By: DJ Brown
VP, Chapter/Member Relations
Membership Council would like to take this opportunity to introduce all members to Kelly Halseth - Region 7 Coordinator. Kelly joins BFMA from western Canada (Red Deer). As a Region Coordinator, Kelly provides direct communication and coordinates events for Region 7 members. Take some time to read Kelly's bio and get to know her better.
Position: Region 7 Coordinator
Education: BA, English and BSc, Biological Sciences, University of Calgary
How I Got Started: I’d never heard of Forms Management. I was first exposed to process mapping, forms design and usability testing while working as a project analyst on a major process redesign and documentation improvement project for the Home Care department of the Calgary Health Region. Believing my future to be in projects, I moved from one project to the next for a couple of years. It wasn’t until years later that I recognized that every project involved a process redesign and either the revision or creation of some type of form to support it.
In 2002 I was offered the opportunity to develop a Forms Management Program from scratch for the health region in Red Deer, Alberta. I moved north just over an hour, bought Barnett’s Managing Business Forms and dove into this strange new world. I spent most of the first year establishing my working relationships and establishing the program framework. Within that first year I also focused on improving [read: reducing cost of] the most expensive forms in use and was able to report at year end that I had saved the organization 50% more money than they had paid me.
Those early successes and increasing customer satisfaction meant that I could expand the program to offer more services. Seven years later the program has grown to a team of nine talented individuals providing process analysis, forms analysis & design, eForms and in-house forms printing services. I made a lot of mistakes along the way…most of them have been forgiven.
Last spring a decision was made to combine our 9 health regions into one organization of 85,000 employees serving 3.5 million Albertans. I am confident there will be lots of new opportunities for us to use our skills in this brave new world.
Current Professional Duties: It is my opinion that forms management is, at its heart, a quality management strategy: quality processes, quality communication tools, quality data. There is a lot of attention these days on process improvement methodologies (Lean, Six Sigma), but it doesn’t matter how fantastic the process is if related forms don’t capture and support that process.
BFMA’s Potential Growth: I believe the greatest strength of any professional association is its members. The BFMA brings together hundreds of the most talented, generous, welcoming and entertaining people from a mind-boggling variety of organizations. Each of those members, whether veteran or raw newbie, has something to offer: an Adobe shortcut, a tip for reporting to management or a “great success/horrible warning” story. I encourage each of you to attend your chapter meetings (or host one!), dial-in to your regional meetings and get the latest and greatest, sign up for FormSpace, and call one another. Oh yeah… and tell all your friends!
Most Fun Part of BFMA: Dodging Paul and his camera at Symposium. Seriously though, Symposium is a riot because we are together and can share victories and compare battle scars. But there is no reason that we can’t network and have a few laughs together on a conference call. If you get a chance to go to Symposium--don’t pass it up… But watch out for Paul.
Favorite Book(s): Pillars of the Earth (Ken Follet), Leading Change (John Kotter) and Bel Canto (Ann Patchett)
Passionate About: Scuba diving, beading and the Green Bay Packers
Personal Statement: Challenge everything
"There is nothing as useless as doing efficiently… that which should not be done at all” - Drucker
“Most people miss opportunity because it is dressed in overalls and looks like work” – Edison
“It is not only what we do for which we are accountable, but also what we do not do” – Moliere
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