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(Cars.com: Chicago) -- The Detroit Three build plenty of high-quality cars. Buick, Ford, and Lincoln scored above average in the latest Vehicle Dependability Study from J. D. Power and Associates, and Cadillac ranked third in the study’s rankings. J. D. Power’s three-month Initial Quality Study had…
(University of Michigan: Ann Arbor, MI) -- The beta version of Improvement Kata Handbook by Mike Rother, author of Toyota Kata (McGraw-Hill, 2009), is available online to read, download, and use in applying, practicing, and teaching the improvement kata. The handbook is a follow-up to Toyota Kata…
(Productivity Press: Boca Raton, FL) -- Based on a true story, the book, Unleashing the Power of 3P: The Key to Breakthrough Improvement, by Dan McDonnell and Drew A. Locher (Productivity Press, 2012), follows Pete and his team as they journey through lean and the production preparation process (3P…
(QMC: Auburn Hills, MI) -- QMC Inc., a market leader in product quality validation (PQV), has signed with Ford Motor Co. a global license agreement for its award-winning CM4D software. The agreement supports Ford’s efforts to expand its quality processes globally.
In 2002 Ford implemented CM4D…
Northern Digital Inc. (NDI), a provider of optical and electromagnetic measurement systems for medical and industrial applications, has announced that its parent company, Roper Industries Inc., has acquired Ascension Technology Corp., an industry leader in medical electromagnetic tracking.…
(LEI: Cambridge, MA) -- Join LEI for the largest workshop event of 2012 in Indianapolis, Indiana. 17 one-day and two-day workshops compile a curriculum that includes LEI’s most popular workshops focusing on the social and technical aspects of a lean transformation. All workshops contain elements of…
When discussing process management and improvement, I often talk about the concept of “random acts of improvement.” People, with good intentions, are off trying to make their part of the organization better, more efficient, simpler. But often these changes are done locally, in silos, without…
(Visual Workplace: Byron Center, MI) -- Visual Workplace Inc. introduces Sigma 16 specialty vinyl. Three new options are available to suit varied application needs. Dry erase vinyl is ideal for visuals such as scheduling, processes, and maintenance. Etched vinyl is well-suited for creating logos or…
(NRK: Williamsburg, VA) -- The past 15 years have seen an expansion of metrology use throughout the manufacturing process, particularly in the case of large-scale manufacturing. The need for greater efficiencies has made the demand for precision measurement greater than ever. Generally speaking,…
(University of Michigan: Ann Arbor, MI) -- This course, based on the book, Toyota Kata, by Mike Rother (McGraw-Hill, 2010) presents the next level of thinking in lean and operations management.
It’s been difficult to maintain lean improvements. Organizations’ efforts have generated many successes…
(AMACOM: New York) -- Most people learn best through experience. Yet new managers are often tossed onto the front lines with absolutely no experience handling the toughest challenges they’ll face—people problems.
The Management Training Tool Kit, by Alan Clardy, Ph.D. (AMACOM, 2012), includes all…
In 2010, the American Productivity and Quality Center (APQC) identified the Seven Tenets of Process Management to help classify an organization’s process management capabilities. Adherence to these pillars helps build and maintain strong processes across an enterprise. By applying these tenets,…
(Meggitt: San Juan Capistrano, CA) -- Meggitt Sensing Systems, designer and manufacturer of sensing and monitoring systems that measure physical parameters in extreme environments, has announced the North American market introduction of its Sensorex SX41200 and SX41400 series: two families of…
(Kistler: Novi, MI) -- Kistler, a global supplier of precision sensors, systems, and instrumentation for the dynamic measurement of pressure, force, torque, and acceleration, has announced the North American market introduction of the Type 2516B, a rugged, handheld engine peak meter, designed to…
Editor’s note: This is the second of a two-part series on leak rate testing. Read part one here.
Today’s topic concerns another “imagined” leak rate standard: accuracies that are one or two orders of magnitude more precise than any equivalent application in the same industry.
When we track down…
We’ve all seen “Cinderella processes,” those processes that, although they do all the work in the company, are underevaluated, almost ignored by auditors.
I recently conducted a survey on 20 auditors. It was intended to analyze what processes are emphasized in ISO/TS 16949 audits, as well as any…
(MOHR: Richland, WA) -- With the global fresh-produce market worth an estimated $675 billion, more than $100 billion in the United States alone, consumer satisfaction is an important goal not only for the fresh produce industry but also for the wider economy. Despite this, fresh produce supply-…
(FARO: Lake Mary, FL) -- FARO Technologies Inc., a global source for 3D measurement technology, has announced the FARO Tour 2012, a series of 12 open houses featuring the company’s popular Paul Jr. Designs Motorcycle and all-new Vantage Laser Tracker. The tour begins at IMTS in Chicago, Sept. 10–15…
(Laboratory Testing: Hatfield, PA) -- Laboratory Testing Inc. (LTI) has added fracture toughness testing to the list of materials testing services performed by the laboratory to ensure the safety, reliability, and integrity of materials. The fracture toughness test is performed on a specimen with a…
(Booz & Co.: New York) -- Bazaarvoice and Booz & Co. have partnered to help companies develop stronger capabilities for customer centricity—or putting customers at the center of business strategy—by capitalizing on the wealth of digital information being created by and about their customers…
(Delcam: Salt Lake City) -- The 2013 release of Delcam’s PowerSHAPE CAD system includes enhancements to its direct modelling and reverse engineering capabilities that will make the software both more flexible and easier to use. In addition, the solid and surface modeling options have been made…
Thanks to a new reference standard developed by the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), law enforcement agencies will have an easier time linking the nearly 200,000 cartridge cases recovered annually at U.S. crime scenes to specific firearms.
Cartridge cases—the empty shells left…
Many companies measure employee and customer satisfaction without much to show for it. That’s because their surveys—whether one magic question for customers or 100-plus-item monstrosities for employees—often focus on the rational and exclude the emotional. However, it’s vital to measure emotional…
(InfinityQS: Chantilly, VA) -- InfinityQS International Inc., a global provider of manufacturing intelligence and enterprise quality, announced Simon Ellis, the practice director of supply-chain strategies at IDC Manufacturing Insights, as the keynote speaker for its sixth annual user conference,…
Editor’s note: This is the third of a three-part series on quality in healthcare. Part one described the Juran Model for Patient Safety, and part two identified elements of a patient safety officer program.
With between 44,000 to 98,000 patients dying each year in hospitals as a result of medical…
