Industrial Engineer articles from January 2009

Industrial Engineer archives from January 2009

ROI.(return on investment)(Editorial)
January 1, 2009... The Callan Periodic Table of Investment Returns is every bit as intimidating as its name--at least for people like me whose brains can only understand mathematical equations in word-problem format. Callan is a recognized name in the financial...

By the book.(Mail)
January 1, 2009... After reading the pros and cons of changing the name of our institution and examining my own thoughts, I have come to the conclusion that it is indeed time to change. The final convincing argument is sitting on my desk today. I have a textbook...

No buy-in.(Mail)(Letter to the editor)
January 1, 2009... I just received my November issue of IE and it is amazing how we can devote so much time and effort to a name change while there are more pressing problems around us. So I'll keep this letter short while throwing my two cents into the ring. I...

Double standards.(Mail)(Letter to the editor)
January 1, 2009... In "Ask the Expert" (October), the first question had to do with adjusting (time) standards to achieve higher performance. The response was that "a time standard is an objective measure of the time you would expect a reasonably motivated...

Through lean lenses.(Mail)(Letter to the editor)
January 1, 2009... I see the clearly written Ophthonix case study (October) as being rich in issues of lean design. Having a bit of familiarity with optical (eyeglasses) laboratories--conventional ones, anyway--my first reaction was: Why all the automation and...

Correction.(Correction notice)
January 1, 2009... In "Rooting for Kansas" (November, page 62), it is implied that Wichita State University, University of Kansas and Kansas State University will be sharing a $2 million grant. Wichita State university is the sole recipient of this grant.

A birthday to remember: Penn State's IE Department celebrates centennial.(Front Line)
January 1, 2009... It's hard to believe that the first version of Hugo Diemer's book, Factory Organization and Management, was written in 1910. Other than the Table of Centents, which reads more like an index given today's nonfiction book format, the principles...

It takes a village: engineer's social entrepreneurship program focuses on Africa.(Front Line)
January 1, 2009... Industrial engineer Nana Afaokwa is far removed from his days as a student at Massachusetts Institute of Technology, but Domeabra, his village in Famayne, Ghana, is fortunate to have him as its chief. Afaokwa has been traveling back and forth...

GM'S tsunami.(PRIME NUMBER)(General Motors Corp.)(Brief article)
January 1, 2009... General Motors Corp. has been the top-selling automaker in the world for 77 years. Unfortunately, that streak may not keep the automaker from running out of money by the end of the month, reports Peter Valdes-Dapena of CNNMoney.com. If GM...

Wal-Mart names IE as new CEO: Annual Conference keynoter Mike Duke takes reins in February.(front line)(Conference news)
January 1, 2009... Under Mike Duke's leadership as vice chairman, Wal-Mart Stores Inc.'s division, Wal-Mart International, which accounts for 3,200 stores and 620,000 associates in 14 markets outside the United States, reached $100 billion in sales during 2008....

A high school's head start: alumnus donates $100,000 worth of manufacturing software.(front line)(Brief article)
January 1, 2009... Van Wert, Ohio, is the location of the first public county library in the United States and has boasted numerous manufacturing business since it was founded in 1837. Jerry Walters, a 1967 graduate of Van Wert High School, wanted to honor the...

Cost-cutter jets: GE aviation looks to industrial engineering strength.(front line)
January 1, 2009... With a price tag that ranges in the tens of millions of dollars to build even a modest-sized jet, it's safe to say that aviation companies are scrutinizing ways to cut costs with binoculars. As part of an overall $2 million contract with...

Dilbert.(Cartoon)
January 1, 2009... I WORKED ALL NIGHT TO FINISH THE ASSIGNMENT OF TIME [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] TOSS IT ON THE PILE. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] I'D FEEL BETTER IT YOU USED A DIFFERENT CHOICE OF WORDS. PLOP IT ON THE TOP. [ILLUSTRATION...

Magician.(UNCOMMON IE)(Brief article)
January 1, 2009... THE TASK AT HAND: Wizards and jesters come out after dark in Monterey, Nuevo Leon, Mexico, according to Raul Salinas. As vice president of Mexico's Magician Association of the State of Nuevo, Salinas should know. Striving for "astonishment and...

Adding up waste.(SITE TO SEE)(King County Solid Waste Division)(http://your.kingcounty.gov/solidwaste/EcoConsumer)(Brief article)
January 1, 2009... How many used paper towels make a pound of waste? How many razors contribute to the waste stream in your neighborhood? How many times do households change an incandescent light bulb every six months? you don't have to know the answers to make...

Statistics is alive.(BOOK OF THE MONTH)(Brief article)
January 1, 2009... From cost-based accounting and balance sheet software to value-added production schedules, businesses have a lot of tools to choose from in quality, reliability and productivity improvement initiatives. Nonetheless, authors Gerald J. Hahn and...

Less is more.(QUOTE, UNQUOTE)
January 1, 2009... "Unlike CEOs who see themselves principally as members of an executive elite-an increasingly mobile club whose members measure their pay and privileges against other CEO's-this group's ethos was a true corporate ethos, in the original,...

Where do you rank?(employee recognition and rewards)(Column)
January 1, 2009... I HATE ONE-WINNER SYSTEMS. When I walk into a factory or bank and one of the first things I see is an "Employee of the Month" plaque, I can literally feel my blood boil. Unfortunately, our country is deeply rooted in such competitive forms of...

Hail the new king.(business strategy)
January 1, 2009... CASH IS KING. There is increased attention on cash flow statements rather than sales growth or profitability. The reason? The traditional sources of cash to run and grow the business may not be available, forcing management to depend on...

International warehousing.(Column)
January 1, 2009... WHEN PEOPLE TALK ABOUT moving goods from point A to B, it's easy to assume that the A stands for Asia and the B stands for Boston, Beverly Hills or some other American city. Much of the world's manufacturing has moved to Asia, but a...

The next industrial revolution.(innovation)
January 1, 2009... EVERY STAGE OF HUMAN HISTORY has contributed to the significant progress made in achieving today's standard of living, but industrialization has been a major contributor to this progress. The most significant period in industrialization was in...

Crime-fighting strategy: Lesia Crumpton-Young takes engineering to the streets.(Engineers who MAKE A DIFFERENCE)
January 1, 2009... Education, energy and youth empowerment punctuate careers Somewhere between the perfect life and the perfect career lies the perfect cause to get involved in. Engineers make decisions each day that impact the quality of life of those who...

A burst of energy: David Hrivnak puts his conservations ideals into practice.(engineers who make a difference)
January 1, 2009... When you hear about the life and habits of energy conservationist David Hrivnak, you might begin to think that the world's energy shortage could be resolved if everyone could just plug in to him. In his time away from his day job as an...

Feeding the need for industry: Zulma Toro-Ramos targets grade-school students for pre-engineering program.(Project Lead the Way)(Interview)
January 1, 2009... Is there an age when a child is too young to learn about engineering? If Zulma Toro-Ramos has her way, the answer may son be no. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] The dean of the College of Engineering at Wichita State University in Kansas has...

Learning continents: a spotlight on Turkey's women academics and industry partners.
January 1, 2009... FORMER PRESIDENT OF TURKEY, Suleyman Demirel, who is both a degreed engineer and an outspoken advocate of women's equality, praised participants of the "Women in Industrial Engineering Academia" workshop in his opening keynote address for their...

In defense of goods: research validates simulation's role in port security.
January 1, 2009... IN THE WORLD OF INTERNATIONAL TRADE, NEARLY every opportunity places a demand on maritime transportation since it is economical and in many situations, the only means of transportation. The increase in international trade In oil, minerals and...

Animal instinct: NCSU professor tests science's ability to help injured pets walk again.(usage of osseointegrated implants)
January 1, 2009... CASSIDY, A CANINE BROOKLYN, N.Y., RESIDENT, needed some help walking around the city. With only three legs, exercise and travel were difficult. But the solution to his problem could only be found approximately 500 miles south-west of New York....

Embracing mathematical culture: statistics, hypothesis tests are perfect process aids.(Statistical data)
January 1, 2009... PEOPLE FEAR THE WORD STATISTICS, BUT MENTION hypothesis testing and they go into a full-fledged panic attack. Statistics in the control of processes is a great friend, and understanding the concepts at a basic level can enable more people to...

Lean cuisine.(Case Study)(Kahiki Foods Inc.)(Case study)
January 1, 2009... It's defining moment for a company when an employee discovers that only eight of 105 steps in a process create value in the eyes of customers. Who will be responsible for improvements? Where does the production line begin to eliminate wasteful...

Research.(awards of Richard E. Barlow)
January 1, 2009... The January 2009 issue of IIE Transactions is a special issue honoring Richard E. Barlow, a professor emeritus at University of California-Berkeley who is regarded as one of the fathers of modern reliability theory. Here, we highlight two...

Ask the Expert: answers to your technical questions.
January 1, 2009... Equalizing workstations Q: I'm involved in a project to double the production of a new assembly line in which there are three different products assembled. The total products assembled currently are 50 in a 6.5-hour shift. Our goals is to...

Emerging technologies: innovative tools of the trade.
January 1, 2009... eWellness With today's shortage of intensive-care physicians, better patient care may seem like a distant dream to some. For the people at VISICU, it is a challenge they are dedicated to overcoming. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] The eICU...

Celebrating Holzman: technology-driven center named for revered IE educator.(KEEPING PACE WITH IIE)(Department of Industrial Engineering )
January 1, 2009... There was much to celebrate in early October at the University of Pittsburgh. Students, faculty and alumni of the university's Department of Industrial Engineering gathered on campus for the dedication of the Albert G. Holzman Learning Center,...

A meeting of IIE's leadership minds: four past presidents talk about industrial engineering, education, Holzma.(focus)
January 1, 2009... Any IE would probably like to be a fly on the wall in a room with the kind of minds that are helping lead the industrial engineering field today. Shortly before the dedication of the Albert G. Holzman Learning Center, four IIE past presidents...

ABET offers program evaluator training: board hopes to attract more academic, field industrial engineers.(focus)(Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology)
January 1, 2009... As part of the continuing effort to mold the industrial engineers of tomorrow, many IIE members can qualify to become program evaluators for the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology. ABET program evaluators contribute to the...

University regional meetings kick off 2009: international events promote leadership, networking and communication.(focus)(Calendar)
January 1, 2009... The 2009 university regional conferences get underway this month when the first meeting among nine of the 10 worldwide IIE regions opens in Canada. The conferences provide opportunities for students to broaden their understanding and creativity...

SHS takes aim at quality, cost, safety: conference Moves to April, leads into HIMSS in Chicago.(focus)(Society for Health Systems )(Conference news)(Brief article)
January 1, 2009... In the spring, health care professionals could find the answers to all of their latest challenges in the Windy City. The Society for Health Systems Conference and Expo 2009 will be held April 1-4 in Chicago at McCormick Place next to the...

Work perfect: the day we strive for.(management of Mei Zhang)
January 1, 2009... I'm part of an internal consulting group at American Airlines composed of 40 consultants with an educational background either in operations research or industrial engineering. I lead a group of six consultants who support the airline's...