All News
Anyone who has ever covered a wall with sticky notes to clearly map all of the steps in a process knows how valuable that exercise can be. It can streamline workflow, increase efficiency, and improve the overall quality of the end result. Now, a public-private team led by the National Institute of…
For true freedom of design, 3D metal printing enables incredible solutions in industries as diverse as manufacturing and medicine. Now the technique has generated a humane resolution to a difficult problem confronting a team of veterinarians. For the first time ever, a prosthetic titanium beak has…
(Visual Workplace: Byron Center, MI) -- Visual Workplace, Inc. offers Gauge-Marking Vinyl for quick visual identification of gauge and inspection parameters and specifications. Gauge-Marking Vinyl is a durable, transparent, adhesive-back vinyl that applies easily to gauges and other smooth…
Work is a convenient excuse for not taking care of yourself. Not exercising, poor diet, and stress are a bad combination. You’ve got to make time for you. Work will always be there when you get back.
Just over a year ago, I had a heart attack. My second heart attack. Yep. Two. The first one…
A manufacturer can be innovative in various ways by using new business models and adopting measures to improve processes and enhance existing products. But to stay ahead of competition, manufacturers often turn to technology. Here are five technologies that are driving manufacturing innovation.…
The way an organization handles quality generally differs from how it manages other business areas. Although no one questions the importance of tangible industrial functions like production or scheduling, too often quality is treated as an add-on. Some companies take an antiquated approach and…
(U.S. Navy: Washington, D.C.) -- Is it possible to produce parts and equipment from scratch for sailors—aboard ships and on demand?
Can the Navy rush-deliver parts and high-tech gear such as customized unmanned systems, avionics components, and improvised explosive device detectors to its war…
When products were crafted one at a time, the design and manufacturing processes were often done by the same person. For example, a craftsman would design and build a chest of drawers or a carriage. Some trades would employ apprentices to learn the craft, which also included design.
Larger…
The tone of this article is a bit tongue in cheek, but the point is quite serious. Innovators go through a number of phases as they accept the reality of innovation based on what executives and corporate culture allow. Growing as an innovator is something like experiencing the seven stages of…
Two things are true when it comes to making important decisions that affect your company: You need a way to quantify risk to make the best choice, and you need to be able to explain that choice. A risk matrix helps you do both.
Calculating risk across various outcomes can give you clear…
Firms that carefully design effective community projects for their employees can uncover new leaders, improve employee engagement, and even boost the bottom line. But crucial elements are required to ensure success.
Vik Hill, the managing director of Santander Consumer Finance UK (SCUK) in London…
(WCRI: Cambridge, MA) -- New studies published recently by the Workers Compensation Research Institute (WCRI) compare outcomes of injured workers across 15 states. The outcomes examined in these studies include recovery of physical health and functioning, return to work, earnings recovery, access…
I recently returned from the ASQ World Conference in Milwaukee. After going through security in Terminal C at the Milwaukee Airport, there was an area (as is typical) for putting shoes back on, and reassembling belongings and yourself. What was different this time was a sign hanging over this area…
The simple process behavior chart can be used in many different ways. Since report card data are common in all types of businesses, the report card chart is often the first chart that people create. Some of the pros and cons of report card charts are covered here.
Report card data are data that…
Knee-deep in Alaska’s Liscomb Bonebed, the single richest bed for dinosaur bones in either polar region, Pat Druckenmiller, Ph.D., can safely declare that he loves his job. Museum curator of earth science and associate professor of geology at the University of Alaska Fairbanks, Druckenmiller has…
Doors that are obviously meant to be pushed not pulled, footprints painted on the floor telling you where to stand at the airport—these are examples of good design and usability. You don’t have to think too hard about what to do because someone else put a lot of thought into how to get across the…
Do you know the 12 Laws of karma? And did you know they can be applied daily to your customer experience (CX) efforts? If not, no worries, just read on. I’ll define them for you and tie them to this CX world we live in.
I came across these recently and thought they made sense—for life and for…
(Hexagon: North Kingstown, RI) -- Hexagon Manufacturing Intelligence and Hendrick Motorsports, winner of a record 11 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series championships, have announced a landmark technology partnership. The two-year agreement effectively merges metrology expertise and technology with the…
Daniel Pink, author of five books about changing the world of work, recently offered attendees at the 28th Annual Quest for Excellence Conference insights on what science tells us about what motivates people on the job, and an alternate approach to the way most organizations view motivation.
“…
The aerospace standard AS9100 Revision D was originally planned to be released in April 2014. Many of us close to the standard expected it to be released in May 2016 after the April International Aerospace Quality Group (IAQG) meeting in Singapore. However, this was not the case; the IAQG decided…
(Thermonics: Mansfield, MA) -- A standard line of -40°C and -60°C portable, low-temperature chillers has been introduced by Thermonics Corp., the thermal products segment of inTEST Corp. These 12 air- and water-cooled fluid chillers build on the recently introduced family of -80°C units. With…
It’s amazing that, in this day and age, some manufacturers have not yet heard of “lean.” How are they surviving in today’s competitive market without it? The issue is that, in many ways, the customer sets pricing. If manufacturers want to be profitable, they must find ways to become more efficient…
(Hexagon Manufacturing Intelligence: North Kingstown, RI) -- Hexagon Manufacturing Intelligence North America has announced the launch of its Integrated Solutions strategic business unit, dedicated to smart factory systems for advanced manufacturing.
This highly-specialized team will develop…
Should every company be striving for the type of strategic advantage that has become the hallmark of Amazon, Google, and Facebook? For sure, in the tech world, it’s hard to imagine success without quick and continuous technology improvement. What about your world?
Whether you sell information or…
One of the big themes in the current presidential race is how decades of free trade have dealt a heavy blow to the U.S. worker as millions of jobs were shipped overseas to take advantage of cheap labor.
That’s even turned some pro free-trade Republicans into protectionists. As a result, the…
