Industrial Engineering articles from August 1994

Industrial Engineering archives from August 1994

Corporate reengineering should not stop at the factory door.
August 1, 1994... Corporate reengineering has become industry's favorite buzzword for the 1990's. Too often, however, it is used as a kinder, gentler word for "downsizing," which itself is a word coined to cover up the harshness of "layoffs." But in proper usage,...

Auto ID ... putting the control in inventory control. (Automatic Identification)
August 1, 1994... The production line is down. We have got a part shortage. Our customer needs it shipped today. If we cannot deliver it, he will do business elsewhere. The system is down. They need the spare part immediately. -- These are everyday occurrences in...

Configuration management: the hidden friend in business reengineering. (Business Process Reengineering)
August 1, 1994... Reengineering is a word that is on the lips and in the writings of many in industry and government today. The world competition scene has left many in the U.S. thinking that big changes are needed in how we do business, and rightfully so....

Top management's role in inventory control. (Nutrition and Chemical division of Syntex Agribusiness Inc.) (Inventory Management)
August 1, 1994... What is unique, and the most powerful reason for improved inventory control, is upper management's dedication and commitment to reduce it. How do you explain it? Consider a company that has no complex computer-controlled inventory system, no...

Quick response: technology or knowledge? (Inventory Control)
August 1, 1994... A wed by the advertising behind the latest technology and bombarded by three letter acronym hype, we sometimes overlook the power of basic knowledge. Consider, for example, the quick response (QR) movement. Started when a small,...

Rack selection expert advisor for a consumer products distribution center. (Rack Selector Advisor expert system) (Distribution)
August 1, 1994... Storage is one of the most critical material handling functions for distribution center operations. If properly selected and installed, storage systems may provide: * Strategic holding points for work in progress; * Efficient...

Improving customer service can be as simple as ABC. (activity-based costing) (Costing Systems)
August 1, 1994... As companies struggle to satisfy customer demands for service, cost, quality and flexibility, they often forget that a strategic operational plan must drive improvement efforts to achieve breakthrough results. Just working harder with old methods...

Defending jobs and salaries against the tides of change. (Management)
August 1, 1994... In a world where unintended second- and third-order consequences plague the best-intended change programs, there is the occasional need for organizations to mount anti-change initiatives to stave off damage to hard-won prerogatives and pay rates....

Automated guided vehicle systems: an introduction. (includes buyers' guide) (Material Handling)
August 1, 1994... The first automated guided vehicle (AGV), called a "driverless tractor," was introduced in 1953 by Barret Electric. It was a towing tractor modified to follow a guide wire. Throughout the 1960s and early 1970s, AGV design did not vary much from...

Interdepartmental teamwork results in innovative solution to environmental problem. (Management)
August 1, 1994... The global challenges American business faces today make it necessary that internal politics be side-stepped in favor of achieving the corporate common good. It is not often, however, when several departments of a large manufacturer come together...