All Features
Robin Speculand
Strategy execution is still a relatively new topic in business, and leaders struggle with how to do it. They face many execution challenges, and the top one is communicating the strategy. If you understand the most common pitfalls in communication, you can avoid them.
What are your preferences…
Alexa Sussman
Sponsored Content
There are so many processes that make up quality management. It’s easy to get overwhelmed by the choices or put focus on processes that aren’t essential. However, there are some processes that are crucial to having efficient operations and maintaining compliance.
We’ve put…
Steven Brand
Smart manufacturing trends in 2017 indicate that a radical transformation in the manufacturing sector is taking place. In a report by global market research firm BCC Research, the global market for smart manufacturing is expected to grow from $159 billion in 2015 to $392 billion by 2020 at a…
Lolly Daskal
Have you ever worked with a boss who made everything so urgent that you never knew what was truly important? If so, you probably haven’t forgotten how frustrating it is to be unable to prioritize.
Or you may have worked for someone who required an immediate response for every little request,…
Kelly Graves
In my career as a business consultant, I’ve helped dozens of companies surface quality issues, develop managers as well as employees, build better trust and communication, transition ownership from one generation to the next, and unleash new levels of financial performance.
I’ve worked with…
Jorge A. Correa
Sponsored Content
To be competitive on both a national and a global level, organizations must adopt a forward-thinking approach in developing their management strategies. One of the foundations of a successful strategy is the management system, which may be well-defined and documented, or consist…
Tim Lozier
Enterprise software solutions have become commonplace, and in many organizations, quality management systems (QMS) are a strategic priority.
This article will cover five things that you can build into your QMS that will enhance your ability to extend quality to the rest of the organization. It…
Mike Richman
During last Friday’s episode of QDL, we examined the potential of quality thinking to improve outcomes for people’s health, manufacturing, and workplace efficiency. Let’s take a look:
“World Toilet Day” ISO truly has a standard (or at least a standard in development) for everything. World Toilet…
Kevin Meyer
A mindful leader has awakened to his true meaning, purpose, and values. Hopefully, those values align with a strong sense of integrity, character, passion, and people-centered leadership. The authentic leader takes these values and overtly leads with them.
The people surrounding and working for an…
Ian Woodward
High altitudes hold a special place in the history of human achievement. We remember Sir Edmund Hillary and Nepalese sherpa Tenzing Norgay as the first climbers to reach the summit of Mount Everest. Other altitude pioneers include Russian cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin, the first human to fly in outer…
Mike Richman
Look around, and you’ll find several great quotes about the act of organizing and preparation. Five-star general and U.S. President Dwight D. Eisenhower said, “Plans are useless, but planning is indispensable.” Some nameless wag (likely an insurance salesperson) noted the wisdom that “A man doesn’…
Genevieve Shaker, Robert Christensen
Has your boss ever asked you to donate to the United Way? Has a co-worker approached you about giving to the Red Cross? Does your employer encourage giving to nonprofits, or does it match your charitable donations?
Whether they’re responding to emergency requests for disaster relief or making…
Gwendolyn Galsworth
We are fast approaching the time when companies realize and are ready to accept the astonishing power of empowering people, and the remarkable changes that can result. Yes, people as a resource for ideas is at the core of a transformed work culture and incalculable financial benefits—as long as…
Knowledge at Wharton
The mere mention of keeping up with overflowing email, constant meetings, and time-sucking conference calls makes many of us groan and roll our eyes. How did we all get so busy? A major culprit is the sharp rise in cross-functional collaboration over the past several years.
Today, it’s often not…
Tonianne DeMaria
Lean says: Manage flow. Your brain says: My work isn’t linear. My day is filled with interruptions, and so I don’t have the “luxury” of flow. What’s at play here: functional fixedness.
If there is one area where there’s not an obvious transfer of lean principles from manufacturing to knowledge…
Jon Speer
What exactly is a risk-based quality management system (QMS)? This is a timely topic to get into. In 2016, ISO 13485—“Medical devices”—“Quality management systems” was updated, and one of the key concepts presented is the idea of a risk-based QMS.
Historically, regulations have almost exclusively…
Minter Dial, Caleb Storkey
The onslaught of disruptive technologies has resulted in business and operating models being turned upside-down. This requires a shift in mindset. Invariably, change is difficult. We are all creatures of habit and subject to long-standing attitudes. Those of you who have been in business a long…
Annette Franz
When you think of the phrase “inside-out” relative to the customer experience, you probably cringe. This is not a phrase that customer experience professionals take lightly.
“Inside-out” means companies focus on processes that are designed and implemented based on internal thinking and intuition…
Eric Stoop
According to Harvard Business Review, less than half of employees say their organization exhibits a culture of quality. And while the benefits of a quality culture are huge—think hundreds of millions in savings—getting there doesn’t happen overnight.
Instead, it requires sustainable habits that…
Jesse Lyn Stoner
It’s quite frustrating to be not heard when you speak up, and unfortunately, it’s more common than you might think.
Speaking up in a group setting is one of the biggest challenges many people face. You have some valuable information and opinions to share, but no one listens to you. It can be hard…
Dirk Dusharme @ Quality Digest
Our Nov. 17, 2017, episode of QDL looked at factories controlled by large-volume 3D metrology, the value (or not) of four-year degrees, and creepy Christmas.
“Developing the Light-Controlled Factory”
A UK development project directed by the University of Bath and supported by University College…
Davis Balestracci
During the early 1990s, I was president of the Twin Cities Deming Forum. I had a wonderful board to work with, one of whom was Doug Augustine, our self-appointed provocateur. Doug was a 71-year-old retired Lutheran minister, and we all loved him because he always pulled us right back to earth with…
Stephanie Scotti
Author and business-innovation expert Melissa Kennedy recently completed a feat that would make many shudder: She gave 29 business presentations in a period of 30 days. Whew! That’s a monumental challenge, but as you might guess, one that yielded phenomenal results.
Business leaders are often…
Elliot Begoun
This interview was first published just days after the announced acquisition of RXBAR by Kellogg’s for $600 million. It’s illustrative of the awesome potential created when good products, good people, and unmet demand collide.
Peter Rahal, co-founder and CEO of RXBAR, started the company with his…
Ryan E. Day
Sponsored Content
Headquartered in Algona, Washington, Dynacraft is a diversified global manufacturer of PACCAR medium and heavy-duty truck parts sold under the Kenworth, Peterbilt, and DAF nameplates. For more than 40 years, Dynacraft has provided the company’s truck manufacturing divisions and…
