Here’s a scenario that should make any quality leader in pharma or medical devices uncomfortable: A software team building a diagnostic support tool uses an AI coding assistant to generate a data-processing module. The module looks correct, passes validation testing, and ships. Eighteen months…

Established in 1995, Quality Manufacturing Corporation is a fabricator that offers services from prototype conception to large-scale OEM production. The company has earned a solid reputation for producing high-quality components at competitive price points while maintaining a customer-focused…

At some point during my teenage years, I became aware that when I grew up, I’d have to get a mammogram, and it was clear that it would hurt. If you’re a woman over 40 (or you’ve talked to women over 40 about this topic), you probably know that this annual screening requirement for all women is…

Valve’s new Steam gaming controller is here—10 years after the original model. It sold out quickly, reviews are everywhere, and Valve is already managing demand through a reservation queue. At first glance, a consumer gaming controller might seem to have little to do with industrial robots and…

Away from the dire headlines of Big Tech layoffs, the real picture of how organizations are dealing with the AI tidal wave remains anyone’s guess. What’s clear is that organizations face hard questions that, if addressed poorly, could destabilize the very foundation of their existence: their…

The hardest problems are often not the ones we fail to understand. They’re the ones that resist every reasonable attempt to solve them. We improve quality, but slow production. We add control, but lose flexibility. We simplify one part of a process, only to create instability somewhere else.…

Managing up can be challenging. Failure to meet your boss’s informational needs can lead to bad decisions and frustrating interactions. Learn how to manage up more effectively. Sometimes it’s harder to manage your boss than it is to manage your team. All senior stakeholders can prove challenging…

The first generation of industrial AI pilots is behind us. Concepts have been proven. Early adopters are reporting real gains. But for many operations, that’s exactly where progress stops. Even when success is clear—a working proof of concept, measurable ROI, or buy-in from key stakeholders—many…

Josh Santo, senior director of industry strategy and solutions at EASE, spoke more about the findings behind a full layered process audit (LPA) benchmark report of plant-floor quality audits. Data covered 2.3 million process checks spanning more than 2,200 manufacturing sites. The report not only…

A new report from the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis shows that output in U.S. businesses is trending higher, even though head count has barely moved. A few years ago you might have blamed pent-up demand or a lucky sales run. In late 2025, the more honest explanation is that a growing share of…

Recently we were tasked with scanning Odawara Castle, a massive heritage site in Japan, including every detail from courtyards and buildings down to a drawbridge and individual rivets on castle gates. Odawara Castle was built more than 500 years ago, with fortifications first erected during the…

Just like the people who use them, gauges should have periodic physical examinations. Sometimes, gauge calibration is needed to identify the seriousness of a known problem, and sometimes it uncovers problems you didn’t know existed. But as with a human exam, the main reason for the annual checkup…

For more than 30 years I’ve audited management systems in manufacturing, automotive, laboratory, service, and nuclear environments. During that time I’ve watched internal auditing change shape several times. Paper checklists gave way to process-based auditing. Filing cabinets gave way to digital…

In the world of expertise-driven businesses, credibility is currency. For leaders who sell insight, a book can be one of the most powerful tools to attract the right clients. It signals authority, builds trust at scale, and creates opportunities for speaking, partnerships, and growth. This is the…

The food manufacturing industry has spent the last two years trying to figure out where AI fits: Vision inspection systems? Predictive maintenance? Yield optimization? Contamination detection? The applications are real, but they’re expensive, technically complex, and often require significant…

In the 1980s, demand for SPC classes outstripped the supply of competent instructors. Novices were teaching neophytes, and misinformation could be found everywhere. Out of this chaos, many incorrect ideas about process behavior charts became widely circulated. These ideas continue to be spread by…

Artificial intelligence is accelerating even as I write this (and yes, this is me writing). If anyone tells you they know how this is going to turn out, you should move on to the next expert. No one knows how this is going to turn out. Leaders in the AI field certainly expect it to become…

In modern aircraft production, precision is everything. Every hole and every fixing point must be precisely positioned to ensure safety and quality. As part of the DiCADeMA project (Digital Cabin Architectures and Design for Manufacturing) led by the German Aerospace Centre (DLR), a novel…

New research from Wharton’s Tiantian Yang proves that behind every great woman is another woman. Her co-authored study on virtual career training found that women who attended remote classes exclusively with other women were much more likely to complete their training on time, earn professional…

Many leaderships teams staring down the barrel of organizational transformation face a similar dilemma: How do you take a leap into the unknown when there are no clear data, no well-trodden path to follow, and no assurance of success? What if the change you’re considering is uncharted territory,…

Finding the right balance between how you handle success and failure makes a tremendous difference in how motivated (or unmotivated) your team members are. There are simple techniques for celebrating success and dealing with failure. Apply them and you’ll find your team is happier and more…

Our video producer Chris Smith almost watched the Artemis II launch in person. He drove to Kennedy Space Center with all his fancy gear, along the way got stuck in the snow twice—in Texas, of all places—and then NASA scrubbed the launch and rolled the rocket back for repairs. So Chris drove back to…

In 2026, a combination of original equipment manufacturer (OEM) mandates, evolving industry standards, and tightening global trade requirements will significantly raise expectations for labeling and traceability throughout the supply chain. For manufacturers and suppliers, these changes introduce…

A significant change in ISO 9001:2026 involves separate actions to address risks and opportunities. In her article “Brainstorming: The Ultimate Risk Management Tool,” Jenna M Schoettker writes, “Think of risk as two sides of a coin. On one side we have our negative risk, while the other side would…

The background: Managing power in data centers is process-critical and extraordinarily complex. These facilities demand substantial amounts of energy, and the supply must remain stable, clean, and capable of adapting quickly to fluctuations in demand. Expectations for reliability and security…