Tag: Quality

Quality: Leadership, Systems Thinking, and Continuous Improvement

Quality doesn’t come from inspection, pressure, or choosing between speed and accuracy. It comes from well-designed systems, capable processes, and leaders who focus on learning instead of blame. This archive brings together blog posts, podcasts, and reflections on quality through a Lean and Deming lens—covering psychological safety, metrics, variation, leadership behavior, healthcare quality, and why sustainable improvement depends on fixing systems rather than managing people harder.

Updated: China’s Manufacturing Reputation

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As More Toys Are Recalled, Trail Ends in China - New York TimesPet food, toothpaste, childrens' toys.... (oh and let's not forget the recent...

Nissan’s Mock Assembly Lines

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Mock Assembly Lines Work Out Glitches: Financial News - Yahoo! FinanceNissan has struggled with quality (particularly in their Mississippi plant), so they are taking...

More Toyota Quality Problems

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Toyota fixing engine failures in new Tundra truck - USATODAY.comIt's hard to tell if this level of quality defect is typical for a new...

Medicare to Stop Paying for Rework

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Hospital-borne ailments face Medicare budget ax | IndyStar.comHealthcare has LONG been a piecework industry. Caregivers and facilities are paid for WHAT they do...

Focusing Only On Price Can Kill…

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Chinese say U.S. shares blame in food scandal - USATODAY.comI've been tempted a few times to post about the pet deaths from contaminated pet...

Mini Lean Carnival

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Here's a mini Lean carnival of some good posts from other blogs about Lean:Got Boondoggle? Lost in TranslationGreat story from Mike about someone...

Elements of Lean Surgery at Geisinger Health System

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In Bid for Better Care, Surgery With a Warranty - New York Times This outstanding NY Times article isn't about "Lean" per se (they don't...

Is There "Standard Work" for Clinical Care?

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Marketplace: Better health care through better informationThis commentator points out some shocking waste in the healthcare system:Although cancer doctors work long hours, they still...

Traditional Improvement Methods Compromising Hospital Safety?

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Study: Hospital Goals Sometimes Compromise SafetyWith Lean, we have realized that improving quality does not run counter to decreasing costs. They go together....

L.A.M.E.: Thinking Lean is About Speed, not Quality

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A blog reader, Tom, sent me a PDF of a column from the ASQ "Quality Progress" magazine, the April 2007 issue. The article...

Just as Bad in Canada

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globeandmail.com: Private sector health care: Think quality, regulationI don't think healthcare and quality is a "Private vs. Public" debate. As we'll inevitably have...

Krazy Kwality Posters

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I really dislike motivational posters, particularly those meant to inspire quality. I guess it comes from the early Deming training/indoctrination and having been around...
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