Why is it that we have to be at the end of our rope, all hope lost, and near death’s door, before we “see the light?” Near-death experiences; prison time; losing your job, your house, your family; all seem to clarify our focus about where we’ve gone wrong and how we can do better. Once there’s no way to go but up, confession, repentance, and forgiveness all seem so easy. I’m ... [Read More]

Why, Why, Why, Why, Why I agree with Craig Cochran that complex problems are difficult to solve or tackle using the 5 Whys method (“Don’t Fail Your Customers With the Five Whys,” February 2009). Companies and consultants have a tendency to want to use the 5 Whys method as a pill for all illnesses. Another problem with the 5 Whys method is that by the time you get to the fifth why, ... [Read More]

HEADLINES Body Armor Is Safe IAQG Releases AS9100 Revision Do the Math Manufacturers Holding Steady in 2009 New Field Guide for IT Consultants ECCB, ANAB Hazardous Substance Program The Benefits of Lean in Hospital Settings A Really Small Pill to Swallow    Body Armor Is Safe Although the Department of Defense Inspector General (DOD IG) report on body armor ... [Read More]

The number of major hurricanes in the Atlantic since 1940 (as we considered in my February column, “First, Look at the Data”) are shown as a histogram in figure 1, below. Some analysts would begin their treatment of these data by considering whether they might be distributed according to a Poisson distribution. The 68 data in figure 1 have an average of 2.60. Using this value as the ... [Read More]

In the world of nationwide retail, margins are tight, timing is essential, and inventory management will make or break a company’s success. Third-party logistics (3PL) providers work with major retailers and provide a broad range of fulfillment services. They make the complex process of delivering goods through the entire distribution process as efficient and cost-effective as ... [Read More]

The hydraulic casting components made at Rexroth Guss, a subsidiary of Bosch Rexroth, are characterized by their complex, core-intensive construction and many free-form surfaces. These costly parts, made of cast iron or spheroidal graphite iron, are invariably designed in 3-D CAD software. The transition from 2-D to 3-D design prompted the quality department to look for an appropriate ... [Read More]