Process audits are highly focused, but their effective techniques are not always understood. Because there is no sanctioned process audit standard, anyone can claim to be doing process audits. Also, the use of process auditing techniques such as tracing is not limited to process audits or process-based management systems. Continue reading
Disrupting ISO 9001:2015
There have been many articles in the past few weeks that provided information about disruption and its effect on the transition that many companies must make to ISO 9001:2015. This must be all wrapped up by September 15, 2018. A recent article in ASQ’s Quality Progress magazine[i] is adding fuel to the fire. Let’s take a look at the recently-released ISO 9004:2018. Continue reading
XONITEK-US and XONITEK-UK recently hosted an Operational Excellence Summit in Amsterdam, the Netherlands. If you have ever been to Amsterdam, you will know there are distinct cultural differences which are quite obvious if you are from New York – even from a pre-Giuliani New York. Continue reading
Automating the supply chain is crucial to the future of the industry, but humans will never be replaced. People have always been and will continue to be the drivers of these processes. Instead of eliminating the human employees, supply chain technology is moving humans from the repetitive data entry and numbers crunching tasks to more intelligent supply chain decision making, enabled by smart data and technology support. Continue reading
KISS, “Keep It Simple, Stupid” is a US Navy principle from the 1960’s advocating that systems function best if they are kept simple rather than made complicated and that unnecessary complexity should be avoided.
In our politically correct world ‘stupid’ is often taken as an insult and ‘keep it short and simple’ or ‘small and simple’ is often substituted. ‘Stupid’ is not an insult, it’s a warning! It takes a bright person to keep things simple, particularly when it’s easier to have a complex mess under the guise of sophistication. Projects inevitably become complicated as they develop which increases the risk of potential failings. Continue reading