This year NASA and Space-X made history. For the very first time, “NASA astronauts have launched from American soil in a commercially built and operated American crew spacecraft on its way to the International Space Station.”

How well do you think you’re optimizing your manufacturing process? Obviously suboptimal processes are not ideal, and most manufacturers are working on getting the most out of their current workflow. But what exactly is optimization?

First article inspection is a vital part of the manufacturing process for many companies.

With great uncertainty comes great reward. If you’ve planned for the unknown, when something unexpected happens you’ll be that much more prepared. 

Erik Larson’s latest book begins with this quote. If you’ve ever read a book about a serial killer and the Chicago World’s Fair of 1893, the last crossing of the Lusitania, an American family in Hitler’s Berlin, the inventor of wireless and Britain’s second most famous murderer, or the 1900 Galveston Hurricane, you may be familiar with Erik Larson.

Kelly Allan has seen many examples of continual improvement gone awry. He offers this cautionary tale from a client.

Thinking big in terms of quality is the goal. Rather than the days of old where quality just meant inspection, not in real time and not easily accessible, today the concept of quality has moved beyond this concept.

If you are looking to quickly create ballooned drawings and first article inspection documents, you need the right tools for the job.

As graduation season continues without any graduations—or rather, abbreviated ones online along with a cap and gown photo on your front porch—it reminds me of Anne Patchett’s graduation speech turned book, “What Now?”

The state of the quality profession may have changed in 2020, but some issues remain evergreen.