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(Frost & Sullivan: San Antonio) -- The interest in mobile enterprise applications among businesses across North America is increasing. The amount of respondent companies that reported the deployment of at least one mobile worker application has risen from 73 percent in 2013 to 82 percent this…
Medical device regulators around the world often have to assess the cost of a new regulation. Typically there is a study to determine the financial effect on industry and the public. This information is often supplied to lawmakers in their respective countries before they pass new legislation. In…
As a business leader, you spend a lot of your time figuring out how to win. With good reason: The most crucial job of every executive is to align efforts at every level of the organization to deliver wins for the week, for the quarter, and for the year.
The people at the front end of the business—…
I wrote about technology and the customer experience a couple times last year. After all, that’s what self-service is all about: technology, such as ATMs, online flight check-in, self-checkout grocery lanes, interactive voice response, online FAQs, knowledge bases, and more.
Technology is an…
(Bruker: Boston) -- At the 2014 MRS Fall Meeting and Exhibit, Bruker announced the release of the UMT TriboLab, the latest generation of the world-leading Universal Mechanical Tester (UMT) platform. TriboLab incorporates into a single, modular platform the full range of performance previously…
For the second time in three years, salaries in 2014 decreased slightly for quality professionals, who said their organization’s quality culture plays a key role in the overall satisfaction of their job and salary, according to Quality Progress magazine’s 28th annual salary survey.
In 2014,…
The life sciences are largely driven by innovation and growth. What lies beneath those two drivers is a world of complexity across the drug or device life cycle. It’s clear that those companies that can continuously and collaboratively ensure quality, meet regulatory compliance, and mitigate risks…
My husband and I both like to run. I run about three miles once or twice a week—if the weather’s not too bad, and if I don’t have something else going on. Keith, on the other hand, runs half marathons.
Keith goes for long runs on the weekends for three to four hours at a time and shorter runs…
In this two-part series, we outline the action necessary to create organizational transformation in line with the “Culture of Quality” research report published in late 2014 by ASQ and Forbes Insights. We also explain in practical terms how to implement the three main actions leaders say are…
(Boeing: Seattle) -- Boeing has completed the world’s first flight using “green diesel,” a sustainable biofuel that is widely available and used in ground transportation. The company powered its ecoDemonstrator 787 flight test airplane with a blend of 15-percent green diesel and 85-percent…
The international standard for quality management systems, known as ISO 9001, is currently being revised and is scheduled for release in late 2015. Are you ready for the changes? How do the changes affect you?
NQA, a globally recognized certification body, is preparing, and we’re sharing with you…
In late October, longtime Baldrige examiner Miriam Kmetzo traveled to Suzhou, China, to attend and speak at the 6th Quality Forum for Academics and Innovation.
Kmetzo gave a presentation at a session that featured four quality award programs in the international arena: the Malcolm Baldrige…
(Hexagon: North Kingstown, RI) -- Hexagon Metrology has launched PC-DMIS 2014.1, a significant update of the world’s most popular measurement software used for the collection, evaluation, management and presentation of manufacturing data. The new midterm software release introduces tools and…
If you have been procrastinating on setting up electronic submissions for your adverse event reports to the FDA, you might want to reconsider that decision. Earlier this year, the FDA published its final rule on MedWatch/eMDR reporting.
Although not much has changed in this final rule in regards…
A recent survey by ASQ and Forbes Insights found that leaders and quality management professionals from all sorts of enterprises agree on some quality culture fundamentals. One is that customer expectations and experiences are the ultimate criteria for determining what quality is and the degree to…
I recently wrapped up a jam-packed, five-day visit to China, a fascinating country with a dramatically growing economy and an increasingly significant effect on the products that U.S. citizens consume. Indeed, a key reason for my trip is the important and growing collaboration between the FDA and…
I recently participated in the AME conference in Jacksonville, Florida, a terrific rally for manufacturing excellence with the tongue-twisting theme, “Strategic Success Through People-Powered Excellence.”
I had a small role on a keynote panel that attempted to answer questions from attendees…
Have you ever received a customer complaint with blurry photos and a demand for immediate action, but insufficient detail to actually take that action? Or the customer, in his or her haste to get the complaint out, neglected to mention which part failed or to provide a clear description of what …
A number of recent articles in quality literature (and in the quality blogosphere) have posited the death or failure of Six Sigma. More articles, from many of the same sources, discuss the outstanding success of current Six Sigma efforts in manufacturing, healthcare, government, and financial…
Medical device manufacturers seeking global access for their products can face significant challenges in meeting the regulatory requirements of multiple target markets. The approval process can be even more time-consuming when individual regulatory authorities require an independent audit of a…
(Sculpteo: San Francisco) -- Sculpteo, a leader in the online 3D printing industry, has published an ebook study which highlights the cost effectiveness of using 3D printing as a means of manufacturing. The study is available here.
Additive manufacturing (or 3D printing) helps product developers…
Additive manufacturing (AM) is hurtling into its wide and wonderful future. Right now heavy attention is being given to the promise AM offers to toy and fanciful trinkets makers or to heavyweights in the aerospace industry. Deservedly, there are great investments and enthusiastic anticipation in…
Drivers, choose boldly! It’s time to break the monopoly of black and white vehicles. The monotonous years of colorless commuting, a sad and safe reflection of the moribund recession, are ending. If you’re planning on buying a car to celebrate the uptrending economy, do not settle for silver. Turn…
T he smartphone’s honeymoon has officially ended. Attractive features that once dazzled consumers are now considered a staple of everyday life, as well as an integral part of users’ smartphone experience, which can add up to hours of use every day. Mobile app developers face fierce competition in…
(Elsevier: Amsterdam) -- The tools and techniques used in design of experiments (DoE) have been proven successful in meeting the challenge of continuous improvement in many manufacturing organizations over the last two decades. However research has shown that application of this powerful technique…
