All Features
Michael Causey
The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) hit hospitals and other healthcare delivery networks hard in the pocketbook with a wave of big fines zeroing in on security risk management issues between July and October. Is this the end of the fine tsunami? Don’t bet on it.
In the most recent…
Kyle Pheland, Belinda Jones
Change is inevitable in every organization. Planned or not, forces inside and outside the enterprise can sometimes encumber a workforce and lead to nonvalue-added processes. Growing spurts, major technology implementations, or even small supply-chain organizational projects can present more issues…
Davis Balestracci
Those of you familiar with W. Edwards Deming know that his Funnel Experiment ultimately shows that a process in control delivers the best results if left alone. Funnel Rule No. 4, also known as a “random walk”—i.e., making, doing, or building your next iteration based on the previous one—has been…
Michael A. Witt
Editor’s note: This is part two of a two-part series. Read part one here.
While globalization has benefited humanity in many ways, its continued progress is in serious doubt. As I wrote previously, the two leading political science theories, liberalism and realism, both predict that globalization…
Bruce Hamilton
While holiday shopping at one of my favorite food places, Johnson’s Popcorn, I came upon a scene reminiscent of our lean training video, Toast Kaizen. After I placed my order for 18 one-gallon buckets of caramel corn for friends and family, the Johnson’s kitchen shifted gears from mail-order sales…
Martin Green
I think curiosity is at the root of all scientific careers. That, and insecurity. In my formative years, I felt compelled to assign a rational explanation to everything. I didn’t know it then, but I was practicing to be a scientist—and having lots of fun.
I remember entertaining numerous…
InfinityQS
(InfinityQS: Fairfax, VA) -- InfinityQS, the data, technology, and manufacturing expert that create enterprises visibility and promotes global transformation, has been named to the FL100+ Top Software and Technology Providers list for the sixth consecutive year. The Manufacturing Intelligence (MI…
ETQ LLC
(EtQ: Farmingdale, NY) -- EtQ announces the addition of Life Science features in its Traqpath product. The latest update includes enhancements that will take Traqpath to the next level for Life Science customers.
Life Science features include:
• Forced Authentication: Meet the needs of 21 CFR Part…
Mark Rosenthal
One of my readers, Darren, commented with some great questions about the “Takt Time-Cycle Time” post on my blog. He wondered which system is more efficient, a fixed, rigid takt-based production line or a flexible one-piece flow?
In terms of designing a manual-based production line to meet a…
Joe Schlecht
According to the ISO/IEC Guide 99—“International vocabulary of metrology—Basic and general concepts and associated terms (VIM),” the traceability of a measurement result is demonstrated through a documented unbroken chain of calibrations, each contributing to the measurement uncertainty. This…
Harish Jose
The Forth Bridge is a famous railroad bridge in Scotland and is more than 125 years old. It needs painting to fend off rust. Albert Cherns, the late famous social scientist who founded the Department of Social Sciences at Loughborough University, identified the Forth Bridge principle as part of…
Mark Whitworth
For 17 years, ISO/TS 16949 was the leading standard for quality system requirements in the automotive industry. The technical specification was jointly developed by the International Automotive Task Force (IATF) and the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) in 1999. In October 2016…
BioCision
(BioCision: San Rafael, CA) -- BioCision LLC, a life science research and development company that standardizes basic laboratory processes, has announced the formation of MedCision Inc., an independent company focused on automation of pre-clinical and clinical processes.
“The formation of…
Last week, I planned to write about a leadership technique backed by research to improve workplace motivation, engagement, and productivity. But, given the recent political season, I found myself wondering if anything we’ve believed about leadership is true. Does humility matter? Should leaders…
NIST
Throwing a perfect strike in virtual bowling doesn’t require your gaming system to precisely track the position and orientation of your swinging arm. But if you’re operating a robotic forklift around a factory, manipulating a mechanical arm on an assembly line, or guiding a remote-controlled laser…
Chip Bell
It started out as a lackluster taxi ride from the airport to the hotel. But it turned regal and elegant the second I hailed the next taxi as I exited Charlotte Douglas Airport. The Crown Cab that pulled up was shiny and spotless. When the taxi driver raised the trunk to deposit my roller bag, I…
Jesse Lyn Stoner
Leadership is not necessarily about getting people to follow you. In fact, the test of leadership effectiveness is what happens when you’re not there. If everything depends on you and falls apart when you’re not there, obviously the effectiveness of your team is limited. You can’t be there all the…
Nikon Metrology Inc.
(Nikon Metrology: Brighton, MI) -- Nikon Metrology has released the Mk 4 XT V platform iteration that introduces key improvements to enhance user experience and system reliability changes to increase up time. XT V is a high-precision, flat-panel based X-ray inspection system that facilitates real-…
The common and recurring view of the latest breakthroughs in artificial intelligence (AI) research is that sentient and intelligent machines are just on the horizon. Machines understand verbal commands, distinguish pictures, drive cars, and play games better than we do. How much longer can it be…
OSHA
(OSHA: Washington, DC) -- The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) is extending the comment period for its proposal to revise provisions in the agency’s recordkeeping, general industry, maritime, and construction standards. Originally scheduled to expire Dec. 5, 2016, the comment…
Vijay Iyer
As the director of the structural heart team at Kaleida Health’s Gates Vascular Institute in Buffalo, New York, I perform minimally invasive, endovascular surgeries to repair structural defects of the heart. I specialize in valve replacements, clip procedures, and other structural heart treatments…
Michael A. Witt
For most of the past 25 years, globalization was seen as an unstoppable force, as sure to advance as the sun rises in the east. But increasingly, it looks more vulnerable than inexorable. Causes for concern are easy to find. For instance, the last set of World Trade Organization negotiations over…
Barbara A. Cleary
Statistics has gotten a bad rap. People love to quote Mark Twain (“There are lies, damn lies, and statistics,” alternatively attributed to Benjamin Disraeli), Vin Scully (“Statistics are used much like a drunk uses a lamppost: for support, not illumination”), or Stephen Leacock (“In ancient times…
(Creative Safety Supply: Beaverton, OR) -- An inspection from the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) might sound daunting to many businesses. The key to a smooth, violation-free OSHA inspection is preparation so people don’t find themselves in an inspection unsure of what to…
Timothy Woodcome
Sponsored Content
If your organization has yet to make the transition from ISO 9001:2008 to ISO 9001:2015, you’re not alone. It’s estimated that less than 20 percent of the more than one million organizations certified globally have made the transition to the latest version of the standard (as of…
