Intelex will be hosting its first-ever Q & A webinar, You’ve Got Questions, We’ve Got Answers! on Thursday, June 4th at 2:00 pm EDT. Get answers to all those questions you have about using your Intelex System!

Though it's not a requirement, we encourage you to submit your questions in advance to give the webinar's host an opportunity to link questions according to features and functionality. Participants are also welcome to ask questions live and learn from other clients' questions!

Please continue to direct all questions to your Client Relations Coordinator at 416.599.6009 ext. 282.

To view and sign up for all of Intelex’s webinars, visit the Intelex-Exchange today! If you don’t already have access to the Intelex-Exchange, submit a request online.

It is no secret that we are presently experiencing an economic downturn. Running a successful and profitable organization is no easy feat to begin with, let alone in these current market conditions. The corporate leaders of today are battling a plethora of obstacles ranging from fluctuating capital markets, pressures from investors, proposed new regulations and not to mention good old fashioned competition from their competitors. Penny pinching and resourceful budgeting have become standard practice across the board for most industries. As sales are down and earnings diminishing, many may believe that cutting back on spending is the logical approach, but as a recent article "Captain Jack and the BPM Market: Performance Management in Turbulent Times" by John Colbert in Business Performance Magazine outlines, there is one key factor that is well worth the investment.

As Mr. Colbert states, "Business Performance Management (BPM) is one of the few IT investments receiving heighted focus during this economic downturn. You might think that companies would be well advised to cut back their spending on software. Yet when it comes to managing performance and profits, it actually might make sense to invest in systems that can help you to improve the bottom line, better analyze and forecast your business, and improve decision making." This is becoming even more evident as companies who have BPM systems already implemented are currently projecting and planning towards the future based on the critical data they've collected organization-wide, while companies who have not adopted a BPM system are left reviewing dated Excel spreadsheets and dormant reports that as Mr. Colbert puts it, "may help them to understand where they’ve come from but don't do much to show where they should be going."

From October 2008 to February 2009 BPM Partners conducted the 2009 BPM Pulse survey, interviewing over 850 senior executives to gauge the current professional perspective on the topic of Business Performance Management. They found that over half (52%) of the executives surveyed said they will be increasing their focus on performance management investments. As improving performance management surfaced as a priority for many of the firms surveyed, other data further illustrates the repercussions for companies who have not yet adopted a BPM system to identify performance improvements. As Mr. Colbert explains, "According to research conducted by the Corporate Executive Board entitled 'Executive Guidance for 2009', companies that make it into the top quartile during a downturn sustain their market premium for an average of three years. With stakes this high, any failure to assertively identify performance improvement opportunities during the slowdown can spell trouble for less well-positioned companies. The principle of survival of the fittest is already being applied to the financial services, automotive manufacturing, and print media markets. Firms that wish to sustain a healthy future need to act now or risk becoming a casualty of market evolution." As many organizations are now trying to do more with less, having a forward-thinking plan for the future is critical. An effective BPM system that identifies where costs come from, where opportunities lie and where improvements can be made allows organizations to trim their less profitable and less strategic operations ultimately positioning them best to sustain and progress successfully into the future.

Business Performance Magazine is available online at www.bpmmag.net

Submit a request online to learn how to implement a business performance management system at your organization.

The May 2009 issue of Information Week Canada features an article by Richard Bray called "Pushing paper, right out the door: How an Ottawa company wound up in a paperless place."  The article focuses on the pains and successes that OCM Manufacturing experienced during the transition to a paperless office. After their first paper-based attempt at ISO 9000 certification failed and hundreds of thousands of pieces of paper had to be destroyed Michael Julian, CEO at OCM, decided that the second attempt at ISO 9000 compliance was going to be a lot different, it was going to be completely paperless! Post-transition Julian says "Ask anybody around here, they wouldn't ever want to go to a paper system, in both ISO documentation and in manufacturing documentation."

"The bottom line benefits of eliminating paper have meant money in the bank. Since the paperless push began, OCM Manufacturing has eliminated at least three administrative positions, while doubling in size and doing twice as many transactions. Communication is improved, because with electronic document everyone is literally on the same page and information is always available to authorized personnel, no matter where they are." – Richard Bray

Some of the motivators for converting to paperless workflow include:

• Increased efficiency - controlling document versions and workflow can give an organization a competitive edge,
• ISO certification - document management is a key piece to ISO certification,
• Controlled internal & external document standards - ensure employees across your organization are using the most recent versions of documents,
• Audit preparedness - the Intelex Document Management System automatically archives old file versions for year-round audit preparedness, and
• Corporate Social Responsibility- environmentally friendlier business practices translate in to social responsibility, consumer loyalty, and cost savings.
  

If you're interested in learning more about converting from time-consuming and wasteful paper-based system to a streamlined web-based document control, please submit a request online or call 1.877.932.3747.

Free subscriptions to Information Week Canada magazine are available through their website.

Free Hazards & Risk Assessment content is now available on the Intelex-Exchange! View instructions on how to upload them directly into your Intelex System.

SCORECARDS
Number of Reviews by Reviewer
Upcoming Reviews This Year by Month and Location
Number of Activities Exceeding Significant Value by Location
Hazards & Risks Metric Scorecard
Number of Activities by Department
Hazards & Risks Reviews This Year vs. Last Year by Month
Number of Overdue Activities by Person Responsible

DASHBOARD
Hazards & Risks

REPORTS
Hazards & Risks Activities List
Hazards & Risks This Year by Location
Hazards & Risks by Department
Overdue Hazards & Risks by Person Responsible
Upcoming Reviews in the Next 30 Days
Activities and Related Potential Barriers
Hazards & Risks Reviews by Activity

An effective, well-implemented Quality Management System (QMS) enables organizations to improve their bottom line through increase performance visibility. A QMS that takes a complete life-cycle approach to quality management will track all of the nonconformances, corrective actions, workflow processes, tasks, documents, and resources associated with quality in real-time.  In addition, best-in-class organizations continue to improve and strengthen  their quality management system after the initial implementation. In an effort to help organizations within the automotive industry to facilitate this improvement The Automotive Industry Action Group (AIAG) recently announced they will be offering two courses designed to help organizations strengthen their Quality Management Systems.

The first course is “Effective Audit Findings for Continual Improvement.” Using audit findings as a method of identifying problems with a QMS and facilitating improvements based on these findings is an effective way to strengthen your QMS. But sometimes these findings are missing criteria, lack objective evidence, can be difficult to interpret or lack a focus on continual improvement. This course, intended for internal auditors, management representatives, second-party auditors, and certification body auditors will shine some light on how to make the most of your audit findings. As the AIAG website describes, “this course uses a practical approach to explain how to develop and document effective findings and nonconformity reports. Using workgroup activities and hands-on participation, instruction will help quality managers and organizations improve the quality of the findings written by internal auditors.”

The second course is “Mastering the Process Approach Step By Step.” As ISO standards require all service and manufacturing industries to understand, implement and monitor a QMS using a process approach, this course intended for internal auditors, management representatives, process owners, process implementers, quality personnel, certification body auditors, and second-party auditors will outline the necessary steps to master the process approach. As the AIAG website states, “Whether your organization processes foods, manufactures aerospace components, assembles automotive modules or delivers furniture, you need to understand the fundamentals and benefits of the process approach if you plan to become, or are currently certified to an ISO standard.” This course walks you through the process development tools demonstrating how to use them and explaining the difference between an elemental approach with threads-through clauses as opposed to the process approach with process audit trails.

Both courses run from 8 AM to 5 PM and are being offered on multiple dates beginning this June and running until December. Visit the AIAG’s website at www.aiag.org  for specific dates, costs and location.

Intelex Technologies Inc. is pleased to announce that Jonna McConaughy has joined the company as Product Manager for all Intelex Greenhouse Gas and Air Compliance Management Systems.  In this position, McConaughy will work collaboratively with the development and design teams to continue strengthening our greenhouse gas and air compliance product offering. McConaughy brings over eight years of experience in systems engineering and implementation of environmental, health, and safety management software with a focus on compliance reporting and emissions inventories. She holds a B.S. in Geosciences from Pennsylvania State University and an M.B.A. from Indiana University of Pennsylvania.

"Jonna's reputation in air emissions inventories and EHS software implementations make her the ideal product manager to continue developing Intelex's air compliance systems and modules," said Mark Jaine, President and CEO at Intelex Technologies Inc. "Jonna's accomplishments in the field of regulatory compliance are extensive. We are very pleased to have Jonna on board as Intelex continues to grow our team and product offering."

In March 2009, Intelex announced the release of its Greenhouse Gas (GHG) Emissions Tracking & Reporting System, a completely configurable application designed to enable mid-size and enterprise organizations to improve their environmental performance through accurate, real-time carbon footprint tracking and reporting. Using Intelex's GHG Emissions Tracking & Reporting System, users can collect, track, and report their current carbon footprint as well as their progress toward user-defined sustainability targets.

Reducing greenhouse gas emissions is a significant effort that requires a great deal of planning and implementation, but tracking and reporting this reduction is a whole other process that many California companies are now being required to do. Two thousand and nine marks the first year of required emissions reporting under California’s groundbreaking Assembly Bill 32 (AB 32), part of the California Global Warming Solutions Act of 2006. The Act’s goal is an emissions reduction of 25% over the 30 year period from 1990 to 2020, and then in 2050 a reduction to 80% below 1990 levels, thus making 1990 the baseline year for companies to base their progress on.  The March 2009 issue of Pollution Engineering featured an article written by Patrick Sullivan entitled “Getting Ready to Count Carbon,” which outlined some of the issues that companies who must establish their 1990 baseline are facing and offers some insight into just how important an effective and accurate emissions tracking and reporting system is, especially as California’s model is being looked at as a template for other states.

Establishing credible and accurate numbers for emissions reporting is imperative to companies finding success in achieving the goals set forth by AB 32. Mr. Sullivan discusses how many companies are facing challenges as they try to go back to 1990 and piece together information from multiple sources to establish their baseline emissions numbers. The lack of an accurate tracking system has caused many companies much frustration and likely a set of inaccurate data which will ultimately affect their progress and compliance with AB 32. As Mr. Sullivan states, “When getting into the planning mode for the baseline audit, companies should begin to think about how they can better centralize their reporting systems to make it easier for the future. Record keeping will be critical to compliance. The key now is to get to the heart of the data, get a sense of the company’s processes, and evaluate how real the data are.”

As Mr. Sullivan suggests, accurate record keeping and organization-wide reporting will be key to determining an organization’s ability to comply with these new regulations.  A web-based greenhouse gas tracking & reporting system, like the one Intelex offers, is an ideal way to achieve compliance for several reasons. First, a web-based system requires minimal implementation and is easily accessed by any approved user with access to an Internet connection. Secondly, being web-based allows for organizations to easily track data across multiple locations; thus providing a 360-degree picture of the entire company’s emissions performance. Lastly, Intelex’s web-based GHG Systems include a comprehensive reporting suite, allowing managers access to real-time data at any point. With California setting the bar for the future of emissions tracking, there is no doubt that more US states and other countries will not be far behind. The simplicity of implementation, ease of use and range of features that Intelex’s  web-based GHG System offers make it a smart and effective choice for any company looking to invest in their own future and that of the environment.

Intelex held its first-ever Online Round Table Discussion today and it was a great success!

The discussion on Greenhouse Gas (GHG) Emissions was coordinated and led by Intelex’s Stephen Ross. Stephen’s colleagues Bryden Waggott and Bevin Lyon also joined in to participate in the conversation.

In addition to the questions submitted in advance, responses to those questions, exchange of ideas, and input from Intelex Account Managers, made for a highly informative and rewarding group discussion.    

Intelex clients and prospective clients were given a platform to engage in an informal talk about a wide spectrum of issues related to tracking, managing, and reporting GHG emissions. Overall, it was great discussion about industry regulations and best practices related to GHG emissions.

If you are interested in participating in an industry- or module-specific round table discussion in the future, please contact Carmela, Intelex’s Client Relations Coordinator!

Learn how Intelex’s GHG Emissions Tracking Module can help your organization.

Intelex is the proud recipient of ECO Canada’s Human Resources Commitment Award for 2009. In this year’s survey administered by ECO Canada, Intelex showed industry-leading performance in various categories while also earning satisfaction increases for three years in a row in the following categories:

• Clarity of direction
• Excellence in work/life balance for employees
• Clear communication of goals, values, and objectives
• Establishment of an open, trusting, fun and productive work environment
• Effective communication systems

“Releasing an employee handbook with new policies and incentives was a major initiative for Intelex in 2008. Our senior leadership team recognized that Intelex had a great team of talented professionals and by implementing new incentives like giving employees their birthday’s off and working half days before long weekends, we were able to reward everyone for their commitment to the success of the company.” – Mark Jaine, President and CEO

Intelex is also a candidate for the 2009 Deloitte Technology Fast 50 and the Technology Green 15™ awards.

The ASQ World Conference for Quality and Improvement is being held at the Minneapolis Convention Center in Minneapolis, Minnesota from May 18-20, 2009. This year, Intelex will be sending three representatives; Bevin Lyon, Daniel Marcus, and Tomas Kuras. The guys will be available for live demonstrations of our:

Quality Management System Nonconformance & Corrective Actions Module Document Control System Training Management System Supplier Performance Tracking Module Audits Management System, and more.

If you're already using Intelex's software please stop by for a visit! It’s always great to catch up with clients.