All News
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…
Fluke Corp. recently added nine new products and enhanced features to its family of pressure calibrators. Designed to provide a compact, lightweight pressure calibration solution for transmitters, gages and switches, the Fluke 718 Pressure Calibrators feature a new design that protects…
Kotem Technologies recently released an enhanced version of SmartFit 3D, its best-fitting and analysis software.Taking measured-part data from popular coordinate measurement machine, video and laser metrology systems, SmartFit 3D troubleshoots manufacturing processes and finds the best coordinate…
An upcoming metrology course will focus on the practical use of vibration and shock testing, measurement, analysis and calibration. The course will be held Oct. 16–18 at the Amerisuites Las Vegas. Wayne Tustin, an expert on vibration and shock testing, and president of Equipment…
InterTech Development Co. has released new software designed to optimize test conditions for leak-testing applications. InterTech’s S3085 monitoring software helps provide users with the means to show real-time traces of how their test instrumentation transducers are performing, versus…
Renishaw recently released QuickView, software that makes the company’s widely used ML10 laser interferometry system more powerful and flexible.The resulting system combines the accuracy and resolution of Renishaw’s interferometer system with the ease of use of a conventional oscilloscope…
An upcoming metrology course will focus on the practical use of vibration and shock testing, measurement, analysis and calibration. The course will be held Oct. 16–18 at the Amerisuites Las Vegas. Wayne Tustin, an expert on vibration and shock testing, and president of Equipment…
"For want of nail a shoe was lost For want of a shoe a horse was lost For want of horse a rider was lost For want of a rider a battle was lost For loss of a battle a kingdom was lost And all because of a horseshoe nail." In researching the origins of this familiar cautionary maxim, I…
The United States National Committee (USNC) to the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) will host the 2010 IEC General Meeting in Seattle.The 10-day event, scheduled for Oct. 6–15, is expected to draw more than 1,500 delegates from around the globe for technical and policy…
The International Organization for Standardization recently published a new international standard for the market research industry. Market research is now a global industry and the cross-border trade will be standardized by the implementation of ISO 20252, which encourages consistency…
An International Organization for Standardization subcommittee recently discussed the development of standards to improve crisis management for natural and man-made disasters. Approximately 70 delegates from 30 countries, including 12 developing countries, attended the first meeting of…
The National Institute of Standards and Technology will host a meeting to help strengthen U.S. standardization efforts that help developing nations build their economies.The Options for Actions Summit will include trading partners’ assessments of U.S. standards-setting activities provided…
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) plans to form a task force to develop standards to facilitate interoperability of communications equipment used by various emergency personnel. A recent DHS report highlights the need for interoperable emergency communications devices. The…
In a recent Volkswagen Jetta commercial, a pleasant conversation between two friends is abruptly interrupted by a horrific accident. Fortunately there are no injuries thanks to the air-bag system in the Jetta. Similar experiences are provided by Allstate Insurance warning us to buy a…
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…
Six Sigma has gained a reputation as a data-driven statistical methodology for process improvement. If the statistical methodology by itself were responsible for Six Sigma’s success, then there would be nothing new in Six Sigma. Methodologies based on data-driven statistics have been known for many…
The Dow Chemical Co. recently received an award for leadership in energy management. The award was presented at the 28th-annual Energy Technology Conference, which brought together members of the international industrial energy community. The award recognized Dow for its global focus on…
Business process management (BPM) is an ideal platform for implementing Six Sigma, according to a recently released book.In 2006 Workflow Handbook (Workflow Management Coalition, 2006), author Setrag Khoshafian highlights the similarities of BPM and Six Sigma as they relate to…
Eastman Kodak Co. recently named Pitney Bowes Management Services “Supplier of the Year.” Pitney Bowes reports that its use of Six Sigma helped it achieve cost efficiencies and process improvements that resulted in significant savings to Kodak. This is the fourth supplier recognition…
Nu-Biz, a South African software company, recently partnered with Decisioneering Inc.The partnership will allow Nu-Biz to market and use Decisioneering’s Crystal Ball software, which transforms Excel spreadsheets into powerful tools for risk management, predictive modeling and value…
The Corporation for Manufacturing Excellence (Manex) recently received an award from the National Institute of Standards and Technology for its service to the manufacturing sector’s effort to enhance competitiveness.Selected from more than 1,500 applicants, Manex was honored at the 2006…
