Quality Control and Improvement

Direct-to-Consumer Caskets Disrupt Traditional Business Model

The old saying “there’s nothing certain in life except death and taxes” may still be true, but more options now exist regarding the cost of burying a loved one.

Traditionally in the United States, a family purchases a casket upon the death of their loved one, as part of the arrangements made with a funeral home. Funeral homes provide both tangible products (such as a casket) and intangible services (such as preparing the body for viewing and burial). The combined total […]

By James Kirby Easterling|2023-11-12T10:46:29+00:00November 12, 2023|Tags: direct-to-consumer, inventory, inventory management, online shopping, process selection, quality, supply chain disruption, total cost of ownership|

Tabasco: Maintaining Traditional Processes

McIlhenny’s Tabasco sauce still uses many of the production processes developed over 150 years ago.

The process starts with hand-picking peppers. Next, the peppers are sent for grinding and mixed with salt within one hour of being picked, then placed in oak whiskey barrels, covered with salt, and left to age for three years.

From the barrel, the mash is mixed with vinegar and then churned for three to four weeks. This is followed by a two-stage milling process that removes the […]

By Ross L. Fink, Ph.D.|2023-10-11T10:16:48+00:00October 11, 2023|Tags: assembly line, inspection, inventory management, perishable inventory management, process, quality, quality control|

Process Management: How Wax Figures Are Made

Making wax figures is a form of art, but it also utilizes strict quality controls to make sure that each one looks just like the famous person it represents.

The slow and painstaking process employs highly skilled workers to yield the most realistic results possible!

Video Spotlight:

How It’s Made: Wax Figures (Sept 10, 2021, Science Channel)

This post is based on the YouTube video by the Science Channel in the spotlight. Image source: 360b/Shutterstock

Discussion Questions:

1. At what […]

By Lisa M. Spencer|2023-10-04T06:58:37+00:00October 4, 2023|Tags: process selection, quality control|

In Search of the Perfect T-Shirt Made in the U.S.A.

According to one of Buck Mason’s founders, “there is nothing more essential to the American wardrobe than a white tee.”

The company was started with the objective of making a first-class t-shirt, a well-established product already manufactured by a myriad of competitors worldwide. The majority of the t-shirts are made in the U.S.A. with fabrics also made in the U.S.A. The founders are very involved in the production process and quality control which, they believe, enables them to […]

By Corinne M. Karuppan, Ph.D.|2023-09-11T14:58:50+00:00September 13, 2023|Tags: insourcing, location, product quality, sourcing|