Global Project Quality Infrastructure Newsletter

1. THREE QUESTIONS FOR... Amelie Leipprand, Senior Project Manager DIN Young Professionals at the German Institute for Standardization (Deutsches Institut für Normung e.V. – DIN)

Why is standardization important – both nationally and internationally?

Standardization is more than just “making everything the same” – or rather, it’s something completely different. Standardization is the process of developing the content of the standards. Experts come together and co-create which requirements must be met so that all can live with the developed standards. This does not only include big industry or producers but all points of view. Standards form a basis for economy and trade, both nationally and internationally. They define quality requirements and are the basis for QI. Thus, it’s super important to harmonise them internationally. It saves a lot of resources including money to follow harmonised requirements and, many decisions in one country have an impact on other countries. Through standardization, representatives of those countries can talk to each other and find solutions that work for both.

Which role do women* play in standardization?

Women* are of course an important voice in standardization. We make up half of the global population – so we should also be half represented in standardization bodies. But we are not. Interestingly, not only “typically male” framed contexts like classical engineering topics but also “typically female” framed ones - like HR - are male dominated. That’s why I’m very grateful for projects like MUjeres del Sistema de Infraestructura de la CAlidad (MUSICA) in Mexico that raise awareness to this situation and help to change it. Recently, GPQI and MUSICA organised a panel discussion on women’s* role in QI. Networking and knowledge exchange are the first steps towards change.

What can be done to get more young people, and especially women*, involved in standardization?

Many standardization topics are male framed subjects like engineering, IT, generally STEM subjects. There are already many projects in place, trying to attract girls* and women* in STEM subjects. We should start framing STEM subjects for all genders and show the broad range of topics within standardization. I am a mechanical engineer at DIN. I organise, I talk and finally, I help to reach a consensus. If we could show, there are diverse jobs waiting for engineers, not only in construction but also in fields like standardization, maybe we could attract more women*. Also, it is the organisation of standardization that should be more women*-friendly. For example, due to family obligations many women* work part-time – it is difficult for them to travel to international Technical Commitee meetings. Short-term web meetings would be more inclusive.

Amelie Leipprand

2. NEWS FROM OUR PARTNER COUNTRIES

WOMEN* IN QUALITY INFRASTRUCTURE: IMPRESSIONS FROM GERMANY AND MEXICO

f.l.t.r. Maribel López (ema), Viviana Fernández (IMNC), Vera Moser (GPQI), Amelie Leipprand (DIN), and Lilia de Diego (GPQI). © MUSICA

GERMAN DELEGATION MEETS WITH PARTNERS IN BRAZIL

Representatives from BMWK, MDIC, VDE, FIEMG and GPQI at the GPL Demonstrator technical visit. © GPQI-GIZ

ANNUAL MEETING BETWEEN BMWK, GACC AND SHENZEN CUSTOMS

© tirachardz / freepik

3. PUBLICATIONS

QUICK GUIDE - GLOBAL PRODUCTION LANGUAGE AND INDUSTRIAL AUTOMATION SECURITY

Cover of the publication. © Oliver Hick-Schulz / GPQI-GIZ

The transition to Industrie 4.0 is often perceived as a huge challenge, particularly for companies with low resources. Retrofitting 4.0, the process which makes existing equipment and software able to adopt Industrie 4.0 technology, may be the low-cost solution. In fact, most of the global lighthouse projects for Industrie 4.0 were created by transforming pre-existing operations (brownfield). Furthermore, adoption of Industrie 4.0 technologies can streamline tasks performed by humans. This opens up opportunities for upskilling and reskilling employees in readiness for better, more human-friendly tasks. 

The "Quick Guide - Global Production Language and Industrial Automation Security" highlights four crucial elements that are relevant to small and medium-sized industrial enterprises making the successful transition to Industrie 4.0 in the Indonesian context. 

You can read and download it here.

FACTSHEETS: GLOBAL PROJECT QUALITY INFRASTRUCTURE

Cover pages of the publications. (From left to right) © GPQI-GIZ © Creativa Images / Shutterstock © Rafael / Adobe Stock © Surasek / Shutterstock © daizuoxin / Shutterstock

WHITE PAPER: QI FOR ELECTROMOBILITY – CHARGING INFRASTRUCTURE, BATTERY SAFETY AND DISPOSAL

Cover of the publication. © Oliver Hick-Schulz / GPQI - GIZ

You can read and download it here.