprises the formal approval of the resulting draft International Standard (the acceptance criteria stipulate approval by two-thirds of the ISO members that have participated actively in the standards development process, and approval by 75% of all members that vote), following which the agreed text is published as an ISO International Standard.
It is also possible to publish interim documents at different stages in the standardization process.
Most standards require periodic revision. Several factors combine to render a standard out of date: technological evolution, new methods and materials, new quality and safety requirements. To take account of these factors, ISO has established the general rule that all ISO standards should be reviewed at intervals of not more than five years. On occasion, it is necessary to revise a standard earlier.
To date, ISO's work has resulted in over 16 000 International Standards, representing more than 620 000 pages in English and French (terminology is often provided in other languages as well).
A list of all ISO standards appears in the ISO Catalogue.
COMPREHENSION
WHY DO WE USE STANDARDS?
We use standards to achieve a level of (1)______, quality, and consistency in the products and processes that affect our lives. In short, standards make our lives safer, easier, and better. Standards are also (2)_______of industry and commerce. They often provide the basis for (3)________, hence they have tremendous impact on companies and nations, and even on the economic fabric of the world market.
For example, as global trade increases and companies sell their products on (4)________, they must ensure that their products comply with standards from those foreign countries. The (5)______of different standards for different markets means that some manufacturers must create dozens of variations of their products, each complying with slightly different standards. For the sake of shrinking these (6)_______to trade, international standards have been developed for use throughout the world.
DISCUSSION POINTS
1.What do you think the world would be like without standards?
2.These are the typical features of standardized products and services.
· Safe
· healthy
· secure
· high quality
· flexible
Are all these characteristics equally significant? Why?
3.In what way do standards influence people’s life? Provide good examples.
SELF-CHECK QUESTIONS
1. What is a standard? Give the definition. What types of standards do you now?
2. What groups of people are involved in developing standards?
3. How do organizations benefit from standards development?
4. Are standards developed only for products?
5. Why are standards revised?
6. Is it difficult to introduce a standard to a business? How much time and effort will it take?
7. Are standards only relevant to large businesses? Can start-ups benefit from these just as much as established firms?
8. Do businesses really need standards if they have the best solution already?
GLOSSARY
| consensus n. | всеобщее согласие |
| guidelines n. | рекомендации, нормативы, правила |
| compatibility n. | совместимость, сочетаемость |
| interchangeability n. | равноценность, взаимозаменяемость |
| adverse conditions n. | неблагоприятные условия |
| Technical Advisory Group n | техническая консультативная группа |
| drafts of standards n | проект стандартов |
| Quality Management Systems-Requirements n | требования системы менеджмента качества |
| technical content of the standards | техническое содержание стандартов |
| become savvy | стать экспертом, научиться хорошо разбираться |
| sharpen negotiating skills | оттачивать искусство ведения переговоров |
| insider n. | член общества или организации; член группы |
| highlight v. | привлекать внимание общественности, акцентировать |
| showcase the expertise | демонстрировать профессиональные знания и опыт |
| consensus n. | всеобщее согласие |
| compatibility n. | совместимость, сочетаемость |
| interchangeability n. | равноценность, взаимозаменяемость |
| adverse conditions | неблагоприятные условия |
| Technical Advisory Group | техническая консультативная группа |
UNIT 5
READING
1 Read the article about promoting innovation and match the headings to the paragraphs:
a. Collaboration And Shared Knowledge Networks
b.Standards For New Technologies
c. Best Practice And Internal Benefits
d. Standards In R&D
e. Standardization Promotes Profitability And Sustainable Growth
Standards provide support for innovation from original concept through to market. The shared knowledge and network benefits they afford help reduce costs and associated risks, allowing a business to:
· increase speed to market
· create interoperability
· shape and develop a new market
1. ____ Standards enable businesses to reduce the time, effort and money required by the research and development of new products, while increasing the likelihood of success in the marketplace. For new technologies, standardization can promote customer confidence and encourage market growth. By standardizing at key points in technological development, this growth can be made sustainable and a climate of effective technological evolution created.
Standards support and reward innovation by defining and measuring product performance. They also ensure that families of products can work together. This interoperability is a key factor to success in many fields.
2. ____ Standards offer benefits throughout research and development (R&D), design and testing, helping to reduce the expensive and time-consuming business of starting from scratch. Spending less time and money reinventing the wheel means efforts can be concentrated on developing new and innovative features. The result is that products get to market much more quickly and efficiently, reducing investment risks and enabling firms to recoup initial investments much faster.
3. ___ The collaborative nature of standardization includes consideration of customer and market needs throughout the development of the standard. This expert knowledge increases the chances of resulting products being accepted in the marketplace. Innovators can therefore choose how best to differentiate their products and services, increasing market value and further reducing risks from R&D expenditure.
4. ___ The application of standards within the infrastructure of an organization serves to streamline internal and external operations and strengthen the consistency of processes. Benefits can be gained through:
· eliminating wasteful investments of time and resources
· increased internal productivity and quality of communication
· reduced duplication of effort and improved risk management.
5. ____ Developed in collaboration with interests from government and society, standards provide powerful support for the identification of best practice. Processes recognized as promoting efficiency and quality demonstrate leadership and make a clear statement to suppliers, partners and customers.
When applied effectively, standardization can be a true catalyst for business growth and strategic development. By providing best-practice guidance, standards help businesses to assess their processes, allowing them to take steps to increase efficiency and become more profitable.
VOCABULARY PRACTICE
DISCUSSION POINTS
1 Comment on the following statement:
Standards First, Everything Else Last.
QUALITY IN THE SYSTEM
OF HIGHER EDUCATION
UNIT 6
VOCABULARY PRACTICE
DISCUSSION POINTS
Do you know what documents were adopted before and after the Bologna Declaration? When and where did it take place? What are the titles of these documents? Read and fill in the missing information. Compare your answers with the timeline.
Magna Charta Universitatum
Lisbon Convention
Sorbonne Declaration
Bologna Declaration
Prague Summit
Salamanca Convention
Göteborg Student Convention
Berlin Summit
Graz Convention
Bergen Summit
London Summit
Completion date for EHEA
1988:______________
Signed by the Rectors of European Universities in Bologna, Italy. The agreement outlines the founding principles of what will later become known as the Bologna Process.
May _____: The Sorbonne Declaration
Calls for the “harmonization of the architecture of the European Higher Education System” and is signed by education ministers from France, Germany, Italy and the United Kingdom.
June 1999: ______________
Signed by 29 countries pledging to restructure their higher-education systems in an effort to create a coherent, compatible and competitive European Higher Education Area by the year 2010.
March 2001: ______________
Four additional countries join the process. Mention is made of social aspects to be taken into account in higher education reform. In preparation for the Prague summit, representatives of the National Unions of Students in Europe (ESIB) formally adopt their position on the Bologna Declaration in Göteborg.
September 2003: ______________
Forty countries are now involved, including Russia and southeast Europe. PhD degrees are included in the scope of the EHEA. The Berlin Communiqué of Ministers is signed.
May _____: Bergen Summit
Five more countries (Azerbaijan, Armenia, Georgia, Moldova, Ukraine) sign onto the Bologna Process bringing the total number of signatories to 45. European Мinisters of Еducation adopt an overarching framework for qualifications and agree on a set of European standards and guidelines for quality assurance.
May _____: London Summit
The London Communiqué is signed. The communiqué emphasises the need for further progress in promoting student and faculty mobility, employability, and improving the international recognition of new European degrees.
2010:The European Higher Education Area opens.
For more information about key events and documents visit the official Bologna Process website http://www.dfes.gov.uk/bologna/
SELF-CHECK QUESTIONS
1. What changes in the European environment caused the necessity of the Bologna Declaration?
2. What were the key ideas of the Sorbonne Declaration of 25th of May 1998?
3. What was the reaction of the European countries to the appeal of the Sorbonne Declaration?
4. Why is the implementation of the Diploma Supplement so significant?
5. What are the cycles of education according to the Bologna Declaration? What changes took place in 2003?
6. Name and comment on the key features of joint degrees.
7. What does quality assurance refer to in the context of the Bologna process?
8. Explain the interconnection between employability and the Bologna reform.
9. What is the aim of academic mobility?
GLOSSARY
| cohesion n. | единство, спаянность, сплочённость |
| comparability n. | сравнимость, сопоставимость |
| compatibility n. | совместимость, сочетаемость |
| credit system | cистема зачетных единиц/система кредитов |
| curriculum n. | курс обучения, учебный план (в образовательном учреждении) |
| cycles n. | циклы обучения |
| Diploma Supplement | приложение к диплому |
| employability n. | профессиональная подготовленность к рынку труда |
| facilitate v. | облегчать; содействовать |
| foster v. | стимулировать; одобрять |
| inherent a. | обязательно присущий, неотъемлемый |
| joint degree | cовместные степени/совместные дипломы |
| lifelong learning | обучение в течение жизни |
| mobility n. | мобильность |
