All Features
Quality Digest
(L.S. Starrett Co.: Athol, MA) -- L.S. Starrett Co., a global manufacturer of precision metrology systems, measuring tools, and gauges, will be featuring the automated inspection capabilities of its metrology and force measurement systems at The Quality Show, April 16–17, 2025, in booth No. 347 at…
Matt Tweedy
In global manufacturing, two key goals—intertwined yet distinct—heavily dominate the industry’s agenda: addressing the growing demand for environmentally sustainable practices, and optimizing operational efficiency. With these priorities in mind, companies are seeking multifaceted solutions that…
Quality Digest
(CIMdata: Ann Arbor, MI) -- CIMdata, a global PLM strategic management consulting and research firm, published a new e-book focused on Aras’ configure-to-order (CTO) solution. Configure-to-Order: Efficiently Meeting Diverse Customer Requirements describes CTO, a product and sales strategy that…
Seb Murray
New research co-authored by University of Pennsylvania academics challenges a core assumption in economics: That the most successful companies achieve their dominance purely through superior productivity. Instead, this study highlights the important role of scalability—how well firms can grow as…
Quality Digest
(The Hydraulic Institute: Parsippany, NJ) -- The Hydraulic Institute (HI) has proudly announced the recipients of its prestigious awards, presented during the HI 2025 Annual Conference Awards Dinner, Jan. 23, 2025, in Rancho Mirage, CA. These awards recognize industry professionals whose leadership…
Alfredo Romero
Many marketing professionals are drawn to their field because they consider themselves more right-brained (creative) than left-brained (analytical). It’s true that success in marketing often requires imagination, creativity, and an emotional appeal to the target audience. In fact, many college…
Harish Jose
Today I’m looking at the free energy principle (FEP) by the British neuroscientist Karl Friston. The FEP basically states that to resist the natural tendency to disorder, adaptive agents must minimize surprise. This has implications for the gemba, as you’ll see.
A good example to explain this is…
NIST
Scientists at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) have created a new thermometer using atoms boosted to such high energy levels that they are 1,000 times larger than normal. By monitoring how these giant “Rydberg” atoms interact with heat in their environment, researchers can…
Quality Digest
(LMA Consulting Group: Claremont, CA) -- Lisa Anderson, MBA, CSCP, CLTD, president of LMA Consulting Group Inc., and a recognized leader in manufacturing and supply chain strategy, warns that the recent devastating fires in Los Angeles County will have far-reaching effects on supply chains well…
Oak Ridge National Laboratory
(ORNL: Oak Ridge, TN) -- A team of scientists led by a professor from Duke University discovered a way to help make batteries safer, charge faster, and last longer. They relied on neutrons at the U.S. Department of Energy’s Oak Ridge National Laboratory to understand, at the atomic scale, how…
Steven Garner
In the ever-changing landscape of business management, the concept of quality has undergone significant transformations. What began as a focus on maintaining standards such as ISO 9001 and AS9100 is evolving into a more holistic approach encompassing organizational excellence. Tom Taormina’s book…
Theodore Kinni
There’s an old saw—cribbed from Plato and popularized by Douglas Adams—that those most interested in leading others are least suited to the task. That’s not entirely accurate, yet new research has found a grain of truth in this idea: Many leaders have plenty of ambition to lead, but that’s no…
Quality Digest
(Lucas Systems: Wexford, PA) -- Distribution center technology provider Lucas Systems has announced new software enhancements to help warehouses make quicker and more effective decisions relating to order batching and prioritization, warehouse worker travel, and slotting.
With the addition of…
Quality Digest
(X-Rite: Grand Rapids, MI) -- X-Rite Inc., a global leader in color science and technology, announced the official spectral color value for Pantone Color of the Year 2025: Pantone 17-1230 Mocha Mousse. This elegant and grounding brown tone is now available in PantoneLIVE, a cloud-based digital…
Adam Zewe
With a more efficient method for artificial pollination, farmers in the future could grow fruits and vegetables inside multilevel warehouses, boosting yields while mitigating some of agriculture’s harmful effects on the environment.
To help make this idea a reality, MIT researchers are developing…
Wayne Labs
A September 2024 Gallup poll revealed that nearly 30% of U.S. adults have little to no confidence in the safety of U.S. foods at the grocery store. Considering recent recalls, is it any wonder? What good is a quality control program if it doesn’t include food safety?
Boar’s Head’s Jarratt,…
Quality Digest
(Novelis: Atlanta) -- Aluminum has traditionally been reserved for luxury and high-performance vehicles. However, advancements in material science, recycling capabilities, and design innovation have transformed aluminum into a cost-effective and sustainable choice for all vehicle categories, from…
Quality Digest
(InventHelp: Pittsburgh) -- “I’m a plumbing manager and I needed a better way to find the exact center of the pipe, as well as to determine the length of pipes,” said an inventor from Royse City, Texas, “so I invented the OFFSET MASTER. My design would streamline the measurement process.”
The…
(MIT: Cambridge, MA) -- Materials like car tires, human tissues, and spider webs are diverse in composition, but all contain networks of interconnected strands. A long-standing question about the durability of these materials asks: What is the energy required to fracture these diverse networks? A…
Gleb Tsipursky
The pandemic forced leaders to reconcile with the need for effective hybrid and remote team management strategies, including performance evaluations. Research has shown the benefits of moving away from large-scale quarterly or annual performance reviews. Instead, successful organizations favor…
Cindy Mielke
Businesses today have more options than ever before regarding where and how they recruit new talent. Thanks to new technologies and a general shift in working cultures, organizations can now access a much wider talent pool when hiring full-time remote employees.
However, with this added hiring…
Quality Digest
(RobotLAB: Southlake, TX) -- Contrary to common concerns about robots taking over jobs that people need, Elad Inbar, CEO of RobotLAB, says there’s plenty of room for both, particularly in the services sector where there’s a growing demand for workers but a diminishing workforce.
“People can focus…
S. Heather Duncan
Idaho National Laboratory (INL) uses a software algorithm that Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) developed to check for flaws in additively manufactured components. This is part of the process of identifying promising metals and alloys for 3D printing the next generation of nuclear reactors. …
Quality Digest
(Han’s Robot: Shenzhen, China) -- Han’s Robot, a leader in collaborative robotics, reflects on 2024, a year in which it won widespread accolades and recognition. These achievements highlight the company’s commitment to innovation, excellence, and customer satisfaction.
In July 2024, Han’s Robot’s…
Derek Deasy, Enoch Li
Having a coach these days is almost a given, an essential part of any senior executive’s career portfolio. But while some leaders swear by their coaches, others just can’t seem to find the “right one.” What causes these wildly different experiences?
While there are multiple approaches and…
