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Aceva Technologies Inc. recently predicted that 2005 will see Six Sigma expand across enterprises and be accepted as the gold standard in process improvement. The prediction is part of Aceva’s annual business trend report. “2005 will be the year where Six Sigma will become a standard of measure in…
The Baldrige National Quality Program recently released its criteria for performance excellence in three areas: education, health care and business. The criteria are the basis for evaluation for the Malcolm R. Baldrige National Quality Award, and represent a common language for communication among…
The National Committee for Quality Assurance has announced that 39 health plans have committed to participate in NCQA’s Quality Plus program. Collectively, the plans cover 11.5 million Americans. Quality Plus standards focus on the depth, accuracy and interactivity of the information health plans…
The National Quality Institute and John F. Thomas Management Consulting have formed a strategic alliance to implement quality programs in Canada. The goal of the joint effort is to firmly establish Canada as a global leader in product and service excellence. An increasing number of Canadian…
TÜV America’s Product Safety Division has been recently renamed as Product Safety Services. Formerly known as Machinery, Information Technology and Consumer Products, the department will continue to provide electrical and mechanical safety evaluations for products in the United States (NRTL),…
One current and one former employee of 3M Co. recently filed suit against the company, alleging that its implementation of Six Sigma discriminates against older workers. The lawsuit, filed by Clifford Whitaker, 60, and Michael Mucci, 55, alleges that 3M favors Six Sigma training among its younger…
TÜV America recently added EAC 37 auditing services for clients in the education industry already undergoing ISO 9001 registration.TÜV was accredited by the ANSI-RAB NAP (now known as ANAB) to evaluate compliance to EAC 37 on Dec. 7, 2004, and will now apply its Insight Auditing services to the…
The American Society for Quality will offer courses examining quality management and improvement for people working in the service industry. ASQ has offered courses for service industry professionals in the past, but the focus was on applying quality tools and processes commonly used in the…
A new partnership between Brooks Software and AssurX Inc. will allow the companies to target discrete manufacturers with a customized and fully-integrated quality management solution. Under the terms of the agreement, Brooks Software will resell AssurX’s CATSWeb non-conformance CAPA software, and…
The National Electrical Manufacturers Association recently released a significant update of its Digital Imaging and Communications in Medicine standard. DICOM establishes a single language for exchanging medical digital images and related patient information, and allows the interoperability of…
A new partnership between Brooks Software and AssurX Inc. will allow the companies to target discrete manufacturers with a customized and fully-integrated quality management solution. Under the terms of the agreement, Brooks Software will resell AssurX’s CATSWeb non-conformance CAPA software, and…
The U.S. Department of Commerce’s Technology Administration and the Big Three automakers recently formed a partnership to improve the manufacturing competitiveness of the U.S. automotive industry. The partnership, called the United States Alliance for Technology and Engineering for Automotive…
The Shanghai Association for Quality recently recognized eight Chinese businesses with awards for their innovative and successful Six Sigma implementations. It was the first time the SAQ issued the awards, highlighting the growing popularity of Six Sigma in China. The winning businesses represented…
Retailers have long known that customers won’t shop at their stores if they don’t provide a satisfying buying experience, but finding ways to consistently meet customer expectations has been difficult. That’s where a new tool from AMR Research comes in. The company recently created a self-…
Six Sigma is fairly new to the financial services sector, but the methodology’s many successes and challenges in the industry will be the focus of an upcoming conference. The Strategic Research Institute is hosting the second-annual Six Sigma Strategy for Financial Services conference, which will…
Atos Consulting recently announced its plan to release a new Six Sigma practice based on PowerSteering software. Atos Consulting and PowerSteering have a long-standing marketing partnership and share several major clients. The new Six Sigma solution will be distributed to both company’s clients,…
Equitant recently hired a Six Sigma Master Black Belt to be its European director of operations. Dermot Ainsworth has a long work history with General Electric and has served as manufacturing manager for the company’s European sheet and film business, production sales inventory director for GE…
Northrop Grumman Corp. recently appointed a vice president for Six Sigma, among five other new vice presidents. Ron Smith will be in charge of implementing and overseeing Six Sigma in Northrop Grumman’s Space Technology Center, where the company develops a broad range of systems and products for…
DNV Certification recently acquired CoreRatings, a leading European corporate responsibility rating agency. The acquisition recognizes the need for companies to provide more transparent and reliable information for investors. The combined expertise of DNV and CoreRatings will allow DNV to provide…
The Juran Institute recently released its educational Quality Minutes series on DVD and by subscription. The series is made up of 98 case stories that illustrate and reinforce how performance improvements helped organizations break through to success. Covering six wide-ranging libraries of interest…
In an effort to bolster consumer confidence in food supplies, the Food Marketing Institute (FMI) recently selected the American National Standards Institute to accredit the certification bodies that audit suppliers under the FMI’s Safe Quality Food program. The agreement is a pilot program aimed at…
R/D Tech Inc. recently acquired Staveley NDT Technologies, a provider of high-performance nondestructive testing equipment and sensors. Earlier this year, R/D Tech also acquired the nondestructive testing company Panametrics, and in 2003, bought out NDT Engineering, a supplier of eddy current…
The upcoming Quality Institute for Healthcare: Redesigning Systems of Care conference will feature seminars and keynote addresses from several important members of the quality community. The conference, to be held Feb. 14–16 at the Hyatt Regency New Orleans, is designed to detail the quality tools…
The Lincoln Electric Co. recently earned Ford Motor Co.’s Q1 approval. Lincoln Electric credits the use of Six Sigma practices in its welding consumables manufacturing facility with helping it earn the approval.The designation recognizes Ford suppliers that demonstrate manufacturing excellence,…
An upcoming conference sponsored by the International Society of Six Sigma Professionals and Raytheon Co. will examine the many ways Six Sigma can be used to improve business processes.Six Sigma practitioners from such major companies as Dow Chemical, Seagate Technologies, Johnson & Johnson,…