What if ISO had to explain changes to its standards? Should ISO require official documentation explaining the specific value of certain changes to users? This blog post from a quality management expert answers this and similar questions. The author posits whether ISO should require public reasons to the full clauses of its standards and whether ISO should go further in … [Read more...] about What if ISO had to explain its changes?
Quality
A conceptual framework of quality cost chain in strategic cost management
This study outlines a method employing the concept of quality cost in Strategic Cost Management (SCM). The authors use appraisal, failure, and preventive (AFP) actions to implement SCM as part of their initial analysis of the organizations' internal value chains. The study goes on to relate AFP actions and costs of quality to identify the study's scope. Researchers … [Read more...] about A conceptual framework of quality cost chain in strategic cost management
Risk-Based Thinking and the IATF 16949 Requirements Related to Risk
Risk-based thinking is one of the more significant additions to ISO 9001:2015's list of quality management principles. Risk-based thinking involves incorporating risk analysis in an organizational quality management system, including certain risks' opportunities, probability, and consequences. The goal is to prevent identifiable problems before they happen, evaluating risks … [Read more...] about Risk-Based Thinking and the IATF 16949 Requirements Related to Risk
Six Sigma in Manufacturing | Advantages & Disadvantages
A strategy that reduces errors and defects in manufacturing is called Six Sigma. Organizations use Six Sigma to increase the quality of their products. Innovations in technology have changed the manufacturing industry. Understanding and adapting to these changes allow Six Sigma to advance towards quality improvement. Lean manufacturing works simultaneously with Six Sigma to … [Read more...] about Six Sigma in Manufacturing | Advantages & Disadvantages
Why Time Study Analysis is Key and How to Conduct One
Organizations can achieve greater efficiency on their production floor through a time study, which observes, records, and evaluates labor work to ensure that qualified employees do specific tasks under specific conditions and at a precise rate. Performing a time study demands attentive preparation and comprehensive planning. This article shows why organizations should consider … [Read more...] about Why Time Study Analysis is Key and How to Conduct One
Workflow Documentation: How to Increase Efficiency, Reduce Error, & Focus On Impactful Tasks
Workflow documentation is more accessible than ever. Rather than having organizations drown in stacks of paper, workflow management software helps companies edit, locate, and store crucial workflow documents. Various workflow management software programs can help automate time-consuming data entry, leaving employees more time to focus on critical business tasks. Further, an … [Read more...] about Workflow Documentation: How to Increase Efficiency, Reduce Error, & Focus On Impactful Tasks
Don’t Follow a Broken Compass: How to Validate Your Data
Lucid's Strategy & Analytics team is responsible for aiding stakeholders in achieving business impact. To do so, they use strategic analyses (recommendations based on data) and data modeling (organizing data to be accessible and useful for the company). Charles Babbage, otherwise known as the “father of the computer” said that “errors using inadequate data are much less … [Read more...] about Don’t Follow a Broken Compass: How to Validate Your Data
Why won’t you leave the process alone? Exploring emotional, motivational and cognitive mechanisms triggering tampering
Although quality professionals aim to improve their products by solving problems, sometimes actions can result in inferior outcomes, a process known as tampering. This paper highlights and analyzes the various mental and behavioral activities that lead quality professionals to tamper as they try to solve problems. Examples include fear of inaction and using past experiences to … [Read more...] about Why won’t you leave the process alone? Exploring emotional, motivational and cognitive mechanisms triggering tampering
A 3-Step Method for Writing LPA Questions
To reduce defects, complaints from customers, and eliminate cost, manufacturers use easy and cost-effective LPAs, or layered process audits. However, to achieve and support plant floor inspections on a regular basis, plants have to overcome their trouble creating LPA questions. What results from a lack of quality LPA questions is people zooming through paperwork with the goal … [Read more...] about A 3-Step Method for Writing LPA Questions
ISO 9001:2015 Certification and Lean Six Sigma
ISO 9001 or Six Sigma? What certification should companies adopt to improve their quality management system? ISO 9001 can help organizations achieve a quality management system to cover their departments, suppliers, and employees. Six Sigma presents a series of mechanisms and methods to streamline business operations and curtail organization-wide waste. Although both … [Read more...] about ISO 9001:2015 Certification and Lean Six Sigma
Why EV Suppliers and Startups Should Implement Layered Process Audits
While the electric vehicle (EV) industry makes momentous gains in wealth, and is expected to quadruple in revenue by 2030, their suppliers typically come from an entrepreneurship or design background.This is where the problem stems from—the best technology does not imply it can be introduced to customers with the best quality. To succeed in the world’s competitive market, there … [Read more...] about Why EV Suppliers and Startups Should Implement Layered Process Audits
Why a Plan for Every Part Is Essential to Lean Transformations
Several organizations miss a vital component of a lean handling system known as PFEP, "A Plan for Every Part." While some companies assume that a lean transformation in their operations should focus on labor, PFEP focuses more on inventory. The PFEP seeks accurate and regulated inventory reductions for every purchased component to make any company's material handling operation … [Read more...] about Why a Plan for Every Part Is Essential to Lean Transformations
How Do Remote Audits and ISO Certification Work?
Nowadays, ISO certification and auditing are essential for organizations to use. Auditing allows for formal accreditation and together, implementing them is the best practice to achieve approval.Remote auditing is now critical with the digital revolution expanding into multiple industrial sectors. Day by day, the significance of remote audits grows as they help manage … [Read more...] about How Do Remote Audits and ISO Certification Work?
5 Worst Consequences Of Poor Customer Service And How To Avoid Them
Devastating effects in business can be caused by inadequate customer service. Customers may choose competitors, resulting in revenue drops and increased costs. In this article, the top five consequences of poor customer service will be discussed with examples on how to negate them. When customers are treated poorly, they may defect to the competition. This causes … [Read more...] about 5 Worst Consequences Of Poor Customer Service And How To Avoid Them
ISO to Develop Design Specification for New Version of ISO 9001
The ISO technical committee, who develops, manages, and updates ISO 9000, is now developing a similar set of design standards for a potential future revision of ISO 9001. TG5 has been assigned to develop these design standards by the ISO/TC 176/SC2 Strategic Planning and Operations Task Group (SPOTG). In April, SPOTG met to review a report from ISO/TC 176/SC2/TG 5 where … [Read more...] about ISO to Develop Design Specification for New Version of ISO 9001
Research Reveals Employee Engagement is Key to Both EHS and ESG Performance
In the health and safety of occupations, employees are faced with the culture and engagement dilemmas of the workplace. According to Technologies LLC’s research, environment, social, and corporate governance performance (ESG) are likely to be majorly impacted. The research report identified that bolstering EGS and EHS performances slows EGS progress when employees are … [Read more...] about Research Reveals Employee Engagement is Key to Both EHS and ESG Performance
Boosting business performance through knowledge management
ISO 9001 Clause 7.1.5 requires maintaining organizational knowledge. One form of this maintenance can include effective knowledge management (EKM), which seeks to highlight what knowledge is so organizations can solve problems better. EKM includes access to relevant facts and expertise; a common language used to describe facts, concepts, issues, and concerns; the ability to … [Read more...] about Boosting business performance through knowledge management
The benefits of process discovery automation and how it helps achieve process excellence
An automated process discovery system can help your organization discover ways to improve workflow and reduce costs throughout an organization's business processes. This automation helps businesses make better decisions and take advantage of new opportunities. Rather than using a manual process, companies can collect data from audits, transactions, messages, and other sources … [Read more...] about The benefits of process discovery automation and how it helps achieve process excellence
An empirical study into the reasons for failure of sustaining operational excellence initiatives in organizations
A survey of 106 experts involved in implementing operational excellence (OPEX) initiatives such as Lean, Six Sigma, and Agile found that 15% of companies studied did not adopt any type of OPEX. For those that did adopt OPEX methods, roughly 75% chose Six Sigma, fewer than 50% adopted Lean initiatives, and fewer than 5% used Kaizen. This study, published in The TQM Journal, is … [Read more...] about An empirical study into the reasons for failure of sustaining operational excellence initiatives in organizations
How to Conduct Remote Supplier Quality Audits in a QMS
Since the Covid pandemic, regulators and notified bodies have been doing more remote audits to conduct routine inspections. In fact, it helped the FDA exceed domestic inspections in FY2021 by more than double the number projected. As a result, the FDA and EMA have released guidance on what to expect during a remote audit. However, remote audits … [Read more...] about How to Conduct Remote Supplier Quality Audits in a QMS