Every journey has a beginning, and mine began during a U.S. Air Force commander’s first week on the job. He called a staff meeting and told everyone that things had to change for the organization to succeed, and “lean” was the solution.

(ACSI: Ann Arbor, MI) -- Customer satisfaction with domestic automobiles has shown resilience despite an overall decline for the industry, according to a report released Aug. 17 by the American Customer Satisfaction Index (ACSI).

(Verisurf Software: Anaheim, CA) -- Verisurf Software Inc. is set to provide manufacturers with everything they need to make the transition to the 21st century and produce higher quality products in less time and at a lower cost.

I would like to share with you a story about my mom, a woman who was very insecure about her background. She grew up in a blue collar family where neither her mother nor father finished eighth grade. Mom completed high school, but only with tutoring by my father.

Kathy is the office manager for a large corporation. The great news is that the company is growing and Kathy is looking for employees to handle all the new clients. The bad news is that she has no office space for these new employees to work in.

(Strategic Vision Inc.: San Diego) -- Strategic Vision Inc. (SVI) announced results of their 2010 Total Quality Index (TQI), which shows how vehicles are judged when the “complete” experience is measured.

As many as 14.6 million Americans are unemployed, according to the U.S. Department of Labor.

(IIE: Norcross, GA) -- The Institute of Industrial Engineers (IIE), a global association of productivity and efficiency professionals, presents  the 2010 Work Measurement Conference, Sept. 13, at the Atlanta Airport Marriott Gateway Hotel in Atlanta.

I like the plan-do-check-act (PDCA) cycle for three reasons: It’s simple, it provides a pathway for teaching, and it works.