Industrial Engineering articles from September 1994

Industrial Engineering archives from September 1994

NAFTA and IE: a case for Mexico. (North American Free Trade Agreement, industrial engineering) (IE Opportunities)
September 1, 1994... A hot discussion in North America has been NAFTA (North American Free Trade Agreement). Industrial engineers should be at the forefront of the NAFTA debate. The net benefit of NAFTA is good for all of North America. NAFTA calls for free trade...

Building a foundation for successful business process reengineering.
September 1, 1994... Business process reengineering (BPR) has captured the attention of industry. For some companies, translating reengineering theory into business reality can be a painful experience. You can reduce the pain while increasing the gain for your...

Virtually interactive brainstorming. (group decision-making)
September 1, 1994... Problems are often best solved by a group or team approach. The group brings a multitude of knowledge, experience, skills and other resources to the decision-making process. Group participation in the decision making process usually increases...

ISO 9000 certification: Johnson Control's inside story. (International Organization for Standardization, Johnson Controls Inc.)
September 1, 1994... The ISO 9000 certification is imperative if your company wishes to expand your market to the European community. Access to the European market can translate to more than 320 million new consumers and many companies realize that the road to...

Computer model targets best route for expanding hospital surgicenter. (quality improvement simulation at Waukesha Memorial Hospital) (Healthcare)
September 1, 1994... Historically, decisions about facilities have been based on daily experience, anecdotal data and intuition. People come to an instinctive conclusion over time that a certain direction is the only way to go. That is exactly what happened in this...

Simulation projects: building the right conceptual model.
September 1, 1994... When my client had completed her explanation of the manufacturing facility the white board was covered with drawings of machines, storage areas and methods of transportation. It took some time to grasp how it all worked, but in the end it was...

Is reengineering compatible with total quality management?
September 1, 1994... Reengineering, the new and increasingly popular management trend, is taking by storm the management field. Is this the end of the established quality culture as we know it, or the end of the total quality management (TQM) philosophy? Extremist...

Process discipline: rethinking technology investment.
September 1, 1994... Many companies focus on new technologies in their efforts to improve their processes. When yields are low or process problems cause poor delivery performance, the first response is often to consider a major process upgrade, either through...

Development of a simulated AGV material handling system. (automated guided vehicles)
September 1, 1994... In a small manufacturing environment, conveyors are used to transport materials from one station to another. How ever, in some large manufacturing facilities, transferring parts is usually accomplished through the use of automated guided vehicles...

Paving the way for concurrent engineering.
September 1, 1994... According to Department of Defense (DoD) Regulations 5000.1 and 5000.2, concurrent engineering (CE) will be used for development of all future military systems. The primary requirements for successfully implementing a CE philosophy are management...

Preparing for the boom: now is the time for change. (change management)
September 1, 1994... The bell has sounded, the challenge laid and, I believe, accepted. It is acknowledged that the Japanese have gained a significant stronghold by taking U.S. technology and more productive activities. Trends indicate that the companies which are...