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November is World Quality Month

Led by the American Society of Quality (ASQ) and ASQExcellence (ASQE) each November, World Quality Month is a celebration of the vital role quality professionals have in achieving excellence through quality and the positive impact quality has made in organizations and communities around the world.

November is World Quality Month

November 25, 2020 / Didlake / News

World Quality Month celebrated throughout the month of November

Led by ASQ and ASQExcellence (ASQE) each November, World Quality Month is a celebration of the vital role quality professionals have in achieving excellence through quality and the positive impact quality has made in organizations and communities around the world. The theme of this year’s World Quality Month is “creating customer value.”

“As one of Didlake’s core values, quality is at the forefront of everything we do,” said Didlake CEO Donna Hollis. “Our customer-focused quality control and assurance programs enable us to keep empowering individuals to work and be more independent.”

How Didlake Creates Service Quality

Throughout its 55 years, Didlake has continued to develop and strengthen policies, procedures and training that support its commitment to service quality. Today, Didlake’s Quality Development team has 25 members spread from Northern Maryland to Virginia Beach; many are dedicated to a specific contract site while others support multiple contracts or the organization as a whole.

Regardless of location and breadth, Didlake’s Quality Development team members are tasked with leading the organization’s customer-centric quality assurance and control plans, which are crucial to providing customers with services that meet and exceed expectations. In a nutshell, quality assurance entails the processes put in place to ensure services are performed to meet standards and regulations, while quality control mechanisms confirm tasks are performed correctly.

“Across the organization, every department actively pursues quality control standards,” said Brandy Emmons-Powell, Director of Quality Development. “We take a holistic approach rather than following just one program. We look at the multitude of options for quality management and consider what fits us best. What is a fad and what is tried and true? What would we pull from those programs to make our system better?”

For example, although Didlake is not ISO® Registered, it has incorporated some ISO standards into its best practices, such as its audit checklist, corrective and preventive processes, and documentation. ISO 9000 is a quality management program that is developed and published by the International Organization for Standardization.

Quality in Employment & Day Support Services

For its Day Support and Employment Services programs, Didlake adopted standards from CARF, an international, independent accreditor of health and human services providing rehabilitative services. In August, Didlake earned its eighth consecutive three-year accreditation for Community and Employment Services in the areas of job development, community integration and employment planning services. As an employment services vendor for the Department for Aging and Rehabilitation Services, Didlake is required to maintain CARF accreditation. Didlake elects to also apply CARF standards to its Day Support program.

CIMS-GB Certification for the Cleaning Industry

Through ISSA, the Worldwide Cleaning Industry Association, Didlake has Cleaning Industry Management Standards (CIMS) – Green Building (CIMS-GB) certification with honors for all of its custodial contracts. CIMS defines the key organizational components that contribute to a successful, quality cleaning organization. Every two years, Didlake completes a recertification process validated by a third party. As a CIMS-GB certified custodial services provider, Didlake assists clients with achieving the maximum number of Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) points. Didlake’s management team includes an ISSA Certified Expert (I.C.E.) who ensures that employees understand the intent and application of the standards and processes required to achieve green building excellence.

Also for custodial contracts, Didlake uses CleanTelligent® Software to build custom checklists, broken down to very specific tasks, for the services performed. An inspector reviews the work performed and, for each task, notes if it met a standard or if there is any deficiency. If anything needs to be fixed, the system generates a work order.

“That becomes data-driven information. What percentage of the work passed on the first go? How many work orders did we need to address? That made a big difference from a quality standpoint because then we could target what we want to train people on. If we have certain tasks being written up with work orders, that makes us take a closer look,” Emmons-Powell said. “It also allowed us to see what we are doing right. We need to be able to tell employees what they are doing right as well as address what needs to be fixed.”

“All of these processes allow us to fine tune our services so that individuals with disabilities supported by Didlake get a greater experience. Many of the people we work with are looking to transition into work or improve their independence. The better our quality management system, the better we can make their experience. The work skills they build are more relevant and that enables them to grow,” Emmons-Powell said. “On the flip side, the better we perform, the happier our customers are, and that leads to more work, more jobs. That is what makes quality management and quality control impactful.”

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Didlake Day Support Program volunteers at House of Mercy in Manassas, Virginia.

Day Support Program Participants Pack Food and Organize Clothes at House of Mercy

April 23, 2021

Didlake Internships Through Project SEARCH

April 25, 2022

World Autism Awareness Day & National Autism Awareness Month 2020

April 2, 2020

‘Collaborating’ With Our Peers: Didlake is Platinum Sponsor for Upcoming Conference

August 8, 2003
  • Home
  • About Us
    • Our History
    • Our Commitment to Quality & Exceptional Service
    • Executive Leadership
    • Affiliations & Memberships
    • Corporate Credentials & Licensing
    • Community Outreach and Partnerships
    • Integrity: Our Whistleblower Policy
    • Blog
    • Didlake in the News
    • News
    • Press Releases
    • Newsletter Signup
    • Contact Us
  • Our Services
    • Business Services for Government
      • Didlake Core Capabilities – NAICS & NIGP
      • We Deliver Expert Knowledge & Exceptional Quality
      • Partner With Us
    • Business Services
      • Didlake Document Imaging
      • Didlake Photo Imaging
      • The UPS Store 6272 at George Mason University
      • The UPS Store 6631 at Center at Innovation
      • The UPS Store 6656 at Stonebridge at Potomac Town Center
  • Our Programs
    • Day Support Program
      • The Community Engagement Program
      • The Group Day Program
      • Volunteerism — A Day Support Activity
      • Tour Our Program Locations
      • Eligibility | Funding & Payment Options
      • How We Work With You
    • Employment Services Program for People with Disabilities
      • Didlake Supported Employment Services
      • Pre-Employment Transition Services for High School Students
      • Transitioning from High School to the Workforce
      • Our Employment Services Team
  • Support Our Mission
    • Disability Resources for Businesses
    • We Create Opportunities
    • Support Didlake
  • Careers at Didlake
    • Apply for a Job
    • Disability Documentation Requirements
    • Reasonable Accommodations
    • Recruiting During COVID-19 and How We are Keeping Our Employees Safe
    • We Invest in Our People
    • AbilityOne® Program Jobs
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  • Employment Services Program for People with Disabilities
    • Didlake Supported Employment Services
    • Pre-Employment Transition Services for High School Students
    • Transitioning from High School to the Workforce
    • Our Employment Services Team
  • Day Support Program
    • The Community Engagement Program
    • The Group Day Program
    • Volunteerism — A Day Support Activity
    • Tour Our Program Locations
    • Eligibility | Funding & Payment Options
    • How We Work With You
  • Business Services for Government
    • Didlake Core Capabilities – NAICS & NIGP
    • Expert Knowledge & Exceptional Quality
  • Business Services
    • Didlake Document Imaging
    • Didlake Photo Imaging
    • The UPS Store 6631 at Center at Innovation
    • The UPS Store 6656 at Stonebridge at Potomac Town Center
  • About Us
    • Affiliations & Memberships
    • Blog
    • Community Outreach and Partnerships
    • Contact Us
    • Corporate Credentials & Licensing
    • Didlake in the News
    • Integrity: Our Whistleblower Policy
    • News
    • Our Commitment to Quality & Exceptional Service
    • Our History
    • Press Releases
    • Newsletter Signup
    • Pay Your Invoice
  • Careers at Didlake
    • Apply for a Job
    • Disability Documentation Requirements
    • Reasonable Accommodations
    • We Invest in Our People
    • AbilityOne® Program Jobs
  • Support Our Mission
    • We Create Opportunities
    • Support Didlake

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