The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recently published new guidance on conducting clinical trials with decentralized elements. It offers recommendations for sponsors, investigators, CROs, and other parties that are interested in implementing decentralized clinical trials. By issuing this…

From small family-run companies to tech giants, the business world is changing at an unrelenting pace. Amid a constantly evolving economic landscape and sometimes dizzying technological advances, one thing remains constant: the need to maintain the highest level of quality. Whether manufacturing a…

In a competitive manufacturing industry, meeting high standards is crucial to quality, sustainability, and safety. While it can be challenging to earn customer trust and establish a positive brand reputation, third-party certifications to standards such as IATF 16949: Automotive Quality Management…

Managers are commonly fed a diet of report-card data. These data have usually been aggregated into summaries, averages, and totals to characterize the big picture. As useful as such summaries can be, they can also be an obstacle to an effective analysis. Here, we’ll learn how to avoid this obstacle…

Businesses are always searching for methods to improve supply chain operations and increase customer satisfaction in today’s smart business world. Leveraging third-party logistics (3PL) providers is one of the most effective strategies for enhancing customer satisfaction and supply chain efficiency…

Whether you’re a small machine shop or a large multimillion-dollar manufacturing giant, there’s no doubt you use dimensional gauges to maintain the standards for quality in your production. The accuracy of these dimensional measuring instruments must be periodically checked to ensure that they’re…

Limble CMMS has recently been recognized by Research.com, a reputable academic research platform, for its exceptional performance in the field of computerized maintenance management systems (CMMS). In its detailed review, Research.com names Limble as one of the top CMMS software solutions,…

At the heart of the energy transition is a metal transition. Wind farms, solar panels, and electric cars require many times more copper, zinc, and nickel than their gas-powered alternatives. They also require more exotic metals with unique properties, known as rare earth elements, which are…

We’re constantly seeking ways to both improve our business but save money at the same time. That can lead to the dangerous dynamic of “I’ll do it myself.” Doing more with less can turn us into idiots. Our hubris and arrogance puts our idiocy into action. Sorry—I got a little ranty right out of the…

Thanksgiving dinner: the annual marathon of kitchen chaos, time crunches, and the occasional family squabble over cranberry sauce. For many, it’s the ultimate test of culinary coordination. But the truth is, organizing this feast has more in common with a modern production line than one might…

In recent months, headlines have proclaimed that companies like Amazon are demanding that employees return to the office in droves, signaling the end of the flexible work era. However, contrary to these attention-grabbing headlines, reliable and objective data from sources like the U.S. Bureau of…

Manufacturing is critical to our way of life. Without it, we wouldn’t have the supplies, food, clothing, electronics, and other things we use every day. However, manufacturing also produces waste that often ends up in landfills or oceans.  Looking at natural ecosystems provides a different…

The clock is ticking. Our planet is heating up, and with every passing day the stakes rise. Wildfires, floods, and storms are no longer distant headlines; they’re unfolding right on our doorstep. Humanity stands at a crucial turning point. But amidst the climate crisis, a powerful ally emerges from…

Construction is an asset-intensive industry. Companies depend on building equipment, power tools, construction vehicles, and all heavy machinery for essential functions like excavation, construction, and demolition. This equipment must always be kept in safe, proper, and optimal working order so…

Data breaches and cyberattacks are things that small to medium-size manufacturers think won’t happen to them. Yet, according to the Verizon 2023 Data Breach Investigations Report, 43% of all cyberattacks are conducted against small businesses. If that doesn’t grab your attention, consider this…

Leadership happens in groups, as does most work. Without followers, who and what are we leading? Given that, leaders must understand what groups need if they want to maximize performance. Although most leaders should be familiar with executive coaching on an individual basis, they might know less…

At a time when Americans already owe more than $1.6 trillion in student loans, and the cost of college continues to rise, some young people are defying the traditional route of a four-year degree. Established professionals looking for a career change aren’t necessarily going back to college.…

I recently went to Kings Island amusement park with the kids. Beyond experiencing the thrill of $9 sodas and wicked awesome roller coasters, I learned a few things about professional development while I was there. Some of you love roller coasters, and some of you hate them. I used to hate them,…

Time: We all have a sense of it, an innate feel for it. We see it and use it every day. If you’re like me, the first thing you do in the morning is check the time on your phone to see if you need to get out of bed or if you can close your eyes and catch a few more z’s. Once you’re up and moving,…

An engineer once told me, “I work on project teams that have an average half-life of two weeks, implementing solutions with an average half-life of two weeks.” Time after time, and in place after place, our improvement efforts often fall short of expectations and fade away. In this article, I will…

Large language models can do impressive things, like write poetry or generate viable computer programs, even though these models are trained to predict words that come next in a piece of text. Such surprising capabilities can make it seem like the models are implicitly learning general truths…

Even before Shamir Maldonado-Rivera graduated from the University of Puerto Rico in 2019 with an applied physics degree, she had already picked out her dream job working with semiconductors. The only problem was that she lacked the hands-on experience. Her university studies hadn’t given Maldonado…

In the process of aerosol filling, precision and safety are crucial, given the complex nature of handling pressurized products and ensuring quality control at every stage. Traditionally, robots have been employed to automate several parts of production. But the introduction of collaborative robots…

The opening line on the Systematic QMS website is “Welcome to Systematic Quality Management Systems Inc. Where Service Is Our Passion!”  The warm tone and promise to provide excellent, tailored customer service while delivering a very technical cloud-based quality management system is refreshing…

In today’s market, it seems like all 3D scanners have similar specifications, as if manufacturers look at their competitors’ data and use the same numbers. Data sheets, marketing videos, and even product appearances all look comparable, making it difficult to distinguish quality based on technical…