All Features
James Glover
Your facility has detailed standard operating procedures (SOPs), ISO certifications, and quality management systems that would impress any auditor. But operators still skip calibration checks when production is behind, modify machine settings without authorization during shift changes, and forget…
Nimax
The global coding- and marking-equipment market is on a clear growth path. As shown in a recent Grand View Research report, the market was worth $17,528 million worldwide by the end of 2024.
Furthermore, GVR’s projections estimate its value will reach $24,927 million by 2030, with a significant 6.…
David Matalon
The term return to office (RTO) has dominated headlines for the past year. But despite the noise, data tell a different story: Full-time office life isn’t coming back—at least not in the same way.
According to 2025 research, 85% of organizations now stipulate an attendance policy, but only 37%…
Adam Grabowski
To stay profitable as a manufacturer, you have to run a tight ship. I’ve been lucky enough to visit with owners and key people at thousands of manufacturers all over the world. My main goal during these visits is to listen and learn what makes them so good at what they do.
It turns out that the…
Curtis Lynn
I’ve worked in manufacturing procurement for just over 25 years. In that time, I’ve learned one thing above all else—precision is the backbone of quality. Every product we make, every part we produce, and every component we measure relies on measuring tool accuracy. If measurements are off, quality…
Gleb Tsipursky
Reshaping industries, automating routine tasks, and unlocking new realms of creativity—welcome to the world of generative artificial intelligence (gen AI).
However, the technology’s potential can only be fully realized when employees actively engage in learning how to use it effectively.…
Paul Hanaphy
When components leak, sizing them up for repairs can be extremely difficult. This isn’t just due to distance and locale—many are underground or underwater—but also safety issues. If components carry hazardous substances, manual measurement is inherently riskier than noncontact alternatives.…
Akhilesh Gulati
Meritocracy—the idea that individuals should advance based on their talent and hard work—appeals to our sense of fairness. However, despite its noble intentions, meritocracy often fails in practice.
Emilio J. Castilla’s The Meritocracy Paradox (Columbia University Press, 2025) highlights how…
Chip Bell
One hour after takeoff from London’s Heathrow Airport on an intercontinental flight to the U.S., the pilot announced the aircraft was returning, “because my windshield just shattered.” After gasps from passengers, he calmly announced there was no danger, but there would be a long delay to secure…
Jeff Dewar
I’m thrilled to announce something we’ve been working on for a year and a half—a project that took us 30,000 miles across America and into the heart of industries that most people never see. On Nov. 12, 2025, Quality Digest will premiere the first episode of The Quality Digest Roadshow, a 12-…
Kate Zabriskie
When most people think about work, fun probably isn’t the first word that comes to mind. Deadlines, meetings, and spreadsheets? Sure. But laughter, camaraderie, and a little silliness? That often feels like a luxury, not a priority.
Here’s the truth: Fun at work isn’t just about blowing off steam…
Mike King
Change is inevitable in manufacturing. Controlling change effectively distinguishes industry leaders from quality-deficient, recall-plagued, and regulatory-troubled companies. As organizations are increasingly pressured to reduce costs while maintaining high levels of product quality, the drive to…
Dirk Dusharme @ Quality Digest
Literally, everything that surrounds us has been measured—and I do mean literally. Look around you: Your desk, your chair, your pen, your pencil, the lead in the pencil, the paint on the pencil, the gas in your stove, the stove itself—it’s all been measured. The color of your orange juice, the…
Chris Kuntz
What once seemed like the future of work is fast becoming present-time reality on factory floors worldwide as artificial intelligence (AI) evolves from experimental technology to practical tools that directly affect daily operations. While algorithms can predict when a bearing will fail or when a…
Creaform
In motorsport, performance isn’t defined by a single factor. It’s the sum of countless details, each playing a decisive role when pushing speeds up to 200 mph (320 km/h). From how a driver sits in the car to how the bodywork complies with strict regulations, accuracy can mean the difference between…
Rajas Sukthankar
Simply put, we live in a digital world—both in our personal lives and on the job. In manufacturing, challenges abound. Customization, fast-changing business and technology environments, and workforce and talent-pool concerns combine to present challenges for manufacturers of all types.
Among…
Stephanie Ojeda
When organizations implement an enterprise quality management system (EQMS), the instinct is often to begin with high-visibility processes like corrective and preventive action (CAPA) or supplier quality. While these functions are critical, starting there can be a misstep. Without the right…
William A. Levinson
My June 2025 article, “How to Avoid FDA Warning Letters,” points out that inadequate corrective and preventive action (CAPA) is a major reason for warning letters, and also introduces the role of failure mode effects analysis (FMEA) in preventing trouble in the first place. The U.S. Food and Drug…
Mike Figliuolo
I had a great conversation with a friend of mine. He was bemoaning the fact that his company was almost completely dependent on one huge customer. He saw the inherent risks in that relationship but confessed that his organization had a bad habit it couldn’t kick. It had succumbed to the addiction…
Alex de Vigan
D uring the past decade, manufacturers have wired their plants with sensors, robots, and software. Yet many “AI-driven” systems still miss the mark. They analyze numbers but fail to understand the physical reality behind them: the parts, spaces, and movements that make up production itself.
“…
Harish Jose
In this article I want to explore an observation on how we make distinctions and what this reveals about the structure of our thinking. I’m inspired by the ideas in George Spencer-Brown’s Laws of Form and broader themes in cybernetics about how observers construct meaning.
The starting point is…
Lexi Sharkov
We’d be willing to bet your key collaborators aren’t all in the same building. Your team members, contract partners, clients, and suppliers are likely scattered across the globe. That makes collecting physical, “wet ink” signatures nearly impossible and turns digital approvals into a daily…
James J. Kline
The use of artificial intelligence (AI) models, specifically generative AI, is growing. This has raised concerns about the effects on jobs in various professions. The quality profession is among them.
Like it or not, the quality profession has been disrupted. This occurred before AI became widely…
Cassondra Blasioli
Growing up in Pittsfield, Massachusetts, I witnessed firsthand the heartbeat of American manufacturing. I remember the hum of machines, the rhythm of assembly lines, and the pride of workers crafting products that powered industries across the nation. I can still smell the oil and hear the machines…
Andrew Iams
I grew up outside Pittsburgh, widely known as “Steel City.” Although the city is no longer the center of steel or heavy manufacturing in America, its past remains a proud part of its identity.
Like many Pittsburghers, my family’s story is tied to this industrial legacy. My relatives immigrated…