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As I titled this column, I was reminded that W. Edwards Deming liked to say, “The most important numbers are unknown and unknowable.” But some numbers are important, and most managers do not know how to manage them. I don’t want to sound like a complainer, but this issue has been close to my heart…
Some people are really good at procrastination: government bureaucrats, politicians, and kids, especially when it’s time for chores or bed. In a professional setting, the most common effect of procrastination is missed deadlines, which raises costs to the employer or client. For people who are self…
(Verisurf: Anaheim, CA) -- Verisurf Software Inc., developer of CAD, reverse engineering, and 3-D model-based inspection software, introduces complete manual coordinate measuring machine (CMM) retrofits that transform any manual CMM into a high performance 3D-model-based inspection system by adding…
Editor’s note: This is the third of a three-part series on effective, focused data analysis. Part one discussed helping management deal with common cause; the first common cause strategy—stratification—was discussed in part two.
In my last column, I introduced some aspects of common cause…
(NVision: Coppell, TX) -- Purdue University’s Formula SAE team is utilizing NVision’s HandHeld laser scanner to pursue its goal of taking home a first-place trophy in the annual Formula SAE Competition. The team anticipates that reverse engineering data obtained by the HandHeld scanner will allow…
(InfinityQS: Chantilly, VA) -- InfinityQS International Inc., which develops and provides products and services on manufacturing intelligence and real-time enterprise quality, has released ProFicient 5, the latest version of its enterprise quality hub. ProFicient 5 is designed to deliver real-time…
(Siemens: Plano, TX) -- Siemens PLM Software has significantly expanded its long-standing software license agreement with Bentley Systems Inc., a provider of software solutions for sustaining infrastructure. The expanded agreement, which adds licensing for two new software component products,…
When a medical institution aspires toward excellence and patient safety, quality enhancement proves to be a key factor essential to the process.
It goes without saying that there are countless risks in the healthcare system, and that it is always a priority to minimize these. There is nothing new…
(3DX-RAY: Loughborough, UK) -- 3DX-RAY has launched its MDXi-200 X-ray inspection system, expanding its industrial inspection product portfolio. The new MDXi-200 has a compact footprint that delivers a cost reduction while increasing the effectiveness of process control for organizations performing…
Many companies’ internal quality audit systems suffer from a reputation of being mildly effective to completely ineffective or just nonvalue-added. Often, it’s viewed as a policing department from which one’s dirty laundry must be hidden. Also, the audit system itself is not viewed as a true “…
This is a story that, as far as I know, has never appeared in print before. It’s not exactly hot news—the incident happened in 1970—but it exemplifies Henry Petroski’s dictum that engineers often learn more from failure than success.
One of the big tourist attractions of Texas during the 1960s was…
As you all know, the influence of W. Edwards Deming on my career and thinking has been profound. A criticism always leveled at him was that he was short on specifics—but he would always growl at someone who alluded to this, “Examples without theory teach nothing!”
Enter Joseph Juran, the other…
Whether analyzing Toyota’s supply-chain management, culture, history, or philosophy, writers have long been intrigued by the inner workings of the internationally successful automotive manufacturer. Some books have become celebrated best-sellers. Yet despite the acclaim, Fujio Cho, former president…
(ANSI: Washington, D.C.) -- Between October and December, the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) is offering a number of classes and workshops on key standards and conformance topics such as the American National Standard process, international standardization procedures, and…
(ASTM: West Conshohocken, PA) -- To facilitate the development and use of sustainable manufacturing processes, ASTM International’s Committee E60 on Sustainability has created a new subcommittee, E60.13 on Sustainable Manufacturing. The new group will hold its first meeting during Committee E60’s…
(SME: Dearborn, MI) -- The Society of Manufacturing Engineers (SME) has released a national action plan, “Workforce Imperative: A Manufacturing Education Strategy,” which calls for manufacturers, educators, professional organizations, and government to coordinate and standardize efforts for…
For those of you looking for a way to emerge from the doldrums of realizing that summer is almost over, I suggest you circle today, Wed., Sept. 19, on your calendar. No, it isn’t the first day of fall; that is Sept. 22. Sure, the leaves turning brilliant colors, sipping cider, and getting sticky-…
Take a calming deep breath and maintain focus on the matter at hand. Find your center and stay balanced, calm, and ready. Now, tell me, are you on a yoga mat or in a boardroom preparing to negotiate? The reality is that the techniques learned in yoga can be applied across a broad spectrum of areas…
Take a calming deep breath and maintain focus on the matter at hand. Find your center and stay balanced, calm, and ready. Now, tell me, are you on a yoga mat or in a boardroom preparing to negotiate? The reality is that the techniques learned in yoga can be applied across a broad spectrum of areas…
Most of us do some form of testing or other validation of our designs and production systems before we initiate production of our products. For some of us, especially those who produce products related to safety, we must prove to a regulatory agency that our products are safe and meet regulations…
During a recent ribbon-cutting ceremony, the U.S. Commerce Department’s National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) unveiled a new laboratory designed to demonstrate that a typical suburban home for a family of four can generate as much energy as it uses in a year. Following an initial…
Let’s revisit two scenarios from my July 2012 column, “The Sobering Reality of ’Beginner’s Mind.’” First, a medical center’s Harvard MBA COO insisted on nothing less than 100-percent computer uptime, no excuses. His IT department’s inability to get 100-percent uptime consistently has resulted in…
Only 11 percent of employees worldwide are engaged in their jobs, according to Gallup. That’s an alarmingly low number and suggests profound problems for workplaces in almost every corner of the world. Low engagement results in lower productivity and profitability—and damages a company’s future…
One of the greatest misunderstandings in leadership and coaching is the term “micromanaging.” Most leaders never want to be thought of as a micromanager; that would be considered an insult or a weakness. When micromanaging is used as a coaching or leadership style, it will most likely deliver bad…
(Verisurf: Anaheim, CA) -- Verisurf Software Inc. and select resellers worldwide have introduced the 3DGage coordinate measuring machine (CMM). “The new 3DGage enables manufacturers to quickly implement lean model-based inspection right on the shop floor that yield real improvements in production…
