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For the second straight month, fuel economy of all new vehicles sold in the United States is at its highest level, say researchers at the University of Michigan Transportation Research Institute (UMTRI).
Average fuel economy of cars, light trucks, minivans, and SUVs purchased in February was 23.7…
(Wiley: Hoboken, NJ) -- Structured Decision Making (Wiley-Blackwell, 2012) is an easy-to-read book about an often conflicting and difficult topic. This book is about the creative and messy process of making environmental management decisions.
The approach described is called Structured Decision…
Recently, fellow-blogger David Kasprzak, introduced me to the Results-Only Work Environment (ROWE) strategy. ROWE, created at Best Buy’s Minneapolis headquarters, espouses a philosophy under which employees can work where they want, when they want, and how they want—as long as the work gets done.…
The Baldrige Criteria for Performance Excellence defines innovation as “making meaningful change to improve products, processes, or organizational effectiveness and creating new value for stakeholders.”
Innovation involves the adoption of an idea, process, technology, product, or business model…
Story update 3/19/2012: We corrected an error in a model number listed in the second paragraph. 1969-R was changed to 1916-R.
(Newport: Irvine, CA) -- Newport Corp., a global supplier of lasers and photonics solutions that make, manage, and measure light, introduces the new family of 818-ST2 and…
(ISPE: Tampa, FL) -- The International Society for Pharmaceutical Engineering (ISPE), a society for professionals involved in the engineering and manufacture of pharmaceuticals and related products, has issued industry guidance to advise clinical trials on comparator management activities. The ISPE…
(SPECTRO: Kleve, Germany) -- SPECTRO Analytical Instruments, a manufacturer of elemental analyzers using optical emission spectroscopy and X-ray fluorescence spectrometry, has introduced the latest generation of SPECTROTEST mobile metal analyzers. In addition to the instrument’s excellent…
(Olympus NDT: Waltham, MA) -- Olympus has introduce the palm-sized IPLEX UltraLite videoscope, designed for remote visual inspection in tough environments and confined spaces. The IPLEX UltraLite weighs 700 g (1.5 lb) and has a compact body for easy transport, making it the ideal choice for…
(VITRONIC: Wiesbaden, Germany) -- VITRONIC, developer, manufacturer, and distributor of machine vision systems, presents VIPAC D2, a laser-based volume measurement system which simultaneously captures carton surfaces in a reliable way and recognizes deformations for trouble-free storage processes…
(Jossey-Bass: Hoboken NJ) -- Drawing on the knowledge and experience of working with hundreds the world’s top social change leaders in all fields, in Rippling: How Social Entrepreneurs Spread Innovation Throughout the World (Jossey-Bass 2012), Beverly Schwartz presents a model for change based on…
Organizations understand the importance of measuring and tracking quality, particularly in product manufacturing. However, applying rigorous quality measurement on an enterprisewide scale, beyond manufacturing and service levels, is relatively new. Nonetheless, some organizations have made strides…
Lately, much has been discussed and written about buying products made only in America. ABC’s World News with Diane Sawyer has been touting the quality of American-made products for several months and encouraging viewers to “Buy only American!” But I think The Oakridge Boys express it best singing…
I have a 12-year-old son. This is not a unique condition. And you might think that I would be well prepared for the associated challenges, having been a 12-year-old son myself at one time. But you’d be wrong.
Regular readers of my blog posts might recall that my family and I recently moved from…
One of the greatest challenges that I have in discussing standards is trying to put things in a context so that all people affected by them can understand how they matter. So I want to start with a simple picture and a remarkable snapshot in time. It shows how small medical-device companies are…
Industry experts at Guidon Performance Solutions’ Second Annual Virtual Healthcare Summit agreed that health care organizations’ ability to survive their increasingly demanding and changing environment will require a new agility and adaptability. Consensus from the speakers signaled that most…
For 50 years, scientists searched for the secret to making tiny implantable devices that could travel through the bloodstream. Engineers at Stanford University have demonstrated just such a device. Powered without wires or batteries, it can propel itself though the bloodstream and is small enough…
The Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) has announced major changes in how the nation’s medical residency programs will be accredited in the years ahead, putting in place an outcomes-based evaluation system where the doctors of tomorrow will be measured for their competency…
For those of us practicing improvement in a medical culture, presenting this “funny new statistical way” of doing things to a physician audience triggers a predictable stated reason: “This isn’t in line with rigorous, double-blind clinical trial research.” And your response should be, “True! Nor…
Deciphering the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is a bit like trying to understand what the old USSR was up to during the days of the Cold War. In those days, it was called Kremlinology, or the study of a complex, secretive organization. We need a catchphrase for those who try to figure out what…
(Indicate Technologies: Santa Clara, CA) -- If you need dimensional measurement, inspection, or surface and form analysis, then you’ll want to attend Metrology Expo 2012, April 10, 11, and 12, presented by Indicate Technologies at the Indicate Technologies Santa Clara, California, showroom.…
(Honeywell: Minneapolis) -- Honeywell, a diversified developer and manufacturer of technologies, has introduced its RTY Series Hall-Effect Rotary Position Sensors that provide a cost-effective rotary position sensor solution with a variety of options (e.g., sensing range, pin-out, voltage) that…
Editor’s note: Umberto Tunesi is a new columnist for Quality Digest. He brings his auditing expertise to bear on a surprising range of subjects, and we’re happy to add his European perspective to our mix. “I realize I’m being tough on the ISO/TS 16949 and AIAG manual writers, as well on performance…
(Wiley: Hoboken, NJ) -- Skillfully redefine problems. Make an immediate connection with anyone. Rapidly determine if a client is ready to buy. Access the deepest dreams of others. The book, Power Questions: Build Relationships, Win New Business, and Influence Others, by Andrew Sobel and Jerold…
(ASQ: Milwaukee) -- The American Society for Quality (ASQ), the world’s largest network of quality resources and experts, has announced that 32 global teams from nine countries have been named finalists in the 27th annual International Team Excellence Awards process.
The teams will be part of the…
(Nikon Metrology: Brighton, MI) -- For more than a decade, Nikon Metrology pioneered laser scanning and gradually sharpened the capabilities of this noncontact measuring technology. Nikon’s optics, combined with innovative 3-D laser scanning technology, has resulted in a new scanner, the LC15Dx.…
