All News
When W. Edwards Deming urged managers to “institute training on the job” in his Fourteen Points for Managers, he undoubtedly meant far more than simply teaching workers how to use specific equipment or procedures involved in their work. Indeed, developing an organization’s culture demands a…
What exactly is a risk-based quality management system (QMS)? This is a timely topic to get into. In 2016, ISO 13485—“Medical devices”—“Quality management systems” was updated, and one of the key concepts presented is the idea of a risk-based QMS.
Historically, regulations have almost exclusively…
The onslaught of disruptive technologies has resulted in business and operating models being turned upside-down. This requires a shift in mindset. Invariably, change is difficult. We are all creatures of habit and subject to long-standing attitudes. Those of you who have been in business a long…
The onslaught of disruptive technologies has resulted in business and operating models being turned upside-down. This requires a shift in mindset. Invariably, change is difficult. We are all creatures of habit and subject to long-standing attitudes. Those of you who have been in business a long…
I have written previously about the Medical Device Single Audit Program (MDSAP) created by the International Medical Device Regulators Forum (IMDRF). MDSAP is viewed as a single audit covering the United States, Canada, Brazil, Australia, and Japan. The intent was to establish one medical-device…
When you think of the phrase “inside-out” relative to the customer experience, you probably cringe. This is not a phrase that customer experience professionals take lightly.
“Inside-out” means companies focus on processes that are designed and implemented based on internal thinking and intuition…
Color is our perception of reflected light across the visible spectrum. When light hits an object, it absorbs some rays and reflects others. The color of light that reflects back into our eyes is the color we perceive. The more light an object absorbs, the darker it appears.
With black, very…
According to Harvard Business Review, less than half of employees say their organization exhibits a culture of quality. And while the benefits of a quality culture are huge—think hundreds of millions in savings—getting there doesn’t happen overnight.
Instead, it requires sustainable habits that…
It’s quite frustrating to be not heard when you speak up, and unfortunately, it’s more common than you might think.
Speaking up in a group setting is one of the biggest challenges many people face. You have some valuable information and opinions to share, but no one listens to you. It can be hard…
Our Nov. 17, 2017, episode of QDL looked at factories controlled by large-volume 3D metrology, the value (or not) of four-year degrees, and creepy Christmas.
“Developing the Light-Controlled Factory”
A UK development project directed by the University of Bath and supported by University College…
During the early 1990s, I was president of the Twin Cities Deming Forum. I had a wonderful board to work with, one of whom was Doug Augustine, our self-appointed provocateur. Doug was a 71-year-old retired Lutheran minister, and we all loved him because he always pulled us right back to earth with…
Hackers around the world are attacking targets as diverse as North Dakota’s state government, the Ukrainian postal service, and a hospital in Jakarta, Indonesia. Unfortunately, many governments—in the developing world, and even cash-strapped states and local communities in the United States—lack…
Author and business-innovation expert Melissa Kennedy recently completed a feat that would make many shudder: She gave 29 business presentations in a period of 30 days. Whew! That’s a monumental challenge, but as you might guess, one that yielded phenomenal results.
Business leaders are often…
If I said I can’t stand Christmas, would you stop reading? If I said I love Jesus—who taught unity and forgiveness—would you stop reading? If I said I can’t stand Christmas, but I do love Jesus at the same time, would you think I’m crazy?
I wouldn’t normally bring up the subject of Christmas, but…
As technology rapidly advances, its uses are benefiting nearly every industry, and the world of art is no exception. Brad McConnell, a mechanical design instructor at John T. Blong Technology Center in Davenport, Iowa (Eastern Iowa Community College), wanted to expand the types of projects offered…
During the past year, I stopped responding to customer surveys, providing user feedback or, mostly, contributing product reviews. Sometimes I feel obligated—even eager—to provide this information. Who doesn’t like being asked his opinion? But, in researching media technologies as an anthropologist…
The light-controlled factory (LCF) is a UK development project running for five years, from July 2013 to July 2018. It is directed by the University of Bath and supported by University College London (UCL) and Loughborough University. This ambitious project aims to demonstrate a “ubiquitous” seven…
Paving the way for transforming the world’s measurement system, an international task force has determined updated values for four fundamental constants of nature. The updated values comprise the last scientific piece of the puzzle for redefining the modern metric system, known as the…
It starts with passion. Each year, my company, ECM Global Measurement Solutions, is invited to participate in an ever-increasing number of events, which introduces students and our future workforce to opportunities in the fields of science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM). These range…
Ortho Baltic, a manufacturer of patient-specific medical implants, recently invested in additive manufacturing (AM) and computed tomography (CT) inspection technology. It is vital for such components to be of outstanding quality, therefore an assured quality control system is integral to the…
This interview was first published just days after the announced acquisition of RXBAR by Kellogg’s for $600 million. It’s illustrative of the awesome potential created when good products, good people, and unmet demand collide.
Peter Rahal, co-founder and CEO of RXBAR, started the company with his…
Sponsored Content
Headquartered in Algona, Washington, Dynacraft is a diversified global manufacturer of PACCAR medium and heavy-duty truck parts sold under the Kenworth, Peterbilt, and DAF nameplates. For more than 40 years, Dynacraft has provided the company’s truck manufacturing divisions and…
You have defined what you want as an outcome of the change program; you have looked at how to understand your financial statements and how to use them to assess options. You have looked at the obstacles that lay in your path. Now we are going to start to look at your business, specifically.
Why…
QDL co-host Dirk Dusharme was on vacation for our Nov. 10, 2017, episode, but we ably covered for his absence with some thought-provoking stories and great guests. Let’s take a look:
“What Really Causes Workplace Stress” A multidisciplinary team of researchers at the University of Southern…
Variation and defects. They are the bane of all manufacturing companies. They signal an absence of efficiency, a neglect of productivity, and a total disregard for cost effectiveness. Who is seen as the rescuing knight in shining armor? Sir Six Sigma!
Fundamentally, Six Sigma (always capitalized,…