Quality Control

Product quality clearly is important to customers, but it lags well behind quality service in the eyes of customers, contends Quality Digest. The magazine cites an Accenture survey of 1000 consumers showing that service was most frequently identified as the "most important factor" when buying a product. What's more, 74% of respondents said the degree to which they factor services into buying decisions has "increased significantly" or "somewhat." The article also shows show how consumers view service as a key part of the total cost of ownership in various industries. How big a priority is the service component in your firm's quality campaigns?

The preceding article is a "sneak peek" from Quality Control, a newsletter from GlobalSpec. To stay up-to-date and informed on industry trends, products, and technologies, subscribe to Quality Control today.

With prospects for slow economic growth in the year ahead, most professionals in the quality field may once again be forced to rein in spending for key programs, according to the latest member survey by Quality magazine. Spending for 2012 is expected to be $2.2 billion, down from $2.6 billion in 2011. But there are some signs of optimism, as revealed by the survey results. Nearly 40% of respondents expect increases in their company's projected spending for quality assurance and control equipment, systems, software and services in 2012 versus 2011. See the survey results for more details on budget plans, and let us know how the sluggish economy will affect your own QA/QC efforts in the year ahead.

The preceding article is a "sneak peek" from Quality Control, a newsletter from GlobalSpec. To stay up-to-date and informed on industry trends, products, and technologies, subscribe to Quality Control today.

Despite the promise of good pay and ample job opportunities, less than half of undergraduates with engineering or science majors actually pursue a career in those fields, according to a new Georgetown University study. The report found that while 19% of undergraduates major in science, technology, engineering or mathematics, only 8% are still working in STEM occupations 10 years after graduation. A career placement director at the University of Pennsylvania agrees with the Georgetown findings, noting that less than a quarter of Penn's engineering graduates went into engineering, while 52% chose jobs in consulting, IT, and finance. What is needed to keep more graduates interested in STEM careers — better pay, more aggressive recruiting, more varied job experiences?

The preceding article is a "sneak peek" from Quality Control, a newsletter from GlobalSpec. To stay up-to-date and informed on industry trends, products, and technologies, subscribe to Quality Control today.

Who are some of the hottest new talents in the Quality profession? Quality Progress profiles "40 New Voices of Quality," as chosen by ASQ's Young Quality Professionals (YQP) Network. These individuals come from all over the globe, with specialties ranging from engineering to college professors. This related podcast with YQP cofounder Lori Dellinger touches on the common traits found in these young achievers.

The preceding article is a "sneak peek" from Quality Control, a newsletter from GlobalSpec. To stay up-to-date and informed on industry trends, products, and technologies, subscribe to Quality Control today.

The best way to ensure that an organization moves forward on its quality campaign is to keep your compass trained on an overriding long-term goal, advises one QC expert in Quality Progress. In addition to resisting the temptation to get sidetracked by conflicting secondary goals, this article gives advice on using your quality management system to ensure that your team adheres to a constancy of purpose. This includes setting up a structure for reviewing milestones toward long-term goals, as well as defining the essential processes that must be followed. What tools does your team employ to stay true to your most important QC objectives?

The preceding article is a "sneak peek" from Quality Control, a newsletter from GlobalSpec. To stay up-to-date and informed on industry trends, products, and technologies, subscribe to Quality Control today.

U.S. News & World Report has come out with its ratings of the best engineering schools in the U.S. Once again, MIT ranks number one, followed by Stanford and Cal-Berkeley (see the complete rankings). A Design News editor questions whether the rankings are tied too much to past reputation and to schools oriented to engineering theory. Others agree that more engineering schools today are adding hands-on instruction, such as team design projects. What's your view?

The preceding article is a "sneak peek" from Quality Control, a newsletter from GlobalSpec. To stay up-to-date and informed on industry trends, products, and technologies, subscribe to Quality Control today.