All Features
Donald J. Wheeler
When do we need to fit a lognormal distribution to our skewed histograms? This article considers the basic properties of the lognormal family of distributions and reveals some interesting and time-saving characteristics that are useful when analyzing data.
The lognormal family of distributions…
Greg MacDonald
As we launch into Industry 4.0, the need for advanced automation and high-performance connectivity solutions intensifies, requiring protocols like Industrial Ethernet for maximum efficiency and productivity. Products like ix Industrial and Single Pair Ethernet are ideal new interconnects, offering…
Scott A. Hindle, Douglas C. Fair
You are assigned a new task to demonstrate that an existing process will have the capability to meet newer and tighter specifications. The change in specifications for critical-to-quality characteristic P is due to new regulatory requirements; hence, the specifications must be met. The task is…
Jeff Roscher
In the ever-evolving landscape of manufacturing, operational efficiency is paramount. The seamless functioning of machinery not only ensures optimal production but also minimizes downtime and associated costs. However, for a certain manufacturing company that had been operating in a reactive…
James Barai
Environmental consciousness is a priority for both consumers and businesses, now more than ever. Sustainable business practices continue to gain popularity across various industries, including the nutrition and food industry. In this realm, scientific laboratories are a resource-intensive space as…
Erin Vogen
One large concern when maintaining a business’ facilities and assets is cost. Managing the costs of repairs, new parts, and personnel can present a challenge.
Although maintenance can be costly, it’s important to see it as an investment that prolongs equipment life span, enhances productivity, and…
Etienne Nichols
At one point in my career, after managing design controls and risk management documentation, I decided to move on.
When the day came to put in my two-week notice, I walked over to another engineer’s cubicle with the news. “From now on,” I said, “design controls are yours.”
I’ll never forget the…
Chris Caldwell
As the growth in fulfillment warehouses, e-commerce, and third-party logistics skyrockets, and unique customer demands evolve, more companies are exploring the concept of dark warehouses—fully automated, “lights-out” facilities that use intelligent, interconnected devices to operate without human…
Megan Wallin-Kerth
We all make mistakes. Despite a vigorous editing process, there may even be one in this article! Although everyone makes mistakes, not everyone owns up to them, and thus they miss an opportunity to grow, learn, and—if they appreciate and apply what they’ve learned—consistently improve the quality…
Eric Whitley
Historically, manufacturing processes have often involved substantial waste. From the early days of industrialization, companies have prioritized production speed and volume over efficient resource use. As resources seemed abundant and environmental consciousness was low, excessive waste became an…
Donna McGeorge
Nano Tools for Leaders—a collaboration between Wharton Executive Education and Wharton’s Center for Leadership and Change Management—are fast, effective tools that you can learn and start using in less than 15 minutes, with the potential to significantly improve your success.
The goal
Invest your…
Scott A. Hindle, Douglas C. Fair
We are one year away from the 100th anniversary of the creation of the control chart: Walter Shewhart created the control chart in 1924 as an aid to Western Electric’s manufacturing operations. Since it’s almost prehistoric, is it now time to leave the control chart technique—that started out using…
Douglas C. Fair, Scott A. Hindle
Today’s manufacturing systems have become more automated, data-driven, and sophisticated than ever before. Visit any modern shop floor and you’ll find a plethora of IT systems, HMIs, PLC data streams, machine controllers, engineering support, and other digital initiatives, all vying to improve…
John Davis
Over the past decade, one of the biggest advances in enterprise resource planning (ERP) has been the ability to communicate and integrate with machines and external software programs to lower costs and increase efficiency. For example, BOM Compare software can reduce engineering costs and get jobs…
Ramūnas Berkmanas
Imagine a manufacturing world where machines seamlessly collaborate with artificial intelligence (AI) to ensure flawless quality inspection. It’s a future that holds immense potential for revolutionizing the industry.
Major manufacturers like FANUC, ABB, and KUKA AG, alongside specialized cobot…
Harish Jose
Today I’m looking at some practical suggestions for reducing sample sizes for attribute testing. A sample is chosen to represent a population. The sample size should be sufficient to represent the population parameters such as mean and standard deviation. Here we’re looking at attribute testing,…
Chandrakant Isi, Francesco Rivalta
You’re in an early-stage hardware startup or a tinkerer in a toolshed with a product design set to shake up the market. Not sure how to turn your idea into a product? Here’s a step-by-step guide to the product development journey. From the initial design sketched out on paper to the final product…
Bruce Hamilton
I’ll admit it: After five decades watching U.S. companies turning to simplistic accounting tricks to remain profitable, I’m discouraged.
I was a kid when I first discovered the Toyota Production System (TPS). My eyes were opened to the immense amount of waste in our production and business…
William A. Levinson
The difference between common (or random) cause and special (or assignable) cause variation is the foundation of statistical process control (SPC). An SPC chart prevents tampering or overadjustment by assuming that the process is in control, i.e., special or assignable causes are absent unless a…
Mike Figliuolo
Meetings give me a rash. A really bad one. One that not even calamine lotion can soothe. The only things worse than meetings are reports. Standard daily reports, weekly reports, hourly reports. Reports on the status of reports. If I wasn’t already insane, these things would drive me insane.
Take a…
Daniel Marzullo
If you could experience the perfect workday, what would you be doing? Have you ever taken the time to think about it?
Whether you’re an entrepreneur climbing the corporate ladder or you’re selling donuts out of the back of your car, it’s essential to pause and reflect periodically on the work you…
William A. Levinson
Inflation is a serious national issue. Credit agency Fitch Ratings just downgraded the U.S. credit rating—as in the “full faith and credit of the United States”—from AAA to AA+.1 This doubtlessly reflects the fact that our national debt exceeds $31 trillion, or almost $100,000 for every American,…
Mark Graban
I can’t count how many times during the past 20 years I’ve heard executives complain that their people aren’t enthusiastically participating in their lean program. Leaders lament that while the company has spent a small fortune to put everybody through continuous improvement training, hardly…
Donald J. Wheeler
As we learned last month, the precision to tolerance ratio is a trigonometric function multiplied by a scalar constant. This means that it should never be interpreted as a proportion or percentage. Yet the simple P/T ratio is being used, and misunderstood, all over the world. So how can we properly…
Matthew M. Lowe
Let’s start with a definition of Industry 4.0, keeping in mind that we’re rapidly approaching Industry 5.0. Industry 4.0 is an era marked by enhanced digitization and the increased connectivity of smart technologies. Where Industry 5.0 is more values-driven, it will require the technology of…
