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Kohler Co. recently selected InfinityQS to provide statistical process control software and services for select plants in the United States. Kohler has used InfinityQS’ SPC software at a plant in Kohler, Wisconsin, for many years. Based on positive results achieved there, the company opted…
Solectron Corp., a provider of electronics manufacturing and integrated supply-chain services, recently received Stratus Technologies’ 2006 Supplier Excellence Award. Solectron’s Columbia, South Carolina, plant was honored for its outstanding performance in support of the introduction of…
Microsoft Corp. recently announced the winners of its Pharmaceutical and Life Sciences Innovation Awards 2006 competition. The awards were presented at the annual meeting of the Drug Information Association in Philadelphia, and were given to companies that have demonstrated the best use of…
Parsec Automation Corp. has enhanced the 4.04 version of its TrackSYS software to better serve pharmaceutical and medical device–industry users. The company reports that many pharmaceutical and medical-device makers believe that their plants have an operating efficiency in the 60-70 percent range,…
Veriteq Instruments Inc. recently released the enterprise version it its viewLinc monitoring and alarming software. viewLinc Enterprise is designed for applications demanding immediate notice of out-of-compliance environmental conditions. It is a quick method of arranging complete…
Kaiser Permanente recently received the Innovations in Healthcare Award from the Adapted Business Leaders (ABL) organization. The award was given in recognition of Kaiser’s successful use of five health-improvement programs developed by HealthMedia Inc.: HealthMedia Succeed, which…
Stelex University recently provided a training session for the Food and Drug Administration’s National Center for Toxicology Research (NCTR) that focused on computer systems validation. Stelex University is Stelex’s professional education and technical training department. Its training…
Mitutoyo America Corp. recently received a 2005 World Excellence Award from Ford Motor Co. The award was one of 60 presented on May 3, 2006, in Dearborn, Michigan, to Ford’s top global suppliers for their performance in 2005. The award recognizes suppliers that achieve the highest…
A metrology standard currently under development has the potential to save millions of dollars for any organization that shares quality management data with its suppliers or original equipment manufacturers. The standard is being developed by a technical committee organized by the…
Ralph Welborn’s and Vince Kasten’s new book delves deep into the global offshoring movement to examine best practices and provide advice for organizations new to—or trying to fix—their operations. In Get It Done! A Blueprint for Business Execution (Wiley & Sons, 2006), the authors…
Andrew Spanyi’s recently released book uses process management to demonstrate how managers can improve customer service while trimming expenses. In More for Less: The Power of Process Management (Meghan-Kiffer Press, 2006), Spanyi emphasizes the use of process management to streamline…
Xerox Emirates recently received the prestigious Sheikh Khalifa Excellence Award at a ceremony in Abu Dhabi. The company, which recently deployed a comprehensive lean Six Sigma program, provides printers, digital copies, multifunction products and color printers, among other business…
The Juran Institute is offering Six Sigma training at a reduced cost this summer. The training consists of: Step One: A two-day interactive introduction to lean on July 18 and 19. Step Two: A four-day Yellow Belt workshop that includes a review of the skills learned in step one…
WCBF will host a design for Six Sigma (DFSS) conference in Las Vegas in September. The keynote address—“Design for Six Sigma: A Key to Growth”—will be delivered by Martha Gardner, GE Global Research global quality leader. Other expert speakers include Kamal Ayoub, Tyco Healthcare vice…
The Society of Manufacturing Engineers’s lean certification bronze-level exam will be used as an outcome assessment as part of the 360vu Research and Education Foundation’s Lean Enterprise Certification Program, the companies recently announced. The exam will be used for lean enterprise…
TÜV America Inc. and Product Safety Engineering Inc. have entered into a partnership in order to expand their product safety and electromagnetic compatibility (EMC) testing services. PSE will provide EMC testing, product safety services and global certification services to TÜV’s customers in…
Flexible Learning Ireland recently formed a partnership with AssurX Inc. to distribute AssurX’s CATSWeb software in Europe. FLI is a provider of consulting, training and software to the life sciences sector, and will focus the distribution of CATSWeb on this market. The company works with…
The International Register of Certificated Auditors and RABQSA have agreed to recognize each other’s training certifications. Both organizations are currently performing evaluations to identify which of their certifications are mutually acceptable. They expect to add continually to the…
Rising fuel costs seem to be affecting customer perceptions of quality in the energy and airline industries, according to the American Society for Quality’s Quarterly Quality Report. The QQR examines the perceived quality of goods and services, as measured by the American Customer…
The Baldrige National Quality Program’s annual Improvement Day is approaching, and the organizers are seeking comments to improve its processes. Improvement Day will be held July 26, 2006, at the National Institute of Standards and Technology offices in Gaithersburg, Maryland. Comments on…
Most large U.S. multinational companies have undergone—and are currently undergoing—great changes, according to a recent study. The typical company is using an average of five change-management strategies to navigate internal barriers, indicates the report. Predictably, the vast majority…
A new book defines quality using the fictional story of an eclectic group of characters trapped inside a train car during a snowstorm. Written as a business fable, On Track to Quality (Lighthouse Point Press, 2006) uses a casual narrative and character dialogue to examine and define the…
The National Committee for Quality Assurance and Pfizer Inc. have jointly released a publication that profiles strategies and recommendations for improving the quality of care for older adults. Quality Profiles: The Leadership Series—Focus on Enhancing Care for Older Adults offers a…
The Automotive Industry Action Group recently launched its Supply Chain Institute, an organization that will offer quality aptitude certification to validate the effectiveness of quality core tools training received from any organization. The goal of the Supply Chain Institute is to reduce…
The Greater Boston Manufacturing Partnership (GBMP) recently announced four recipients of the Northeast Shingo Prize for Excellence in Manufacturing.The prize is awarded annually and is available to businesses in Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Vermont and Rhode Island. Applicants are…