The Shewhart Cycle, also known as PDCA (Plan-Do-Check-Act) and PDSA (Plan-Do-Study-Act), is fundamental to continuous improvement and quality management. These cycles are crucial in driving systematic improvements and promoting organizational learning culture. A recent thought-provoking LinkedIn post by Dr.M. sparked an insightful conversation among professionals, shedding light on the intricacies of these cycles and their practical applications.

While researching for my new book about the history of AI, I have been challenged to understand more profound levels of human cognition. Specifically when discussing the relationship between IA (Intelligent Automation) and AI (Artificial Intelligence). This has led me down a rabbit hole, but I wanted to share the beginnings of my journey.

In the ever-evolving landscape of technology, few companies have managed to redefine their industry and set the pace for innovation as dramatically as NVIDIA. In light of NVIDIA's 2024 GTC AI Conference and the announcement of the Blackwell GPU, which NVIDIA is dubbing the "world's most powerful chip", I want to continue our series we have been doing around supply chain by looking at how the company transformed itself into becoming one of the leading forces in artificial intelligence.

Today, I'd like to pivot from our regular conversations on technology to address an issue of paramount importance that we, as a community, tend to overlook: burnout. This matter hits close to home for me, having seen its devastating effects firsthand. The loss of vibrant, talented individuals to burnout has left an indelible mark on me and many others within our circle. Despite significant research and discussion, the tech realm, including our DevOps sphere, continues grappling with burnout's fallout.

Throughout my career, I've encountered a myriad of management systems, each promising to be the key to organizational success. Yet, it's through these experiences that I've developed a way of looking at things critically. My philosophy has evolved not from a place of mere preference but from a foundation built on practical application, effectiveness, and a profound respect for the theories of Dr. Edwards Deming on management systems. Using this framework, I want to contrast Objectives and Key Results (OKRs) with Service Level Objectives (SLOs).

The Supply Chain Masterminds Behind Amazon and Apple.