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Quality Digest
Metrology experts from around the globe will gather at the 22nd-annual Coordinate Metrology Systems Conference from July 17–21, 2006, at the Doubletree Hotel in Orlando, Florida. CMSC is the only North American conference dedicated solely to those responsible for on-the-factory-floor…
Quality Digest
Equipment Reliability Institute will host a training program for vibration and shock test fixture design on Nov. 14–16 in Las Vegas. The course is for test engineers in laboratories that perform vibration and shock tests in a variety of sectors. Steve Brenner, who has many years of experience…
Quality Digest
Cascade Microtech Inc. recently received Electronic Products’ Product of the Year award for its L-Series Microfluidics Metrology System. The editors of the periodical evaluated thousands of products launched in 2005 on their innovation of design, the significance of their advancement in…
Equipment Reliability Institute will host a training program for vibration and shock test fixture design on Nov. 14–16 in Las Vegas. The course is for test engineers in laboratories that perform vibration and shock tests in a variety of sectors. Steve Brenner, who has many years of experience…
Frank Powell
Machine tool and manufacturing system builders have been producing increasingly intelligent equipment for more than 50 years, and today’s computer numeric controlled (CNC) machines and systems are marvels of technology. However, they still need intensive human supervision and…
Quality Digest
Davis Inotek Calibration Laboratory recently acquired Precision Metrology Inc. The acquisition of PMI, which is based in San Diego, will allow Davis Inotek to expand its ability to provide instrument calibration for manufacturers in Southern California and Mexico. This is the Davis Inotek’s…
Quality Digest
The National Institute of Standards and Technology recently issued the first set of standard reference materials (SRM) in a planned series for the assessment of botanical dietary supplements. The dietary supplement industry has exploded in the past decade to about 29,000 products, with about…
Quality Digest
The American National Standards Institute recently launched a tracking system to record the implementation of the United States Standards Strategy. Published in December, the USSS establishes a framework that can be used to advance trade issues in the global marketplace, enhance consumer…
Quality Digest
The National Institute of Standards and Technology is soliciting public comment on proposed changes to a standard to protect and verify the integrity of electronic data. “Federal Information Processing Standard (FIPS) 186-3-Digital Signature Standard” (DSS) would be used by federal…
Quality Digest
The International Organization for Standardization recently published a new standard for tire-pressure early warning devices. ISO 21750:2006, “Road vehicles—Safety enhancements in conjunction with the tyre inflation pressure monitoring,” establishes overall performance guidelines for…
Denise Robitaille
As an auditor, I have a hard time maintaining my composure when individuals tell me they’re unhappy with their registrar and yet have taken no action to address the matter. If clients are dissatisfied with the conduct of an auditor or service they’re getting from their certification…
Quality Digest
Dozens of the United States’ largest consumer groups and employers recently endorsed new standards released by the National Committee for Quality Assurance. The standards address how health plans assess the quality and efficiency of the care provided by their contracting physicians and…
Quality Digest
March 17 marked the first anniversary of the formation of the Quality Managers Club, a growing group of Uzbek quality professionals. The group was formed by TUV Academy and several consulting companies in Uzbekistan, which realized Uzbekistan’s potential to make headway in international…
Quality Digest
A study that examined consumer feedback from 17 airlines found the best-performing airlines were low-fare carriers. For the third consecutive year, Jet Blue Airways was ranked as the best-performing airline in the 2005 Airline Quality Rating (AQR) study. Following Jet Blue in the top five of…
Quality Digest
The Qingpu district of Shanghai recently commissioned the Shanghai Association for Quality to perform a public satisfaction survey on the quality of service the local government provides. The survey will be performed by SAQ’s Customer Evaluation Center, and the results of the poll will…
Quality Digest
A recently released book uses lean principles to illustrate how to improve the value chains of various industries. Improving the Extended Value Stream: Lean for the Entire Supply Chain, (Productivity Press, 2006), by Darren Dolcemascolo, demonstrates the use of lean principles in the…
Denis Leonard
I developed and validated quality management diagnostic profiles through research conducted on 77 companies. These profiles are just one in a suite of strategic and dynamic tools that recognize that quality management is dynamic, complex in nature and can’t be easily represented in a sequential or…
Quality Digest
MagnaChip Semiconductor recently announced the launch of its Six Sigma management system designed to improve product quality, save money and enhance its business profile. The program started March 21 at the company’s headquarters in Cheongju, Korea. The initiative focuses on MagnaChip’s…
Quality Digest
Rath & Strong recently published a new, easy-to-carry guide to lean implementations. Rath & Strong’s Lean Pocket Guide (Charlene Adair, Rath & Strong, 2006) includes concise, easily accessible, practical instruction for understanding lean and implementing improvement projects.…
Quality Digest
The American Society for Quality recently awarded Milwaukee County a $5,000 grant to implement a pilot Six Sigma program. The grant was provided through ASQ’s Community Good Works Program, which provides money and expertise to nonprofit organizations that want to improve their…
Quality Digest
New software developed by Breakthrough Management Group Inc. and Raptor International promises to simplify the tedious process of data-set analysis. Already in use in South Africa and Australia, where it was developed, RapAnalyst uses advanced artificial intelligence techniques to identify…
Praveen Gupta
I’ve been reading about the 1.5 sigma shift for some time. Several different interpretations have been published and people are losing sleep over this matter. Some have even driven a stake into the ground to fervidly defend their position. My intent in writing this column is to simplify…
Quality Digest
In today’s competitive marketplace, the flow of goods and services to customers must not be hindered by avoidable obstacles such as downtime. To stay on top, managers must implement strategies that keep operations performing at top condition. These issues are the focus of the second…
Quality Digest
A poll performed by the American Society for Quality found that while 96 percent of respondents indicated that their companies’ corporate stance toward social responsibility will greatly affect the United States’ economic future, more than 40 percent of them don’t have a social…
Thomas R. Cutler
Kanban, e-kanban and digital kanban aren’t the same. Kanban is a Japanese term that means "signal." It’s one of the primary tools of just-in-time (JIT) systems. It signals a cycle of replenishment for production and materials, and it should maintain an orderly and efficient flow of materials…
