IIE Solutions articles from February 2002

IIE Solutions archives from February 2002

Effects of bad lighting. (Editor's Desk).(Brief Article)
February 1, 2002... Jane Gaboury In the past three weeks I've seen two striking new renderings of engineers in national media. They were each fascinating in their own right, but viewed as a pair, they presented an arresting contradiction. First, some...

Letters.
February 1, 2002... ERGONOMIC INCENTIVES MAKE SENSE I read Mark Ousnamer's December 2001 column with some interest ("Ergonomic Incentives"). What he says makes perfect sense. I was for many years involved with the formulation and installation of production...

Quality pays. (News).(Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award )(Brief Article)
February 1, 2002... The total economic benefits of the Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award to the U.S. economy is almost $25 billion, estimate economic professors Albert N. Link of the University of North Carolina and John T. Scott of Dartmouth College. The...

Engineering's cachet. (News).(Brief Article)
February 1, 2002... Engineers with anxiety about the public's seeming lack of interest in their line of work can rest easy that their profession is perceived as a prestigious one. A nationwide survey found that 34 percent of Americans ranked engineering as an...

No satisfaction for CRM users. (News).(customer relationship management software)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2002... Maybe the vendors of customer relationship management software aren't taking the medicine they're selling: According to a new study, CRM users are not happy with the software. The study, "Multi-function CRM Software: How Good is It?" was...

Breathtaking impact. (News).(Brief Article)
February 1, 2002... The financial impact for lost workdays and productivity due to allergies and asthma in the United States is more than $17 million each year.

Percentage of college students enrolled in engineering. (East Stats).(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
February 1, 2002... Percentage of college students enrolled in engineering. (East Stats) HIGHEST PERCENTAGES Michigan 7.6% New Mexico 7.1% South Dakota 7.0% North Dakota 6.8% Colorado 6.2% ...

Wholesale markets dictate electricity prices. (News).(Brief Article)
February 1, 2002... A new report cautions that a lack of sufficient competition in electricity wholesale markets could result in high prices during times of peak demand, when electricity is most scarce. The price spikes could be an unintended consequence of a...

Auto suppliers will be pressured to be e-quipped. (News).(Brief Article)
February 1, 2002... Within 12 months, more than three-quarters of Tier 1 automotive suppliers expect to decrease the number of their suppliers by an average of 21 percent. As that consolidation takes place, Tier 1 suppliers will place increased emphasis on the...

Newsmakers. (News).(Brief Article)
February 1, 2002... * Howard L. Lance became president of NCR Corp. and chief operating officer of its retail and financial group. Lance received a B.S. in industrial engineering from Bradley University and an M.S. in management from Purdue University. Prior to...

Feeble science scores. (News).(high school students, United States)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2002... More than 80 percent of U.S. high school seniors are not proficient in science, according to a recently released national assessment. In "The Nation's Report Card: Science 2000," the National Center for Education Statistics indicates that...

An unhealthy burden. (News).(paper work hours required in health care industry, United States)(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)(Illustration)
February 1, 2002... An unhealthy burden CARE SETTING EVERY HOUR OF PATIENT CARE REQUIRES Emergency department * 1 hour of paperwork Surgery and inpatient acute care * 36 minutes of paperwork Skilled nursing care ...

Engineering students to the rescue. (News).(Rutgers University develop computer assisted tripod emergency equipment)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2002... A device created by five Rutgers University industrial engineering students and their professors puts a new twist on rescue operations. The computer-assisted tripod could enable emergency workers to retrieve victims trapped inside confined...

EAM/CMMS software in demand. (News).(computerized maintenance management solutions)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2002... The worldwide market for enterprise asset management/computerized maintenance management systems will reach $1.9 billion by the end of 2005, predicts ARC Advisory Group. That represents a compound annual growth rate of 7.5 percent. "The...

Doctor of proficiency. (Uncommon IE).(David Caspari, ChondroGene Ltd.)(Brief Article)(Interview)
February 1, 2002... After completing his undergraduate work in industrial engineering, David Caspari headed straight to... medical school. He cultivated his interest in applying engineering to medicine by studying how computers could he used in medical diagnosis...

Export alert by e-mail. (Uncommon IE).(National Standards and Certification Information, online service on foreign trade regulations)(Brief Article)(Evaluation)
February 1, 2002... The National Center for Standards and Certification Information has launched a free, Web-based service that gives U.S. industry an opportunity to review and comment on proposed foreign technical regulations that can affect their businesses. ...

Entrepreneurial aid. (Site to See).(All Business, online information)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2002... All Business proclaims itself the champion of small business, but you would know that without the pronouncement just by hitting its Web site http://www.allbusiness.com). With channels addressing everything from employment and finance to legal...

Claire Reiss Chair in Industrial Engineering. (Education Briefs).(Kettering University, Flint, Michigan)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2002... A successful capital campaign at Kettering University of Flint, Mich., has led to the creation of a new endowed chair in the IE department: The Robert and Claire Reiss Chair in Industrial Engineering.

University of Oklahoma's College of Engineering. (Education Briefs).(Williams Communications Group Inc. presents $1.1 million)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2002... * Williams and Williams Communications presented a $1.1 million gift to the University of Oklahoma's College of Engineering. The funding will be put toward construction of a new student services center and will endow the Williams Professorship...

Fab Time Inc. (Education Briefs).(software contract to Semiconductor Manufacturing Laboratory, Arizona State University)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2002... * The Modeling and Analysis for Semiconductor Manufacturing Lab in Arizona State University's Department of Industrial Engineering received cycle time management software courtesy of Fab Time Inc. John Fowler, co-director of the lab, said the...

National Science Foundation. (Education Briefs).(financial contribution to promote minority women engineering students, Futurebound, Arizona)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2002... * The partnership of Tucson's University of Arizona and Pima Community College has been awarded an $897,000 National Science Foundation grant for Futurebound, a project that supports minority women seeking advanced science and engineering...

Interdisciplinary minor in transportation and logistics. (Education Briefs).(Northwestern University)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2002... * North-western University has launched an interdisciplinary minor in transportation and logistics that focuses on the business and process of moving goods and people. The minor will be available to students in the colleges of arts and...

The secret to successful products. (Book of the Month).(Customer-Centric Product Definition: The Key to Great Product Development)
February 1, 2002... Despite the enormous amount of research and money that companies put into new product development, nearly nine out of 10 products fail within two years of release. Why? According to Sheila Mello, it's because they don't solve a customer need....

Risk-assessment improves infrastructure security. (News).(Forum on Infrastructure Protection, United States)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2002... Operators of U.S. dams, hydroelectric facilities, and power transmission systems can make their sites less attractive targets to terrorists by using a new security assessment process developed by the Interagency Forum on Infrastructure...

Water decreases processing costs, increases safety. (News).(food and pharmaceutical industry research)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2002... Food and pharmaceutical processors may be able to replace the use of solvents with water, reducing costs and eliminating environmental problems associated with some industrial solvents, according to researchers at the University of Arkansas....

Ford Motor Co. (Business Briefs).(contract with Caterpillar Inc. to develop automated logistics)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2002... * Ford Motor Co. and Caterpillar Inc. have entered into a software alliance to develop a world-class logistics information system to increase the speed at which service repair parts are delivered to market.

U.S. manufacturing plant in Auburn, Ala. (Business Briefs).(FiberCore)(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
February 1, 2002... * FiberCore, a maker of fiber and components for high-speed networks, will build its first U.S. manufacturing plant in Auburn, Ala. The company has facilities in Brazil and Germany. FiberCore received a number of incentives to locate the $30...

The Boeing Co. and Chromalloy Gas Turbine Corp. (Business Briefs).(contribute to United States Air Force)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2002... * The Boeing Co. and Chromalloy Gas Turbine Corp. each contributed $100,000 to the Lean Sustainment Initiative, which has a goal of streamlining the Air Force's $5.3 billion maintenance, repair, and overhaul operations. The program is a joint...

Grad program is tops with black engineers. (News).(Georgia Institute of Technology)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2002... The Georgia Institute of Technology's graduate program in engineering is the top choice among student and professional members of the National Society of Black Engineers, according to a survey conducted last year by the organization. The...

Workplace injury rates decline. (News).(Bureau of Labor Statisics, United States)(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
February 1, 2002... Data released in December by the Bureau of Labor Statistics showed a decline in the rate of workplace injury and illness in 2000. "Workplace injury and illness rates decline in 2000 to the lowest level since the Bureau of Labor Statistics...

Quality initiative deemed a success. (News).(nursing home care rating system, United States)(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
February 1, 2002... Back in the 1990s, as part of a project for the U.S. Health Care Financing Administration (HCFA), the University of Wisconsin-Madison Center for Health Systems Research and Analysis (CHSRA) began developing indicators that assess nursing home...

Skilled production worker shortage persists. (News).(manufacturing industry, United States)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2002... Eighty percent of U.S. manufacturers are experiencing a moderate to severe shortage of qualified job candidates to fill production positions despite the current economic downturn, according to a survey released by the National Association of...

Where do you sit? There is more behind a closed door than the simple message that you do not want to be disturbed. (Performance Improvement).(production manager narrative)(Brief Article)(Column)
February 1, 2002... One of the unexpected benefits of my new role as production manager involves the location of my desk. In the past, I had always been located in an office environment away from the production floor, even when I was filling the role of production...

A budget dance lesson. (Ergonomics).(narrative)(Brief Article)(Column)
February 1, 2002... If you've read my column for any length of time you are aware that I believe every company in America -- nay, the world -- should include ergonomics as a line item in its budget. By taking this first step, each and every company will reap the...

Average rarely exists. (Member Forum).(statistical analysis)(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
February 1, 2002... No statistic is more overworked than the average. This simple calculation of adding everything and dividing by the number of data points gives us information, a fact, the appearance of analysis, credibility... and frequently a false...

Gather ye rosebuds: In this industry, material handling at the plant level means attention to one blooming shrub at a time. (Gather Ye Rosebuds).(growers, to wholesale, to retail florists)
February 1, 2002... Material handling in the rose business is no different than it is for any manufactured product -- any manufactured product that is fragile, perishable, requires near-freezing refrigeration, and is subject to rocketing demand one day a year....

A little balancing act: Looking for a performance measurement that gives a good systems overview? Try POE.(process overall efficiency)
February 1, 2002... Measuring results is by no means a new management phenomenon. However, with multiple information systems and numerous metrics to measure, managers can easily be overloaded with data. The key is to make performance reports visually simple to...

A gleaming example: Executives are finding that making a clean sweep of their retail stores is turning up pay dirt.(Bob's Stores Inc.)
February 1, 2002... Do lean concepts apply only to manufacturing operations? Is there a place for engineered standards beyond fabrication, assembly, and distribution industries? What is one of the most competitive industries doing to maximize customer value and...

Visions of a supply chain crusader: Corey Billington sets the standard of efficiency at Hewlett-Packard and beyond.
February 1, 2002... Innovation is necessary to every industry, no matter how tradition-bound it may be. In the current quiet economy, never has the need been so great for innovation in manufacturing. And never was a tool more equipped to bring about positive...

Eleven-step recovery plan: How one manufacturer developed an in-house guide to productivity improvement -- just by eliminating wastes.(research)
February 1, 2002... A few years ago, my employer, a manufacturer of clamps and other work-holding devices, challenged my colleagues and me to develop a plan for increasing productivity and profitability. Inspired by the ideas of Shigeo Shingo, Taiichi Ohno,...

Keynote speaker is out of this world. (Focus on IIE).(Roy D. Bridges Jr., Kennedy Space Station at Institute of Industrial Engineering conference)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2002... "We employ quite a few industrial engineers at Kennedy Space Center, and they have made many important contributions to improving how we process launch vehicles and payloads," says Roy D. Bridges Jr., director of NASA's Kennedy Space Center....

Milligan wins Phil Carroll award. (Focus).(industrial engineer, Don Milligan)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2002... The average American may not recognize the name Phil Carroll, but to professionals involved in work measurement and methods engineering, his name is renowned. And to honor that legacy, each year the Society for Work Science confers a Phil...

Professor takes home two awards. (Profile of a Winner).(Naren Agrawal, Institute of Industrial Engineering)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2002... Naren Agrawal won the 2001 IIE Transactions Award -- Focused issue Scheduling and Logistics as well as the Outstanding IIE Publication Award. It's a thrill to have one's work published. The excitement builds if that work merits an award....

ABET program evaluators serve the profession. (Focus).(Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2002... As part of its responsibility to promote and serve the profession of industrial engineering, IIE recruits and trains members to serve as ABET program evaluators in the academic accreditation process for industrial engineering, systems...

Record-keeping training. (Marketplace).(new Occupational Safety and Health Administration standards videotape)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2002... The OSHA Record Keeping Program from Summit Training Source shows workers how to comply with OSHA's new rule. The 24-minute video-based program demonstrates and explains compliance requirements, covering what to record and when to record it,...

Save the knees. (Marketplace).(Baseball Knee Saver by AliMed Inc.)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2002... What do assembly line workers, baggage handlers, roofers, and Sandy Alomar Jr. have in common? They all squat, crouch, kneel, and repeat these up-and-down motions in their work, risking damage to their knee cartilage. Alimed Inc. manufactures...

Container inspection. (Marketplace).(PETWall thickness monitoring system)(Brief Article)(Evaluation)
February 1, 2002... The PETWall thickness monitoring system measures container walls without making direct contact with them. Designed to monitor the wall thickness of monolayer PET containers on the production line, the system checks for deviations in material...

Statistical booster. (Marketplace).(SPC IV Excel by Quality America Inc.)(Brief Article)(Evaluation)
February 1, 2002... SPC IV Excel is an add-on program from Quality America that boosts the statistical analysis and charting capabilities of Microsoft Excel. The product supports all standard SPC chart types for variable and attribute data. Charts can be...

Data mining for gold. (Marketplace).(Witness Miner business statistics software by Lanner Group Inc.)(Brief Article)(Evaluation)
February 1, 2002... A data analysis product from Lanner Group allows users to detect hidden patterns in data sets. Users of Witness Miner can explore data to determine fundamental relationships that affect business. The software provides both a tool and the...

Count them in. (Marketplace).(Count Me, biometric time and attendance solution)(Brief Article)(Evaluation)
February 1, 2002... A 100-person company that pays employees $10 an hour can lose $50,000 each year due to employees arriving late to work, taking long breaks, or having buddies punch the time clock for them. Count Me In is a biometric time and attendance system...

Online auction clues. (Punchline).(What Factors Drive Final Price in Internet Auctions? An Empirical Assessment of Coin Transactions on eBay)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2002... Everyone knows someone who's hooked on eBay. Apparently, there are operations research experts among the Internet auction site's aficionados. Charles A. Wood, assistant professor of management in the University of Notre Dame's Mendoza...