William A. Levinson

Principal, author, auditor, and engineer

Levinson Productivity Systems

William A. Levinson, P.E., FASQ, CPIM is the principal of Levinson Productivity Systems P.C. He is the author of Reshore Production Now: How to Rebuild Manufacturing and Restore High Wages, High Profits, and National Prosperity in the USA, and other books on quality, productivity, and management.

Thu, 02/18/2021 - 15:12
Intermediaries Must Produce or Get OutIntermediaries that don’t add value don’t belong in the supply chain
Mon, 04/18/2022 - 12:03
Ryan Day1 describes how the rise of independent auto dealers is a “gray swan” event for the automobile industry. This was not only bound to happen, as observed by the author, but also long overdue. The article states, “...current state laws prohibit…
Why Ethics Must Be Paramount in Quality“... and never you tell ’em a lie”
Tue, 01/25/2022 - 12:03
The U.S. Military Academy’s Honor Code says that “A Cadet will not lie, cheat, steal, or tolerate those who do.” Lt. Gen. Darryl A. Williams, the USMA’s superintendent, elaborated, “The tenets of honorable living remain immutable, and the outcomes…
Ship Product, Not AirPackaged air is of value only to divers and astronauts
Mon, 11/29/2021 - 12:03
Shigeo Shingo was able to summarize entire concepts in single phrases, such as “paint parts, not air.” This meant that paint which misses parts in a spray booth constitutes wasted material and also an environmental aspect. “Ship product, not air”…
It’s Time to Lose the LudditesA ‘robot tax’ would do nothing more than derail almost limitless growth and a high standard of living
Thu, 10/21/2021 - 12:03
Luddism is, as depicted by Henry Ford, “...the theory that there is only so much work in the world to do and it must be strung out.”1 This dysfunctional paradigm is shared today by otherwise highly capable people such as Elon Musk, Bill Gates, and…
Why We Should Replace the Term ‘Quality’ With ‘Value’‘Utility divided by cost’ encompasses literally everything we need to know
Wed, 09/29/2021 - 12:03
This article contends that we should replace “quality” with “value” to address an enormous array of previously unaddressed risks and opportunities. Poor quality is only one of the Toyota Production System’s seven wastes, and it is rarely the most…
Guard Banding for Non-Capable Gages, Part 2Optimizing acceptance limits to minimize cost of wrong decisions
Tue, 08/24/2021 - 12:03
Part one of this article showed that it is possible, by means of a Visual Basic for Applications program in Microsoft Excel, to calculate the fraction of in-specification product that is rejected by a non-capable gage, as well as the fraction of…
Guard Banding for Non-Capable Gages, Part 1Calculate the fraction of good product that will be rejected and nonconforming product that will be accepted
Mon, 08/23/2021 - 12:03
IATF 16949:2016 clause 7.1.5.1.1 requires measurement systems analysis (MSA) to quantify gage and instrument variation. The deliverables of the generally accepted procedure are the repeatability or equipment variation, and the reproducibility or…
Measurement Systems Analysis for Attributes, Part 2The analytical method allows more detailed quantification of the gage standard deviation and bias
Mon, 07/12/2021 - 12:03
The first part of this series introduced measurement systems analysis for attribute data, or attribute agreement analysis. AIAG1 provides a comprehensive overview, and Jd Marhevko2 has done an outstanding job of extending it to judgment inspections…
Measurement Systems Analysis for Attributes, Part 1Common sense says it is beneficial to understand the capabilities and limitations of inspections for attributes
Wed, 06/30/2021 - 12:03
Measurement systems analysis (MSA) for attributes, or attribute agreement analysis, is a lot like eating broccoli or Brussels sprouts. We must often do things we don't like because they are necessary or good for us. While IATF 16949:2016, Clause 7.1…
Reshoring Must Be Our Top PriorityQuality pros are key to helping U.S. workers earn high wages while maintaining lower prices, higher profits
Mon, 04/26/2021 - 12:03
The current national controversy over the need for a mandatory high minimum wage is but a symptom of a much larger underlying problem: the offshoring of American manufacturing capability. Offshoring ruined Spain and Portugal during the 16th century…