Learning Objectives
• Be able to describe the vital role of independent oversight of quality and what happens if there is too much or too little focus on the financial implications of our quality efforts.
• Explain the implications of "cost center" vs "profit center" thinking.
• Be able to use simple tools to convert "improvement" to "dollars.“ The Learning Lab will demonstrate simple cost estimation approaches, modeling the cost of errors, and using nomograms to help communicate money decisions to leadership.
• Be able to develop a “Quality Improvement Portfolio" for your department that demonstrates your understanding of the financial impacts of our quality efforts and helps communicate our contribution to our leadership team.
• Understand how to balance our role as Quality Professionals between "Improving Profit" and "Maintaining independent oversight."

Ken Rohde has converted a popular and practical presentation from NAHQ Next into a Learning Lab. We all recognize that as quality professionals, it is becoming more important every day that we understand how to communicate the economics of quality and use our quality skills to make and lead real, positive impacts in the economics of our organization as well as the efficiency and safety of our processes. We need to have a simple set of easy to use tools that can help us understand and communicate the economic impacts of our efforts and follow the money. This Learning Lab will focus on how we can balance these economic challenges with our safety obligations.