The Quality Industry Voices

Principle of Two Weaknesses

selandd@bnpmedia.com (Darryl Seland) — Sun, 31 May 2026 00:00:00 -0400

It’s called the principle of two weaknesses. It is a strategy in chess. It was developed by Grandmaster Aron Nimzowitsch and detailed in the book, “My System,” back in 1925 and still considered a core strategy in chess to this day.

Still Seeking Better Quality

smith_jim_l@cat.com (Jimmy L. Smith) — Sat, 30 May 2026 00:00:00 -0400

Quality giants like Joseph M. Juran, W. Edwards Deming and Armand V. Feigenbaum ushered in the era of total quality management (TQM) movement about seven decades ago.

Seeing the Bigger Picture: How ASQ Expanded My View of Quality

Sat, 09 May 2026 00:00:00 -0400

Like many professionals, my introduction to ASQ began with a very practical goal: certification. At the time, I was focused on strengthening my technical foundation and building credibility in the field of quality.

You Can’t Fall Off the Middle

selandd@bnpmedia.com (Darryl Seland) — Wed, 29 Apr 2026 00:00:00 -0400

I recently heard the phrase, "You can't fall off the middle." For me, it almost immediately fit into my advocacy for balance.

Expanding Lean Waste: The Case for Material Underutilization

faceofquality@qualitymag.com (Jim L. Smith) — Sun, 12 Apr 2026 00:00:00 -0400

Before I get into the focus of this column, I’d venture to guess that many quality professionals reading this column’s title did an about take thinking this guy has lost his mind. To discover the real intent, read on…

A Practical Guide for Women Building Careers in Manufacturing

Sat, 11 Apr 2026 00:00:00 -0400

Manufacturing has changed meaningfully over the past two decades. Once rare, women in technical, operational, and leadership roles are now increasingly visible across the industry.

Third Revision of ISO 2859-1

jvdbd@hotmail.com (John Vandenbemden) — Fri, 10 Apr 2026 00:00:00 -0400

The final draft of ISO 2859-1 was approved in December 2025.

Leadership Principles That Drive Quality and Team Success

Thu, 09 Apr 2026 00:00:00 -0400

I have had numerous bosses over my 40+ year career. A few were great, most were good, and several were terrible. Coinciding with my career has been the opportunity to serve as a member leader (aka volunteer) for ASQ, something I have done continuously since 1992.

How Do We Get to the Positive?

selandd@bnpmedia.com (Darryl Seland) — Sat, 28 Mar 2026 00:00:00 -0400

You see it a lot with e-commerce. Online shopping is said to offer an advantage. An array of “reviews” posted by other shoppers of the product you are considering. Amazon and others have converted these comments on the worthiness of a product into tools that help browsers decide if they want to become purchasers.

Sustaining a Quality Culture, Part 2

smith_jim_l@cat.com (Jimmy L. Smith) — Tue, 17 Mar 2026 00:00:00 -0400

I felt it might be of interest to continue the discussion from my previous column on organizational culture. It is not easy for some organizations to convert to a culture that is truly focused on establishing a robust culture of quality.

Expanding One’s Skill Set Through Actual Practice

Tue, 10 Mar 2026 00:00:00 -0400

We all have likes and dislikes. When I was young, I liked to wear sneakers and play; what kid didn’t? Sunday mornings were the worst; not only did attending church cut into playtime, but I had to dress up and wear shoes.

The Origins of Superheroes

selandd@bnpmedia.com (Darryl Seland) — Fri, 13 Feb 2026 00:00:00 -0500

The concept of heroes with extraordinary abilities is far older than the comic books—which then became movies, which became television or streaming shows—that we know today.

What Happens When Quality “Co-Owns” the Digital Thread?

francois@growthhive-strategy.com (Francois Gau) — Fri, 13 Feb 2026 00:00:00 -0500

Since my early days in manufacturing, I’ve been participating in what is termed “digital twins.” It’s been largely covered and frankly overused in anything from construction planning to flight simulators.

Does the Machine Speak? We Just Need to Listen

Thu, 12 Feb 2026 00:00:00 -0500

For the last 24 years, I have lived my life by the sounds of plastic injection machines.

Sustaining a Quality Culture

smith_jim_l@cat.com (Jimmy L. Smith) — Tue, 10 Feb 2026 00:00:00 -0500

What is culture? Culture is the shared beliefs, values, attitudes, and behavior patterns that characterize the members of a family, a community or an organization.

Why Process Variation Control Matters for ISO 9001 and Quality

jvdbd@hotmail.com (John Vandenbemden) — Mon, 09 Feb 2026 00:00:00 -0500

Previously, I discussed my concerns about organizations not properly managing corrective actions or process variation. While corrective actions were covered before, this piece focuses on variation.

How ASQ Transformed My Career—and Why It Can Transform Yours Too

Sun, 08 Feb 2026 00:00:00 -0500

Was there a spark that ignited your professional journey? Maybe it was a person, an experience, a moment that set or changed the direction of your career.

First Things First — Or Second, or Third?

selandd@bnpmedia.com (Darryl Seland) — Thu, 29 Jan 2026 00:00:00 -0500

I admit, first things first does make sense to me. In particular, I like it because it places a priority on the basics. You have to crawl before you walk, walk before you run.

Refining Product Design

smith_jim_l@cat.com (Jimmy L. Smith) — Sun, 11 Jan 2026 00:00:00 -0500

While consulting with a hydraulic pump manufacturer, the executive officer related their company’s revolutionary journey.

Why Is Corrective Action So Hard?

jvdbd@hotmail.com (John Vandenbemden) — Sat, 10 Jan 2026 00:00:00 -0500

In the early 1980s, my Quality career emphasized variation and corrective action. Although I’ve attended various solution-branded workshops, many organizations still struggle with understanding variation and effectively implementing corrective actions.

Community is at the Heart of Everything We Do Within ASQ

Fri, 09 Jan 2026 15:00:00 -0500

At ASQ’s 2025 World Conference on Quality and Improvement (WCQI) I had the opportunity to speak from the ‘big stage’ about community.

ASQ Fellows Forum: A New Space for Shared Insight

dlbrecken@sbcglobal.net (Don Brecken) — Sun, 14 Dec 2025 00:00:00 -0500

Beginning with this issue, Quality welcomes the launch of the ASQ Fellows Forum—a monthly column written by members of the American Society for Quality’s Fellow community.

Quality Management Systems

Sat, 13 Dec 2025 12:18:37 -0500

Where SPC and heavy business focused analytics tools may be best fit in the enterprise software layer, Quality Management Systems (QMS) now have a lasting home in the MES/SCADA Layer.

Mastering the Upward Spiral of Improvement

faceofquality@qualitymag.com (Jim L. Smith) — Thu, 11 Dec 2025 00:00:00 -0500

During a career in which I devoted a large portion to developing and implementing improvement programs, one thing became crystal clear. Improvement programs with a focus on sustained improvement were more valuable than speed of implementation.

How a Quality Engineering Job Became a Career—and Ultimately a Passion

Wed, 10 Dec 2025 12:00:00 -0500

When I was a college senior, I devoted much of my free time to searching for a job. Up until that point, I had believed that one goes to school, earns a degree, and then simply gets a job.

The New Era of Manufacturing: Job Seekers Express Growing Optimism

Tue, 09 Dec 2025 09:02:03 -0500

In North America, the manufacturing industry has historically played a significant role in economic development and technological advancement.

Using Internal Auditing to Verify Continual Improvement Effectiveness

Mon, 08 Dec 2025 01:00:00 -0500

There will be more information about potential upcoming changes to the ISO Management System Standards (MSS). One topic of note is that of Continual Improvement (CI).

Measure, Analyze and Control Using Technology

Thu, 13 Nov 2025 00:00:00 -0500

The purpose of this article is to show how a Quality practitioner can effectively enhance their Lean Six Sigma improvement efforts using available technology. Following the established framework of Define, Measure, Analyze, Improve, and Control, technology can enhance the coverage, predictability, and effectiveness of these in ways that exceed the limitations of manual work.

The Dynamic Duo: Why Quality and Safety Must Evolve Together

smith_jim_l@cat.com (Jimmy L. Smith) — Wed, 12 Nov 2025 00:00:00 -0500

During my management career at a Fortune 50 company, we were taught to treat quality and safety as top priority. They were considered essential and everything else was secondary.

The Language We Use: Similar to the right tool for the right job

selandd@bnpmedia.com (Darryl Seland) — Fri, 31 Oct 2025 00:00:00 -0400

Choosing the right tools and techniques is essential in manufacturing and quality control. This principle applies to language as well; our word choices influence responses. This was clear during a conversation at the ASQ Measurement Division event in Michigan this September.