All Features
Mark R. Hamel
Lean culture is largely defined by, or at least manifested in, engaged and empowered employees practicing voluntary kaizen. Engagement can be measured in a number of ways, but perhaps one of the most telling is the number of implemented suggestions per employee per year.
Awhile back, I developed…
Donald J. Wheeler
Failure mode and effects analysis (FMEA) is an engineering tool that has been heavily adapted for use in Six Sigma programs where it is commonly used to decide which problem to work on. In this usage a risk priority number (RPN) is computed for each of several problems, and the problem with the…
ESI International
(ESI International: Arlington, VA) -- Results of a recent global study show that organizations must become more fully committed and engaged in transferring learning to the workplace. Survey findings highlight several weak areas in the on-the-job application of learning, including manager support,…
Tripp Babbitt
If a service company has been around long enough, there will be some story about how someone manipulated the system and embezzled money or committed some type of fraud. The story is often anecdotal, and the longer it has been since the actual criminal event, the bigger the tale becomes. A thousand…
ZEISS Industrial Quality Solutions
Several of the polished gears are still standing on carpeted pedestals shortly after the InnoTrans—the world’s most important railway transport event. They were developed and manufactured by Henschel to help trains deliver their passengers quickly, safely, and reliably. One of the locomotive axle…
Dennis Payton
With the explosive growth in imported goods to the United States, what is the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) doing toward maintaining a level of service inspection that ensures the best protection of the public health? One option is to partner with the countries exporting the supplies. Perhaps…
J.D. Power and Associates
(J.D. Power: Torrance, CA) -- Toyota Motor Sales (TMS) U.S.A. Inc. received four segment awards in the 2011 J.D. Power and Associates Initial Quality Study (IQS). Lexus earned the honor as the highest ranking nameplate in the industry, while the Toyota Division moved up 14 positions to place…
MIT News
Researchers from MIT and Harvard University crossed the Charles River to speak at a two-day symposium intended to bridge scientific innovation from both campuses with corporate interests from around the world. The symposium was held June 14–15, 2011, at the Hynes Convention Center in Boston as part…
GlobalSpec
(GlobalSpec: East Greenbush, NY) -- GlobalSpec, a provider of online marketing programs for companies targeting the engineering, technical, and manufacturing communities, has published its newest research report, “2011 Economic Outlook Survey: Improving Conditions Present Market Opportunity for…
NIST
On June 24, 2011, President Obama announced a new initiative, the Advanced Manufacturing Partnership (AMP), a national effort bringing together industry, universities, and the federal government to invest in the emerging technologies that will create high quality manufacturing jobs and enhance…
Mettler-Toledo
(Mettler-Toledo Inc.: Columbus, OH) -- Mettler-Toledo has launched GWP Verification, a service to improve manufacturing and lower quality control costs. Good weighing practice (GWP) verification virtually guarantees better weighing results, lowered equipment-testing expenses, and enhanced final-…
NeoMetrix Technologies Inc.
(NeoMetrix Technologies Inc: Lake Mary, FL) -- Doubtless you’ve heard a lot about 3-D scanning and printing, but perhaps you’re not sure how they fit into your business or process. Neometrix is offering three workshops in three locations to encourage businesses to consider some of the latest…
Preferred Hotel Group
(Preferred Hotel Group: Chicago) -- Preferred Hotel Group has launched Integrated Quality Assurance (IQA), an innovative new standard for measuring quality assurance for the hospitality and lodging industry.
IQA expands the breadth and scope of the company’s Global Standards of Excellence by…
Elsevier
(Elsevier: Philadelphia) -- Elsevier, a world-leading provider of scientific, technical, and medical information products and services, has struck an exclusive partnership with The Quality Group (TQG), a leader in blended online learning solutions for process improvement.
Elsevier will…
Delcam
Delcam has launched the first version of its PowerINSPECT inspection software for use on 64-bit computers. Other enhancements in the 2011 R2 version include improved visualization of the results, easier creation of automated inspection routines, full integration of digital read-out (DRO)…
DeFelsko
(DeFelsko: Ogdensburg, NY) -- DeFelsko Corp., a U.S. manufacturer of durable, accurate coating thickness gauges and inspection instruments since 1966, announces the new PosiTector 6000. The rugged PosiTector 6000 coating thickness gauge is now smarter, faster, and more powerful than ever before.…
BSI
(BSI: Reston, VA) -- Join BSI to learn strategies for applying real-time risk intelligence to improve supply chain visibility and enhance compliance. The Supply Chain Risk Exposure Evaluation Network (SCREEN) from BSI is a web-based tool for supply chain security intelligence and you can learn all…
A2LA
(A2LA: Frederick, MD) -- The American Association for Laboratory Accreditation (A2LA) has added the Sustainable Energy Testing Field to its range of accreditation activities. A2LA is currently accepting new applications for accreditation from laboratories that intend to test products designed for…
Minitab LLC
(Minitab: State College, PA) -- Because improving quality and boosting efficiency can literally save lives, all of the U.S. Armed Forces have adopted lean Six Sigma to improve processes and reduce waste.
Lean Six Sigma relies on the ability to analyze data, but most people tasked with quality…
Dottie DeHart
The best technology. The best employees. The biggest budget. The strongest research and development (R&D) department. Check, check, check, and check! If you think these are all the elements you need to build a consistently successful company, you’re wrong. Dan Adams says there is one other…
ISO
Substantial improvements in energy efficiency with positive financial consequences have been experienced both by a major company and by a small business taking part in a pilot program to test the new ISO 50001 energy management standard from the International Organization for Standardization (ISO…
FDA
(FDA: Washington) -- The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) unveiled a new strategy to meet the challenges posed by rapidly rising imports of FDA-regulated products and a complex global supply chain in a report called the “Pathway to Global Product Safety and Quality.”
“Global production…
QI Macros
(QI Macros: Denver) -- Jay Arthur, author of Lean Six Sigma Demystified (McGraw-Hill Business, 2010) and QI Macros for Excel, has spotted new trends driving changes in Six Sigma. The recent recession has made every company more focused on reducing costs and boosting profits. Because lean Six Sigma…
Paul Naysmith
As a quality professional, I am a huge admirer of what the Japanese, and in particular Toyota, have given the business world, and how they have influenced quality improvements like no other in history.
Although in recent years Toyota did have a “blip” in its immaculate history, according to…
Arun Hariharan
Most businesses, government, or even nonprofit organizations have business processes. Generally, processes are documented. Most organizations also have performance measurements. But step back for a moment and ask two fundamental but strategic questions: “What business processes do we need in the…
