DDMRP: Beyond the Acronym
In a world with a perpetual flow of new crazes and trends, passing fads and game-changing ingenuities often wearing the same clothing, it is only the test of time that truly...
Quality Management: Getting Your Executives on Board
When everybody in your organization is on the same page with your quality management program, things will run smoothly. Yes, this even includes the executives. Do you recall Dr. W. Edwards...
Dr. James P. Womack: Hero of Lean Manufacturing
Through many of our articles we focus on the future of manufacturing, such as upcoming trends and keeping up with new technology, but how did we get here? It’s important to...
Has 3D Printing Made the Junkyard Dog an Endangered Species?
When I was a kid my dad owned a 1958 Triumph that was always one pothole bump or one rainy day short-circuit away from being disabled. It would repeatedly and predictably...
IoT Connected Devices: Benefits and Risks
With the Internet of Things (IoT) in its infancy, regulatory agencies haven’t issued official rules for medical device manufacturers to follow in regards to connected devices. That said, it’s a good...
Effective Quality Management Through Smudgy Fingerprints
I can’t tell you how many manufacturing plants I have been through that have multiple well-positioned bulletin boards covered with neatly hung quality charts. Sadly at times these charts are tombstones...
From Compliance Toward Operational Excellence
When it comes to risk, compliance to standards is critical. That’s a given. I argue that while we do need to remain compliant with all of the rules and regulations in...
X Marks the Spot in the Quality Treasure Hunt
The search for quality in manufacturing is not a treasure hunt. Quality is not “uncovered’ by following the dotted line on a map. Quality is the result of vigilant and dedicated...
Quality Conundrum – Confusing Paperless with Integrated
Perhaps no other function in manufacturing is as document-heavy and paper-centric as the quality function. We have all struggled with the reams of information locked in manual and semi-manual...
Clothing Industry vs. Planet Earth
In a recent article in Raconteur, I read that the handling of materials, chemicals, water, emissions and waste poses a serious problem for the clothing industry. Each year the industry uses...