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Sigma Breakthrough Technologies Inc. recently announced a major quality effort for the health care industry. The consulting company has developed a strain of Six Sigma and lean principles that apply specifically to health care professionals, an initiative that will increase return on investment…
Frost & Sullivan named Datasweep Inc. as the global market leader in manufacturing execution systems (MES) in its recently released report, “World Manufacturing Execution Systems 2004.” The report evaluates companies based on real-time information management, shop floor management, quality…
A recent study shows that U.S. workers believe the economy is on the road to recovery. In the survey, 59 percent of respondents reported being optimistic about the economy and the potential for job growth in the coming year. When asked about their own career prospects, 57 percent indicated they…
The National Committee for Quality Assurance will soon release its annual report on health care quality. This year’s report finds that while health plans participating in NCQA’s voluntary national accreditation program improved their scores substantially, the broader health care system is still…
The American Society of Safety Engineers recently announced the availability of a new standard that provides guidelines for protecting workers from potentially dangerous equipment and energy. “Control of Hazardous Energy—Lockout/Tagout and Alternative Methods,” produced by the Z244 Accredited…
A new book published by Productivity Press focuses on helping organizations understand and implement Baldrige criteria. Get It, Set It, Move It, Prove It—60 Ways to Get Real Results in Your Organization, by Mark Graham Brown, provides results-based methods for implementing the Baldrige criteria…
FARO Technologies Inc. recently released two new and less expensive versions of one of its most popular devices. The FARO Gage and FARO Gage-PLUS will sell for $12,500 and $19,900 respectively. Both devices provide smaller machine shops with 3-D measurement capabilities. “Calipers, height gages,…
More than 100 leading providers of software for supply chain management, manufacturing execution systems, MRP/ERP, logistics and materials management will attend the 2004 APICS International Conference and Exposition in San Diego. The conference will take place Oct. 10-13 and include product…
Six Sigma is becoming an increasingly essential practice in marketing and sales because of the revenue growth and savings that organizations experience when they apply the methodology to those functions. It was with this thought in mind that the International Quality & Productivity Center…
WCBF recently launched the Six Sigma Leading Minds Club, an exclusive Six Sigma and process improvement community intended to facilitate the exchange of information on best practices, new ideas and even corporate management failures. Membership is based on individual achievement through a strict…
Research and Markets recently announced the addition of a comprehensive and easy-to-use set of documents, The Six Sigma Toolbox, aimed at improving the use and adaptation of quality systems. The set covers principles that can be applied to all types of businesses and provides specific plans for…
Michigan businesses will discover the key to success at the Henry Ford Community College event “Surviving to Thriving,” on Sept. 16. Specialists from local agencies will be there to exchange ideas and offer resources that can vault local business to the next level of success. The event will focus…
2003 was a year of transition for ISO 9001 and a year of significant growth for ISO 14001, reports ISO in its annual study. Study results about ISO 9001 included: Up to the end of 2003, at least 500,125 registrations had been issued in 149 countries and economies. 2003 total registrations…
The latest American Customer Satisfaction Index held steady for the second quarter of 2004, remaining at its highest level in 10 years. The index stands at 74.4, unchanged from last quarter. Economists report that the sunny news indicates high customer satisfaction, which generally contributes to…
Improved product design would make manufacturing products less expensive than outsourcing to countries like China, according to a recent benchmarking study. The authors suggest that U.S. companies should do a better job of integrating cost analysis into product design. With rigorous cost analysis…
School administrators looking for ways to meet tough federal requirements have found a new ally in a rather unlikely place—the quality profession. The need for continual improvement is familiar to quality professionals, but it’s relatively new to the education community. The No Child Left Behind…
The American National Standards Institute recently awarded 2004 Leadership and Service Awards to six executives. The winners were recognized for their significant contributions to national and international standardization activities and commitment to the standards community. The winners are:…
Sypris Test & Measurement will relocate its San Francisco Bay Area calibration lab, the company announced recently. The company moved from San Jose to Sunnyvale, California. Moving the lab places the company closer to existing customers in military, aerospace, communications, semiconductor and…
Delcam Inc. is offering a free CAD viewer that will allow users to view CAD models in all the major formats, including CATIA versions 4 and 5, Pro/Engineer 2001 and Wildfire, SDRC, Unigraphics, SolidWorks and Solid Edge, as well as other industry standards. “Even though modern CAD software can…
Lockheed Martin Corp. announced it will buy a coordinate measuring machine (CMM) and laser scanner from Leica Geosystems Inc. for use in its Forth Worth, Texas, headquarters. Under the terms of the contract, Leica’s metrology division will deliver an LR200 laser scanner (which combines radar,…
The revised ISO 14001 standard is scheduled to be published by the end of the year, meaning significant changes to environmental management professionals. According to the International Organization for Standardization, the changes to the standard aim to clarify it and make it more user-friendly.…
A partnership between Arc Second Inc. and Romer CimCore could signal the acceptance of indoor GPS as the measurement technology of the future. Several major metrology companies, including Romer CimCore, Metrologic Inc. and New River Kinematics, showcased Arc Second’s GPS technology at the 2004…
FARO Technologies Inc. recently released an enhanced generation of its popular laser trackers. Highlights of the new trackers include ADM Smart Auto-Adjust, which improves accuracy by automatically adapting to conditions affecting measurement drift; Fast Laser Lock, which re-locks the laser in…
Henry Ford Community College is planning a “Surviving To Thriving” training event in quality performance, lean principles and performance benchmarking on Sept. 16. The event will feature representatives from the community college, along with the Michigan Manufacturing Technology Center, Southeast…
Motorola University will provide Six Sigma training to industrial companies across the United States, according to an agreement reached between Motorola University and Charter Consulting Inc. Joseph Lackner, head of Charter Consulting’s Six Sigma program, says the company plans to use the…