quality control – OM in the News

McDonald’s Exits Kazakhstan: Beef Sourcing Issues

Another McDonald’s casualty falls due to the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

This time it’s Kazakhstan, home to 20 million citizens and the richest market in Central Asia, that is feeling the loss. The closure is related to a supply chain issue. McDonald’s has forbidden its stores from importing meat patties from Russia, which had provided them since the chain opened in Kazakhstan in 2016.

Video Spotlight:

Kazakh McDonald’s closes as war hits supply chain (Jan 6, 2023, Reuters)

By Lisa M. Spencer|2023-01-18T22:53:16+00:00January 18, 2023|Tags: consistency, inventory management, location planning, quality assurance, quality control, quality of conformance, strategy, supply chain|

Free Autonomous Ride-Sharing in Las Vegas

Motional and Lyft have teamed up to offer Las Vegas patrons an autonomous ride-hail experience.

Lyft divested its autonomous vehicle unit in 2021, but has continued to invest in ways to incorporate the technology.

Free rides continue this year, with drivers behind the wheel just in case. The full driverless ride is on track to become available in 2023.

Video Spotlight:

Lyft to partner with Motional to launch driverless car on Las Vegas strip (Aug 16, […]

By Lisa M. Spencer|2022-09-26T02:57:24+00:00September 28, 2022|Tags: automation, autonomous vehicles, customer satisfaction, customer service, product design, project, quality assurance, quality control, reliability, service design|

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|

Recalls, Material Shortages and More Lead to Baby Formula Shortages

Nationwide shortages of baby formula have had panicked parents desperately searching to find enough.

The problem has been worsening and is expected to last at least through 2022. Parents are taking to social media to assist each other in finding alternatives and to help raise awareness about this crisis.

Video Spotlight:

Baby formula shortage across US l GMA (May 6, 2022, ABC News)
Baby formula shortage: factory linked to contamination reopens (June 4, 2022, […]

By Lisa M. Spencer|2022-06-06T06:15:02+00:00June 10, 2022|Tags: food safety, food supply chain, inventory management, quality control, recalls, shortage, statistical process control|