In early stages of industrialization, products were simpler, factories were smaller, most processes were manual, and process flows were shorter. Contact with customers was direct between production and customer.

Noted American astrophysicist and cosmologist Neil deGrasse Tyson said, “Everything we do, every thought we’ve ever had, is produced by the human brain.

One of my quality engineering students asked if there was such a thing as internal quality consultants.

While there is no possible way to fit the entire history of quality in one column (or 20), the following is an attempt to bring some of the ideas and people of yesteryear to our minds today.

Problem solving is finding the root cause of a problem and preventing it from ever happening again.

Implementing any standard can become very stressful at a company. Sometimes it seems everyone has his or her own idea of how it should be done.

I’ve discussed logical fallacies in my column in the past. One such fallacy I have not touched upon is the slippery slope.

Persistence is something I’ve written about in the past and the topic recently came to surface in one of my quality management course sessions.

Since 1996, ASQ has published seven Future of Quality reports. The purpose of the report has always been to challenge the reader’s current ideas and expectations, open him or her to new opportunities, and spark action.

Our 15th Annual State of the Profession Survey offers a glimpse inside the minds of quality manufacturing professionals, from the equipment used and hours worked to salary and job satisfaction.