All Features
Chip Bell
When the circus ringmaster wails, “...and children of all ages,” he is speaking to me. I love the circus. When it came to my rural hometown when I was a boy, it was an all-consuming experience that embedded “circus” in my heart before it appeared and well beyond its departure.
Long before the…
Catherine Beare
Sponsored Content
Although efforts have been made to create policies that support a bias-free workplace, there is still a considerable way to go toward achieving the gender equality that organizations are striving for. Due in part to a lack of clear measurement and transparency, many companies and…
Mike Richman
The first QDL episode of February was filled to the brim with timely news items, thought-provoking articles, and a great interview with Pam Bethune of DEKRA, who chatted with us about the meaning of “context of the organization” within ISO 9001:2015.
In case you missed it, on the show we took a…
Donald J. Wheeler
Good measurements are like apple pie and motherhood. Who could ever be against having good measurements? Since we all want good measurements, it sounds reasonable when people are told to check out the quality of their measurement system before putting their data on a process behavior chart.…
Dirk Dusharme @ Quality Digest
In case you missed it, last week’s Quality Digest Live contained some great articles and discussion between myself and my co-host, Quality Digest publisher in chief Mike Richman. In the show, we covered:
“Manufacturing Trends to Watch in 2017”
In this run-down of technologies to watch, of…
Laurel Thoennes @ Quality Digest
Automakers, suppliers, and tech companies are in a flurry to transform vehicles into connected devices and distribute the content to drivers and passengers. Corning Inc.’s transformation plans include using its Gorilla Glass to turn windshields into billboards.
What better way to tout Gorilla…
Bruce Hamilton
Here is an article I wrote 10 years ago, recently resurrected from the lost letter file. I can’t remember why I wrote it or for whom. Originally titled, “What is Kaizen?” the article still resonates with me as I hope it will with you.
My study of TPS has been guided by book learning, tacit…
Quality Transformation With David Schwinn
My wife, Carole, just gave me a shirt emblazoned with, “The good thing about science is that it’s true whether or not you believe in it.” It reminded me of an important phenomenon that has been lately grabbing my attention.
Oxford Dictionaries, publisher of the Oxford English Dictionary, has…
Pam Bethune
One of the newest parts of ISO 9001:2015 and related management standards are the concepts of context and interested parties. What do these mean, and how can you apply them to your organization?
What the standard says
When making sense of Clause 4.1—“Understanding the organization and its context…
Daniel Blake, Caterina Moschieri
Pulling out of a country is an expensive proposition for a multinational firm, but it is sometimes required for the corporate bottom line. If the host country changes laws or even expropriates a subsidiary, it is often time to leave or divest.
Divestiture—pulling out assets or closing down part…
Mary McAtee
Sponsored Content
Technical and commercial media sources are constantly discussing how design safety and security has not kept pace with quickly evolving technologies. Pundits are pointing to issues with everything from self-driving cars to new holiday toys that latch on to your home Wi-Fi and…
Deloitte
(Deloitte: Gaithersburg, MD) -- Manufacturing USA is working. That’s the overarching conclusion of an independent study conducted by Deloitte with funding from the U.S. Department of Defense.
According to the study, the first eight advanced manufacturing institutes established between 2012 and…
InfinityQS
(InfinityQS: Fairfax, VA) -- InfinityQS International Inc., data, technology, and manufacturing experts that create enterprise visibility and promote global transformation, has been named a finalist in the 11th annual Stevie Awards for Sales & Customer Service, and will ultimately be a Gold,…
Julie Winkle Giulioni
It’s been nearly 50 years since Stanley Kubrick introduced HAL (Heuristically programmed ALgorithmic computer) in the science fiction film 2001: A Space Odyssey. What appeared to be fantastic and futuristic at the time is quickly becoming commonplace as automated services and electronic butlers…
Jesse Lyn Stoner
Goal setting is powerful. No doubt about it. Research shows you are likely to perform at a higher level if you set smart goals. But how do you know what are the right goals to set?
Goals are milestones that mark the way on your journey. If you set the wrong goals, you will get sidetracked. Too…
Laura Gillenwater
I recently had the privilege of attending the Health Care Advisory Board’s National Meeting in St. Louis. One of the topics that really struck me was the last presentation about the importance of building a consumer-focused organization and increasing consumer loyalty.
We hear so much about the…
Anna Nagurney
When we talk about supply chains, we may conjure up images of manufacturing plants, warehouses, trucks, and shipping docks. There is another, truly unique supply chain for a product vitally important to healthcare and life, and it is very volatile at the moment: the blood supply chain.
Human…
Robin Materese
A catchphrase from a popular reality show goes: “One day you’re in. And the next day, you’re out.” For the purposes of the show, the host is referencing fashion. But the same could be said about science. With each new discovery or advance, an old theory or idea often becomes obsolete—or at least…
Tim Lozier
Sponsored Content
For quality management to be effective, a solid corrective action process is critical. ISO standards and general best-practice guides suggest—and even mandate—a set procedure and proper documentation for addressing and correcting issues.
In fact, 72 percent of quality…
BEA Lasers
(BEA Lasers: Elk Grove Village, IL) -- The MIL Series laser modules includes the MIL RA Model that features a right angle, and the MIL Compact Model that features a straight housing. Both laser modules are ideally suited for applications with limited space and tight positioning requirements.
Both…
Ryan E. Day
Is it just me, or does it seem like businesses are actually trying to outdo each other in poor customer experience? Now, I don’t want to be misunderstood, so let me be as clear as I can.
I’m not talking about run-of-the-mill poor customer service like big box stores running skeleton crews as…
Tim Lozier
When it comes to quality management, it’s not just about the requirements. As companies register to ISO 9001:2015, we see an additional shift. Not only are management system requirements changing to build an improved framework for the standard, but we also see an emphasis on an overall mindset…
Andy Henderson
This is the fourth part in a series about my perspective of what the future has in store for various aspects of manufacturing. I approached each aspect by imagining what is possible using what we know to be technically possible today. In part one I covered cutting tools for machining, in part two…
D. L. Newslow and Associates
(D. L. Newslow & Associates: Orlando, FL) -- Food-safety training experts D. L. Newslow & Associates and Australia-based certification body HACCP International have employed the services of Ronald D. Mathis, CMS, as executive vice president. His role will provide strategic planning and…
Harish Jose
As our new year unfolds, I wanted to write an article to remind myself of three pieces of advice. They are from Epictetus (55–135 AD), Marcus Aurelius (121–180 AD), and George Pólya (1887–1985). Epictetus and Aurelius are two famous Stoic philosophers of the past, and Pólya is a famous Hungarian…
