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We are all aware of the current volatility with respect to the price of oil. The price of oil has fallen dramatically over the past couple of months and industry growth is expected to be flat throughout 2015. The current cycle poses many challenges. This is shaping up to be the year that you will be asked to do more with less. Unfortunately, your customers will continue to demand process and quality improvements, capital efficiency and risk minimization.
Progressive, forward-thinking organizations will take advantage of the current environment to position for future growth. Instead of worrying about how many rigs are being stacked, how low the price of oil will go, or cutting employees, they will focus on doing the job, servicing the customer, and improving process efficiency. At some point the market will recover and these organizations will be leading the pack.
Accupoint can provide cost effective solutions to help take advantage of these opportunities. Our flexible API compliance solutions provide a toolkit to save staff time in data acquisition and analysis, while ensuring that quality metrics are managed and monitored consistently. Our easy, subscription model provides you with maximum flexibility as your needs or requirements change.
Accupoint's comprehensive, web-based solutions can:
To learn how we can help you grow your competitive edge, call us toll-free at 800.563.6250 or visit us on the web at www.accupointsoftware.com
Progressive, forward-thinking organizations will take advantage of the current environment to position for future growth. Instead of worrying about how many rigs are being stacked, how low the price of oil will go, or cutting employees, they will focus on doing the job, servicing the customer, and improving process efficiency. At some point the market will recover and these organizations will be leading the pack.
Accupoint can provide cost effective solutions to help take advantage of these opportunities. Our flexible API compliance solutions provide a toolkit to save staff time in data acquisition and analysis, while ensuring that quality metrics are managed and monitored consistently. Our easy, subscription model provides you with maximum flexibility as your needs or requirements change.
Accupoint's comprehensive, web-based solutions can:
- Improve customer satisfaction through consistent processes/products.
- Improve customer perception and buy-in.
- Increase quality awareness and job understanding among employees.
- Identify opportunities for process improvement and increased profitability
- Improve communication within your organization.
- Facilitate company cost reductions through efficiencies realized.
To learn how we can help you grow your competitive edge, call us toll-free at 800.563.6250 or visit us on the web at www.accupointsoftware.com
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Accupoint's training and consulting partner, Wollam Petroleum Advisory Group (WPAG) will host a free API Q2 conference for small business.
In Q2 of 2015, WPAG, the official developers of API-U’s, API Q2 and API Q1 training programs will be hosting a one (1) day conference on the value and benefits of the API Standards. This program will be held at WPAG headquarters in Houston and will include presenters from WPAG, API and several of the major Oil Field Operators.
Reserve your spot now by contacting wollampag.com. The conference limited to the first 100 registrants.
In Q2 of 2015, WPAG, the official developers of API-U’s, API Q2 and API Q1 training programs will be hosting a one (1) day conference on the value and benefits of the API Standards. This program will be held at WPAG headquarters in Houston and will include presenters from WPAG, API and several of the major Oil Field Operators.
Reserve your spot now by contacting wollampag.com. The conference limited to the first 100 registrants.
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The new API Spec Q2 standard requires Service Supply Organizations to develop a Service Quality Plan to control the execution of the service or the use of a service related product (SRP). As part of the plan documentation, we are required to identify project deliverables, as well as customer deliverables. Distinguishing the two terms can create some confusion, so we would like to define and differentiate between the two in today’s post.
Let’s start with project deliverables. This is the list of all activities that are required to develop the project but aren’t necessarily the deliverables required by the contract. This includes activities like sketches, models, training, calculations, and so on that allow you to produce the customer deliverable. It is important to have a detailed list of project deliverables to calculate the time, cost, and/or resources required to provide the service.
On the other hand, customer deliverables are activities that must be satisfied and are used to make payment, or monitor project progress. A simple example, not related to the oil and gas industry, would be the production of an automobile. The customer wants your organization to build a car and gives you all of the required specifications including color, accessories and horsepower specifications. In order to fulfill the customer requirements, you must complete the production of the car to the specifications.
However, there are a variety of project deliverables you must complete in order to make the car. This includes planning, materials, labor, machinery and sub-components required to develop and manufacture the car. To summarize, customer deliverables are what you get paid for, and project deliverables define how you produce what you get paid for.
For more information on how Accupoint’s cloud-based quality management systems can help your organizations handle the documentation of deliverables, visit www.accupointsoftware.com or call us toll free at 800.563.6250!
Let’s start with project deliverables. This is the list of all activities that are required to develop the project but aren’t necessarily the deliverables required by the contract. This includes activities like sketches, models, training, calculations, and so on that allow you to produce the customer deliverable. It is important to have a detailed list of project deliverables to calculate the time, cost, and/or resources required to provide the service.
On the other hand, customer deliverables are activities that must be satisfied and are used to make payment, or monitor project progress. A simple example, not related to the oil and gas industry, would be the production of an automobile. The customer wants your organization to build a car and gives you all of the required specifications including color, accessories and horsepower specifications. In order to fulfill the customer requirements, you must complete the production of the car to the specifications.
However, there are a variety of project deliverables you must complete in order to make the car. This includes planning, materials, labor, machinery and sub-components required to develop and manufacture the car. To summarize, customer deliverables are what you get paid for, and project deliverables define how you produce what you get paid for.
For more information on how Accupoint’s cloud-based quality management systems can help your organizations handle the documentation of deliverables, visit www.accupointsoftware.com or call us toll free at 800.563.6250!
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Accupoint Software's training and consulting partner, Wollam Petroleum Advisory Group (WPAG) has announced the launch of the PetroWise™ Virtual Classroom.
In Q1 of 2015, WPAG will launch the Petrowise platform allowing WPAG to deliver the world’s best training to companies around the globe via a web interface, eliminating the need for travel.
The platform is superior to traditional teaching methods, and has more interaction, controls and security while using live API-U approved instructors. WPAG has spared no expense to ensure that the Industry has the absolute best training experience while ensuring employee competencies.
To find out more about the new platform, contact WPAG at www.wollampag.com or Accupoint Software at www.accupointsoftware.com.
To find out more about the new platform, contact WPAG at www.wollampag.com or Accupoint Software at www.accupointsoftware.com.
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A comprehensive QMS should include components for monitoring and measuring customer feedback. It should contain effective procedures for the receipt, logging, evaluation, investigation & reporting of all issues raised by the customer. The results of this analysis should then be used as a driver for designing and implementing improvements to your system.
For more information on integrating customer satisfaction into your Quality management program, contact the Accupoint team toll-free at 800-563-6250 or visit us on the web at www.accupointsoftware.com
For more information on integrating customer satisfaction into your Quality management program, contact the Accupoint team toll-free at 800-563-6250 or visit us on the web at www.accupointsoftware.com
Happy and satisfied customers are the lifeblood of your business. Everybody knows that, but did you know that customer satisfaction should be built into your quality management system (QMS).
When you think about it, quality performance is first and foremost about meeting the needs and expectations of the customer. Therefore, we need to expand our definition of quality management to include customer satisfaction as a means of improving performance over the long term.
The following chart helps to illustrate the concept:
When you think about it, quality performance is first and foremost about meeting the needs and expectations of the customer. Therefore, we need to expand our definition of quality management to include customer satisfaction as a means of improving performance over the long term.
The following chart helps to illustrate the concept:
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Accupoint Software would like to thank everyone for their gifts during our annual Fall Food Drive for the benefit of the Second Harvest Food Bank of the Mahoning Valley. This year was our most successful to date, and we could only have accomplished this with your help and generous spirit.
The Accupoint team believes that no one should go hungry and is dedicated to building a community that makes food accessible to all people. Our efforts this autumn have, in some small way, helped to make a difference to hungry families during this holiday season.
Thank you for your support!
The Accupoint team believes that no one should go hungry and is dedicated to building a community that makes food accessible to all people. Our efforts this autumn have, in some small way, helped to make a difference to hungry families during this holiday season.
Thank you for your support!
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A chain is only strong as its weakest link. When it comes to controlling your supply chain, the better you are at understanding the entire chain and identifying weak links, the better your company will be in the long run.
In today’ post, we would like to present a couple of tips to help make managing your supply chain more effective.
Tip 1: Understand the big picture. Gather performance data on each vendor in the chain and update it constantly. If your data only includes some vendors or incomplete performance data, the picture of your supply chain is as incomplete as a jigsaw puzzle missing half the pieces. Without concrete data, you may have an idea of potential snags but ultimately you are guessing. As a result, you're not able to make the best decisions on how to resolve issues related to your operations.
Tip 2: Use integrated technology to manage your supply chain. Technology enables more efficient and effective data collection and analysis, giving you increased response time to head off potential problems. In addition, by using integrated technology you can improve communications with relevant stakeholders resulting in minimized disruptions to production.
The efficient use of supply chain controls enables your company to reduce costs and satisfy customer requirements. How well do you know your supply chain? Accupoint can help your organization to get a handle on comprehensive supply chain management. To find out how, visit us on the web at www.accupointsoftware.com or call toll-free 800.563.6520.
In today’ post, we would like to present a couple of tips to help make managing your supply chain more effective.
Tip 1: Understand the big picture. Gather performance data on each vendor in the chain and update it constantly. If your data only includes some vendors or incomplete performance data, the picture of your supply chain is as incomplete as a jigsaw puzzle missing half the pieces. Without concrete data, you may have an idea of potential snags but ultimately you are guessing. As a result, you're not able to make the best decisions on how to resolve issues related to your operations.
Tip 2: Use integrated technology to manage your supply chain. Technology enables more efficient and effective data collection and analysis, giving you increased response time to head off potential problems. In addition, by using integrated technology you can improve communications with relevant stakeholders resulting in minimized disruptions to production.
The efficient use of supply chain controls enables your company to reduce costs and satisfy customer requirements. How well do you know your supply chain? Accupoint can help your organization to get a handle on comprehensive supply chain management. To find out how, visit us on the web at www.accupointsoftware.com or call toll-free 800.563.6520.
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Key Performance Indicators (KPIs)--you've probably heard the term and have an idea of what they are, but do you have a fail-proof method to measure key operational metrics? Based on who you are and what you want to accomplish, KPI's are your key to success--providing measurable goals that are used to gauge the success or failure of your operations. But without a means to easily measure and analyze your KPIs, you could actually be making decisions that are not helping you in the long run.
Choosing the right KPIs relies upon a good understanding of what is important to the organization. To that end, let’s take a look at the attributes of a good KPI. A KPI should be
1. Available and Measurable
2. Impact the Bottom Line
3. Relevant to Business Objectives
4. Useful to Improvement Efforts
5. Timely
The bottom line--you have to have clearly defined goals in place and KPIs to determine the success of those goals. But you also need a means to accurately measure your KPIs in order to instantly determine if steps are needed to change practices or personnel in order to achieve your goals.
That's the power of Accupoint Software. No matter what your key performance indicators are, you can quickly and easily see your company's current status using any web-enabled device.
Visit us on the web at www.accupointsoftware.com or call toll-free 800.563.6520 and begin to get a clear picture of your overall quality management system--including your KPIs--today!
Choosing the right KPIs relies upon a good understanding of what is important to the organization. To that end, let’s take a look at the attributes of a good KPI. A KPI should be
1. Available and Measurable
2. Impact the Bottom Line
3. Relevant to Business Objectives
4. Useful to Improvement Efforts
5. Timely
The bottom line--you have to have clearly defined goals in place and KPIs to determine the success of those goals. But you also need a means to accurately measure your KPIs in order to instantly determine if steps are needed to change practices or personnel in order to achieve your goals.
That's the power of Accupoint Software. No matter what your key performance indicators are, you can quickly and easily see your company's current status using any web-enabled device.
Visit us on the web at www.accupointsoftware.com or call toll-free 800.563.6520 and begin to get a clear picture of your overall quality management system--including your KPIs--today!
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Technological innovation in hardware and software applications continues to make a major difference in how we live our lives and conduct our work.
This is especially true in the Oil and Gas industry. Just a decade ago, questions and answers had to go through phone calls, faxes or face to face meetings. Information was compiled and stored on paper documents in a limited number of locations. But today, questions can be answered instantly through e-mails and texts and information can be stored in one place yet easily accessed by an entire workforce via electronic devices.
Unfortunately, access to new technology alone does not guarantee improved results. We've all heard stories of someone we know with a phone that doesn't understand how to do the simplest tasks. Or of the company that purchased new software but never utilized it because the employees were uncertain of how to use it.
Here are two helpful reminders when considering new technology. First, educating and training the workforce is just as important as the technology itself. Products touted to save your staff time and energy cannot work if the staff doesn't fully understand how to use them. Be sure to factor training and support into any purchase decision. Give users the ability to ask questions and build a firm foundation of success.
Second, continue to incorporate mobile technology into your processes. Mobile adoption will continue to grow and will help drive improvements to organizational efficiency. Mobile computing can provide a variety of benefits to the Oil & Gas industry including: data capture in the field, ease of collaboration from multiple locations, and better decision making. Many organizations understand these benefits, but are not fully implementing it into their operations.
As with any new technology, there are issues to be addressed including: safety, data security and authorized areas for use. New technology has the potential to empower employees and increase productivity. Ultimately, you have to be willing to allocate the resources to get the technology into their hands and then make sure they really know how to use it properly.
To find out more about Accupoint’s mobile compliance technology, visit us at accupointsoftware.com or call us toll-free at 800.563.6250.
This is especially true in the Oil and Gas industry. Just a decade ago, questions and answers had to go through phone calls, faxes or face to face meetings. Information was compiled and stored on paper documents in a limited number of locations. But today, questions can be answered instantly through e-mails and texts and information can be stored in one place yet easily accessed by an entire workforce via electronic devices.
Unfortunately, access to new technology alone does not guarantee improved results. We've all heard stories of someone we know with a phone that doesn't understand how to do the simplest tasks. Or of the company that purchased new software but never utilized it because the employees were uncertain of how to use it.
Here are two helpful reminders when considering new technology. First, educating and training the workforce is just as important as the technology itself. Products touted to save your staff time and energy cannot work if the staff doesn't fully understand how to use them. Be sure to factor training and support into any purchase decision. Give users the ability to ask questions and build a firm foundation of success.
Second, continue to incorporate mobile technology into your processes. Mobile adoption will continue to grow and will help drive improvements to organizational efficiency. Mobile computing can provide a variety of benefits to the Oil & Gas industry including: data capture in the field, ease of collaboration from multiple locations, and better decision making. Many organizations understand these benefits, but are not fully implementing it into their operations.
As with any new technology, there are issues to be addressed including: safety, data security and authorized areas for use. New technology has the potential to empower employees and increase productivity. Ultimately, you have to be willing to allocate the resources to get the technology into their hands and then make sure they really know how to use it properly.
To find out more about Accupoint’s mobile compliance technology, visit us at accupointsoftware.com or call us toll-free at 800.563.6250.
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Internal audits are a key requirement of any Quality Management System. As you are aware, the internal audit is designed to measure the effectiveness of the system. With that in mind, let’s take a look at two basic components that are critical to audit success.
First, understand the motivation. Many look at internal audits as a necessary evil—a time consuming effort that drains people and resources away from daily operations. This thinking makes it difficult for the internal audit to be successful--unless your definition of success is that it's done and out of the way. We need to communicate the importance of the internal audit function to the rest of the organization. In addition, staff members should understand the benefits a successful internal audit program provides to the effectiveness of the organization.
Second, define the objective of the audit before beginning. In other words, plan the audit and execute to that plan. Determine specific processes that you are measuring and the acceptance criteria for determining success or failure. We can't make suggestions for improvement, if we don’t understand the status of the current process. When successfully executed, your internal audit is much more likely to result in streamlined operations and positive impacts to the bottom line.
Finally, keep in mind that an internal audit is a means to an end. It's like practice for a sports team. Practice isn't always the favorite part of any team’s schedule. However when the players become committed to practice as a way to evaluate and work on gaps, the end result is improved play during the next game. The same is true with an internal audit.
To learn more about how Accupoint can help your organization maximize the internal audit process, visit us on the web at www.accupointsoftware.com or call toll-free 800.563.6250.
First, understand the motivation. Many look at internal audits as a necessary evil—a time consuming effort that drains people and resources away from daily operations. This thinking makes it difficult for the internal audit to be successful--unless your definition of success is that it's done and out of the way. We need to communicate the importance of the internal audit function to the rest of the organization. In addition, staff members should understand the benefits a successful internal audit program provides to the effectiveness of the organization.
Second, define the objective of the audit before beginning. In other words, plan the audit and execute to that plan. Determine specific processes that you are measuring and the acceptance criteria for determining success or failure. We can't make suggestions for improvement, if we don’t understand the status of the current process. When successfully executed, your internal audit is much more likely to result in streamlined operations and positive impacts to the bottom line.
Finally, keep in mind that an internal audit is a means to an end. It's like practice for a sports team. Practice isn't always the favorite part of any team’s schedule. However when the players become committed to practice as a way to evaluate and work on gaps, the end result is improved play during the next game. The same is true with an internal audit.
To learn more about how Accupoint can help your organization maximize the internal audit process, visit us on the web at www.accupointsoftware.com or call toll-free 800.563.6250.
