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(Quality Digest: Chico, CA) -- Here is your chance to listen to and learn from someone who helped develop, improve, and expand Toyota’s production system!
This is a rare opportunity to learn genba kaizen from Chihiro Nakao at the 2017 Shingijutsu Super Kaizen, held May 1–5, 2017, on site at…
(Metrologic: Wixom, MI) -- Metrologic Group, the leading provider of universal 3D metrology software solutions, is launching its Version 7 built on the latest X4 architecture. This version includes enhanced new capabilities and performance improvements that further set apart its universal 3D…
While the fallout of the United Kingdom’s decision to exit the European Union has sent shockwaves throughout the political and economic world, Brexit is merely a footnote in the global supply chain risk story. According to the latest risk index from the Chartered Institute of Procurement &…
Like it or not, the Medicare Access and CHIP Reauthorization Act of 2015 (MACRA) is here. MACRA created the new Quality Payment Program, comprised of two pathways to higher quality: the Merit-Based Incentive Payment System (MIPS) and the Advanced Alternative Payment Models (Advanced APMs). MACRA…
Jane is an amazing photographer, but her family feels her photography skills aren’t going to help her earn a living. Consequently, she was offered a job in her sister-in-law Kerry’s company calling clients to collect on invoices. After several months, both Jane and Kerry realized they’d had enough…
(NSF International: Ann Arbor, MI) -- NSF International and ISMS Solutions are expanding their partnership to help organizations successfully attain the requirements of multiple information security standards through a single service. This partnership offers organizations full-service information…
Do you know what it takes to stay ahead of the competition? Is that one of your business goals? Recently I was interviewed by someone for an article she was writing, and one of the questions was about competition and the best ways to research the competition. Other questions on the topic revolved…
When the circus ringmaster wails, “...and children of all ages,” he is speaking to me. I love the circus. When it came to my rural hometown when I was a boy, it was an all-consuming experience that embedded “circus” in my heart before it appeared and well beyond its departure.
Long before the…
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Although efforts have been made to create policies that support a bias-free workplace, there is still a considerable way to go toward achieving the gender equality that organizations are striving for. Due in part to a lack of clear measurement and transparency, many companies and…
The first QDL episode of February was filled to the brim with timely news items, thought-provoking articles, and a great interview with Pam Bethune of DEKRA, who chatted with us about the meaning of “context of the organization” within ISO 9001:2015.
In case you missed it, on the show we took a…
Good measurements are like apple pie and motherhood. Who could ever be against having good measurements? Since we all want good measurements, it sounds reasonable when people are told to check out the quality of their measurement system before putting their data on a process behavior chart.…
In case you missed it, last week’s Quality Digest Live contained some great articles and discussion between myself and my co-host, Quality Digest publisher in chief Mike Richman. In the show, we covered:
“Manufacturing Trends to Watch in 2017”
In this run-down of technologies to watch, of…
Automakers, suppliers, and tech companies are in a flurry to transform vehicles into connected devices and distribute the content to drivers and passengers. Corning Inc.’s transformation plans include using its Gorilla Glass to turn windshields into billboards.
What better way to tout Gorilla…
Here is an article I wrote 10 years ago, recently resurrected from the lost letter file. I can’t remember why I wrote it or for whom. Originally titled, “What is Kaizen?” the article still resonates with me as I hope it will with you.
My study of TPS has been guided by book learning, tacit…
My wife, Carole, just gave me a shirt emblazoned with, “The good thing about science is that it’s true whether or not you believe in it.” It reminded me of an important phenomenon that has been lately grabbing my attention.
Oxford Dictionaries, publisher of the Oxford English Dictionary, has…
One of the newest parts of ISO 9001:2015 and related management standards are the concepts of context and interested parties. What do these mean, and how can you apply them to your organization?
What the standard says
When making sense of Clause 4.1—“Understanding the organization and its context…
Pulling out of a country is an expensive proposition for a multinational firm, but it is sometimes required for the corporate bottom line. If the host country changes laws or even expropriates a subsidiary, it is often time to leave or divest.
Divestiture—pulling out assets or closing down part…
Pulling out of a country is an expensive proposition for a multinational firm, but it is sometimes required for the corporate bottom line. If the host country changes laws or even expropriates a subsidiary, it is often time to leave or divest.
Divestiture—pulling out assets or closing down part…
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Technical and commercial media sources are constantly discussing how design safety and security has not kept pace with quickly evolving technologies. Pundits are pointing to issues with everything from self-driving cars to new holiday toys that latch on to your home Wi-Fi and…
(Deloitte: Gaithersburg, MD) -- Manufacturing USA is working. That’s the overarching conclusion of an independent study conducted by Deloitte with funding from the U.S. Department of Defense.
According to the study, the first eight advanced manufacturing institutes established between 2012 and…
(InfinityQS: Fairfax, VA) -- InfinityQS International Inc., data, technology, and manufacturing experts that create enterprise visibility and promote global transformation, has been named a finalist in the 11th annual Stevie Awards for Sales & Customer Service, and will ultimately be a Gold,…
It’s been nearly 50 years since Stanley Kubrick introduced HAL (Heuristically programmed ALgorithmic computer) in the science fiction film 2001: A Space Odyssey. What appeared to be fantastic and futuristic at the time is quickly becoming commonplace as automated services and electronic butlers…
Goal setting is powerful. No doubt about it. Research shows you are likely to perform at a higher level if you set smart goals. But how do you know what are the right goals to set?
Goals are milestones that mark the way on your journey. If you set the wrong goals, you will get sidetracked. Too…
I recently had the privilege of attending the Health Care Advisory Board’s National Meeting in St. Louis. One of the topics that really struck me was the last presentation about the importance of building a consumer-focused organization and increasing consumer loyalty.
We hear so much about the…
When we talk about supply chains, we may conjure up images of manufacturing plants, warehouses, trucks, and shipping docks. There is another, truly unique supply chain for a product vitally important to healthcare and life, and it is very volatile at the moment: the blood supply chain.
Human…
