All Features
A few days ago we received an email from a friend at a machine shop. He had just finished a process capability analysis for a critical feature (a runout on a cylindrical part) and was shocked by the output. The spreadsheet software he used showed him a process capability (Cpk) of 0.39 (see figure…
Ryan E. Day
It’s a funny spot I find myself in. I’ve been very vocal within Quality Digest about the need for, and virtues of, innovation as it pertains to our company. Very vocal. So much so, that the bosses have put me in a position to cash the checks my mouth has been writing.
I’ve written about…
Alan Nicol
I’ve heard a phase several times in recent months that bothers me. I’ve heard people say, “cost of quality.” Perhaps folks using this phrase have simply, inadvertently dropped an important word, but that consideration doesn’t lessen my concern. Poor quality is often an unnecessary and unfortunate…
Knowledge at Wharton
They have been called many things: toxic, negative, dysfunctional, narcissistic, territorial, sociopathic, demotivating, vampire-like. The words describe employees—from CEOs on down to mid-level managers and their subordinates—who tear through an office, disrupting everyone’s work environment and…
Jim Frost
In part one, I looked at how personal income levels fit into the global distribution of incomes. I’d be the last person to suggest that higher income guarantees more happiness. I’ve visited a number of developing countries, and as long as peoples’ basic needs are met, they seem to be just as happy…
Jim Frost
In the United States, our Thanksgiving holiday is fast approaching. On this day, we give thanks for the good things in our lives.
For this post, I wanted to quantify how thankful we should be. Ideally, I’d quantify something truly meaningful, like happiness. Unfortunately, most countries are not…
Jack Dunigan
The department manager stepped up to the sales desk, dropped a file on it, and said to Phil the salesman, “Take care of this right now.”
“We have already discussed this customer,” Phil objected. “She has refused to comply with local zoning laws. We can’t proceed with this because she won’t do…
Russell Harley
One of the key principles of using best practices is that multiple organizations can use the same practices as a reliable way to create and implement improvement processes. The source of the practices can be external or internal.
The project management industry, for example, turns to an external…
Tab Wilkins
Last month I heard about Making in America—From Innovation to Market (The MIT Press, 2013), by Suzanne Berger and her colleagues at MIT. I’ve finished reading the book, and although I didn’t necessarily agree with all the conclusions, I’d like to offer five personal perspectives that may pique…
Robert Fangmeyer
I am sure that most of you heard the Baldrige news a couple of weeks ago. What a great day November 13 was! But this article is not only about conveying congratulations to our newest role-model Baldrige Award recipients but giving a little perspective on the events of the past month.
The meeting…
Lean Math With Mark Hamel
The WIP-to-SWIP ratio is a simple comparison of a process, line, or cell’s actual work-in-process (WIP) count vs. its standard work-in-process (SWIP) inventory. Among other things, a process’s target condition reflects the consistent execution of standardized work, including SWIP maintenance (…
Chris Carson, Lindsey Waddell, Marilyn Platt, Steve Holladay
Companies with mature management systems often feel a decrease in value and an increase in cost over time due to third-party audits. Advanced Surveillance and Recertification Procedures (ASRP) is a solution that shows demonstrated cost reductions in external audit frequency, but has also increased…
Marcy Schulte, Megan Gorden
What if you could leave work healthier than when you arrived? That question challenges what we expect from the workplace, but a reimagined workplace has the power to sustain employees not only economically but also holistically.
In the book, Wellbeing: The Five Essential Elements (Gallup Press,…
Ryan E. Day
‘We call them unscheduled (vs. surprise) audits, in that they are not part of the originally planned, annual first-party audit plan.”
“We sometimes need to have unscheduled audits, but they are normally not intended as surprise audits. The auditor may agree with the auditee on an unscheduled…
Hexagon Manufacturing Intelligence
(Hexagon Metrology: North Kingstown, RI) -- Hexagon Metrology announced today the Leica B-Probe, an entry-level, wireless probing device which extends the capability of the Leica Absolute Tracker AT402. The handheld Leica B-Probe is designed for the inspection, alignment and assembly of large scale…
Mike Figliuolo
Everyone wants a “strategy.” Everyone wants their stuff to be “strategic.” Strategic plan. Strategic facilities expansion. Strategic HR sourcing. Strategic restroom cleaning schedule. The word “strategy” is being abused so badly it needs counseling.
Wikipedia says, “A strategy is a long-term plan…
University of Michigan
Why does one person see work primarily as a means to a paycheck, while another sitting in the next cubicle expects work to provide genuine fulfillment?
In exploring the origins of adults’ work orientations, University of Michigan researchers found that the orientations of their parents play a…
Dawn Bailey
At a recent Boston University-hosted event, leading healthcare professionals pitched innovative ideas on how to solve the nation’s most pressing problems on a tight budget. Eight teams had two minutes to describe their innovation projects and their importance, as well as the project’s funding cost…
NIST
Commerce Secretary Penny Pritzker has announced that three U.S. organizations will receive the 2013 Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award, the nation's highest presidential honor for performance excellence through innovation, improvement, and visionary leadership. All of this year's winners are…
The Un-Comfort Zone With Robert Wilson
When I was studying abnormal psychology in college, I read a case study of an unusual mental illness. It was so fascinating that I thought it would be the perfect vehicle for a novel. Thus my idea for a story was born, but it would be eight years before I felt I had acquired the writing skill to…
Tim McMahon
V alue-stream mapping is a useful tool for grasping the current situation and for planning improvements. Recently, a reader who watched “The Secrets to Creating an Effective Value Stream Map” webinar asked when is it OK to skip the current-state map.
A value-stream map is a visual depiction of…
Olympus
(Olympus: Center Valley, PA) -- As an advanced micro-imaging software system designed to turn Olympus industrial microscopes into high-performance analysis tools, OLYMPUS Stream allows users to seamlessly acquire, process, and measure images, then create valuable data and reports. With the release…
Sonal Sinha
It’s been more than one year since the conflict minerals rule, Section 1502 of the 2010 Dodd-Frank Act, was adopted. With just six months left for the first compliance reporting deadline, I’m prompted to ask: How are companies doing?
According to a survey conducted in June and July 2013, by…
Quality Transformation With David Schwinn
I just finished participating in a delightful design charrette. I’m sharing this with you because design can be a very powerful tool in the Six Sigma arsenal, and this little charrette both reminded me of and taught me a few important lessons about the design process.
Lansing Community College,…
Gallup
As the cost of healthcare continues to rise, U.S. companies are grappling with how to address it most effectively. These businesses could learn a great deal from U.S. cities with the highest well-being.
The largest U.S. employers could reap about $22 billion in annual savings if their employees…
