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National Technical Systems Inc., an engineering services provider, recently acquired Dynamic Labs, an environmental testing laboratory. The acquisition marks the growth trend that NTS has established in the past few years, company officials report. Dynamic Labs operates facilities in Phoenix…
The implementation of Six Sigma at Decatur Memorial Hospital has saved millions of dollars and dramatically improved patient satisfaction. The hospital reports that 10 months after it installed patient-safety technology software from Omnicell Inc., it was more than $2 million under budget in its…
The International Organization for Standardization’s Committee on Consumer Policy (COPOLCO) and Committee on Developing Country matters (DEVCO) will hold a seminar on improving consumer participation in standards development. The event, hosted by the Botswana Bureau of Standards, will be…
The American Board of Quality Assurance and Utilization Review Physicians Inc. will host its 29th-annual Health Care Quality and Patient Safety Conference this fall in Rosemont, Illinois. “Does Quality Pay?” will feature a thorough examination of the effects of quality-assurance programs…
The International Organization for Standardization reports an 18-percent increase in the number of international registrations issued for ISO 9001 in its annual “ISO Survey of Certifications.” The survey is ISO’s main barometer for measuring international use and compliance with its…
Chad Kymal recently received the Quality Professional of the Year award from the American Society for Quality. Kymal is CEO of Omnex Inc. and a contributor to Quality Digest. He was recognized for his long-term commitment and contributions to the quality industry. The award was presented…
The 2006 Safe Quality Food Institute Conference will promote discussions on the learning successes of the SQF Food Safety Certification Program and its global effects. The event will comprise sessions on global food safety certification, becoming an SQF expert or auditor, the value of…
The 2006 Automation Fair will present industry leaders’ success stories Oct. 25–26 in Baltimore. The event focuses on value-added services and solutions, integrated control and information architecture, and advanced automation products. In addition, experts will host forums to provide a…
The July Conference Board Consumer Confidence Index was 106.5, up 1.1 from the assessment performed in June.“Consumer confidence continues to hold steady, with the prognosis little changed from last month,” says Lynn Franco, director of The Conference Board Consumer Research Center. The…
A Team Leader’s Guide to Kaizen Events , a new guide from Breakthrough Management Press serves as an armchair coach for those who are leading lean kaizen events within their organization,” says Neil DeCarlo, Breakthrough Management Group’s vice president of publishing. The guide includes…
Representatives from companies such as The Ritz-Carlton, Accident Fund, Raytheon, Sonoco and DuPont will present winning tactics and case studies to business executives Sept. 20–22 in St. Louis. “Unleashing Business Success Through Breakthroughs in Lean Sigma and Quality” will include…
Delcam, a supplier of machining software, recently acquired International Manufacturing Computer Services Inc., the developer of the PartMaker suite of computer-aided manufacturing (CAM) software. The IMCS catalog includes PartMaker SwissCAM and PartMaker Turn-Mill for the programming…
Olympus Micro-Imaging’s LEXT OLS3000-IR microscope was recently named the top quality assurance tool at the sixth annual Advanced Packaging Awards ceremony in San Francisco. The ceremony was part of SEMICON West 2006, a semiconductor industry trade show. The LEXT-IR offers near-infrared…
RABQSA recently achieved a presence in Mexico through the offices of Perry Johnson Registers Inc. RABQSA reports that PJR’s existing client base and connections offer both companies opportunities for expansion in Mexico. Located in Mexico City, PJR will provide direct support and access…
The Automotive Industry Action Group and Odette International Ltd. have updated their joint global Materials Management Operations Guideline/Logistics Evaluation based on feedback from users. The guide is a continuous improvement and self-assessment tool. It’s aligned with ISO/TS 16949 to…
In recent meetings with legislators in Washington, D.C., representatives of the American Society for Quality offered quality expertise in support of President Bush’s American Competitiveness Initiative and health care issues that are currently before Congress. The meetings have focused…
Lean Six Sigma Summit West 2006 will be held Sept. 26-29 at The Venetian in Las Vegas. The event, hosted by Six Sigma IQ, will feature nine detailed tracks and presentations from leading organizations using lean Six Sigma, such as Bank of America, DuPont and GE Plastics. Track topics…
The American Society for Quality will host its Six Sigma Forum Roundtable Sept. 14–15 in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. To maximize one-on-one discussion time with other attendees and presenters, and for more networking opportunities, registration is limited to 150 people. The event will feature in-…
The Confederation of Indian Industry estimates that the Tamil Nadu region of India—that country’s automotive manufacturing hub—will generate as many as 500,000 new jobs in the next decade. This can’t be good news for the U.S.-based automotive manufacturing industry, which is forecast to…
A new book takes issue with the Sloan management model, arguing that its widespread use in American industry is a major reason why U.S. manufacturers are struggling in the leaner global economy. Rebirth of American Industry, by William H. Waddell and Norman Bodek, outlines the core…
In his new book Sales and Marketing the Six Sigma Way (Kaplan Publishing, 2006), author Michael J. Webb takes readers into companies like Standard Register, ServiceMaster, Hong Kong Shanghai Bank, Motorola and others to show how they doubled revenues and cut sales costs by rethinking…
Authorized generic drugs can lead to lower medicine prices and overall savings to the health care system, according to a new study commissioned by the Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America and prepared by IMS Consulting. An authorized generic is a drug that is distributed by…
Boston Centerless Inc. has been named a 2006 Silver Medal recipient in the Northeast Shingo Prize for Excellence in Manufacturing contest.Referred to as the “Nobel Prize of Manufacturing” by Business Week magazine, the Shingo Prize is recognized as a premier manufacturing award and…
An International Organization for Standardization subcommittee has called for the development of a standard that would identify, assess, eliminate or reduce the risks associated with consumer products in the supply chain. According to the Consumer Policy Committee (COPOLCO), rapid changes…
The National Committee for Quality Assurance recently called for better public information about consumer-directed health plans (CDHPs) and other forms of insurance. The white paper "Protecting Consumers in an Evolving Health Insurance Market" also examines the rapid growth in enrollment…
