The Hallway Track at a Conference

BOSCON 2024 starts tomorrow, so in honor of the local section’s juggernaut of a conference, I want to talk about the hallway track, my favorite part of a conference.

The hallway track at a conference refers to the informal networking, discussions, and spontaneous interactions that occur outside of scheduled sessions. It is often considered one of the most valuable aspects of attending a conference, as it facilitates connections that can lead to professional opportunities and insights that are not typically available in formal presentations.

How to Maximize the Hallway Track

To make the most of the hallway track, consider the following strategies:

1. Plan Ahead

Review the Agenda: Before the conference, identify key sessions you want to attend but also mark open slots for networking opportunities.
Set Goals: Determine what you hope to achieve through networking—whether it’s meeting specific individuals or learning about new trends in your field.

2. Engage with Others

Start Conversations: Use simple icebreakers like asking about someone’s favorite session or their plans for the day. This can lead to deeper discussions.
Introduce Yourself: Don’t hesitate to approach people you know from social media platforms like LinkedIn or Twitter. This can help solidify online connections in person.

3. Attend Social Events

Participate in Informal Gatherings: Join social events or activities that may be outside your comfort zone. These settings often foster more relaxed and meaningful conversations.

4. Be Open to New Experiences

Change Your Plans if Necessary: If someone recommends a session or event, be flexible enough to adjust your schedule. You might discover valuable insights or connections by following these leads.

5. Leverage the Environment

Use Common Areas: Spend time in hallways, lounges, and vendor areas where informal interactions are likely to occur. These spaces are conducive to spontaneous conversations.

6. Network with Purpose

Follow Up After the Conference: Collect contact information and follow up with new connections after the event. This helps solidify relationships formed during the hallway track.

By actively engaging in these practices, attendees can significantly enhance their conference experience and build lasting professional relationships through the hallway track.

Risk Assessments as part of Design and Verification

Facility design and manufacturing processes are complex, multi-stage operations, fraught with difficulty. Ensuring the facility meets Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP) standards and other regulatory requirements is a major challenge. The complex regulations around biomanufacturing facilities require careful planning and documentation from the earliest design stages.

Which is why consensus standards like ASTM E2500 exist.

Central to these approaches are risk assessment, to which there are three primary components:

An understanding of the uncertainties in the design (which includes materials, processing, equipment, personnel, environment, detection systems, feedback control)
An identification of the hazards and failure mechanisms
An estimation of the risks associated with each hazard and failure

Folks often get tied up on what tool to use. Frankly, this is a phase approach. We start with a PHA for design, an FMEA for verification and a HACCP/Layers of Control Analysis for Acceptance. Throughout we use a bow-tie for communication.

Aspect	Bow-Tie	PHA (Preliminary Hazard Analysis)	FMEA (Failure Mode and Effects Analysis)	HACCP (Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points)
Primary Focus	Visualizing risk pathways	Early hazard identification	Potential failure modes	Systematically identify, evaluate, and control hazards that could compromise product safety
Timing in Process	Any stage	Early development	Any stage, often design	Throughout production
Approach	Combines causes and consequences	Top-down	Bottom-up	Systematic prevention
Complexity	Moderate	Low to moderate	High	Moderate
Visual Representation	Central event with causes and consequences	Tabular format	Tabular format	Flow diagram with CCPs
Risk Quantification	Can include, not required	Basic risk estimation	Risk Priority Number (RPN)	Not typically quantified
Regulatory Alignment	Less common in pharma	Aligns with ISO 14971	Widely accepted in pharma	Less common in pharma
Critical Points	Identifies barriers	Does not specify	Identifies critical failure modes	Identifies Critical Control Points (CCPs)
Scope	Specific hazardous event	System-level hazards	Component or process-level failures	Process-specific hazards
Team Requirements	Cross-functional	Less detailed knowledge needed	Detailed system knowledge	Food safety expertise
Ongoing Management	Can be used for monitoring	Often updated periodically	Regularly updated	Continuous monitoring of CCPs
Output	Visual risk scenario	List of hazards and initial risk levels	Prioritized list of failure modes	HACCP plan with CCPs
Typical Use in Pharma	Risk communication	Early risk identification	Detailed risk analysis	Product Safety/Contamination Control

At BOSCON this year I’ll be talking about this fascinating detail, perhaps too much detail.

You, Yes You! Speak at a Conference

The process of writing and speaking is a core part of the Quality profession. Only through these activities can we truly contemplate and learn from our accomplishments to propel us forward to new heights.

There are some great speaking opportunities for folks around the Boston area coming up:

BOSCON is November 6 and 7th and is looking for speakers. I’m a huge fan of this regional convention and strongly recommend it. Submissions are due August 15th, 2023.

BOSCON 2023- Nov 6&7-Call for Speaker

The ASQ’s Quality Innovations Summit (formerly the Quality 4.0 Summit) is September 19–21 in Boston, MA with a theme of “Innovations and Future Trends for Excellence.” Submission deadline is June 9th, 2023, with more information here.

I’m quite happy to help coach potential new speakers, both in the development of your proposal and in your presentation.

Making Presentations Accessible

BOSCON 2023- Nov 6&7-Call for Speaker

41st Annual Quality Conference BOSCON2023

Gaining the Edge and Increasing Confidence

Call for Speakers!

Share your knowledge and experience with your peers!

Proposal Deadline: August 15, 2023

About the event

BOSCON is a key event for local, national, and international quality professionals to hear speakers discuss different quality topics and network. Each year hundreds gather at this BOSCON quality conference to share best practices, expand their network, and further develop their professional and personal growth from experts and professionals in multiple quality related fields. This year BOSCON 2023 will be held on November 6th and 7th, 2023.

We invite you to join us as a key contributor to the success of the 41st BOSCON Quality Conference hosted by ASQ – Boston. It encompasses two days of presentation by the most knowledgeable and innovative quality professionals at all levels.

Presentations will be offered in 4 tracks:

Technology and Innovations
Quality and Regulations for Lifesciences
Quality Tools and Continuous Improvement
Reliability, Maintenance & Managing Risk

Format

Presentations must be 50 minutes plus up to 10 minutes of Q&A. Presenters must be on site and receive free admission to the conference, the Exhibitor Hall, keynote addresses, and lunch. The Conference Committee will evaluate all proposals, but there are only 12 time slots available each day.

Key Dates

August 15th: Please complete the form below and submit to dmanalan@memberleader.asq.org and srane@memberleader.asq.org and no later than August 15th 2023.
September 3rd: Applicants will be notified if the submitted proposal was accepted, confirmation requires a signed speaker agreement.
September 15th: Sign speaker agreement and submit.
October 8th : Submit final set of slides by October 8th.

Speaker Proposal Form

1. Title: (Max 50 characters)

Provide a clear and concise title to list and publicize your presentation. Consider including a tag line, e.g. – “Raising the Bar to Excellence – a CAPA journey.”

2. Description: (Max 100 Words)

Show the prime focus of your presentation and what the attendee(s) will learn.

Provide a short description of your session that will be posted on the conference website and distributed electronically to registrants. Consider identifying the intended audience (Management, Engineers, Quality Professionals, etc.) and what they will learn. Think of this as an advertising blurb to capture people’s attention and make them want to attend.

3. Session Abstract(s): (250-300 Words)

Please provide a more detailed overview of your proposed presentation for inclusion in the conference materials. Abstracts should include the following:

Introduction of the topic, including context and background (don’t repeat the Description above)
Objectives in terms of what you intend to communicate; what problem(s) are you addressing?
Approaches you intend to use to get your message across, e.g. – case studies, data analyses, tips & tricks, etc.
Key takeaways the audience should expect to learn.

4. Biographical Sketch: (150-200 Words)

Please provide a summary of your career and credentials for publishing in the conference proceedings. This information should be composed from the third person perspective. You may also include a link to your LinkedIn profile or website.

5. Contact Info & Credentials:

Name, address, email, phone, organization, title, and LinkedIn profile link.

6. Additional Info:

Anything that may increase the value or credibility of your proposal, for example, presenter’s relevant credentials or experience in the related field, etc. If the proposed or similar presentation has been presented in another venue, preferably a national venue, it will add to the credibility and interest to our audience; if the organization or the presenter has won relevant industry recognitions, such as awards or press citations, this will be of benefit in attracting attendees. Attachment of your presentation or an outline slide is welcome.

Please submit proposals to dmanalan@memberleader.asq.org and srane@memberleader.asq.org
not later than August 15th, 2023.

For general questions about the Conference, please email srane@memberleader.asq.org

Encouraging New Speakers

I would like encourage new speakers at BOSCON, and at ASQ events in general. I will make myself available to assist and coach individuals who want to speak. I will help you refine your proposal, review and propose edits to your slides, and do some speaker coaching. Let me know if you want some coaching through this blog’s Contact or on LinkedIn.

Boscon 2022

I am pretty excited that Boscon, the local ASQ section’s conference is back on and calling for proposals. So for local folks, a good time to share some best practices and case studies.

BOSCON is an annual quality conference hosted by ASQ Boston. BOSCON is the New England signature event where national and international quality professionals hear speakers discuss different quality topics and network with them. The conference focus for 2022 is Navigating Quality Performance in a post-Pandemic World (Risk management, Impact/risk & mitigation of pandemic on companies, Work-life balance, Resource management, Employee Safety, Virtual/ remote workspace, Customer satisfaction, Supply chain).

Tracks and possible focus

Technical Quality tool (CAPA, 5S, SPC, Lean 6 sigma, etc);
IT/Software (Cybersecurity, cloud, virtual workspace, etc);
Pandemic Supply Chain (Lean reconsidered, Change management);
Personnel/People (Work-life balance, resource management).

Not interested in presenting, but want to participate as a volunteer?
Contact Snehal Rane Snehalrane90@gmail.com BOSCON 2022 Chair

B0SCON 2022 PRESENTATION PROPOSAL FORM

We invite you to submit your proposal(s) for BOSCON 2022 oriented towards one of the track areas above. Please provide a concise and clear description of your session topic and the values it provides to our attendees. 50 minutes are provided for your presentation and any Q&A.

KEY DATES

August 15th => Please complete the form referenced below and submit to both Snehalrane90@gmail.com and dmanalan@alum.mit.edu as soon as possible, and no later than August 15th.
September 1st => Applicants will be notified if the submitted proposal was accepted, confirmation requires a signed speaker agreement.
September 15th => Sign speaker agreement and submit.
October 1st => Submit final set of slides by October 1st.

Fill out the form- Word version at

https://1drv.ms/w/s!Aq7kI8QOQQN5hD-FL4JLDqGKF8yc?e=USkE6y