Corporate Leaders Bet on Consumer Experience for 2014 and BeyondFord Motor Co. tips its hand
Thu, 06/26/2014 - 12:35
“We don’t have any binder full of best practices for you. You are it. If you don’t want to change the world—go home.” —Brett Wheatly of Ford Motor Co., to the first candidates for coaches of the fledgling Consumer Experience Movement (CEM) program… Announcements, Unveilings, and AdjectivesSamsung, Ford, and Lockheed-Martin collaborate on cutting-edge auto technology
Thu, 06/12/2014 - 12:18
It was just an email invitation to a public relations event in the Mission District of San Francisco, but it started a long string of adjectives like: brief, cryptic, amusing, exciting, breathtaking, scary, and… well, stinky.
All those adjectives… Three Things More Important Than the Global EconomyThe world’s bottom line as a subsystem of the biosphere
Mon, 05/05/2014 - 13:45
Last month I, along with millions of other people around the world, celebrated Easter. For myself, a religious observance, for others a celebration of seasonal renewal. I think for most people, Easter is a time that elicits reflection on what… Lean, the Theory of Constraints, and Flappy BirdCovert lessons in odd places
Wed, 04/09/2014 - 17:50
And so the debate rages on about whether the wildly popular Flappy Bird app is actually a tool for teaching lean or teaching theory of constraints. Really? No, not really. But at least I’m not the only one thinking about it.
Actually, it was Jens… What Is Quality?—Ford StyleUsing innovation to translate the voice of the customer into quality products
Thu, 01/23/2014 - 17:06
After so many decades of quality assessment, process-improvement initiation, statistical analysis, and general discussion, one would think the question, “What is quality?” has been answered and closed. One would be wrong.
When defining quality...… Do You Scrumban?Scrum vs. <em>kanban</em>
Mon, 12/09/2013 - 17:49
Is it Scrum or kanban? Yes, er, no. Well, it depends. Sometimes the road to process development takes a few unexpected turns.
In general terms, Scrum is a process framework for managing complex product development and typically associated with… 3D Printing Technology Ready to Translate Vision Into ProductionTurnkey hardware-software combo is ready for the shop floor
Tue, 12/03/2013 - 13:27
For the dreamer, high-tech enthusiast, and entrepreneur, 3D printing, also known as additive manufacturing, seems to embody the promise of what could be. Forward-thinking companies like Ford Motor Co., GE, and Mattel have been using 3D printing for… Of Babies, Bath Water, and Boot CampRecognizing the value of standardization amidst the fervor of innovation
Wed, 11/20/2013 - 15:22
It’s a funny spot I find myself in. I’ve been very vocal within Quality Digest about the need for, and virtues of, innovation as it pertains to our company. Very vocal. So much so, that the bosses have put me in a position to cash the checks my… Internal Audit SemanticsUnscheduled, random, surprise... NSA-like?
Fri, 11/15/2013 - 16:22
‘We call them unscheduled (vs. surprise) audits, in that they are not part of the originally planned, annual first-party audit plan.”
“We sometimes need to have unscheduled audits, but they are normally not intended as surprise audits. The auditor… Give ’Em What They Want, Not What They Think They WantCustomer service at the speed of technology
Wed, 09/04/2013 - 16:57
‘This 3/8-in. corded drill/driver features a 4.5-amp motor that offers up to 1,500 rpm for powerful drilling and driving in a variety of materials. The variable-speed trigger helps you match the speed to the application, while the lock-on feature…
