“It may sound like an older version of the iPhone,” writes Dean Marsman in Quality, “but it’s actually a very simple and helpful system that can make the fundamentals of lean manufacturing even clearer to both business owners and employees.”

If you’re a longtime reader of Quality, you’ll have seen our Leadership 100 ranking. Every year, we take a look at the quality programs at manufacturing sites around the country. 

When we think of November we immediately think about Thanksgiving, deer hunting season, and Black Friday shopping. These observations are well-known and carry a rich tradition. 

My youngest child graduated college last May and just transitioned into his very own apartment. As I helped him move I reflected on when I first ventured out on my own many years ago.

Quality professionals see many costs of quality firsthand. These include our salaries and benefits, the equipment used to measure and analyze quality outcomes, and the waste generated by these processes when they fail to meet requirements.

As a full time auditor for the past six years for one of the large management system registrars, I start every interview, from production personnel to the CEO, with the question: “Given all of your job responsibilities at this company, what does the word ‘quality’ mean in your work?”