ASQ-Quality Summit and Mining Gala – June 7-9, 2012

Submitted by Hemant Anand

ASQ –Quality in Mining IG (Past Secretary)

Around 115 ASQ members and guests from various Canadian sections,

Universities, Educational institutions and Mining & Manufacturing companies

participated in the ASQ-Quality Summit and Mining Gala at the Heart of

Downtown Saskatoon-Canada.

This event brought ‘Leading the Way’ Workshops on Quality, Innovation and

Excellence in the Mining industry.

The ASQ-Quality Summit and Mining Gala was officially announced and opened

by Chair Rajeev Chadha and the Curtain rose with the Musical Concert by Walter

Murray Collegiate Team.

The Mining Gala cake was jointly cut by the senior dignitaries from major mining companies in North America. (Picture from L to R – Chuck Edwards, Peter Jackson, ASQ-Mining co-chair Jay Kalra, Liam Mooney and Leah Langlais)

Among the Plenary session speakers, there were:-

Peter Merrill, a Legendary Speaker on Innovation. Peter has keynoted at many

events such as the World Conference on Quality USA, INLAC World Quality

Forum Mexico, CNIS Beijing, LCBO Logistics Conference and recently the Baltic

Nordic Excellence Conference in Estonia. As Chief Executive of one of the leading

Design Brands in the Europe he has been an Innovator in one of the most

demanding markets.

Dr. Brett Fairbairn, the Provost and Vice-President Academic of the University of

Saskatchewan. Brett is the leader of planning and budgeting and as the Vice-

President Academic; he leads the University’s faculty and academic processes.

He has been engaged with the University of Saskatchewan for 35 years,

beginning as a history student, during which time he served as President of the

University Students’ Union.

Peter Jackson is the President APEGS (Association of Professional Engineers and

Geoscientists of Saskatchewan) and Vice President Operations- MOSAIC Potash.

Starting in research, Peter has held several positions with the company over the

years including Senior Process Engineer, Manager of Environment and Planning,

Belle Plaine Mining Superintendent, the head of technical services for Mosaic,

general manager of the Mosaic Potash Belle-Plaine and now VP of operations.

Chuck Edwards is President of CIM (Canadian Institute of Mining, Metallurgy

and Petroleum) and Director, Metallurgy with AMEC in Saskatoon, and

champion for AMEC’s Global Uranium Working Group. He has experience in

R&D, operations, government service, consulting and engineering management.

Chuck was involved in the engineering design of all of the current uranium

facilities in Saskatchewan.

The Mayor of Saskatoon Don Atchison welcomed the global quality community

to the city of Saskatoon and assured his full support to Quality initiative in the

Natural Resources Industry.

Jay Kalra (Co-Chair ASQ-Mining) presenting an ASQ-Mining Plaque and

Memento to Mayor Don Atchison.

The Second day of the Summit started with Registration at the Hilton Garden

Inn, Downtown- Saskatoon, SK. After Welcome and Opening Remarks, Chuck

Edward presented a talk on Quality excellence in Mining Project Management

followed by Quality Excellence and Innovation in Mining Industry workshop by

Peter Merrill, a leading Quality Guru in Innovation.

After the Plant tour of POS-Biosciences, we returned to the conference room

and went for nutritious snacks. These were food products made out of famous

Saskatoon berries. Soon after team members from different disciplines started

preparing for the 02 concurrent sessions on Lean Six Sigma:-

- Lean Workshop by– Dale Schattenkirk, Six Sigma MBB - CEO LTSEE

- Business Excellence & Reliability in manufacturing –Rajeev Chadha, P.Eng,

Six Sigma MBB, Mosaic

The day concluded with networking sessions and a lot of group photographs.

On the final day (Saturday June 9, 2012) the events were focused on ASQ and its

functional groups in Region-04. The program itinerary was as follows:-

7.30 – 8.15 am – Registration, Welcome and Opening Remarks by Gary Gehring,

RD-ASQ-Canada at the Hilton Garden Inn, Downtown, Saskatoon, SK.

8.30 am – 12.00 noon – Stewart Bellamy, ASQ-SK Past chair organized an in-

process lean exercise. We walked in the Lean VSM game. The GEMBA team

exercise was brainstorming on how to make the work place more productive,

effective and reliable.

ASQ-Mining Gala Participants Playing LEAN-VSM Game with Stewart Bellamy

(ASQ-SK Past chair & Lean GURU from Brandt Industries)

ASQ-Mining IG Volunteers – “Volunteers are not paid not because they are

WORTHLESS but because they are PRICELESS”…………………”We are proud of you”

SASKATOON SHINES with ASQ-Quality Summit & Mining Gala-2012

Vote of Thanks by -ASQ-HQ Milwaukee (Ray Zielke, ASQ Marketing Mgr.)

ASQ-MINING TEAM with PETER Merrill, our Chief Guest – “Leading the way in

Quality, Innovation & Excellence”

OUR PROUD SPONSORS

Peter Merrill, Al Chapman & Rajeev Chadha THANKS to all …………….HEMANT