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The Automotive Industry Action Group and Odette International Ltd. have updated their joint global Materials Management Operations Guideline/Logistics Evaluation based on feedback from users. The guide is a continuous improvement and self-assessment tool. It’s aligned with ISO/TS 16949 to…
In recent meetings with legislators in Washington, D.C., representatives of the American Society for Quality offered quality expertise in support of President Bush’s American Competitiveness Initiative and health care issues that are currently before Congress. The meetings have focused…
Lean Six Sigma Summit West 2006 will be held Sept. 26-29 at The Venetian in Las Vegas. The event, hosted by Six Sigma IQ, will feature nine detailed tracks and presentations from leading organizations using lean Six Sigma, such as Bank of America, DuPont and GE Plastics. Track topics…
The American Society for Quality will host its Six Sigma Forum Roundtable Sept. 14–15 in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. To maximize one-on-one discussion time with other attendees and presenters, and for more networking opportunities, registration is limited to 150 people. The event will feature in-…
The Confederation of Indian Industry estimates that the Tamil Nadu region of India—that country’s automotive manufacturing hub—will generate as many as 500,000 new jobs in the next decade. This can’t be good news for the U.S.-based automotive manufacturing industry, which is forecast to…
A new book takes issue with the Sloan management model, arguing that its widespread use in American industry is a major reason why U.S. manufacturers are struggling in the leaner global economy. Rebirth of American Industry, by William H. Waddell and Norman Bodek, outlines the core…
In his new book Sales and Marketing the Six Sigma Way (Kaplan Publishing, 2006), author Michael J. Webb takes readers into companies like Standard Register, ServiceMaster, Hong Kong Shanghai Bank, Motorola and others to show how they doubled revenues and cut sales costs by rethinking…
Authorized generic drugs can lead to lower medicine prices and overall savings to the health care system, according to a new study commissioned by the Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America and prepared by IMS Consulting. An authorized generic is a drug that is distributed by…
Boston Centerless Inc. has been named a 2006 Silver Medal recipient in the Northeast Shingo Prize for Excellence in Manufacturing contest.Referred to as the “Nobel Prize of Manufacturing” by Business Week magazine, the Shingo Prize is recognized as a premier manufacturing award and…
An International Organization for Standardization subcommittee has called for the development of a standard that would identify, assess, eliminate or reduce the risks associated with consumer products in the supply chain. According to the Consumer Policy Committee (COPOLCO), rapid changes…
The National Committee for Quality Assurance recently called for better public information about consumer-directed health plans (CDHPs) and other forms of insurance. The white paper "Protecting Consumers in an Evolving Health Insurance Market" also examines the rapid growth in enrollment…
If you’re an upwardly mobile professional male, you probably know more about ISO 9001 registration than your female, blue-collar peers. Such were the findings of a study performed in the United Kingdom. Study authors James Tannock, of Nottingham University Business School, and Henry Brown…
The number of applications to the 2006 Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award significantly increased, with 86 applicants compared to 64 from last year’s event.A major gain in the number of health care organizations applying for the award, along with the addition of a new nonprofit award…
Lean Six Sigma consulting firm Bellwether Services was recently awarded a five-year support agreement by the Naval Sea Systems Command (NAVSEA). NAVSEA is the Navy’s umbrella command for its comprehensive quality-improvement and efficiency programs. The Navy has implemented Six Sigma, lean…
An upcoming conference for financial services professionals interested in Six Sigma will be held in Hong Kong. "Building Profitable Platforms for Growth in Financial Services," will be held Sept. 26–27 at the Royal Garden Hotel in Kowloon, Hong Kong. Preconference workshops will be held…
Two research companies are partnering to discover the real reasons professionals quit their jobs, and they’re asking for your help.dxResearch and The Benchmarking Exchange report that the purpose of the study is to benchmark the nature and degree of dissatisfaction with an organization…
A new book explores the dual use of lean and Six Sigma, and offers tips on how best to synch the methodologies for maximum benefit and minimum risk. In Using Lean for Faster Six Sigma Results: A Synchronized Approach (Productivity Press, 2006), authors Mark Nash, Sheila Poling and Sophronia…
The Asia Pacific Quality Organization and the Australian Organisation for Quality will host an upcoming conference. QUALCON-APQO 2006 will feature sessions for many industries as they relate to quality, including occupational health and safety management, environmental management systems…
Jill M. Considine, chairwoman and CEO of the Depository Trust & Clearing Corp. (DTCC) received the top honor as Six Sigma CEO of the Year at the Global Six Sigma Summit & Industry Awards, held June 28. Considine was honored for her leadership and implementation of Six Sigma at…
Kohler Co. recently selected InfinityQS to provide statistical process control software and services for select plants in the United States. Kohler has used InfinityQS’ SPC software at a plant in Kohler, Wisconsin, for many years. Based on positive results achieved there, the company opted…
Solectron Corp., a provider of electronics manufacturing and integrated supply-chain services, recently received Stratus Technologies’ 2006 Supplier Excellence Award. Solectron’s Columbia, South Carolina, plant was honored for its outstanding performance in support of the introduction of…
Kevin Caldwell recently joined the Juran Institute as its vice president for enterprise assurance. Caldwell, of Chattanooga, Tennessee, has more than 30 years of experience in operations, business performance and quality management, for a variety of industries in international and U.S.…
The Shanghai Association for Quality Management and Shanghai Mobile Communication Corp. recently formed a Scientific Research Base of Quality.The Scientific Research Base of Quality will lead the Shanghai Mobile Performance Excellence Management project, which will help Shanghai Mobile improve its…
Microsoft Corp. recently announced the winners of its Pharmaceutical and Life Sciences Innovation Awards 2006 competition. The awards were presented at the annual meeting of the Drug Information Association in Philadelphia, and were given to companies that have demonstrated the best use of…
Andrew Spanyi’s recently released book uses process management to demonstrate how managers can improve customer service while trimming expenses. In More for Less: The Power of Process Management (Meghan-Kiffer Press, 2006), Spanyi emphasizes the use of process management to streamline…
