Quality and SPC – OM in the News

Exoskeletons Improve Job Design

A John Deere parts distribution center in Sao Paulo, Brazil, offers employees the use of exoskeletons to perform their jobs more safely and comfortably. Employees handle hundreds of packages every day with greater ease with the aid of these robotic devices.

Exoskeletons have the potential to impact many industries and improve ergonomics and job design in a variety of ways.

Video Spotlight:

How will exoskeletons be used in the next decade? (Jan 31, 2022, Interesting Engineering)

By Lisa M. Spencer|2023-06-04T05:20:09+00:00June 7, 2023|Tags: automation, ergonomics, job design, productivity, safety, supply chain technology, work design|

Major League Baseballs are Still Handmade

What do you imagine making baseballs for the pros looks like?

You might be surprised when you see what really happens behind the scenes at Rawlings. Consistent quality is a priority, and much of the work is labor intensive and done by hand.

(Check out the effect of a pitch clock on Major League games’ cycle times in this OM in the News post.)

Video Spotlight:

How It’s Made Baseballs (April 22, 2016, How It’s Made […]

By Lisa M. Spencer|2023-05-31T05:37:28+00:00May 31, 2023|Tags: facility layout, process design, product design, quality control|

Tupperware’s Slow Descent into Oblivion

The Tupperware party may be over.

Tupperware may soon declare bankruptcy. Declining revenue, lower stock prices, and dwindling cash reserves do not bode well for the future of this iconic brand. The article and video describe how the company mostly relied on brand recognition and failed to recognize and adapt to a changing consumer and business environment. The company has now partnered with Amazon and Target to boost sales, but it may be too little, too late.

Video Spotlight:

By Corinne M. Karuppan, Ph.D.|2023-05-16T22:21:28+00:00May 17, 2023|Tags: bullwhip effect, competitivness, House of Quality, product design, product portfolio, product quality, service quality, strategy|

Lean Six Sigma in Hospitals

Although Lean Six Sigma has its origins in manufacturing, many services effectively use it. One such example is the Oncology Department at UC San Diego Health.

The Oncology Department applied a variety of Lean Six Sigma tools to produce $3.73 million in additional annual revenue.

The main source of waste was identified to be the way that several cancer drugs were used in dosing. These drugs were placed in a vial by the manufacturer with a single use dosage concept. In many […]

By Ross L. Fink, Ph.D.|2023-05-10T05:53:01+00:00May 10, 2023|Tags: 6S, healthcare, lean, process improvement, six sigma, waste reduction|