September 2003
Improve Service And Administration
Variation in business activities is unacceptable and undermines quality. Statistical methods can be applied to all types of business processes to understand relationships between processes, then document and reduce variation. The several strategies...
The Seven Deadly Sins of Quality Management
Root cause analysis is the structured investigation of basic causal factors leading to quality failure. When the root cause resides in the fundamental values of an organization, eradication can be extremely challenging. Problems ascribed to...
Managing Supplier Relationships
Effective supply chain management (SCM) can provide companies the competitive edge by adding stability and predictability to their supply stream. Manufacturers can identify vendors that provide high quality service and developing close,...
The Proven Way
Proven systems engineering practices can help an organization move toward a standards compliant quality management system (QMS). The systems engineering approach starts with a top-down definition and leads to bottom-up design, build, and verify sequence...
Beating the Roulette Wheel
In an excerpt from his book "Architect of Quality: The Autobiography of Dr. Joseph M. Juran," Juran describes an experience from his early years working near a clandestine gambling house run by Al Capone. Studying the gambling operations, Juran soon...
Better Public Schools With ISO 9000:2000
Formal standards for learning in public schools are being implemented in the majority of states. The ISO 9000:2000 quality management standards provide a useful structure that can be successfully adapted for the education sector. The National...
Healthcare's Need For Revolutionary Change
The United States medical system is obsolete, inefficient, prone to error, and ready for a paradigm shift. Its systems infrastructure is overwhelmingly complex and fragmented, primed to evolve to the next level. Clinical excellence was the focus of the...
Column: Frontiers of Quality: The Six Sigma Sweep
Like the Packer Sweep, Six Sigma was not totally original. It was built on the work of others and continues to be enhanced. Six Sigma works because it emphasizes focus, planning, constant practice (every project is a practice session) and dedicated...
Column: World View: Quality Management And the World's Largest Corporations
Many of today's global corporations are more powerful economically than some countries. Decisions made in offices by board members can influence the course of events worldwide, sometimes to the same extent as decisions made by politicians-but with less...
