IIE Solutions articles from March 2002

IIE Solutions archives from March 2002

Goodbye Tech Park. (Editor's Desk).
March 1, 2002... Jane Gaboury How times haven't changed. Thirty years ago, the IIE member magazine carried an editorial that referred to "apprehensions" about the U.S. economy. And there were stories about the impending headquarters relocation. ...

Security advising is a Mickey Mouse job. (News).(Brief Article)
March 1, 2002... The new United States Transportation Security Administration is borrowing executives from Disney, Marriott, Intel, and other companies who have experience in real-life logistics. Their knowledge will be used to help transportation planners...

Schools get help from Disney. (News).(Walt Disney World Co.)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2002... Walt Disney World executives are being good local citizens by helping Orange County, Fla., schools improve their maintenance plans. Four Disney finance and maintenance experts have been loaned to the schools to overhaul their upkeep processes....

FBI hunts for engineers. (News).(Brief Article)
March 1, 2002... The FBI is on the hunt for engineers -- not as suspects, but as recruits. As it kicks off one of its most aggressive hiring campaigns in recent years, the bureau is tailoring its special agent recruiting plan to identify professionals with...

Recipe for processing success. (News).(Brief Article)
March 1, 2002... No one likes runny ketchup, especially the manufacturer that's producing it unintentionally due to process control problems. To ensure puddings, sauces, and other fluid products have the viscosity, texture, and other characteristics...

Technology overlooked in Logistics planning. (News).(Brief Article)
March 1, 2002... Most companies that operate private and dedicated truck fleets use manual routing and loading methods, taking little advantage of available technologies. This was one conclusion of a survey conducted by the Logistics Institute at Georgia Tech....

Technological innovation in New England. (News).(Massachusetts Institute of Technology )(Brief Article)
March 1, 2002... A $20 million gift to the Massachusetts Institute of Technology will allow the creation of a new center for technological innovation in the School of Engineering. Desh Deshpande, co-founder and chairman of Sycamore Networks Inc., and his...

General Electric research commitment. (News).(Brief Article)
March 1, 2002... General Electric will invest more than $100 million in a multi-year project to modernize its research and development headquarters in Niskayuna, N.Y. The newly renamed GE Global Research Center will be a state-of-the-art research lab and hub...

Performance enhancement. (Fast Fact).(Brief Article)
March 1, 2002... Training and development is the most important factor in improving worker performance -- ahead of incentives, productivity programs, and performance tracking -- according to an Accenture survey of executives.

Newsmakers. (News).(Brief Article)
March 1, 2002... * The Academy of Engineering Excellence at Virginia Tech inducted John F. Sweers as a member. He graduated with a B.S. in industrial engineering from Virginia Tech. During more than 40 years as an industrial engineer and manager, Sweers held...

Smart forging control will do the impossible. (News).(Brief Article)
March 1, 2002... An intelligent forging process control system could help the United States' beleaguered steel and forging industries. The Smartsmith system, now being developed by engineering researchers from industry and academia, promises to boost...

Measuring hotel performance. (News).(Brief Article)
March 1, 2002... How are America's hotels faring financially? It's hard to tell because they don't measure their own performance accurately A Cornell University study shows that industry performance averages commonly used by hotels throughout the United States...

Beyond concrete limitations. (Uncommon IE).(Martin Iorns)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2002... Martin Iorns Consulting industrial engineer Concrete and ferrocement construction specialist West Sacramento, Calif. Imagine immense floating concrete islands with self-contained renewable energy sources populating the oceans,...

Managing cellular reorganization. (Book of the Month).(Reorganizing the Factory)
March 1, 2002... Cells remain a hot topic. Pick up any business periodical and you can find a story detailing how reorganizing work processes into cells has streamlined operations, shortened lead times, improved quality, and lowered costs. Reorganizing the...

Shear forces mean bitter pills. (News).(Brief Article)
March 1, 2002... Wind shear, the force feared by airplane pilots, has an earthbound counterpart that's just as disdained by pharmaceutical manufacturers. Benjamin J. Glasser and Troy Shinbrot have found that when multiple streams of granular material flow...

Global Logistics perspective. (Site to See).(Brief Article)
March 1, 2002... The International Society of Logistics offers a Web site with a global perspective. Found at http://www.sole.org, the home page serves as a base from which users can delve into specific areas of interest. There's plenty of content even for...

UPS driving company-wide safety. (News).(UPS Truck Leasing)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2002... An unassuming building in a nondescript suburb of Atlanta is housing some very innovative ergonomic design research. UPS Corporate Industrial Engineering Manager Marenda Caldwell oversees a small team of human factors engineers on design...

Touching all students with engineering. (News).(Institute for Engineering Education at Southern Methodist University )(Brief Article)
March 1, 2002... A federal grant of $800,000 will launch a national institute to promote engineering education in the United States at all levels -- from kindergarten through graduate school. The new Institute for Engineering Education at Southern Methodist...

Health care quality measures leap to the Internet. (News).(Brief Article)
March 1, 2002... Consumers throughout the United States can log on to the Internet and learn how hospitals in their area compare on three measures of quality The Leapfrog Group is focusing the spotlight on hospitals' processes and results to give, consumers a...

Spectrolab Inc. (Business Briefs).(Brief Article)
March 1, 2002... Spectrolab Inc., a division of the Boeing Co. and the world's largest manutacturer of space solar cells, received ISO 9001-2000 certification.

Michigan Economic Development Corp. (Business Briefs).(Brief Article)
March 1, 2002... The Advanced Manufacturing Roudtable, created by the Michigan Economic Development Corp., will focus on industry trends and practices, technology, capital investment, and state policy initiatives. Each quarter, the forum will bring together...

New United Motor Manufacturing Inc. (Business Briefs).(Brief Article)
March 1, 2002... Toyota has selected a 700-acre site outside Tijuana as the location of its new manufacturing plant in Mexico. The plant will make and ship truck beds for Tacoma pickup trucks, which are now built at New United Motor Manufacturing Inc., a Toyota...

Seeking lead-free electronics alternatives. (News).(Brief Article)
March 1, 2002... North American electronics manufacturers are getting help from the National Center for Manufacturing Sciences to identify an alternative to lead-based solder. Impending legislation in the European Union will control the levels of...

Stress-damaged workforce. (News).(Brief Article)
March 1, 2002... New research confirms that long working hours and stress at work are causing serious problems for workers in the United Kingdom. The research found that stress levels continue to rise, with one in two workers saying they had experienced stress...

A story of single-sidedness. (Performance Improvement).(Brief Article)
March 1, 2002... It must have been about 15 years ago that my pet peeve regarding non-duplexed (printed on one side only) handouts began. At that time, I was working for a company that was very focused on cost reduction. In fact, a cost reduction strategy was a...

Dilution or delusion? (Ergonomics).(Brief Article)
March 1, 2002... A great many junior ergonomists have picked up on what they believe to be the ultimate solution to every ergonomic ailment encountered in the workplace -- job rotation. Applicable in any given situation, job rotation appears to be a...

The software experts. (Member Forum).(Brief Article)
March 1, 2002... My first engineering experience was as an industrial engineer for a plastics recycler. The company was making the painful transition from an all-paper to a hybrid paper/computerized document environment. Off-the-shelf text recognition...

Sizing up sites: Although they are rarely tapped for significant input into building design, industrial engineers have a lot to offer in the realm of real estate decisions.
March 1, 2002... Students of architecture arc taught to design facilities that are imaginative, cutting edge, aesthetic, and exciting. The form should express the function. The interior layout can then be modified to fit the exterior design. Meanwhile,...

Revealing 'obvious' solutions: An experiment by another name may be as effective, but multivariable testing is proving itself with results.
March 1, 2002... It's been keeping you up nights. You've tried everything, but for some reason the manufacturing line keeps producing defective widgets -- or no widgets at all. You've lost a significant amount of the customer base because you can't process...

Big ideas for a small world: Gavriel Salvendy is determined to shrink the world by being an ambassador of industrial engineering.
March 1, 2002... The world is very different now, John F. Kennedy remarked in his 1961 inaugural address. The advancements of science had led to an unprecedented power to heal and destroy, which brought the critical nature of international relations to the...

UPS delivers on contribution commitments. (Focus on IIE).(UPS Foundation)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2002... In keeping with their mission to provide for a better community, the UPS Foundation donated $15,350 to the Institute of Industrial Engineers. The cash grant will help fund the Women and Minority Industrial Engineer Outreach Program administered...

Great expectations. (Focus on IIE).(Brief Article)
March 1, 2002... It happens every year. IIE selects the best and brightest to receive its coveted Frank and Lillian Gilbreth Award, the highest form of recognition for an industrial engineer. The award recognizes significant contributions to mankind through the...

Tragedy strikes IIE member. (Focus on IIE).(Sourindra Dutta, University of Windsor, Ontario)(Brief Article)(Obituary)
March 1, 2002... Sourindra Dutta, Ph.D., professor and chair of the industrial and manufacturing systems engineering program at the University of Windsor in Ontario, Canada, died Jan. 31 when a tree crushed him. The tree was rotting and was weighed down by ice...

These members are winners. (Focus on IIE).(Institute of Industrial Engineers)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2002... The membership of IIE has selected their new officers for the 2002-03 term. This election marked the first time the Institute made use of electronically submitted ballots. Members voted online to select their new representatives, with a...

Reliable magazine delivery. (Ask IIE).(Brief Article)
March 1, 2002... q: I don't always receive IIE Solutions in a timely manner each month. Sometimes, I don't get it all! How can I ensure successful delivery of the magazine? a: The best way to guarantee timely delivery is to keep your member...

Change of address. (Focus on IIE).(Institute of Industrial Engineers)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2002... After nearly 30 years at its current address, IIE will soon close the doors at 25 Technology Park for the last time. Headquarters will reopen about two miles away in the Royal Peachtree Corners office complex. There, IIE will occupy a...

Magic meets engineering. (Focus on IIE).(While Disney World Co.)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2002... While Disney World plays host to the imagination, Erin Wallace, senior vice president of Disney World's resort operations, deals in practicality. Orlando, Fla., home to Walt Disney World, will host IIE's 2002 Annual Conference May 19-22....

Work measurement tools. (Buyer's Guide).
March 1, 2002... Advanced Time Studies 730 Erickson Ave. Bainbridge Island, WA 98110 (877) 369-7086 or (206) 855-9118 http://www.timestudies.com info@timestudies.com AccuStudy $1,500 AccuStudy is a time-and-motion studies...

Good timing. (Marketplace).(Brief Article)
March 1, 2002... AccuStudy is a work measurement software program that conducts time-and-motion studies with the use of handheld touch-screen technology. The user can indicate the activity to record by touching icons on the device that represent common...

Overhead space. (Marketplace).(chain conveyor system from Richards-Wilcox Manufacturing Co.)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2002... Built for carton, tote distribution, trash handling, and other manufacturing and distribution uses, the Zig-Zag overhead enclosed chain conveyor system allows several operations to be combined. The system integrates with existing floor conveyor...

Need a lift? (Marketplace).(Caterpillar Lift Trucks)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2002... Caterpillar has made improvements to its 8,000 - 11,000-pound lift trucks. Available with gas, LP gas, and diesel engines, the mid-size trucks feature pneumatic tires, an open-step frame for easy truck entry and exit, a contoured seat design,...

Streamlining inventory. (Marketplace).(FastPic Parts PL, FastPic4 software from FastPic Systems)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2002... FastPic Parts PL and FastPic4 software are designed to improve inventory management. With FastPic PL, automated storage and retrieval system operators can enter a part number into the system to have inventory items delivered automatically. The...

Standard fare. (Marketplace).(Core and Concentration Skill Standards for Manufacturing)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2002... After three years of research involving 3,800 front-line workers, 700 companies, 300 subject matter experts, and 30 facilitating organizations, the Manufacturing Skill Standards Council has created skill standards for manufacturing. These...

Ergo-friendly Workstations. (Marketplace).(from Lyon Workspace Products)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2002... Lyon Infinitely Adjustable Workstations allow users to set the unit's height without the need to remove any bolts. The slide bolt leg design provides 5.5 inches of height adjustability, ranging from 29 inches to 37 inches, when the user loosens...

Web-connected enterprise. (Marketplace).(from Tecsys Inc.)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2002... Tecsys' latest version of its EliteSeries suite of enterprise software contains five Web-based modules and is fully deployable in a Web browser. Enterprises can share information with collaborative vendors and customers, and they can view...

Hicks & Associates. (Consultant).(Brief Article)
March 1, 2002... Consultants to Management * Facilities Planning & Design * Productivity Analysis & Improvement * Lean Manufacturing * Team-based Management Development * Downsizing/Rightsizing Analysis * Work Measurement *...

Vines Enterprises. (Consultant).(Brief Article)
March 1, 2002... Vines Enterprises is a leading provider of Industrial Engineering techniques, appropriate management strategy and software to support these services. Vines Enterprises has 25 years experience providing assistance for Productivity...

Divilbiss Electronics. (Work Measurement).(Brief Article)
March 1, 2002... Random Data Sampling Equipment for: * Personal Time Management * Cost and Labor Allocation * Work Process Improvement * Efficiency Studies Divilbiss Electronics (847) 395-3693 Fax (847) 395-9389 ...

Management Recruiters of Lake St. Louis. (Recruiter).(Brief Article)
March 1, 2002... Searching for Industrial Engineers and Project Managers within: * Retail Distribution & Logistics * Grocery Distribution & Logistics * Plastics Manufacturing We have excelled in permanent recruitment and placement services...

J.P. Canon Associates. (Recruiter).(Brief Article)
March 1, 2002... INTRODUCE YOURSELF! The majority of industrial engineers who we place in supply chain management and logistics positions are referred to us by other professionals. If no one has introduced you yet, it's time to introduce yourself! ...

MTM Association. (Work Measurement).(Brief Article)
March 1, 2002... * Work Measurement Systems * Work Measurement Software * Industrial Engineering Training and Support * Ergonomics Training * Productivity Improvement Analysis * Profitability Improvement Analysis The MTM Association...

Industrial Timestudy Institute, Inc. (Time Study).(Brief Article)
March 1, 2002... Work Measurement Specialists * (4) Day Time Study Training * Time Study for Supervisors * On-Site Training Available * Work Measurement Studies * Time Study & Methods Engineering * Productivity Analysis *...

Kiran Consulting Group. (Consultant).(Brief Article)
March 1, 2002... Lean Tools for Lean Manufacturing Success * Simulation-Based Training * Lean Simulation Modeling * Sequencing Tools * Simulation-Based Planning See our Web site for information on our upcoming seminar: "Lean Manufacturing...

C-FOUR. (Training Videotapes).(Brief Article)
March 1, 2002... Forty-one Videos for your In-house Work Measurement Training Programs! C-FOUR now has the videos you need to train your engineers, managers, and supervisors in time study and performance rating. Discounts on multiple video orders. Lots of...

Al Rose. (Work Measurement).(Brief Article)
March 1, 2002... I.E. & Supervisory Training/Consulting On-Site or Training Center Internationally recognized leader in Training Services. No prior experience is required. Time Study, MTM, or Methods Engineering (MTM participants receive "official"...

Royal J. Dossett Corporation. (Work Measurement).(Brief Article)
March 1, 2002... Work Study Software Time study and work sampling programs. For use with the rugged, reliable, easy-to-use Datawriter data collector. Check the competition (ask them how many systems they have sold; ask them for customer references). Then...

Time Study for Palm[TM] and Pocket PC[TM]. (Work Measurement).(Brief Article)
March 1, 2002... Download Free Demo from www.acsco.com $495 Single User License - $50 Each Add'l * Determine required number of observations * Review operator performance * Apply elemental frequencies * Create final standards on PDA *...

C-FOUR. (Lean Engineering).(Brief Article)
March 1, 2002... C-FOUR has the best all-around systems and support for portable time study & work sampling...plus FREE* I.E. Consulting! * Real-time accuracy feedback * Run on palm, pocket, handheld, notebook or desktop PCs * One-click data entry...

C-FOUR. (Work Measurement).(Brief Article)
March 1, 2002... Advanced & Computer Work Measurement Seminar/Workshop May 16-18, 2002 Learn how to save up to 2/3rds the time you now spend in making a time study! Do your next work standards audit and save thousands of dollars! Get ten times the amount...

William Barr Associates, Inc. (Consultant).(Brief Article)
March 1, 2002... Your productivity resource! Improved productivity means cost effective operations and measurable savigns. William Barr Associates offers the following services: * Facility Planning * Productivity Improvement * Scheduling &...

W. J. Kennedy. (Sample PE Exam).(Brief Article)
March 1, 2002... Sample PE Examination Sample PE Examination in Industrial Engineering. 80 questions, with answers, in the multiple choice format presently used by the National Council of Examiners for Engineering and Surveying (NCEES). Send a check for...

Don't-miss deadlines. (Punchline).(setting deadlines when assigning tasks)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2002... Managers with staff people who consistently miss deadlines may have themselves to blame. Researchers have discovered that the way deadlines are set have discernable impact on performance. Professor Dan Ariely at the MIT Sloan School of...

The engraving cost a fortune. (Punchline - Dilbert).(D-Link Systems Inc. receives award with very long name from Frost and Sullivan)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2002... And the award for Most Unwieldy Award goes to... the "Frost & Sullivan Market Engineering Award for Manufacturing Strategy Leadership for the Worldwide Wireless Local Area Network Market," most recently bestowed on D-Link Systems Inc. of...

Fiction is stickier than truth. (Punchline).(creating memorable mission statements)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2002... The next time you're invited to participate on a work team tasked with creating a mission statement, you might try throwing some chilling folklore into the proclamation if you want people to remember it. "If I were a business manager, I...