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Voltaix Inc.’s employees have recently received lean manufacturing training in an effort to improve the company’s semiconductor performance.The training was provided by the New Jersey Manufacturing Extension Program Inc. Earlier this year, 15 Voltaix employees received Six Sigma Green Belt…
Some years back I, along with Drs. Doug Montgomery, Bryan Dodson, John Ramberg and others in the quality community, became concerned that there was no standardized criteria for becoming a Six Sigma Black Belt—or any other Six Sigma belt for that matter. The leading quality organization at that time…
The American National Standards Institute will host its 2005 Annual Conference on Oct. 6 at the Marriott at Metro Center in Washington, D.C. The conference, “From A to Veeck: Standardization and the Law,” will provide an opportunity for anyone involved in the standards process to get up to speed on…
A recent study of internal quality assurance functions found that hybridized quality structures provide the most reliable outcomes. “Improving the Quality Function: Driving Organizational Impact & Efficiency,” performed by Best Practices LLC, concludes that companies that use at least three…
The National Committee for Quality Assurance recently added five new measures to the 2006 edition of its Health Plan Employer Data and Information Set (HEDIS). The online tool is used by U.S. health plans to measure and report on their performance in key areas of clinical care and customer service…
The International Electrotechnical Commission’s Standardization Management Board (SMB) recently released a new document outlining its strategy in alignment with the IEC’s Masterplan 2000. SMB Standardization Strategy 2005–2007 identifies eight objectives: Ensure the development of market-…
Iowa’s Easter Seals nonprofit organization recently adopted Six Sigma practices and it now expects to save thousands of dollars in ongoing Six Sigma projects. The organization partnered with Pioneer Hi-Bred International Inc. in 2000 to begin Six Sigma training, and to address production and supply…
The International Organization for Standardization is the “world’s largest developer of standards,” according to the World Trade Organization’s World Trade Report 2005. The recently released report was written by WTO economists and discusses the benefits standards deliver in terms of consumer…
By adding a laser probe to a coordinate measuring machine (CMM), Sonaca, a large Belgian aerospace-structures supplier, has greatly increased the completeness of its inspections, obtaining full documentation of every component’s geometry. When the company inspected sheet metal components in the…
The National Institute of Standards and Technology is now accepting applications from laboratories interested in becoming accredited to a new voting system testing program. The Voting System Testing program has been established as part of the National Voluntary Laboratory Accreditation Program.…
The Coordinate Measuring Systems Conference Society recently announced its pick of 15 white papers to be presented at this year’s Coordinate Metrology Systems Conference. The event will be held July 18–22 at the Hyatt Regency Austin in Austin, Texas. The papers to be presented cover a wide spectrum…
Europe-based FGP Sensors & Instrumentation recently began handling all of Endevco Corp.’s calibration services, allowing for direct service. “The collaborative efforts of Endevco and FGP mean we have raised the bar once again in setting the standard for providing better quality and service for…
The Boston office of Intertek ETL Entela recently received Automotive EMC Laboratory Recognition Program (AEMCLAP) accreditation through the American Association for Laboratory Accreditation. The facility is the only New England lab to receive the accreditation. The scope covers bulk current…
McBain Instruments and VisiTech International Ltd. recently partnered to distribute three confocal microscopy systems. The distribution agreement will include three of VisiTech’s scanning systems: the VT-Infinity, a high-speed multi-point confocal module with adjustable pinholes capable of 800…
YESTech Inc. recently opened a new office in Singapore to provide sales, training and technical support to its growing Southeast Asia customer base. The office will provide training and sales for YESTech’s YTV Series of automated optical inspection systems and YTX Series of X-ray inspection systems…
The American Society for Quality and RABQSA International recently announced an agreement that recognizes ASQ-certified auditors as RABQSA provisional auditors, also. The agreement will allow ASQ-certified quality auditors (CQA) certified by RABQSA to be listed on RABQSA’s international register of…
An improved version of ISO/IEC 17799, which has become the e-commerce community’s international benchmark for information security management, was recently published. The new version broadens the standard’s definition of information security, providing best business practices, guidelines and…
The International Auditor and Training Certification Association recently changed its name to reflect new priorities. The organization is now called the International Personnel Certification Association, a name that reflects a new focus on personnel certification, according to company officials.…
Leading groups of international experts that develop standards for the International Organization for Standardization recently gathered in Geneva to discuss the efficiency and global relevance of ISO’s standards development system. Every working day, 10 or more ISO meetings took place in different…
The Standards Council of Canada recently approved an extension to the scope of TÜV America Inc.’s accreditation to include testing services for the safety of machinery. TÜV America’s scope is now among the most comprehensive, enabling the company to offer testing services for mechanical safety,…
SAI Global Ltd. recently acquired Easy i Holdings Ltd., a compliance training and awareness solutions company with operations in the United States and the United Kingdom. Ross Wraight, SAI Global CEO, says the acquisition is part of the company’s growth strategy and will allow it to expand into the…
Have you ever wondered how to demonstrate to a manager the rationale behind the ISO 9001 requirements for competence and training? It isn’t uncommon to find quality managers, consultants or auditors sputtering through an explanation of this requirement, trying to describe to others what seems…
SAI Global Ltd. recently acquired Easy i Holdings Ltd., a compliance training and awareness solutions company with operations in the United States and the United Kingdom. Ross Wraight, SAI Global CEO, says the acquisition is part of the company’s growth strategy and will allow it to expand into the…
In a wrap-up of the American Society for Quality’s World Conference for Quality and Improvement, ASQ officials reported the conference a big success.A total of 1,927 people attended the event, which was held in May in Seattle. ASQ reports that book sales increased 50 percent over last year and…
PQ Systems Inc. recently released an enhanced version of its GAGEpack EZ software that includes new measurement systems analysis and gage management capabilities. Other new features include maintenance scheduling, robust reporting features and user-selected sigma values for R&R percentages.…
