Quality Magazine Archives

Why AI Needs Quality Thinking Before Prompts 0
- AI, Quality Magazine
- September 28, 2026
AI is moving quickly into manufacturing, but successful adoption is about more than choosing the right technology or writing better prompts. Before we ask AI to improve a process, we need to ask whether the process itself is understood, stable, and capable of producing reliable results. We need consistent processes, trustworthy data, disciplined problem solving,
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Honored: My Standardized Work Article Was Quality Magazine’s #1 Read Article of Q2 2026 0
- Lean Basics, Quality Magazine
- July 13, 2026
I’m honored that my article, “Debunking Six Common Misconceptions of Standardized Work,” was recognized by Quality Magazine as the #1 most-read article of Q2 2026. Thank you to the team at Quality Magazine for producing this highlight video and, more importantly, to everyone who took the time to read, share, and discuss the
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The 8th Waste in Modern Environments 0
- Lean Basics, Quality Magazine
- April 27, 2026
Lean thinking teaches us that waste exists in every process—but we don’t always expect to see it outside of traditional work environments. During a recent business trip, what should have been a routine rental car pickup turned into a powerful real-world example of all eight wastes in action. From waiting and overprocessing to the
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Standardized Work Isn’t the Problem — Our Thinking About It Is 0
- Lean Basics, Quality Magazine
- March 2, 2026
Say “standardized work” in a room full of professionals and you’ll see it immediately: crossed arms, skeptical looks, maybe even a quiet eye roll. Too rigid. Too controlling. The enemy of creativity. At least, that’s the reputation. And yet—standardized work remains one of the most powerful foundations of Lean, quality, and continuous improvement. So
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Strategic Planning and Deployment: A Tool to Achieve Excellence 0
- Quality Magazine, Strategy
- April 7, 2025
Strategy is not about simply listing important initiatives. It is about making deliberate choices, setting direction, and ensuring the entire organization moves toward a common purpose. Strategic planning and deployment provide a structured approach to translate vision into measurable action and sustainable results. Traditional management-by-objective approaches often focus on assigning targets without ensuring true alignment.
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The Role of Lean Daily Management in Sustaining a Lean Culture 0
- Daily Management, Quality Magazine
- January 15, 2025
Image Source: Morsa Images / E+ / Getty Images Many companies that experience great success with Lean hold kaizen workshops to rapidly implement Lean tools. It’s no secret, however, that many of these companies find that the improved system quickly reverts back to its non-Lean state. The problem is that Lean is a people-dependent system. All
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