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FARO Technologies Inc. has combined two of its top-selling portable coordinate measuring machines into a single package called the TrackArm. The new offering unites the FARO Laser Tracker, which has a range of up to 230 ft., and the Platinum FaroArm, a long-reach probe with six degrees of…
Instron Corp. is now offering on-site temperature-calibration services for a wide variety of equipment. With more than 100 field-service engineers located all over the United States, the company offers temperature, force, speed, displacement, strain, and alignment calibrations. Instron’s…
Some ISO 9001 requirements simply don’t get as much attention as others. One such example is found in clause 6.4, which relates to work environments. It states: “The organization shall determine and manage the work environment needed to achieve conformity to product requirements.” What…
The International Organization for Standardization and the International Electrotechnical Commission recently published a new standard that addresses the quality of information service-management processes. ISO/IEC 20000:2005 Information Technology—Service Management has two parts: one that…
As of Jan. 6, the American Association for Laboratory Accreditation is accepting applications for product-certification body accreditation. A2LA accreditation demonstrates that a product-certification body has proven its competency to perform specific product certifications or types of product…
D.L. Newslow & Associates Inc. has announced a series of wintertime seminars to be held in Daytona Beach, Florida. The organization will host Internal Quality Auditing from January 24–26; Enhancing Your Quality Management System will be held January 25–28. These two seminars can be…
The deadline for ANSI-accredited U.S. technical advisory groups to the International Organization for Standardization to complete their 2005 Annual Reports is Jan. 31, the American National Standards Institute recently announced. ANSI requires that its U.S. TAGs complete annual reports, which…
The International Organization for Standardization recently introduced WorldSID, the world’s most advanced crash-test dummy, which will allow the automotive industry to improve vehicle design and increase passenger safety. WorldSID (World Side Impact Dummy) was developed to allow a single,…
You see and hear them everyday--signs and commercials heralding “Customer service is No.1,” “We treat you like family,” or “The customer is always right.” The other day I came across a particularly revealing motto: “We’re better than we used to be!” Whatever the slogan or motto is, people expect…
The Society of Manufacturing Engineers and the Association for Manufacturing Excellence recently made a popular book a required reading for those seeking certification as lean manufacturing experts. Lean Transformation: How to Change Your Business into a Lean Enterprise, (Oaklea…
After three years of small, steady improvement, customer satisfaction with the federal government’s services registered a slight decline in 2005, according to the American Customer Satisfaction Index. Satisfaction with government services was measured at 71.3 on the ACSI’s 100-point…
Starting this year, qualifying quality-minded nonprofit organizations will be eligible to participate in a pilot Baldrige Award program. The National Institute of Standards and Technology, which administers the Baldrige National Quality Program, will accept applications from nonprofit…
Seven books on TQM will be published and translated into Arabic, according to e-TQM College, a Dubai-based provider of online courses in total quality management. The move is an attempt to address the lack of TQM resources in the Middle East and to increase awareness of TQM in the area, while…
An upcoming conference will focus on the use of total information quality management (TIQM) to improve varied organizations’ quality and processes. The TIQM Mastery Series will be held March 6–10 at the Nashville Convention Center. It’ll feature three courses: IQ 101: IQ Principles &…
The Society of Manufacturing Engineers recently released The Hitchhiker’s Guide to Lean: Lessons from the Road, a book that explores actual lean applications. Authors Jamie Flinchbaugh and Andy Carlino, founders and partners in the Lean Learning Center, use the book to reveal the most…
In its efforts to ramp up hybrid engine production, Ford Motor Co. will use design for Six Sigma for the first time in a major powertrain program. Ford’s new 250-horsepower, 3.5-liter V-6 engine, also known as the Duratec 35, will be built at the company’s Lima Engine Plant in Ohio. The new…
An upcoming conference on global outsourcing will feature the use of Six Sigma in organizing a global workforce. Strategic Research Institute’s 3rd Annual Global Outsourcing Conference will include experts from such diverse industries as consumer goods, publishing, pharmaceutical research…
A new book uses simple language and examples to introduce Six Sigma novices to the methodology.The Pocket Idiot’s Guide to Six Sigma (Alpha Books, 2005), explains everything rank-and-file employees need to know about Six Sigma, including an overview of the system and a history of the…
Solectron Corp. recently opened a manufacturing facility in Singapore that will use Six Sigma and lean to produce medical products more efficiently. The plant, called the Singapore Medical Center of Excellence, is located in Chai Chee, Singapore’s “Techno Park.” It’ll use the Solectron…
A major misunderstanding regarding Six Sigma is its fabricated definition, (e.g. “Six Sigma is a fact-based decision-making methodology…”). I’ve seen people willing to attack anyone utilizing common sense to make decisions without facts. One of the reasons for taking such a strong position…
A major misunderstanding regarding Six Sigma is its fabricated definition, (e.g. “Six Sigma is a fact-based decision-making methodology…”). I’ve seen people willing to attack anyone utilizing common sense to make decisions without facts. One of the reasons for taking such a strong position…
Customer focus doesn’t evolve on its own. It’s carefully cultivated over time through a variety of processes. At the forefront of this effort is leadership. The organization’s leadership has the primary responsibility of making every decision and every action based on customer focus.…
What poor-quality cars lack in performance and reliability, they can make up for with style, according to a new study.In the short term, consumers will put up with performance deficiencies if they’re satisfied with the style and appearance of new vehicles, reports A.T. Kearney, a…
A recently released, comprehensive study of patient care shows significantly improved care of patients with serious conditions. Premera Blue Cross, a Washington-based health insurer of upward of 1.3 million people, performed the study with several prominent medical groups across Washington…
The 52nd annual Reliability and Maintainability Symposium (RAMS) will be held January 23–26 in California. Reliability and maintainability have been growing beyond their traditional role of prediction to include risk management, process verification and product validation. The growth has…
