As we all return from the holiday break and get back to business, is it time to take a hard look at what it will take to be successful in 2014? With an economy that is showing little ability for sustainable growth, at least for the foreseeable future, will 2014 be the year that US […]
Most lean principles fall under a very old-fashioned ideal that some of us still remember; common sense. During another recent visit with a wire harness and cable manufacturer, I had a great discussion with a fellow old-school manager on the merits of lean. He told me “Steve, I really don’t know what all the fuss […]
One of the most important decisions a company can make is the selection of the person that will be lead the quality organization. This person will most likely be the face of the company with customers, suppliers, and your ISO registrar as the organization’s ISO Management Representative. To differentiate yourself as a world-class organization, the […]
To paraphrase the great John Houseman, I grew up in an environment where you make money the old fashioned way, you earned it! What will be the impact on our business if the fast food protestors lobbying for a $15 minimum wage actually win? Old School I remember starting off in the manufacturing industry earning […]
10 “Thanksgiving is an emotional holiday. People travel thousands of miles to be with people they only see once a year. And then discover once a year is way too often.” – Johnny Carson 9 “If a fellow isn’t thankful for what he’s got, he isn’t likely to be thankful for what he’s going to […]
I was enjoying a fine cigar with an old friend a number of years ago when the discussion turned to organizational change. I asked my friend, whose opinion I greatly respect, “How do I begin to steer a company in a new direction that is so transformational it is sure to meet a heavy dose […]
The Gettysburg Address Four score and seven years ago our fathers brought forth on this continent, a new nation, conceived in Liberty, and dedicated to the proposition that all men are created equal. Now we are engaged in a great civil war, testing whether that nation, or any nation so conceived and so dedicated, can […]
Losing sleep over what your customers or auditors will be keying in on during their next visit? Use my Top Ten list to see what areas cause the most concern. 10) Blanks No blank spaces on forms, documents or work orders Required work order signoffs complete 9) SPC Wallpaper Excessive process control charts/graphs posted with […]
What happens after the “shine” of China has faded? Will manufacturing return to North America or will it just move on to the next low-cost country? Industry icons Steve Williams, Eric Miscoll, Yash Sutariya, and Shane Whiteside examined these questions and more for RealTime with IPC at this year’s IPC/APEX Expo in San Diego. Watch the […]
Do you repeatedly score lower than you would like on customer or ISO audits? Do the same things generally trip you up when customers evaluate your quality system? Read below to see 3 things you can do to eliminate the most common causes of audit issues. K.I.S.S. (Keep It Simple Steve). Many company’s quality systems […]
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