All News
Although there is no bad time to improve quality management maturity, an optimal time is during fiscal planning for a new year. Executives and quality professionals who are affected by the quality of products or services should ask two questions: “Just how mature is my company’s quality program?”…
This is the first part of a three-part series on the “six layers of resistance.” It’s based on the work of Eliyahu Goldratt, who has now passed away. Goldratt was the originator of a body of work known as the “theory of constraints.” His bestselling novel, The Goal (North River Press, 2014 reprint…
What habits do you need to develop to become a more effective project manager? Maybe you need to get more organized with your paperwork, or change how you spend your time each day to stay on track with your projects, or shift how you respond to stressful situations.
Regardless of the kind of…
“I will take time to be alone today. I will take time to be quiet. In this silence I will listen... and I will hear my answers.” —Ruth Fishel
One of my great pleasures is going for a walk on the beach a couple blocks from my house. Contrary to the popular perception of California as a land of…
Benjamin Franklin is reputed to have said, in reference to 13 separate American colonies then in rebellion against England, “If we do not hang together, we shall surely hang apart.” After the Revolutionary War, and following the conclusion of the endless debates that eventually lead to the…
(Fives Machining Systems: Hebron, KY) -- On January 4, 2016, Fives Machining Systems, Global Services will open a service center in Seattle, Washington, joining the family of four other North American service centers as Fives expands to meet the needs of its customers nationwide. The Seattle…
Find the 13 hidden objects in this yule scene. Happy holidays!
Click here for larger image.
During my 25 years with the Baldrige program, I have never come across an organization that couldn’t improve its communication, no matter how good it already is. The importance of effective communication is demonstrated by the many articles and books written on the subject; as examples, Inc.,…
To many people, the relationship between daily kaizen and statistical process control (SPC) might seem as remote as the relationship between a kangaroo and the past iconic American TV series Friends. And yet, a kangaroo and Friends have a commonality in that each contains a “Joey.” Daily kaizen…
Below are three questions that might require some hunting on the Quality Digest website.
Your mission, should you choose to waste time over this, is to answer each of them. Send your answers to us at qdcontest1@qualitydigest.com. Of those submitting correct answers, one name will be…
Lots of discussion this time of the year as to whether we should wish people a Merry Christmas or a Happy Holiday. Evidently there is a cottage industry staffed by people who are offended by anyone uttering the words “Merry Christmas.” Frankly, I think there are people who anxiously wait to be…
(DeFelsko: Ogdensburg NY) -- DeFelsko is excited to announce the next-generation PosiTest AT-A Automatic Adhesion Tester. The American-made PosiTest AT series measures the adhesion of coatings to metal, wood, concrete and other rigid substrates.
New features include a larger, impact- and scratch-…
Sponsored Content
Company managers have a lot on their plates. It’s a tall order to handle daily operations, inventory, staffing needs, training, deadline and quota expectations, and a bevy of other duties. The best managers know enough to delegate certain responsibilities which can help maintain…
Whenever I hire a new employee, as part of his orientation I am always careful to emphasize that it would be wrong to mistake my forbearance for indifference, that while I am long-suffering and will give him time to learn the ropes, there are standards to be reached and maintained.
One of the…
The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) has been pioneering antenna measurement methods for decades, but a new robot may be the ultimate innovation, extending measurements to higher frequencies while characterizing antennas faster and more easily than previous NIST facilities.…
Eric (not his real name) was under pressure from his sales department. He was hesitant to close a large financing deal with a Chinese corporation but had little beyond his intuition to back up his position.
The company’s stock price had gained a whopping 600 percent in one year. Nevertheless,…
Eric (not his real name) was under pressure from his sales department. He was hesitant to close a large financing deal with a Chinese corporation but had little beyond his intuition to back up his position.
The company’s stock price had gained a whopping 600 percent in one year. Nevertheless,…
(Global Innovation Forum) -- In November 2015, the Global Innovation Forum, chaired by Brand Genetics, brought together speakers and attendees from some of the world’s most innovative businesses. Over the course of two days we all shared innovation experiences, challenges, anecdotes, and learnings…
Game No. 1: A Scramble for Quality 1. MROHE NOASSARH = Homer Sarasohn 2. IRFKEECRD NOWLISW ATORLY = Frederick Winslow Taylor 3. LCOMAML BEGARIDL = Malcolm Baldrige 4. LRWAET HWASHRET = Water Shewhart 5. OGIESH NHOSIG = Shigeo Shingo 6. DRAAMN MEFGAEIBUN = Armand Feigenbaum 7. ITIHICA NOOH =…
(ASQ: Milwaukee, WI) -- In a recent marketing piece emailed out to the Quality Digest audience, the American Society for Quality (ASQ) compared its CQE Study Guide to Quality Council of Indiana’s CQE Primer. The features of these products are different and do not support direct comparison. ASQ…
Dealing with individuals is one important aspect of culture change. I addressed this in “How Does Your Organization Define Accountability?” Every organization has many tribes (i.e., departments or specific groups of individuals) that make up its culture. When changes affect departments, the issue…
Losing can actually have its benefits. For Baldrige users, however, it’s a common saying that everyone is a winner who takes that first step.
The most important reason for using the Baldrige Excellence Framework is not to win an award but to improve financial and business performance, says Joseph…
A piece of popular lore, provided by Shigeo Shingo, is that the original name for mistake-proofing (poka-yoke) was actually fool-proofing (baka-yoke). Shingo chided managers at Panasonic for using the latter term, as it disrespected workers by essentially calling them fools.
Shingo substituted…
In today’s hyper-competitive global economy, customer satisfaction is increasingly being driven by software. Software is the primary controller of the human interface with electronic devices and substantial parts of the core functionality. For many companies building devices, software is the brand…
Being a Baldrige examiner: What is the experience like? Some have compared the work—especially during the final phase of an evaluation—to being in a rigorous MBA program. Others may find it’s like being part of a dispersed but highly engaged task force, as teams collaborate online and on the phone…
