Insights & Articles

Field notes on quality leadership, crisis management and operational excellence — from the shop floor to the boardroom.

Your supplier scorecard is lying to you and you know it
Quality Leadership

Your supplier scorecard is lying to you and you know it

Most supplier scorecards measure the wrong things, reward the wrong behaviour, and actively destroy the supplier relationships they claim to build. Here is what to measure instead.

May 3, 2026·5 min readRead article →
Why Ford rehired what AI couldn't replace
Manufacturing Insights

Why Ford rehired what AI couldn't replace

Ford replaced veteran inspectors with algorithms and the bill came in the billions. The gap between 99% accurate and right is where recalls start.

April 23, 2026·4 min readRead article →
I built a jury of 63 AI models. It taught me more about quality than any audit
AI & Systems

I built a jury of 63 AI models. It taught me more about quality than any audit

I spent two decades qualifying gauges, suppliers and inspectors before trusting their verdicts. Then I built an AI platform that runs one question through 63 models in parallel — and discovered the same rule applies. Never single-source a judgement.

April 20, 2026·5 min readRead article →
A $25,000 EV still has the same failure physics as a $50,000 one
Manufacturing Insights

A $25,000 EV still has the same failure physics as a $50,000 one

As EVs race to the $25K price floor, the physics of battery failure remain unchanged. Thermal runaway, recalls, and liability costs don't negotiate with your BOM target.

April 17, 2026·4 min readRead article →
Scaling eVTOL is a quality systems problem, not an engineering one
Manufacturing Insights

Scaling eVTOL is a quality systems problem, not an engineering one

Joby and Toyota's JV is not an engineering milestone — it is a quality systems declaration. The prototype-to-production cliff is where eVTOL companies will live or die.

April 13, 2026·5 min readRead article →
Sustainability in ISO 9001:2026 isn't woke — it's supply chain survival
Quality Leadership

Sustainability in ISO 9001:2026 isn't woke — it's supply chain survival

When ISO 9001:2026 adds sustainability clauses, some will call it politics. It is not. Sustainability requirements exist because supply chains that ignore environmental and resource factors break under real-world stress. I have watched it happen.

March 26, 2026·5 min readRead article →
The documentation paradox nobody in quality talks about
Quality Leadership

The documentation paradox nobody in quality talks about

The more comprehensive your QMS documentation becomes, the less likely anyone is to use it. I have seen 847 controlled documents and an operator working from an outdated photocopy. Here is what ISO 9001:2026 changes about this — and what it does not.

March 21, 2026·5 min readRead article →
Remote work changed quality management. ISO 9001:2026 caught up.
Quality Leadership

Remote work changed quality management. ISO 9001:2026 caught up.

The pandemic forced quality teams to manage processes, conduct audits, and lead reviews remotely. ISO 9001 was silent on all of it. The 2026 revision addresses distributed work, remote audits, and virtual process management for the first time.

March 20, 2026·5 min readRead article →
ISO 9001:2026 is coming. Most companies will wait until the last minute.
Quality Leadership

ISO 9001:2026 is coming. Most companies will wait until the last minute.

The next ISO 9001 revision is nearly here. History says 80% of companies will start their transition in year three. That is exactly when the rush, the price gouging, and the audit failures happen. Here is why you should start now.

March 19, 2026·5 min readRead article →
I've audited 200+ QMS systems. Here's what ISO 9001:2026 gets right.
Quality Leadership

I've audited 200+ QMS systems. Here's what ISO 9001:2026 gets right.

After two decades and hundreds of QMS audits, I have a clear view of what works and what is theater. ISO 9001:2026 fixes several things that have been broken for years. Here is what the new standard gets right — and why it matters.

March 13, 2026·6 min readRead article →
ISO 9001:2026 risk requirements: what actually changed for quality leaders
Quality Leadership

ISO 9001:2026 risk requirements: what actually changed for quality leaders

ISO 9001:2015 introduced risk-based thinking. Most companies responded with a spreadsheet. ISO 9001:2026 closes the loopholes — and Quality Directors who treated risk as a paperwork exercise are about to be exposed.

March 6, 2026·6 min readRead article →
The three-year transition window is a lie. Start your ISO 9001:2026 gap analysis now.
Quality Leadership

The three-year transition window is a lie. Start your ISO 9001:2026 gap analysis now.

ISO gives you three years to transition. In practice, you have twelve months of real working time. Here is the math — and the project plan I use to beat the rush every time.

February 24, 2026·5 min readRead article →