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Quality Digest
Solectron Corp. recently opened a manufacturing facility in Singapore that will use Six Sigma and lean to produce medical products more efficiently. The plant, called the Singapore Medical Center of Excellence, is located in Chai Chee, Singapore’s “Techno Park.” It’ll use the Solectron…
Praveen Gupta
A major misunderstanding regarding Six Sigma is its fabricated definition, (e.g. “Six Sigma is a fact-based decision-making methodology…”). I’ve seen people willing to attack anyone utilizing common sense to make decisions without facts. One of the reasons for taking such a strong position…
Praveen Gupta
A major misunderstanding regarding Six Sigma is its fabricated definition, (e.g. “Six Sigma is a fact-based decision-making methodology…”). I’ve seen people willing to attack anyone utilizing common sense to make decisions without facts. One of the reasons for taking such a strong position…
Quality Digest
The Society of Manufacturing Engineers recently released The Hitchhiker’s Guide to Lean: Lessons from the Road, a book that explores actual lean applications. Authors Jamie Flinchbaugh and Andy Carlino, founders and partners in the Lean Learning Center, use the book to reveal the most…
Quality Digest
In its efforts to ramp up hybrid engine production, Ford Motor Co. will use design for Six Sigma for the first time in a major powertrain program. Ford’s new 250-horsepower, 3.5-liter V-6 engine, also known as the Duratec 35, will be built at the company’s Lima Engine Plant in Ohio. The new…
Craig Cochran
Customer focus doesn’t evolve on its own. It’s carefully cultivated over time through a variety of processes. At the forefront of this effort is leadership. The organization’s leadership has the primary responsibility of making every decision and every action based on customer focus.…
Quality Digest
What poor-quality cars lack in performance and reliability, they can make up for with style, according to a new study.In the short term, consumers will put up with performance deficiencies if they’re satisfied with the style and appearance of new vehicles, reports A.T. Kearney, a…
Quality Digest
A recently released, comprehensive study of patient care shows significantly improved care of patients with serious conditions. Premera Blue Cross, a Washington-based health insurer of upward of 1.3 million people, performed the study with several prominent medical groups across Washington…
Quality Digest
The 52nd annual Reliability and Maintainability Symposium (RAMS) will be held January 23–26 in California. Reliability and maintainability have been growing beyond their traditional role of prediction to include risk management, process verification and product validation. The growth has…
Quality Digest
Statit Software Inc. recently released Performance Indicator & Management Dashboard (piMD), a new approach to measurement and analysis for the health care industry. Statit reports that a review of current software options for health care executives revealed a need for a system that…
Quality Digest
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) has begun formal evaluation of an application filed by TÜV Healthcare Specialists to become the first new accreditation service for U.S. hospitals in 40 years. If granted the accreditation, TÜV will not only accredit hospitals in…
Praveen Gupta
During the last couple of years, I’ve interacted with several United Auto Workers (UAW) associates. Irrespective of what the former Big Three do, they’re all trying to do a good job.I’ve had the chance to teach some classes to UAW members. It always amazes me how people make money in the auto…
Quality Digest
Event-planning company WCBF will host its annual Global Six Sigma Summit this summer in Las Vegas. The event, which is scheduled to have an unparalleled panel of expert speakers and many high-profile CEO attendees, will be held June 27–30 at The Venetian in Las Vegas. The keynote addresses will be…
Quality Digest
UltraCell, a producer of fuel-cell technology, will use the latest in lean manufacturing processes at its recently opened manufacturing and corporate facility..Located in Livermore, California, the facility will enable the company to convert from prototype manufacturing to volume production. It’ll…
Quality Digest
Sigma Dynamics recently released four new applications designed to connect the operational and analytical sides of customer-relationship management. The applications are part of its Sigma Intelligence Platform, which includes strategic routing analysis, predictive cross-sell, real-time customer…
Quality Digest
The average staffing level for full-time quality professionals is 23.8 per 1,000 employees, according to a recently released study. The figure was revealed in “Improving the Quality Function: Driving Organizational Impact & Efficiency,” performed by Best Practices LLC. The study found that…
Quality Digest
Several police precincts of the Dubai Police Department have received registration to ISO 9001. The registration was announced by Dhahi Khalfan Tamim, commander-in-chief and lieutenant-general of the Dubai Police, at a recent Dubai Police Academy graduation ceremony. In addition, Dubai’s General…
Quality Digest
The American Society for Quality has released a third edition of its popular The ASQ Auditing Handbook.The best-selling handbook is a comprehensive resource for professionals in the quality, environmental, safety and health-auditing industries. It’s designed to correspond to ASQ’s Certified Quality…
Quality Digest
The Association for Operations Management (APICS) recently recognized several organizations for supply chain efficiencies, innovation and other notable successes. APICS annually recognizes successful organizations with its Corporate Awards of Excellence. The 2005 recipients are: Engenio…
Russell T. Westcott
Early on you recognized the economic effect of shipping defective products to customers and/or providing inferior services. You countered this deficiency with elaborate inspection proceduresIn more recent times, you’ve focused on improving your organization’s processes and decreasing inspections.…
Quality Digest
Rockwell Automation will offer a series of varied educational courses starting January 2006. The courses will be offered throughout various U.S. cities and include the following: AC/DC motors and drives fundamentals Introduction to vibration technology Ethernet/IP design and configuration…
Quality Digest
George Rathbun, director of architecture in Pfizer’s Global Research and Development Informatics group, was recently named chief technology officer of SAFE-BioPharma Association. SAFE-BioPharma is the pharmaceutical-industry–sponsored organization that’s developing and managing a secure digital-…
Quality Digest
Beijing United Family Hospital and Clinics recently became the first integrated health system in Asia to earn accreditation from the Joint Commission International. The hospital is a joint venture between Chindex International, a U.S.-owned health care company that operates Chinese hospitals, and…
Quality Digest
Precision Wire Components LLC, a medical-component manufacturer, recently received registration to ISO 13485:2003. PWC manufactures guide wires for major medical-device makers, and has been registered to quality standards in the ISO 9000 series since 1997, one year after the company was founded.…
Quality Digest
Delphi Medical Systems, a subsidiary of Delphi Corp., recently signed an exclusive worldwide licensing agreement with WearAir Oxygen Inc., a Canadian medical-device company. Delphi anticipates using WearAir’s technology for its OEM customers and distributors for portable oxygen concentrators in the…