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The Automotive Industry Action Group has announced that it will cancel next year’s Auto Tech trade show. The next AutoTech won’t be held until May 2007, and the venue has yet to been announced.“To avoid overlap with other automotive events, AIAG has determined that May would be a better month to…
If you’re wondering what the cost of nonconformance to standards and quality firefighting is to your company, Philip Crosby Associates Inc. has a workshop for you. The Price of Nonconformance workshop focuses on cost-of-quality fundamentals such as improving operational performance, sustaining cost…
A recently released study finds that best-in-class manufacturing companies optimize performance through structured outsourcing programs, continuous improvement initiatives and shared customer-focused measurements. The research was performed by Aberdeen Group, a value-chain strategies consultancy,…
Breakthrough Performance Press, a division of Breakthrough Management Group, recently released a book that explores the use of TRIZ to innovate new products and processes—without outsourcing. Insourcing Innovation by David Silverstein, Neil DeCarlo and Michael Slocum, deconstructs TRIZ and profiles…
Excel Partnership Inc. recently became the first U.S. company to achieve RABQSA certification for its environmental management systems course. The certification was awarded after Excel Partnership proved that the course materials adhere to a strict set of requirements. In January, RABQSA introduced…
In a plan to “strengthen American business through the successful use of the Baldrige Criteria for Performance Excellence and its framework,” three major quality trade associations have formed the Malcolm Baldrige Collaborative Project. The alliance was formed by the Baldrige National Quality…
Three new judges were recently elected to the 2005 Minnesota Quality Award Panel of Judges. The new judges are Debra Bowers, Independent School District 283 superintendent; Mary Ann Nelson, Minnesota Department of Education assistant commissioner of academic excellence; and Rachelle Schultz, Winona…
A report recently released by the National Committee for Quality Assurance shows that health care improved significantly, but health-care plans that publicly report their performance have declined. The information was part of NCQA’s annual “The State of Health Care Quality” report, which was…
The ANSI-ASQ National Accreditation Board (ANAB) is developing an accreditation program to support ANSI/AIHA Standard Z10, its new American standard for occupational health and safety systems. Because the new standard is compatible with environmental and quality management standards such as ISO…
The Quest for Excellence Conference XVIII, the official conference of the Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award, will be held next spring in Washington, D.C. The event will be held April 23–26 at the Hilton Washington. It will feature presentations from the 2005 Baldrige Award winners, who will…
ASI DataMyte Inc. recently announced a special incentive offer for new software customers. The special offer allows new customers to purchase ASI DataMyte’s Inspect visual inspection software starter kit at a package price. Inspect is a ready-to-use production and quality system used by…
The American Society for Quality’s Customer-Supplier Division will host an upcoming symposium to discuss improving customer-supplier relationships. The event will be held Feb. 1–Feb. 2 at Disneyland’s Paradise Pier Hotel in Anaheim, California. Its theme is “Catch the Wave of Change,” and it will…
The International Organization for Standardization recently released guidelines for local governments to implement ISO 9001. More than 670,400 organizations in 154 countries have already implemented ISO 9001. However, the new guidelines explain the standard in terms more familiar to local…
RABQSA recently started offering its AS9100 aerospace auditor certification program on its Web site. The registrar has offered AS9100 certification services for some time, but the old scheme required customers to contact RABQSA directly for copies of relevant documentation. The new scheme meets…
Research from Quantitative Software Management Inc. has found that best-in-class software-development projects not only make it to market faster than competitors, they are significantly less expensive. The company surveyed 563 IT software-development projects over the course of four years and…
The judge presiding over a lawsuit against FARO Technologies Inc. has withdrawn a summary ruling that the company’s use of infinite rotation technology in several of its products infringes on a patent held by ROMER CimCore Corp. The development reverses a ruling made in…
The contributions of international standards to economic and social progress, and their role in disseminating technological innovation, were the focus of the International Organization for Standardization’s General Assembly, held September 19-23 in Singapore. A total of 360 delegates from 113…
Rockwell Automation will host a series of professional education courses for the manufacturing industry through the end of the year. The courses will be held throughout the United States, and include: Motion Control Fundamentals, Oct. 17-18 in Boston Introduction to Vibration Technology, Oct.…
The Shanghai Power Co.’s use of quality chain management theory allowed it to keep the electrical grid up and running in the bustling Chinese city all summer last year. The organization recently released a report on the process it used to avoid power failures, which have been common in Shanghai.…
The National Quality Institute announced 13 recipients of the 2005 Canada Awards for Excellence recently. The CAE Quality Award is based on the Canadian Framework for Excellence, used by many organizations as a management model for continuous improvement and the achievement of operational goals.…
Henri Pierre Sallé was recently elected as board director of the International Accreditation Forum Inc. Sallé, who is president of KEMA Registered Quality Inc., has been the chairman of the Independent Association of Accredited Registrars since 2002. He has been the IAF’s Financial Oversight…
Blue Care Network of Michigan ranked first among nine Michigan HMOs in the behavioral health and pharmacy management categories in a recent quality study. The survey was performed by the Greater Detroit Area Health Council and the National Business Coalition on Health. BCN also ranked second in…
Excel Partnership Inc. recently moved its offices from Sandy Hook, Connecticut, to Southbury, Connecticut. The company, which provides business training, consulting and self-directed learning programs, will occupy 10,000 square feet in the Heritage Center. Its offices are designed to maximize team…
An upcoming conference will focus on creating synergy between organizations’ various quality improvement efforts. The SCOR/Six Sigma/Lean Convergence Forum will examine ways to align implementations of quality efforts for maximum benefit. It will be held Nov. 7–8 at the Grand Hyatt DFW Airport…
The secretariat of the Dubai Quality Award recently published a guide for implementing kaizen. The Dubai Quality Award is administered by the kingdom’s Department of Economic Development, which partnered with the Kaizen Institute Ltd. to produce the book. Masaaki Imai, the founder of kaizen,…
