Statistical Quality Control

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|

The Race to Complete the KCI Airport on Time and on Budget

KCI’s new terminal is about to open.

Phasing out the old airport while completing the work at the new one is well under way. All major systems have been tested, hiring has started, and plans for the final integration are ready. To date, the project implementation has been successful. However, the project team does not take this success for granted and remains laser-focused on getting the airport 100% ready for opening day.

Video Spotlight: When Will KCI Airport […]

By Corinne M. Karuppan, Ph.D.|2023-01-30T20:40:08+00:00February 1, 2023|Tags: capacity requirement planning, inspection, project management, project scheduling, project team, waiting lines|

Contaminated Baby Formula: The High Costs of Poor Quality

At the Sturgis plant, contaminated baby formula led to serious illnesses and a crippling shortage (see earlier post).

Sloppy procedures, deficient product testing, and a company culture prioritizing output quantity over quality were the precursors to a widespread crisis that could have been prevented. The FDA’s nonchalance and a lack of swift, corrective action have imperiled the lives of many and cast doubt that all root causes of the problems have been eradicated.

Video Spotlight:

By Corinne M. Karuppan, Ph.D.|2022-09-08T21:37:51+00:00September 10, 2022|Tags: costs of quality, product quality, product recall, quality control, six sigma|