All Features
Pirmin Bitzi
Data are at the core of smart manufacturing; they’re pivotal to innovation and agility. At the same time, the vast amounts of new data captured daily in manufacturing present substantial challenges—no more so than within quality control, where this significant data load can lead to data analysis…
David Isaacson
For any manufacturer, ensuring well-run, successful processes and protocols is the backbone of a successful and profitable operation. Yet, despite the most well-laid plans, circumstances can change and manufacturers may sidestep best practices in the race to meet demand. Still, ensuring quality,…
William A. Levinson
The International Accreditation Forum (IAF) and ISO have published a joint communiqué to require organizations to “consider” climate change in the context of risks and opportunities relevant to the management system.
Although this is pursuant to the London Declaration, which has goals for…
Stephanie Ojeda
Look through even a few FDA warning letters and you’re likely to find violations related to change management.
For instance, a recent warning letter from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration cited a pharmaceutical manager for changing drug components without justification. Another noted a lack of…
Adam Zewe
Imagine a portable 3D printer you could hold in the palm of your hand. This tiny device could enable you to rapidly create customized, low-cost objects on the go, like a fastener to repair a wobbly bicycle wheel or a component for a critical medical operation.
Researchers from MIT and the…
Mike Figliuolo
You can learn a lot about leadership from Master Oogway in Kung Fu Panda. He emphasizes leading today rather than worrying about yesterday or tomorrow.
My expectations for the movie were quite low. I mean, a panda that does kung fu? A jackrabbit I could buy. But a panda? Then again, I’m a huge…
Daniel Marzullo
Be honest: How satisfied are you with your work right now?
When was the last time you took a step back to assess your level of job satisfaction?
Whether you’re self-employed or work full time, it’s essential to regularly check in with yourself to measure your well-being at work.
Over time, roles…
Jennifer King
During the global health challenges faced over the last few years, one thing changed forever—the way many of us worked. According to USA Today, a third of work-from-home (WFH) employees in America now work remotely full time, and by 2025 they expect one in five workers nationwide to be joining the…
Stefano Puntoni, Bart De Langhe
Most businesses rightly see data as a source for making better decisions. But the conventional data-driven approach often falls short because of common errors made by the decision-makers. Many leaders rely excessively on existing data that might not always address the issue at hand, or they pass…
Megan Wallin-Kerth
Born in 1929, H. James “Jim” Harrington was a phenomenal influence in the world of quality. And for many here at Quality Digest, he was a memorable, kind, and invested colleague as well—not to mention a wealth of knowledge, with seemingly endless energy and dedication to innovation in quality.
On…
James Chan
Work instructions and standard operating procedures (SOPs) are job aids that ensure business processes are carried out correctly. Whether for new employee training, working with new equipment, or standardizing current procedures, these job aids help create a safer and more productive workplace.…
AMETEK
Endurance racing is one of the oldest and toughest pastimes in motorsports. It is a true test of performance. Not only is a driver’s stamina on display, but vehicle durability as well.
Based in Indianapolis, Wayne Taylor Racing With Andretti (WTRAndretti) is a world-renowned global motorsports…
Donald J. Wheeler
In May 1924, Walter Shewhart wrote a memo that contained the first example of a process behavior chart (i.e., a “control chart”). It was a chart for individual values that would be known today as a p-chart. Shewhart’s insight was that “three-sigma” limits will filter out virtually all of the…
Veronica Muzquiz Edwards
Health connects each one of us to one another. No matter where we are in the world, who we are, or what we do, the state of our health is a key determinant in our quality of life. Simply put, it’s our most valuable asset.
Individual health crises can be disastrously grim, and if not addressed…
Masateru Ito
For organizations responsible for aircraft operation and maintenance, inspecting critical aircraft-engine components is a routine preventive maintenance procedure. These procedures help to ensure the proper operation of the aircraft for flight safety. There are many components inside the engine…
John Hilgendorf
Dust collection systems remove dust and other particulate matter from the air, making them very important for many companies and even industries. The systems come in many forms and configurations for different applications and materials. At the highest level, they can be divided into three types:…
Adam Zewe
Quantum computers promise the ability to quickly solve extremely complex problems that might take the world’s most powerful supercomputer decades to crack.
But achieving that performance involves building a system with millions of interconnected building blocks called qubits. Making and…
William A. Levinson
Although quality management has been around in some form or another for thousands of years—a cover of Joseph Juran’s Quality Handbook depicted Egyptians making very precise measurements for the construction of pyramids—this article will show that quality is but one aspect of value, which should be…
Costas Xyloyiannis
To address shrinkflation, by July 1, 2024, stores in France will have to put warning notices in front of all products that have been reduced in size or volume without a corresponding price cut.
“Shrinkflation is a rip-off. We’re putting an end to it,” says France’s economy and finance minister,…
NIST
To combat global warming, companies are building direct air capture (DAC) facilities worldwide to remove carbon from the atmosphere. The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) has developed a new method for testing the materials used in these plants to capture carbon. The agency…
James Chan
The plan-do-check-act (PDCA) cycle plays a central role in fostering improvement by facilitating a structured and ongoing approach to problem-solving. Because the PDCA cycle is ongoing, it also plays a central role in helping organizations navigate shifts in the economic climate, align with new…
Gleb Tsipursky
In the evolving landscape of workplace dynamics, the trend toward revoking employee flexibility and mandating a return to the office (RTO) is gaining traction among corporations, as evidenced by significant players like Boeing enforcing near-full-week office attendance. Leaders often cite the…
Mike Figliuolo
One of the most exciting things you can do as a young tank platoon leader is participate in a tank gunnery exercise. Essentially it’s going to a shooting range with some really big cannons mounted on a 68-ton chassis. One particularly hot summer in Colorado, I went to my second gunnery.
About six…
Nikon Metrology Inc.
Nikon’s X-ray computed tomography (CT) technology has enabled digital camera lens heavyweight Tamron to gain unprecedented insights into the intricacies of its industry-leading components.
Tamron faced challenges in accurately analyzing the deformation of plastic molded lens components. Nikon’s…
Jim Steventon
Integrated quality, when done correctly, plays a vital and pivotal role in enhancing any business, especially manufacturing operations. But, in fear of sounding like the archetypal head of quality, I say it shouldn’t be seen solely as something you do in manufacturing operations. In fact,…
