IIE Solutions articles from January 2000

IIE Solutions archives from January 2000

We're all selling something.(Brief Article)
January 1, 2000... A recent trade show found me accompanying an IIE Solutions advertising sales representative to learn about evolving technology. One small booth we stopped at was attended by the company's owner and his associate. Obviously, they were exhibiting...

Letters to the Editor.(Brief Article)
January 1, 2000... Factoring in humans Congratulations on the article you published in the September issue, "A Pain in the Back" by Charles Rothrock. He is right on target! It's been some time since someone frankly and correctly exposed the inadequacies of...

State board pays Novell in 'engineer' title suit.(Brief Article)
January 1, 2000... The Nevada Board of Professional Engineers and Land Surveyors has agreed to settle a lawsuit by Novell Inc. asserting the company's right to confer the title Certified Novell Engineer (previously Certified NetWare Engineer) on computer...

Market for WMS growing steadily.(warehouse management systems)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2000... The North American warehouse management systems market totaled $680 million in 1998, according to preliminary results of a recent market study by the Venture Development Corp. A report drawn from the study, titled "The North American...

Alien inspiration.(Brief Article)
January 1, 2000... What does the exoskeleton worn by Sigourney Weaver in the 1986 movie Aliens have to do with industry? Weaver's costume was the inspiration for a two-legged robot that will be able to go places and lift things that no forklift can. ...

Health and safety encyclopedia updated.(Brief Article)
January 1, 2000... From jet lag to tuberculosis, threats to workers' health and safety are widespread, according to the recently released fourth edition of the Encyclopedia of Occupational Health and Safety. Published by the International Labour Office, the...

Distinguished IE appointed to Transportation Research Board.(Brief Article)
January 1, 2000... John M. Samuels, vice president of operations planning and budget for Norfolk Southern Corp., has been appointed vice chairman of the executive committee of the Transportation Research Board. Samuels has been a member of the TRB executive...

Keith Tregre.(Brief Article)
January 1, 2000... Keith Tregre was named director of industrial engineering for Shoney's Inc. Tregre was most recently the manufacturing engineering manager at Kraft Foods in Champaign, Ill. He has also held numerous managerial positions in operations and...

Lawrence J. Wal.(Brief Article)
January 1, 2000... Austin Consulting, a division of The Austin Co., appointed Lawrence J. Wal to lead its distribution and logistics practice. Wal has more than 25 years of experience in industrial and facility engineering. He holds a B.S. in industrial...

Jani D. Jasadiredja.(Brief Article)
January 1, 2000... Jani D. Jasadiredja has been appointed applications engineer in the Dallas office of Wright Williams & Kelly. Jasadiredja's former position was as senior application engineer for i2 Technologies in Dallas. He is a graduate of both Texas A&M...

Jamie L. Gallo.(Brief Article)
January 1, 2000... HPCi, the operator of ApartmentGuide.com an online apartment locator, announced that Jamie L. Gallo has been named chief operating officer. Gallo joined the company in 1997 as director of special projects. Prior to joining the company, she was...

David Love.(Brief Article)
January 1, 2000... Worldwide Fiber Networks announced that David Love has been appointed senior vice president with responsibility for the development of Worldwide's North America network and infrastructure. Love has 28 years' experience in the telecommunications...

Measuring logistics.(Brief Article)(Review)
January 1, 2000... Do you know whether your logistics operations are enhancing or eroding shareholder value? Are you providing the right amount of service to customers? Are you sure that your logistics organization is aligned with and focused on the company's...

Ergo tip of the month.(Brief Article)
January 1, 2000... How can ergonomists minimize worker fatigue? Stephan Konz, a retired Kansas State University professor, outlined these guidelines in an award-winning paper for Liberty Mutual: * Have a work scheduling policy * Optimize stimulation...

Northwestern No. 1 in retention of minority engineering students.(Brief Article)
January 1, 2000... A new report released by the National Action Council for Minorities in Engineering ranked Northwestern University the No. 1 school in the United States in retention of minority engineering students during the past eight years. ...

Finding work for engineers.(Brief Article)
January 1, 2000... R.M. Kenny Owner, Contract Design In Houston, the oil industry plays a large role in dictating Local demand for engineers. During an economic downswing there in the mid-1980s, Mike Kenny found a way to help fellow engineers and...

Typing on an 'accordion'.(Brief Article)
January 1, 2000... If computer keyboards were instruments, tomorrow's workers might look more as if they were playing accordions than pianos, according to a Cornell University ergonomist. Alan Hedge, professor of design and environmental analysis at Cornell...

Grants expand NACME programs.(Brief Article)
January 1, 2000... A grant of $450,000 from Lucent Technologies Foundation will allow the National Action Council for Minorities in Engineering to expand its Engineering Vanguard Program into Colorado, California, and Texas over the next three years. Vanguard is...

Keys to fast product development.(Brief Article)
January 1, 2000... When you're moving a new product from design to the customer, time is of the essence. Two Wake Forest University professors' research highlights factors that are key to developing products quickly. Barbara B. Flynn, professor of operations...

Does reorganization make workers happier?(Brief Article)
January 1, 2000... A professor at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, funded by a grant from the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, has worked with the Wisconsin Department of Transportation to find out if reorganizing work can improve...

Baldrige award winners announced.(Brief Article)
January 1, 2000... Two manufacturers and two service companies won the 1999 Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award: STMicroelectronics Inc.-Region Americas, Carrollton, Texas; BI, Minneapolis; the Ritz-Carlton Hotel Co., Atlanta; and Sunny Fresh Foods,...

Your mission (Must you accept it?).(Brief Article)
January 1, 2000... Each episode of the television show "Mission Impossible" saw Jim Phelps faced with the decision to accept a new mission or not. What about you and me? Most of us are helping to execute the mission of the organization we are a part of. Were we...

Is survival a matter of fight or flight?(Brief Article)
January 1, 2000... OSHA's recent push to pass ergonomics regulations has produced visceral reactions from both the pro-regulation and anti-regulation camps. The debate has been waged long enough that it appears the conflict among politicians, business...

Engineer undercover.(Brief Article)
January 1, 2000... "It's like there's been an invisible guiding hand behind me all the way," says IIE fellow Mark Brauer of his career applying industrial engineering to top-secret defense assignments. "I believe I've walked a very, very blessed line, and I...

Beyond the Barrier of Context.
January 1, 2000... A real-world simulation exercise demonstrates that to create organizational transformation changes in context must precede changes in content As industrial engineers, we are challenged every day to provide solutions to accelerating demands...

This is not your father's warehouse.(Brief Article)
January 1, 2000... Warehousing has certainly changed: You can even add value to it these days Everyone's heard the phrase "Time is money." Add the word "response" to the beginning, and you've got a fitting synopsis of the new century's biggest...

Simulating the supply chain.
January 1, 2000... Simulation is emerging as a tool in supply chain management due to its strength in evaluating system variation and interdependencies Supply chain management has emerged as the competitive mantra in today's business. The speed of delivery of...

A note from the president.(Brief Article)
January 1, 2000... Support changes to the constitution Since IIE's annual meeting in Phoenix last spring, at which the IIE 2000 proposal was unveiled, countless volunteer hours have been invested in discussions, learning, and listening to all constituent...

EMP update.(Brief Article)
January 1, 2000... Publications department director Michael Grossman is overseeing Engineering & Management Press for IIE. Questions about EMP book titles can be directed to Grossman.

ASQ to help with accreditation.(Brief Article)
January 1, 2000... American Society for Quality has begun providing program evaluators to help IIE assess industrial management educational programs for the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology. "ASQ wanted to be involved because there are some...

Aerospace conference tours.(Brief Article)
January 1, 2000... As part of the conference on Achieving Excellence in Aerospace, Aviation, and Airline Operations, scheduled for Oct. 16-17 at the Airport Hilton Hotel in Atlanta, attendees will have the opportunity to visit local industrial facilities. Some...

Why join IIE?(Institute of Industrial Engineers)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2000... "I joined because I think it's a great source of information on career paths. As a college student I need to know what my options are when I graduate," said new IIE student member Elizabeth Griffin, a junior majoring in industrial and systems...

Ergonomics: a psychological perspective.(Brief Article)
January 1, 2000... What does psychology have to do with ergonomics? Quite a bit, according to Mary Dainoff, professor of psychology at Miami University and a presenter at IIE's upcoming Applied Ergonomics Conference, March 14-16 in Los Angeles. IIE: As a...

Online ordering available.(Brief Article)
January 1, 2000... The IIE Web site not only has a new look, it also offers several new options. Beginning this month, customers and IIE members will be able to order books and gifts, register for seminars and conferences, and submit membership applications...

Streamlining work.(Brief Article)
January 1, 2000... Director of Member Recruitment and Product Promotion Lisa Zaken is one of many IIE staff members mapping processes to make the Institute more efficient. "Some of our processes have been around for so long that we've never stopped to think how...

Kudos for the member bulletin.(Brief Article)
January 1, 2000... Since IIE began sending out monthly member bulletins via e-mail a year ago, the compliments have been rolling in. Here's what members of IIE have to say about it: * "The newsletter is good, informative, and in an easy-to-read format. I...

Membership has its benefits.(Brief Article)
January 1, 2000... Members of IIE can take advantage of several affinity programs that allow them to obtain: * Insurance. IIE's group insurance program offers a variety of options, including term life, disability income, accident, comprehensive health care,...

An AGV for factories.(Brief Article)
January 1, 2000... The Panawagon E Series, an automatic guided vehicle, is well suited to material handling and assembly tasks. It moves back and forth between points along a path of optical tape. The Panawagon can move parts, subassemblies, or complete products...

An "i" on your factory.(Brief Article)
January 1, 2000... iFactory Monitor is a new way to monitor machines, equipment, and processes on the factory floor. The software uses a browser to provide realtime access to information. When combined with an Ethernet data acquisition system from Intelligent...

Heavy-duty pallet truck.(Brief Article)
January 1, 2000... The CPII pallet truck offers tough construction and an overload bypass system. The truck comes in two sizes and can carry up to 5,500 pounds. The hydraulic system is protected by a one-year pump warranty. The truck can be fitted with either...

Automated flash removal.(Brief Article)
January 1, 2000... The Robotic Trim Cell automates flash removal on plastic injection molded parts. Sensors detect part surfaces and send data back to the robot program, allowing the robot to work repeatedly on inconsistent or warped parts. A variable-speed...

Analyze and optimize.(Brief Article)
January 1, 2000... EnvaModel software builds a neural network for quick and easy off-line data analysis and optimization. The software constructs a mathematical model from process data, statistical experiments, or historical databases to help with a wide range of...

Easy-to-use forklift.(Brief Article)
January 1, 2000... The Nissan NX Series three-wheel electric forklift features technological advances that allow for faster travel speeds and greater operator control than previous models. The forklift, which comes in 3,000-and 3,500-pound capacities, can be...

Preventive maintenance on the Net.(Brief Article)
January 1, 2000... It's the first preventive maintenance system online: Opms.Net allows companies -- including industrial plants and health care facilities -- to organize maintenance schedules online. Opms.Net creates work orders, tracks schedules, maintains a...

Bench-top robots.(Brief Article)
January 1, 2000... Need precise, automated inspection? EZ Vision bench-top inspection stations can examine a variety of products, including printed circuit board assemblies, microelectronics, and medical devices. The stations include a complete PC-based machine...

Security storage and transport.(Brief Article)
January 1, 2000... The heavy-gauge open wire construction of Eagle MHC's line of security storage and transport equipment allows for easy viewing of contents. Products include full-size and mini security units, which are available in stationary or mobile models...

Leaner manufacturing.(Brief Article)
January 1, 2000... LeanLine Solutions is an improvement methodology designed to help companies transition to lean operations. The service includes consulting, training, and software to help companies in any industry streamline operations, reduce inventory, and...

Bury the cables.(Brief Article)
January 1, 2000... Tripping over cords isn't safe or efficient, so the Monarch 7400 RF Link offers a cable-free way to scan, print, and affix labels. A radio device connects one module to a printer and the other to a terminal. The equipment requires no software...

Work standards system.(Brief Article)
January 1, 2000... FAST 4.0 is software that generates standards from time study or predetermined motion time systems. Users can balance work lines, determine costs, view worker instructions and pictures on any PC in the network, and compare standard and actual...

Web site for buyers and sellers.(Brief Article)
January 1, 2000... SupplierMarket.com offers a business-to-business marketplace for built-to-order manufactured products. The site's matching technology allows manufacturers to broaden their supply base; the procurement process includes online bidding that...

Uplifting table with tilter.(Brief Article)
January 1, 2000... The Pro Series hydraulic lift table with deck-mounted tilter from Pentalift offers maximum safety and security. The lift table features the exclusive PentaFlow hydraulic cylinder, which is designed to ensure long cylinder life and reduce...

Stylish stacker.(Brief Article)
January 1, 2000... It's the best of both worlds: a commercial stacker with a stylish modern design. The British-designed Voyager is an attractive alternative to traditional industrial stackers and appropriate for use in large retail outlets and open consumer...

How stress interferes with team work.(Brief Article)
January 1, 2000... Work teams are often called upon to accomplish complex tasks under crisis conditions. New research shows that groups function less effectively under stress and that stress even may lead to teams in which members barely acknowledge each other....

King of pain.(Stephen King)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2000... One more thing for ergonomists to be aware of: the pitfalls of protracted prose. While anyone might like to be described as having Paul Newman eyes, you can rest assured that no one wants a new condition dubbed "Stephen King wrist." ...