Need help choosing a New Year’s resolution? The University at Buffalo (UB) offers its annual list of 10 suggestions for achieving health, happiness, and success in the new year. Each resolution is based on the work of UB faculty in 2011.

Chief quality officers (CQO) are particularly well placed to lead a major transformational effort. Yet, few do so successfully in spite of having a vested role in operational improvement and having input into what the organization measures and monitors.

The next 12 months will see a greater focus than ever before on the quality of customer experience permeating strategies, systems, applications, and initiatives.

I was less than two minutes into my sales presentation when the business owner sitting behind his desk gruffly said, “Get out of here.” I figured someone must have walked into his office, and he didn’t want us to be interrupted.

As a frequent columnist for Quality Digest Daily and several other publications, I have learned that there are certain topics that are out of bounds.

’Twas the night before Christmas, and all through the shop
Santa’s quality manager feared that all production would stop
The FMEA showed high risk, nonconformances were a fright

Lean Six Sigma has proven itself as an effective strategy for business success in both private and public sectors. The methodology has helped enterprise leaders recognize business processes as engines that drive performance excellence and help to deliver value.

A traveler attempting to book a ticket by phone became frustrated after choosing from a menu of endless options, then waiting on hold for 20 minutes before eventually being transferred twice—the second time to a dial tone.

The holiday season is like a magnifying glass that enlarges both the best and the worst in us. This time of year induces joy, caring, and generosity, but it can also magnify stress, anxiety, and heighten conflict at home and in the office.

It sometimes seems that few people can accurately define risk management, let alone apply it in their organization. Yet, a risk management plan can help an organization identify and correct hazards and substandard work practices before bad things happen.