I’m presently working with a former auditee, now a friend, on a consultancy project, the aim of which is to establish a management system for a service provider.

Science television shows are the main reason we have cable TV in my house. We recently saw a show in which researchers recorded dolphin squeaks to determine whether their sounds are a real language.

I have seen organizational lean or lean Six Sigma job requirements stating that any level of certification from almost any institution is acceptable, at least according to the recruiter. But guess what?

Engineering and advanced manufacturing technology are critical to motor sports. The power to control part design and manufacture in-house has a direct affect on race day.

Within a process improvement or quality program, training activities are critical to building organizational capability and typically represent the highest expense category.  And yet the training process often receives little formal scrutiny.

Manufacturers love to hear the word “in control” when talking about processes.

Effective leaders manage by keeping their finger on the pulse of their employees’ key activities.

Editor's note: This is part one of a two-part series. In part two, former manufacturing managers will offer tips and best practices on how to transition from manufacturing to consulting.

So, we have a process improvement program installed. Our people are trained or are getting trained. We have a list of prioritized improvement efforts, and we are attacking that list concertedly. We are tracking our improvement benefits, and the numbers are good.

Using a novel method of integrating video technology and familiar control devices, a research team from the Georgia Institute of Technology is developing a technique to simplify remote control of robotic devices.