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We recently had dinner with a wonderful friend and colleague, Michelle Guenther. During our meal, Michelle mentioned a conversation at work when she responded to a question with, “What I believe to be true is....” She said she frequently prefaces her answers to questions with that phrase and that…
(AIAG: Southfield, MI) -- October’s upcoming release of revisions to the automotive industry’s most widely used international standard for quality management will include language on corporate ethics for the first time in its history. The standard—previously named ISO/TS 16949—is replaced by IATF…
According to well-known business executive Don Tapscott, the technological development that will most affect the way we live in the next few decades is not the newest iPhone, or flying drones, or self-driving cars. It’s something many of us may not have heard of: blockchain technology.
Blockchain…
(Fastec: San Diego, CA) -- Fastec Imaging’s IL5 high-speed 5MP camera enables you to record production lines moving at high speed for performance or quality analysis, or troubleshoot using slow-motion replay, so you can see what you’ve been missing with normal speed video.
With four models to…
(Productivity Press: Boca Raton, FL)) -- Shingo award winner and bestselling author Tom Zidel’s newest book, Rethinking Lean in Healthcare (Productivity Press, 2016) deals with hospitals’ struggle to secure and maintain financial stability. In story form, Zidel tells how the leadership team of a…
Manufacturing has changed dramatically during the past several years. Where once original equipment manufacturers made products primarily within their own four walls, now those companies must manage a complex global supply chain. In an effort to support innovation, reach new markets, and reduce…
In an age where popular technology careers are only seen as attractive if they are based in Silicon Valley or offered by the latest and greatest startup companies, the manufacturing industry must make changes to attract bright and talented Millennials. The numbers clearly illustrate this need.…
Stories are a great way to connect with your customer. They can make the ordinary product or service you’re selling extraordinary by adding richness and experience to the sale. Here’s an example of a story that turned me from an interested bystander to a pleased purchaser.
In May 2015, my wife…
The following is inspired by The Teachings of Don Juan (Washington Square Press, reprint 1985), an anthropological novel from the 1960s written by Carlos Castaneda, chronicling his travels with Don Juan, a Yaqui shaman. To crudely paraphrase, according to Don Juan, the road to knowledge is first…
Sponsored Content
If NASCAR teams had to choose a capitol city, Charlotte, North Carolina, would be the most likely. With so many teams clustered around this city and its celebrated racetrack, savvy specialty suppliers have moved to the region to help NASCAR teams build speed and reliability into…
(Focalspec: Cumming, GA) -- FocalSpec, a supplier of optical, high-precision 3D scanning sensors and solutions, has launched MicroProfiler MP900, its noncontact wire, cable, and filament surface-roughness measurement system, in North America.
The MP900 is based on FocalSpec’s patented line…
To this day, lean management has yet to enter the mainstream in business. It remains solidly on the fringe, despite great efforts by many people over many decades.
You almost never hear of lean management in the business press unless the article is written by an insider such as James P. Womack or…
The costs of global terrorism on business go beyond the destruction caused in the attacks and actually impact the value of brands and supply chains for products, new research shows. It can give a competitive edge to some companies while destroying others.
During the 15 years since the Sept. 11,…
Nearly everyone finds it tough keeping the boss happy sometimes. But what if you had a steady stream of conflicting requests and competing deadlines coming simultaneously from two bosses or more? An increasing number of workers are finding themselves reporting to multiple bosses, experts say, and…
Referring back to June’s column, I hope you’ve found C. M. Hendrix’s “ways to mess up an experiment” helpful in putting your design of experiments training into a much better perspective. Today, I’m going to add two common mess-ups from my consulting experience. If you’re not careful, it’s all too…
After it’s all over, your lights will be just as bright, and your refrigerator just as cold. But very soon the ampere—the base unit in the International System of Units (SI) for electrical current—will take on an entirely new identity. In 2018, the SI base units are scheduled to be re-defined in…
Nearly three decades ago, one of my first bosses pulled me aside. I forget the underlying incident except that I had somehow screwed up, and he bluntly told me to “sweat the details.” I clearly remember it to this day, and it became one of the defining pieces of advice I have ever received. It was…
(Hexagon Manufacturing Intelligence: North Kingstown, RI) -- Hexagon Manufacturing Intelligence has released the 360º Flexible Measurement Cell (360º FMC), an automated measurement work cell. Developed by Hexagon Manufacturing Intelligence Integrated Solutions Business Unit, the 360º FMC is the…
Three special shows were broadcast LIVE from booths of our marketing partners at IMTS in Chicago. Each episode covered events of the show and demonstrations of our partners' latest products.
• Tues., Sept. 13: 3D Systems' Geomagic 3D Inspection Software for first-article and production inspection…
It’s looking increasingly likely that computer hackers have in fact successfully attacked what had been the pinnacle of cybersecurity—the U.S. National Security Agency (NSA). Reports have emerged of claims by a hacking group called the Shadow Brokers that it had breached the network of, and…
Current management regulations and standards stress the importance of making quality management a higher priority throughout all areas of operation. At Verse Solutions, we wanted to find out how quality managers are adjusting to that new mindset, and how they are using quality-based technology to…
It’s pretty common these days to hear complaints about lack of leadership, poor leadership, and disappointment with those who are in leadership roles. In a recent World Economic Forum survey, 86 percent of the respondents reported they believe there is a leadership crisis in the world today.
But…
Clause 6.1 of ISO 9001:2015 requires “Actions to address risks and opportunities” first with regard to section 4.1, “Understanding the organization and its context” and second in section 4.2, “Understanding the needs and expectations of interested parties.” As 4.2 goes on to say, the latter are…
Social media and e-commerce have converged on China’s smartphones, thanks to one groundbreaking app. Since its release in 2011, WeChat, the free cross-platform messaging app, has grown into a veritable one-stop shop for lifestyle management. Without exiting the app, WeChat’s loyal users—whose…
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Y our product or service is only as good as the management system that supports it. Certification by an independent third-party certification body, such as Intertek, confirms that your management system complies with the respective international standards for quality,…
