Content by H. James Harrington
Are Quality Methodologies All Smoke and Mirrors? Part OneCan we blame quality programs for GM’s demise?
Mon, 08/03/2009 - 03:00
World War III has begun. This time it’s not a war of battleships, bullets and bombs—this is an economic war. The weapons are televisions, steel, cars, and clothes. This is a war where we have no allies. Every nation is out to capture more of its… The Devil’s Advocate Problem-Solving ApproachIt's not a complicated approach, but it does challenge some of the traditional problem-solving rules.
Wed, 07/01/2009 - 03:00
I often get assignments at organizations where I am required to take aside a group of people, either within the building facility or off campus, to focus on issues or problems. Typically these groups spend a considerable amount of time to summarize… Move Over FlowchartsSimulation modeling is a dynamic tool for improving systems.
Tue, 06/09/2009 - 15:00
During the 1980s using flowcharts was the “in thing” to do. Today, technology has provided us with a much more effective and useful tool: simulation modeling. If a picture is worth a thousand words, then one that logically simulates tasks and… The Organization’s Stakeholders: Resource or Obligation?The most important get the least returns.
Sun, 05/03/2009 - 14:58
I’m often asked, “Of all the stakeholders, which one is the most important? Which one is the most valuable resource that the organization must be sure is satisfied?” Let’s look at who the stakeholders are.
• Investors
• Management
• Employees… Is Perfection the Enemy of Good?That premise will lead you nowhere… or worse.
Tue, 03/31/2009 - 10:46
As I’m writing this column, the U.S. government is debating the approval of a trillion-dollar-plus stimulation package, the Dow Jones average has dipped into the 7,000 range, hundreds of thousands of people were laid off work last week, and poor-… Uneasy But Useful AlliesEducation and creativity aren’t necessarily antagonists.
Fri, 02/27/2009 - 09:55
There’s so much information in the world today that letting people recreate their own databases is a luxury we can’t afford. If we were all allowed to create our own basic concepts without any standardization, we couldn’t effectively interact with… Nice Car… When It RunsWhat’s happened to reliability engineering?
Thu, 01/29/2009 - 13:43
I believe that most manufacturers have mistakenly focused on initial quality and reducing cost and cycle time during the production and delivery cycle. This has come at the expense of reliability.
Customers buy for the following reasons, listed by… Lean Six Sigma as I Saw It--Part 2New methodologies reflected reliable engineering practices.
Tue, 12/02/2008 - 11:27
Last month we reviewed how Ford Motor Co.’s lean concepts were slowly phased out of the organization. The concepts, however, weren’t lost: Toyota realized their potential and improved upon them.
Toyota’s chief of production, Taiichi Ohno,… Lean Six Sigma as I Saw It --Part 1Turning failure around
Wed, 10/29/2008 - 14:53
In the early 1980s, Matsushita’s Japanese management team bought the Quasar division from Motorola, and through the use of sound industrial-management techniques, significantly cut defect rates and cycle times.
At that time, Motorola was having… Back to the FutureMy predictions about quality in the 21st century have been slow to mature.
Fri, 10/03/2008 - 13:49
Given all the campaigning by Barack Obama and John McCain, including the many promises they’re making that I believe won’t be kept, I recall my own predictions and visionary assurances a decade ago concerning the quality profession in the 21st…
