IIE Solutions articles from August 2001

IIE Solutions archives from August 2001

Old-economy innovation.(Institute of International Economics Annual Conference)(Brief Article)
August 1, 2001... Pick up the Wall Street Journal any day of the week and read about more brash young technology professionals who are out of work because the Internet startup company that lured them into jobs nine months ago with bags of cash and on-site doggie...

Computer may not be carpal tunnel culprit.(Brief Article)
August 1, 2001... Spending hours typing at a computer keyboard or repeatedly clicking the mouse may not be such a health threat after all. Researchers at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn., were surprised by a new study revealing that heavy computer use, even...

Pay-for-use software pricing can cost more.(Brief Article)
August 1, 2001... At least a decade in the making, the concept of usage-based software license models is gaining popularity. But one research firm says the savings this concept is suppose to generate for users may be little more than talk. A report...

He writes the songs and the strategy plans.(Joe Houck )(Brief Article)
August 1, 2001... He had the guitar and the voice, not to mention that certain twang an aspiring country singer needs to make the marquis of the Grand Ole Opry. But it may be his industrial engineering degree that will vault Joe Houck to the top of the country...

With age comes endurance ... and weakness.(Brief Article)
August 1, 2001... For millions of workers in physically demanding jobs, the prospect of losing an estimated 20 percent of their muscle strength between the ages of 50 and 60 can be frightening. "By 2020, about 52 million people in the U.S. will be over 65....

NEWSMAKERS.
August 1, 2001... * Pall Corp. promoted Roberto E. Perez to corporate vice president of its global blood filtration business. Perez, who has a B.S. in industrial engineering from the University of Puerto Rico, has more than 25 years of medical device and...

Mentors sought for Engineers Week competition.(engineering competition for grade 7 and 8 students)(Brief Article)
August 1, 2001... Let the world see just how wonderful it is to be an engineer: Become a mentor. That's what officials at National Engineers Weeks are hoping engineers across the United States will do as the organization prepares for its 10th annual Future City...

Diligence keeps Japanese automakers productive.(assembly line evaluation)(Brief Article)
August 1, 2001... Japanese automakers Nissan, Honda, and Toyota ran the most productive assembly, stamping, and powertrain-manufacturing operations in North America during 2000, according to "The Harbour Report North America 2001." The drive to stay ahead...

Insight on international workplace safety.(Brief Article)
August 1, 2001... An end to the debate over the government's role in regulating workplace safety standards in the United States is still months away, but recently a group of American safety engineers got a chance to hear how European organizations are...

Put service back on track, profs advise railroads.(Brief Article)
August 1, 2001... Better service means a bigger bottom line. That's what two Pennsylvania State University logistics professors say. And railroads, they believe, are overlooking a grand opportunity to beef up services and increase profits. "Some recent...

Index reveals leading causes of workplace injuries.(Liberty Mutual Workplace Safety Index)(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
August 1, 2001... Overexertion, falls, and being struck by an object are among the leading causes of workplace accidents, according to the first annual Liberty Mutual Workplace Safety Index. Those causes contribute to the substantial indirect costs of employee...

Practical advice on the lean paradigm.(Michael Milgate's Alliances, Outsourcing, and the Lean Organization)(Brief Article)
August 1, 2001... The pressure on corporations to slim down is great, but efforts to go lean, focus on core competencies, and create mutually beneficial alliances with other corporations have not paid off. So explains Michael Milgate in his new book, Alliances,...

Michigan puts up funding for more engineers.(career development education)(Brief Article)
August 1, 2001... The Michigan economy is thriving, but the state's pool of qualified scientists and engineers is running dry. To avoid a shortage, the Michigan Department of Career Development will continue to support career development programs focused on...

Bonderson Engineering Project Center.(construction contributions, California Polytechnic State University)(Brief Article)
August 1, 2001... The College of Engineering at California Polytechnic State University received a $6 million donation, its largest ever, from Cal Poly graduate Paul R. Bonderson Jr. With matching funds from the university and a California State University...

Shingo Prize for Excellence in Manufacturing.(Fruedenberg-NOK)(Brief Article)
August 1, 2001... The Fruedenberg-NOK production facility in Cleveland, Ga., earned the 2001 Shingo Prize for Excellence in Manufacturing in recognition of its achievements in manufacturing, quality, productivity, and customer satisfaction. The award recognizes...

U.S. Department of Labor.(ergonomics research, United States)(Brief Article)
August 1, 2001... The U.S. Department of Labor is getting the public's view on work related injuries. Labor Secretary Elaine Chao held public hearings in Washington, as well as in Illinois and California, with a goal of devising a universal definition of...

Market enterprise maintenance systems.(Ramco Systems Corp., Boeing Co. product development contract)(Brief Article)
August 1, 2001... Ramco Systems and the Boeing Co. will enter into a 15-year partnership to develop and market enterprise maintenance systems for the global aviation industry. Boeing plans to market the software under the brand name Enterprise One. The companies...

Excellence in Staff Services Award.(Pam Linderman awarded at Michigan's College of Engineering)(Brief Article)
August 1, 2001... Pam Linderman, undergraduate student advisor at the University of Michigan's College of Engineering, earned the school's Excellence in Staff Services Award. Linderman, who works in the industrial operations department, received a $1,500...

Siemens, Mannesmann Dematic, and its subsidiary Rapistan Systems.(merged forming Siemens Dematic)(Brief Article)
August 1, 2001... Siemens, Mannesmann Dematic, and its subsidiary Rapistan Systems merged to form Siemens Dematic, a supplier of material handling and logistics automation systems. The combined companies have annual sales of $4.2 billion with approximately...

Take a chance on statistical magazine.(Chance magazine)(Brief Article)
August 1, 2001... Published by the American Statistical Association, Chance magazine attempts to engage the attention of anyone with an interest in data analysis. The periodical includes articles that illustrate the use of statistical methods and ideas in the...

Lawmakers support research in Texas.(Brief Article)
August 1, 2001... A newly created Research Excellence Fund, $100 million in state-approved tuition revenue bond projects, and a $37 million increase in state funding for the next biennium will boost research projects at the University of Houston system, which...

Plasma solves tricky plastic problem.(Brief Article)
August 1, 2001... Replacing metal car parts such as bumpers with plastic gives automotive manufacturers significant benefits in fuel economy, reduced manufacturing costs, and increased opportunities for recycling, but getting such components to form a strong...

Partnerships could lead to leaner supply chains.(Brief Article)
August 1, 2001... Companies that create partnerships and process-based relationships with suppliers may find it easier to achieve supply chain goals, a report says. "Best Practices in Supply Chain Partnerships and Certification," a study conducted by Best...

Enterprise resource implementation still tough.(Brief Article)
August 1, 2001... For many major companies, the effective implementation of enterprise resource planning could take as long as one year. "ERP Trends," a newly released survey conducted by The Conference Board, an independent research organization, found that...

Getting to the root of process improvement.(Brief Article)
August 1, 2001... It seemed it was only by chance that an exhausted Jeremy Rickards thumbed through the classifieds of a Canadian newspaper one day in 1978 to find the opportunity of a lifetime. The University of New Brunswick was searching for an industrial...

Lean this way.(Brief Article)(Column)
August 1, 2001... I am a lean guy I've been slim the majority of my life. More to the point, I have been thinking lean for at least 15 years. How do I know I'm lean? I don't like waste, I believe that the customer determines process value, and I am not...

Unsafe at high speeds.(effectiveness of simulation methods)(Brief Article)
August 1, 2001... I was at a car assembly plant in Mexico a few months ago. My host, Felipe, told me he had mentioned to his plant manager that he was taking my simulation language course. The plant manager asked Felipe if he would be able to simulate the...

Cheaper by the half-dozen.(Wimmert family and industrial engineering careers)
August 1, 2001... The book and the movie Cheaper by the Dozen, the firsthand account of Frank and Lillian Gilbreth and their 1.2 children, entertained millions of people with glimpses of the inner workings of a household where the principles of industrial...

Modeling Future Factories.
August 1, 2001... Whether you look to the East or the West, 3-D factory modeling is the future Major multi-national manufacturers such as Ford, General Motors, DaimlerChrysler, and John Deere are leading the development and application of modern factory...

Plan for maintenance productivity.
August 1, 2001... Increase maintenance productivity with finite-capacity planning Based on daily scheduling, comprehensive planning, and engineered standards, maintenance finite-capacity planning can provide full utilization of the maintenance workforce and...

Un-synchronicity.(Column)
August 1, 2001... Thank goodness for all the productivity enhancements made possible through technology Back in the 1980s, the Police were a rock trio that was riding high in popularity and tripping over buckets of cash with their new album titled...

Understanding value engineering.
August 1, 2001... It's much more than a set of cost-cutting measures In reporting the death of Silicon Valley co-founder William Hewlett earlier this year, the news media were quick to acknowledge the unique corporate culture he and David Packard created in...

Deep in the heart of industrial engineers.(Institute of Industrial Engineers Annual Conference)
August 1, 2001... They were serving up Tex-Mex flavor with engineering appeal at the IIE Annual Conference in Dallas, May 20-23. Attendees of the conference, comprised of the Industrial Engineering Solutions Conference and the Industrial Engineering Research...

Reduce product damage.(Brief Article)
August 1, 2001... The Orbis AF-21 handheld agricultural container has ergonomic handles designed to reduce worker stress, increased product clearance to reduce content damage, and reinforced corners to prevent bail area damage and increase the service life of...

Equal, easy accessibility.(automated filing system from MegaStar Systems )(Brief Article)
August 1, 2001... The Media Station vertical rotary automated filing system from MegaStar Systems meets the requirements of the Americans with Disabilities Act for companies concerned with supply chain automation of records management. The station is fully...

Practice for the FE exam.(engineering examinations Practice Problems on CD-ROM)(Brief Article)(Product Announcement)
August 1, 2001... Practice Problems is a set of six CD-ROMs offering study material for the FE exam. Developed by the National Council of Examiners for Engineers and Surveying, the CDs' content is similar to what is currently found in NCEES's "FE Sample...

Crystal Ball upgrade.(Crystal Ball 2000.2, decision support software)(Brief Article)
August 1, 2001... Crystal Ball 2000.2, an upgrade of the 2000 version, incorporates Excel charting and reporting, forecast filtering, enhanced sensitivity analysis, and optional worksheet location to increase capability of the product and simplify its use. The...

Decision-making for pharmaceuticals.(Optimal Decisions, Web-based software)(Brief Article)(Product Announcement)
August 1, 2001... Optimal Decisions is Web-based software that allows users to determine the best decisions for a course of action. Pharmaceutical and biotechnological companies can use Optimal Decision to improve drug development decisions such as determining...

Easier loading and unloading.(Z-lift Tilter from Southworth Products Corp.)(Brief Article)(Product Announcement)
August 1, 2001... The Z-Lift Tilter from Southworth Products Corp., is designed to position a container to the most convenient working height and angle. Lift and tilt are achieved independently but with a single mechanism, making the unit an economical...

Space-saving spirals.(spiral conveyors by Ryson International)(Brief Article)(Product Announcement)
August 1, 2001... Ryson International's spiral conveyors have a small footprint For substantial space savings and provide continuous vertical conveyance and high throughput. Load capacity is 75 pounds per linear foot of conveyor for speeds up to 200 fpm. The...

Sad workers are good workers.(organizational behavior research)(Brief Article)
August 1, 2001... A popular belief in the area of organizational behavior and psychology is that happy workers are good workers. But new research at the University of Alberta in Edmonton, Canada, shows that sad workers are actually more productive. ...

Personal control not all it's cracked up to be.(work environment stress can influence vulnerability to infections)(Brief Article)
August 1, 2001... More counter-intuitive research findings: Having high levels of control over one's job responsibilities can backfire if a person lacks confidence on the job or has a propensity to take responsibility for negative outcomes at work. The...

We can't all be above average, Part II.(corporations)(Brief Article)
August 1, 2001... In a survey of i 50 senior executive across North America, nearly 70 percent of respondents said their companies were above average in innovation. Source: "Digital Strategies Survey 2001 DiamondCluster International North America Inc.