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A major misunderstanding regarding Six Sigma is its fabricated definition, (e.g. “Six Sigma is a fact-based decision-making methodology…”). I’ve seen people willing to attack anyone utilizing common sense to make decisions without facts. One of the reasons for taking such a strong position…
Customer focus doesn’t evolve on its own. It’s carefully cultivated over time through a variety of processes. At the forefront of this effort is leadership. The organization’s leadership has the primary responsibility of making every decision and every action based on customer focus.…
What poor-quality cars lack in performance and reliability, they can make up for with style, according to a new study.In the short term, consumers will put up with performance deficiencies if they’re satisfied with the style and appearance of new vehicles, reports A.T. Kearney, a…
A recently released, comprehensive study of patient care shows significantly improved care of patients with serious conditions. Premera Blue Cross, a Washington-based health insurer of upward of 1.3 million people, performed the study with several prominent medical groups across Washington…
The 52nd annual Reliability and Maintainability Symposium (RAMS) will be held January 23–26 in California. Reliability and maintainability have been growing beyond their traditional role of prediction to include risk management, process verification and product validation. The growth has…
Statit Software Inc. recently released Performance Indicator & Management Dashboard (piMD), a new approach to measurement and analysis for the health care industry. Statit reports that a review of current software options for health care executives revealed a need for a system that…
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) has begun formal evaluation of an application filed by TÜV Healthcare Specialists to become the first new accreditation service for U.S. hospitals in 40 years. If granted the accreditation, TÜV will not only accredit hospitals in…
During the last couple of years, I’ve interacted with several United Auto Workers (UAW) associates. Irrespective of what the former Big Three do, they’re all trying to do a good job.I’ve had the chance to teach some classes to UAW members. It always amazes me how people make money in the auto…
Event-planning company WCBF will host its annual Global Six Sigma Summit this summer in Las Vegas. The event, which is scheduled to have an unparalleled panel of expert speakers and many high-profile CEO attendees, will be held June 27–30 at The Venetian in Las Vegas. The keynote addresses will be…
UltraCell, a producer of fuel-cell technology, will use the latest in lean manufacturing processes at its recently opened manufacturing and corporate facility..Located in Livermore, California, the facility will enable the company to convert from prototype manufacturing to volume production. It’ll…
Sigma Dynamics recently released four new applications designed to connect the operational and analytical sides of customer-relationship management. The applications are part of its Sigma Intelligence Platform, which includes strategic routing analysis, predictive cross-sell, real-time customer…
Early on you recognized the economic effect of shipping defective products to customers and/or providing inferior services. You countered this deficiency with elaborate inspection proceduresIn more recent times, you’ve focused on improving your organization’s processes and decreasing inspections.…
Rockwell Automation will offer a series of varied educational courses starting January 2006. The courses will be offered throughout various U.S. cities and include the following: AC/DC motors and drives fundamentals Introduction to vibration technology Ethernet/IP design and configuration…
The average staffing level for full-time quality professionals is 23.8 per 1,000 employees, according to a recently released study. The figure was revealed in “Improving the Quality Function: Driving Organizational Impact & Efficiency,” performed by Best Practices LLC. The study found that…
Several police precincts of the Dubai Police Department have received registration to ISO 9001. The registration was announced by Dhahi Khalfan Tamim, commander-in-chief and lieutenant-general of the Dubai Police, at a recent Dubai Police Academy graduation ceremony. In addition, Dubai’s General…
The American Society for Quality has released a third edition of its popular The ASQ Auditing Handbook.The best-selling handbook is a comprehensive resource for professionals in the quality, environmental, safety and health-auditing industries. It’s designed to correspond to ASQ’s Certified Quality…
The Association for Operations Management (APICS) recently recognized several organizations for supply chain efficiencies, innovation and other notable successes. APICS annually recognizes successful organizations with its Corporate Awards of Excellence. The 2005 recipients are: Engenio…
George Rathbun, director of architecture in Pfizer’s Global Research and Development Informatics group, was recently named chief technology officer of SAFE-BioPharma Association. SAFE-BioPharma is the pharmaceutical-industry–sponsored organization that’s developing and managing a secure digital-…
Beijing United Family Hospital and Clinics recently became the first integrated health system in Asia to earn accreditation from the Joint Commission International. The hospital is a joint venture between Chindex International, a U.S.-owned health care company that operates Chinese hospitals, and…
Precision Wire Components LLC, a medical-component manufacturer, recently received registration to ISO 13485:2003. PWC manufactures guide wires for major medical-device makers, and has been registered to quality standards in the ISO 9000 series since 1997, one year after the company was founded.…
Delphi Medical Systems, a subsidiary of Delphi Corp., recently signed an exclusive worldwide licensing agreement with WearAir Oxygen Inc., a Canadian medical-device company. Delphi anticipates using WearAir’s technology for its OEM customers and distributors for portable oxygen concentrators in the…
Shared Services Healthcare Inc. recently recognized Standard Register with its Top Medical Surgical Vendor for 2005 award. Shared Services Healthcare, an affiliate of MedAssets, is a group-purchasing organization composed of health care institutions in the southeast United States. The recognition…
Statit Software Inc. recently released Performance Indicator & Management Dashboard (piMD), a new approach to measurement and analysis for the heath care industry. Statit reports that a review of current software options for health care executives revealed a need for a system that would enable…
Time is arguably one of the most precious and least quantified resources that organizations possess. It’s a uniquely intangible, yet indispensable, feature of any process or activity. Things occur over a span of time. It’s an indisputable characteristic of our universe and is so self-evident that…
Automotive-industry groups around the world will be able collaborate and communicate more easily with a recently released strategic memorandum of understanding. The Automotive Industry Action Group (AIAG) and Standards for Technology in Automotive Retail (STAR) jointly signed the memorandum with…
