quality control – OM in the News

NAND Memory Loss due to Contamination

As if the shortage of computer chips was not enough, flash memory is now also in short supply.

Contamination issues were reported in two factories making NAND flash memory for Western Digital and Xioxia. The contamination affected a large amount of the production output, further disrupting the supply chain of solid-state drives and NAND flash-based products. The costs of poor quality are substantial for both companies. Combined with a squeezed supply, these higher costs will likely push prices […]

By Corinne M. Karuppan, Ph.D.|2022-03-02T22:04:59+00:00March 4, 2022|Tags: costs of quality, lead time, product quality, quality control, short term capacity, shortage, six sigma|

Defective Souvenir Is Unexpectedly Popular

Tea sets, mugs, and plates are sporting a royal goof. In the run-up to Queen Elizabeth’s Platinum Jubilee, the celebration the 70 years since her ascension to the throne, a Chinese manufacturer produced 10,800 items for an online trader wanting to sell mementos.

These keepsakes bear the humorous inscription of “Queen’s Platinum Jubbly” or “Queen’s Platinum Jubblee” instead of “Queen’s Platinum Jubilee.”

Brits are finding this goof especially humorous because a famous comedic TV character, “Del Boy,” has a favorite catch phrase, “lovely […]

By Lisa M. Spencer|2022-03-03T05:48:39+00:00March 2, 2022|Tags: cost of quality, defects, outsourcing, product design, quality control|

Generic Pills Can Be Hard to Swallow

The drug production system is broken. Fixing it requires putting quality first.

Generic drugs are supposed to be affordable alternatives to name-brand medications. Contrary to what the F.D.A. claims, a pill is not always a pill. In the quest for ever-cheaper generic drugs, quality has sometimes – not always! – been sacrificed both in the US and abroad, and without a transparent rating system, health consumers are kept in the dark. Furthermore, the reliance on a few foreign suppliers of active […]

By Corinne M. Karuppan, Ph.D.|2021-09-29T18:49:34+00:00October 5, 2021|Tags: process capability, product quality, quality control, shortage, six sigma, sourcing|

COVID-Sniffing Dogs in Helsinki

Ten amazing dogs sniff out COVID-19 carrying passengers in Finland’s Helsinki airport.

In a pilot program, passengers are asked to volunteer to run a test wipe across their skin to collect a sweat sample. The wipe is placed in a cup in a nearby booth, where the dogs quickly go to work and make a physical sign to indicate samples that carry the virus.

These canines can detect the virus in only ten seconds, and up to five days before symptoms even […]

By Lisa M. Spencer|2020-11-02T03:23:47+00:00November 4, 2020|Tags: covid-19, efficiency, pandemic, quality control, robotics, scheduling, service design, service operations|