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Quality defects in new home construction could be prevented with routine quality assurance techniques, according to a recent survey. Quality Built, a construction risk management company, surveyed data from 31,995 completed homes and condominiums across 27 U.S. states for the 12-month period…
Despite numerous technological advances and tens of billions of investment dollars that were poured into information technology, a majority of businesses don’t have access to high-quality, reliable operations and financial information, according to a new report. Conducted by CFO Research…
Analyst firm DMG Consulting recently named NICE Systems as the market leader in contact call center quality management and liability recording. DMG reports that NICE has a 32.7 percent worldwide market share, noting that the company also has large percentages of the call-center quality-…
The National Standards Authority of Ireland will host a three-day course examining the new hazardous-substance–free specification. The “Electrical and Electronics Components and Products Hazardous Substance Free Standard and Requirements” specification, commonly referred to as EIA/ECCB-954…
Quality conference organizer WCBF has issued a call for entries for the Global Six Sigma Awards, which will be awarded in June in Las Vegas. Entries are now being accepted for the following categories: Best achievement of Six Sigma in manufacturing Best achievement of Six Sigma in service…
The 2005 National Health Quality Report suggests that a push for health care quality improvement by U.S. quality improvement organizations (QIO) has been successful. The report found significant improvements in the delivery of diabetes, heart disease, respiratory, maternal and child health and…
Minitab recently began offering direct client assistance through its new statistical support services. Minitab established the service under the premise that successful quality-improvement initiatives require accurate analysis of performance data, but most companies lack the advanced…
Quality industry professionals have a new opportunity of learning the secrets of lasting success through a new book that compares Toyota Motor Co.’s fabled management practices to DNA that passes down as “genes” to its plants and managers. Inside the Mind of Toyota—Management Principles for…
The California Council for Excellence will host its 12th annual Conference & Awards Gala April 6–7 at the Hyatt Regency Irvine. The event will feature dozens of workshops and seminars, along with a host of celebrity look-alikes including Theodore Roosevelt, Joan Rivers, Groucho Marx,…
Instron Corp. is now offering on-site temperature-calibration services for a wide variety of equipment. With more than 100 field-service engineers located all over the United States, the company offers temperature, force, speed, displacement, strain, and alignment calibrations. Instron’s…
The Society of Manufacturing Engineers and the Association for Manufacturing Excellence recently made a popular book a required reading for those seeking certification as lean manufacturing experts. Lean Transformation: How to Change Your Business into a Lean Enterprise, (Oaklea…
After three years of small, steady improvement, customer satisfaction with the federal government’s services registered a slight decline in 2005, according to the American Customer Satisfaction Index. Satisfaction with government services was measured at 71.3 on the ACSI’s 100-point…
Starting this year, qualifying quality-minded nonprofit organizations will be eligible to participate in a pilot Baldrige Award program. The National Institute of Standards and Technology, which administers the Baldrige National Quality Program, will accept applications from nonprofit…
Seven books on TQM will be published and translated into Arabic, according to e-TQM College, a Dubai-based provider of online courses in total quality management. The move is an attempt to address the lack of TQM resources in the Middle East and to increase awareness of TQM in the area, while…
An upcoming conference will focus on the use of total information quality management (TIQM) to improve varied organizations’ quality and processes. The TIQM Mastery Series will be held March 6–10 at the Nashville Convention Center. It’ll feature three courses: IQ 101: IQ Principles &…
What poor-quality cars lack in performance and reliability, they can make up for with style, according to a new study.In the short term, consumers will put up with performance deficiencies if they’re satisfied with the style and appearance of new vehicles, reports A.T. Kearney, a…
A recently released, comprehensive study of patient care shows significantly improved care of patients with serious conditions. Premera Blue Cross, a Washington-based health insurer of upward of 1.3 million people, performed the study with several prominent medical groups across Washington…
The 52nd annual Reliability and Maintainability Symposium (RAMS) will be held January 23–26 in California. Reliability and maintainability have been growing beyond their traditional role of prediction to include risk management, process verification and product validation. The growth has…
Statit Software Inc. recently released Performance Indicator & Management Dashboard (piMD), a new approach to measurement and analysis for the health care industry. Statit reports that a review of current software options for health care executives revealed a need for a system that…
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) has begun formal evaluation of an application filed by TÜV Healthcare Specialists to become the first new accreditation service for U.S. hospitals in 40 years. If granted the accreditation, TÜV will not only accredit hospitals in…
Rockwell Automation will offer a series of varied educational courses starting January 2006. The courses will be offered throughout various U.S. cities and include the following: AC/DC motors and drives fundamentals Introduction to vibration technology Ethernet/IP design and configuration…
The average staffing level for full-time quality professionals is 23.8 per 1,000 employees, according to a recently released study. The figure was revealed in “Improving the Quality Function: Driving Organizational Impact & Efficiency,” performed by Best Practices LLC. The study found that…
Several police precincts of the Dubai Police Department have received registration to ISO 9001. The registration was announced by Dhahi Khalfan Tamim, commander-in-chief and lieutenant-general of the Dubai Police, at a recent Dubai Police Academy graduation ceremony. In addition, Dubai’s General…
The American Society for Quality has released a third edition of its popular The ASQ Auditing Handbook.The best-selling handbook is a comprehensive resource for professionals in the quality, environmental, safety and health-auditing industries. It’s designed to correspond to ASQ’s Certified Quality…
The Association for Operations Management (APICS) recently recognized several organizations for supply chain efficiencies, innovation and other notable successes. APICS annually recognizes successful organizations with its Corporate Awards of Excellence. The 2005 recipients are: Engenio…
