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If W. Edwards Deming could see what you are doing, he’d punch you in the face. OK, not really. He may have been brutally honest in his lectures but I don’t think he ever punched anyone. However, he would have plenty to say about how often one business copies (I believe the term today is “benchmarks…
Since 1975, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has required that all prescription tablets or capsules have a unique identification in terms of size, shape, color, and imprint. Drug makers use the imprints both to identify the chemical substance and dosage and for promotional purposes.…
(Boothroyd Dewhurst Inc.: Wakefield, RI) -- With U.S. Senator Sheldon Whitehouse providing a video address on manufacturing’s key role in boosting the U.S. economy, the 2011 International Forum on Design for Manufacture and Assembly (DFMA) held June 13–15 in Warwick, Rhode Island, quickly…
(ASQ: Milwaukee) -- The American Society for Quality (ASQ), the leading community of people passionate about quality, advances in professional development, credentials, knowledge and information services, membership community, and advocacy on behalf of its more than 80,000 members worldwide.…
(Wiley: Hoboken, NJ) -- The role of the project manager continues to become more diverse and demanding, placing strong project management skills in high demand. The in-depth introductory guide, Project Management Jump Start 3rd Edition, by Kim Heldman (Wiley, 2011), offers aspiring project managers…
(Active Sensing: Castle Rock, CO) -- Active Sensing Inc. (ASI), provider of affordable product management solutions for manufacturing companies worldwide, has released PDXpert product life-cycle management (PLM) software v. 6.6, which offers enhanced capabilities for importing, updating, and…
Conventional wisdom among managers holds that employees helping each other can only be good for a company. Accordingly, firms spend money, time, and effort to promote what’s known as “knowledge transfer.” Policies range from the popular (e.g., lavish company retreats) to the maligned (switching…
(Magnatag: Macedon, NY) -- Magnatag’s magnetic Cross-Training Whiteboard system organizes and displays employee training, qualification, and proficiency levels in up to 18 skill disciplines. Placed where everyone can see it, workers are silently encouraged to learn and qualify in as many skills as…
(Peter Drucker Society Europe: Wien, Austria) -- The deadline for the Peter Drucker Challenge essay contest has officially been extended to Aug. 15, 2011. Initiated and organized by the Peter Drucker Society Europe (PDSE), the essay contest has the overarching theme “Management: What Is It Good…
If W. Edwards Deming could see what you’re doing, he’d punch you in the face. OK, not really. He may have been brutally honest in his lectures, but I don’t think he ever punched anyone. However, he would have plenty to say about how often one business copies (I believe the term today is “benchmarks…
(InfinityQS: Chantilly, VA) -- Don’t miss the world’s largest SPC conference, Infusion 2011, Oct. 16–19, at the JW Marriott San Francisco Union Square, featuring Douglas Montgomery, Ph.D., as the keynote speaker. Register by July 31 and save $355.
Learn the latest techniques for driving…
(CMSC: Benbrook, TX) -- The Coordinate Metrology Society (CMS) has announced its final schedule of events for the 27th annual Coordinate Metrology Systems Conference (CMSC) scheduled for July 25–29, 2011, at the Arizona Biltmore Hotel and Spa in Phoenix, Arizona. The conference will kick off with…
(Wiley: Hoboken, NJ) -- Michael H. Hugos brings the latest thinking, strategies, developments, and technologies in supply-chain management to light in his new book, Essentials of Supply Chain Management, Third Edition (Wiley, 2011).
Presenting the core concepts and techniques of supply-chain…
(Olympus: Center Valley, PA) -- Olympus has introduced the BXiS microscope system, which streamlines industrial inspection and measurement workflows while providing accurate, actionable data with just a few clicks. The BXiS, the latest of Olympus’ high-performance industrial microscopes, offers…
Recommendation algorithms are a vital part of doing business on the Internet. They provide the basis of the targeted advertisements that account for most commercial sites’ revenues, and of services such as Pandora, the radio site that tailors song selections to listeners’ declared preferences. The…
According to a new report released by The Conference Board, companies need to incorporate risks from workforce and people-management issues more fully into their overall risk-management structures. Based on a global survey of executives at 161 leading companies, “Managing Human Capital Risk: A Call…
(3Shape: Copenhagen, Denmark) -- 3Shape, a global leader in 3-D scanners and CAD/CAM software solutions, has launched its latest Convince 2011 3-D Scanning and Quality Control system, a comprehensive solution for 3-D digitization and quality control of small, detail-rich objects.
3Shape has…
I saw six people huddled on the sidewalk in front of me; through their legs I saw what looked like a body on the ground. I rushed over to see what was going on. I saw a man with a bloody gash on his head; he appeared to be unconscious. I pushed through and started checking him out using my Boy…
As headlines from Europe implicate tainted vegetable sprouts in more than 4,000 illnesses and dozens of deaths, American consumers may wonder, “Could that happen here?”
The United States has had its own headline-grabbing outbreaks from contaminated vegetables—such as lettuce in 2010, peppers in…
Last month I showed you a process to use to save money, time, and sanity when doing any type of research, including applied problem solving and quality improvement (“Don’t Design the Experiment Until You Research the Process”), However, I didn’t have room to go through the steps to show you how…
Significant digits, the number of digits to the right of a decimal point that are warranted by the accuracy of the means of measurement, are a critical part of scientific investigation. In developing products and services, the concept is essential. For example, how many products have failed to “…
(AMT: McLean, VA) -- The May 2011 U.S. manufacturing technology orders totaled $388.27 million, according to the American Machine Tool Distributors’ Association (AMTDA) and The Association for Manufacturing Technology (AMT). This total, as reported by companies participating in the U.S.…
(PPT VISION: Minneapolis) -- PPT VISION, developer and manufacturer of machine vision solutions, has announced the addition of two high-performance cameras to its M-Series embedded machine vision system line. The two cameras—from JAI, creator of digital CCD/CMOS camera technology—include an…
(Productivity Press: Boca Raton, FL) -- The Japan Institute of Plant Maintenance defines safety as “the maintenance of peace of mind.” Without peace of mind, or the serenity brought about by a safe working environment, employees will be unwilling and even unable to focus their energies on…
(Extensible CAD: Apex, NC) -- In 1983, a small company, Pacific Bearing Co., tackled what had become an industrial headache: failing linear ball bearings. With patented and innovative technology, the company has grown significantly since its founding, expanded its technology, and now operates as…
