Managing Quality

Kimberly-Clark Pursues Sustainable Wood Fiber Alternative

Kimberly-Clark, maker of well-known brands like Kleenex, Scott, and Huggies, has committed $100 million to build a plant in Yuma, Arizona to scale up production and testing of hesperaloe as an alternative fiber for wood pulp in its hygiene products.

This plant is part of a groundbreaking, long-term sustainability effort for its products such as toilet paper and paper towels.

Video Spotlight:

Kimberly-Clark to build new U.S. facility in Yuma (Aug 24, 2026, News 11 Yuma)

This […]

By Lisa M. Spencer|2026-09-29T06:52:36+00:00September 30, 2026|Tags: manufacturing, product design, quality, reshoring, sourcing, strategy, sustainability|

Robot-Run Convenience Store

Made by Galbot, a robot named Xiao Gai staffs around 200 small capsule-like convenience store outlets in 50 cities across mainland China.

Now, several have opened in Hong Kong as well.

Video Spotlight:

Hong Kong’s first robot-run convenience stores (Sep 3, 2026, South China Morning Post)
Hong Kong’s first robot-run convenience stores draw curious shoppers (Sep 7, 2026, CNA)

This post is based on the SABC News article,

By Lisa M. Spencer|2026-09-16T01:35:24+00:00September 18, 2026|Tags: AI activity, artificial intelligence, efficiency, productivity, robotics, service organizations, strategy|

Levi’s Continues Supply Chain Optimization Initiatives

Levi Strauss & Co. is seeking to transition to a unified enterprise resourcing planning (ERP) system across its global operations by mid-2027.

Levi’s recently migrated its Asia business operations and Beyond Yoga brand onto the global platform after integrating North America units three years ago. With Asia integration now complete, the company is integrating European and Latin America business units onto their global platform. The legendary denim maker once had thirteen different ERP platforms but is targeting one global unit to […]

By James Kirby Easterling|2026-08-24T04:11:10+00:00August 30, 2026|Tags: ERP, global platform, integration, optimization, sustainability|

Turfgrass for the World Cup

FIFA’s World Cup 2026 featured 48 teams playing in sixteen different stadiums, hosted by three countries: the United States, Canada, and Mexico.

One requirement of FIFA for the World Cup games is that stadiums and fields meet certain specifications, including that the field uses turfgrass. Each field must perform identically in terms of how the ball bounces and ensure safe footing.

Of the sixteen stadiums, eight normally used artificial turf, and five were domed with retractable roofs, adding complexity to meeting field […]

By Ross L. Fink, Ph.D.|2026-08-10T04:33:40+00:00August 9, 2026|Tags: product design, project management, quality, quality characteristics|