The Scottish Quality Management Centre (SQMC) will ease its forecasted increase in demand for its QHSE auditor qualifications next year by promoting their associate business improvement consultant, Anne Barber, to its contingent of approved trainers; announced its Director of Operations, Kenny Hannah, this week.
Anne is the Vice-Chair of the Chartered Quality Institute’s (CQI) east of Scotland branch and brings over 25 years of experience in Quality Management to her role at SQMC, with an extensive history of implementing Quality and Environmental Management Systems across a broad range of industries, both public and private sector.
Anne was also responsible for the implementation and successful registration of Fife Council’s Building Services to the Considerate Constructors Scheme (CCS) – becoming the first public sector construction organisation in the UK to achieve registration.
Anne’s first interactions with SQMC, through Managing Director Ian Hannah, were over 25 years ago, when the company existed as a think tank of Stirling University’s Management Sciences faculty.
Since then, Anne has worked with SQMC regularly to successfully provide Quality training for many individuals and businesses in the semi-conductor industry, high-volume manufacturing, construction, social work, and for nursery and high school organisations.
As a pioneer of student development and understanding, Anne has a passion for applying real-world situations to process-driven Quality training – a skill that has been immediately utilised at SQMC as Anne has already delivered her first ISO 9001 Foundation course.
A rudimental introduction to the world’s most popular ISO Standard, the awareness workshop is a new student’s first step into the world of Quality Management – and often the most important.
Anne explains: “We plan, map and adapt processes in everything we do. From the day we’re born, we learn and develop new, more effective, ways of achieving our goals – and this is the cornerstone of understanding and implementing the principles of ISO Standards such as ISO 9001.
“Once we fully understand how we already naturally create and implement these processes, we can begin to apply the same common-sense approach to any application whether that be health and safety protocols, supply chain management or business development.
“I’ve worked with SQMC for many years, and consider Ian Hannah as my mentor as he has always been available for advice and support throughout my career. SQMC’s approach to training and student development is very much in line with my own and I’m enjoying the new challenge.”
Although still active in an advisory capacity and course design, Mr. Hannah retired in 2014, leaving his son, Kenny, in charge of the general management of the organisation. This included the personnel and talent pool, and Kenny quickly drafted Anne into his team of associates when he learned of her availability.
“She has a naturally methodical approach to management systems, which matches our own ethos, and I knew that her straight-talking, yet down-to-earth personality would resonate well with our clients!"
“I was absolutely delighted when Anne accepted my invitation to join the Centre,” explained Kenny. “I've followed her career for several years, observing the great difference she made in various sectors and industries.
“She has a naturally methodical approach to management systems, which matches our own ethos, and I knew that her straight-talking, yet down-to-earth personality would resonate well with our clients!
“Since joining primarily as an advisor last year, Anne has successfully upgraded some of our clients’ Quality systems to the level required by a government-approved Certification Body. As she’d already earned an SQA Trainer qualification from Dundee University, I was keen for our students to get the benefit of her experience, and she recently led her first ISO 9001 workshop at our partners Quality Scotland in Edinburgh.
“It’s an exciting time to be a business systems trainer, with most international standards having adopted – or due to adopt – a new, logical, unifying framework (Annex SL). This essentially signals a new dawn in our field, unlocking more efficient routes to integrating multiple business disciplines, such as combining Quality together with Information Security, or Safety with Environmental, into one cohesive management system.
“I’m always on the lookout for Chartered Professionals of Anne’s calibre who just ‘get it’, and – crucially – have that rare ability to help others get it, in the classroom.”