Industrial Engineer articles from July 2003

Industrial Engineer archives from July 2003

Come rain or come shine.(Editor's Desk)
July 1, 2003... One morning last month, I was listening to the radio as I was driving to work and the radio personality mentioned, "If you're wondering, that large, bright, circular object rising in the eastern sky is the sun." One of my colleagues keeps...

Manufacturing most foul: the business of making things gets no respect, so who will do the work?(News)
July 1, 2003... No one in America, it seems--not students in middle school through college, teachers, policy analysts, public officials, union leaders, not even manufacturing employees and executives--thinks much of manufacturing. This is the disheartening...

Art at the edge of engineering.(Site to See)
July 1, 2003... Neuro is an innovative exhibition that illuminates the intersections of art and science. Supported by the National Science Foundation, the project features a Web-based version at http://www.nsf.gov/od/lpa/events/neuro for those who can't get to...

Applying Engineering Economy.(Book of the month)
July 1, 2003... Engineering Economy: Applying Theory to Practice combines real-world problems and examples with solid engineering economy theory. The book clearly illustrates concepts and methods--cost estimating, sensitivity analysis, probability, and...

Call for better pain pump design: patient risk could be eliminated with human factors input.
July 1, 2003... Designs of patient-controlled pain pumps that do not take human factors into account pose a serious threat to patient safety. "We examined a particular type of pain pump and estimated how many deaths are likely to occur as a result of...

Airport security in a flash.(News)
July 1, 2003... Federal Transportation Security Administration officials have praised the design of an airport security screening system created by a Carnegie Mellon University team. The system has the potential to increase the efficiency and effectiveness of...

Newsmakers.
July 1, 2003... Adel Muhammad Faqeeh was elected chairman of the Jeddah Chamber of Commerce and Industry in Saudi Arabia. Faqeeh is a board member for many companies, including Al-Jazeera Bank, the Saudi Arabian Glass Company, and United Sugar Company. He...

Newsmakers.
July 1, 2003... IDT named Clyde R. Hosein vice president and chief financial officer. Hosein previously served as CFO and senior vice president of finance and administration for Advanced Interconnect Technologies. He earned a B.S. in industrial engineering...

Newsmakers.
July 1, 2003... Stephen Hopkins was named telecommunications manager for the Clarksville, Tenn., Department of Electricity. Hopkins has held management positions with the Southern Company, Georgia Power, and DuPont. He holds a bachelor's degree in industrial...

Newsmakers.
July 1, 2003... IIE member John D. Lorenz, Ph.D., the former ABET president-elect, became the organization's 2003-2004 president. Lorenz joined the faculty of Kettering University in 1973, and now serves as its vice president for academic affairs and provost....

A policy of public service.(Uncommon IE)
July 1, 2003... As policy director and advisor on health and human services to Sonny Perdue (Georgia's first Republican governor in 130 years) Trey Childress meets his duty to the public during an exciting and challenging time. This self-proclaimed "policy...

Newsmakers.
July 1, 2003... Holder Properties promoted Kirsten Nielsen to director of property management. Nielsen currently manages a 1 million-square-foot real estate portfolio for Cingular Wireless. She holds a B.S. in industrial engineering from Rensselaer Polytechnic...

Newsmakers.
July 1, 2003... Theodore K. Courtney of the Liberty Mutual Research Institute for Safety won the 2003 Ergonomics Society William Floyd Award with partner Wen-Ruey Chang, Ph.D. Courtney serves as director of research for the Institute's Quantitative Analysis...

Newsmakers.
July 1, 2003... SiVerion named Robert Leach to its board of directors. Leach, an engineering data analysis and electronics industry veteran, is senior vice president of market development for Cadence. He holds a B.A. in economics from Claremont McKenna College...

Newsmakers.
July 1, 2003... Lockheed Martin appointed IIE-member Daniel J. Crowley president of the company's information systems business. Previously, Crowley was president of business development and advanced programs for Lockheed Martin Space and Strategic Missiles. He...

Cells not so dangerous at the gas pump: stories about explosions ignited by static electricity are mythical.(News)
July 1, 2003... Most gas stations post warnings about the risk of cell phones--static electricity surrounding them can ignite gas vapors, causing explosions. Sounds logical, but exactly how big is the risk? Negligible, according to the Center for the...

Business briefs.(News)
July 1, 2003... A partnership between the lowa Manufacturing Extension Partnership and software developer Proplanner will deliver process improvement services to IMEP clients by using Proplanner's Web-based process engineering and planning tools. A pilot...

Education briefs.(News)
July 1, 2003... The federal spending bill signed earlier this year by President Bush contains $2.95 million for research projects at the University of Arkansas, an almost 200 percent increase over similar appropriations it received last year. Of that amount,...

It's good to score low: 2003 J.D. Power and Associates quality study ranks automakers.(News)
July 1, 2003... For the first time since 1998, the auto industry has not shown year-over-year improvements in initial quality overall, according to the J.D. Power and Associates "2003 Initial Quality Study." Between 1998 and 2002, the industry achieved steady...

Newsmakers.
July 1, 2003... Georgia Institute of Technology undergrad Monique Gupta was awarded the Barry M. Goldwater Scholarship. Gupta is an industrial and systems engineering major who is working on gene therapy techniques with Joseph LeDoux, a professor in biomedical...

Newsmakers.
July 1, 2003... Industrial engineering assistant professor Darek Ceglarek received the Faculty Early Career Development Award from the National Science Foundation. Ceglarek teaches at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. He hopes to develop a multistage...

Newsmakers.
July 1, 2003... David D. Petratis was appointed president and chief operating officer for the United States business of Schneider Electric. Petratis came to Schneider when it merged with Square D Co. in 1991. He holds a bachelor's degree in industrial...

Newsmakers.
July 1, 2003... Zilliant appointed Ahmet Kuyumcu Ph.D., director of operations research. Kuyumcu comes to Zilliant from the Talus team at Manugistics Group Inc. where he analyzed complex systems and developed decision support tools for Fortune 500 companies....

GM establishes collaborative lab at MIT.(News)(Brief Article)
July 1, 2003... General Motors Corp. will fund a $2 million collaborative research laboratory at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology over five years to help develop advanced material processing and manufacturing systems for global automotive operations....

Transfer best practices: six tips to realize success.(News)
July 1, 2003... 1 Prioritize, locate, and analyze. Select areas with the best potential, identify high performers in those areas, and document their best practices. 2 Encourage and manage debate. Engage a cross section of skilled workers in a structured...

Hooking up credit unions.(News)
July 1, 2003... The Internet is a level playing field, allowing organizations of all sizes to compete with each other and with brick-and-mortar institutions. But the initial hurdle of getting onto that level field can be difficult for small businesses. This is...

Calendar.(Calendar)
July 1, 2003... JULY July 15-17 Response Surface Methods for Process Optimization workshop, Minneapolis; (612) 378-9449; http://www.statease.com July 21-22 Maximizing Warehouse Space: The Key to Productivity seminar, Nashville, Tenn.; (630)...

The future of management.(Performance Improvement)
July 1, 2003... I continue to be haunted by a statement Tom Peters made at a conference more than four years ago. He was preaching about the need for white-collar employees to re-invent themselves. To emphasize the need for change, he stated that within 10...

3RD Annual Lean Management Solutions Conference.
July 1, 2003... September 7-11- 2003 * Atlanta Georgia * Sheraton Buckhead LEAN FOR ACCELERATING GROWTH INTO THE FUTURE PRE-CONFERENCE WORKSHOPS September 7, 2003 CONFERENCE September 8-9, 2003 POST-CONFERENCE WORKSHOP September...

Pareto people.(Management)
July 1, 2003... The Pareto principle is usually explained as 80 percent of the contribution to a given phenomenon coming from 20 percent of the contributing population. For example, 20 percent of a company's customers account for 80 percent of its sales or 20...

Contingency planning essentials.(Logistics)
July 1, 2003... At first glance, a Northeastern blizzard, UPS strike, and West Coast port lockout don't seem to have much in common. But over the past decade, each has created serious supply or demand chain disruptions and caused many production and customer...

The niche of industrial engineering.(Member Forum)
July 1, 2003... Nothing is wrong with industrial engineering in name or practice. In a recent article in Industrial Engineer ("Redefining our Relevance," May), Way Kuo, Ph.D., surmised that industrial engineering needed a niche. He suggested maintaining...

Opening up to efficiency: the engineers at Republic Windows & Doors are having a blast with cellular manufacturing.(Blasting into Efficiency)(Cover Story)
July 1, 2003... In 1998, Republic Windows & Doors, a manufacturer of custom vinyl windows and doors, was preparing to alter its physical and psychological makeup--with a blast. A blast process, to be exact, which is the term the company uses for its customized...

Fashion forward: material handling meets high style and high function with wearable computers.
July 1, 2003... Portable computers are nothing new. From the time man first toted an abacus to augment his arithmetical acumen, we've kept computers in tow to ease our personal workload. Calculators, laptops, and PDAs followed. But while these computers have...

Securing corporate assets: protecting a business against cloak-and-dagger tactics requires a manager's eye for efficiency.
July 1, 2003... There has been a need for security in one form or another ever since someone wanted to take something of value away from its owner and the owner was not willing to relinquish possession of it. The role of corporate security is defense:...

IIE s continuing education seminars.
July 1, 2003... Take advantage of IIE's many new comprehensive seminars and you'll come away with practical information you can use to strengthen your knowledge and improve the way you work. Seminars Our expanded seminar schedule for Fall 2003 and...

Course Schedule / fall 2003 - spring 2004.
July 1, 2003... COURSE AND DATE MEMBER NON-MEMBER Six Sigma Seminars Six Sigma Concepts $395 | $445 September 3, 2003 January 14, 2004 May 15, 2004 (Houston, TX) Six...

Mistakes by design: examining the categories, causes, and culture of human error.
July 1, 2003... In March 1962, a shocked nation read that six infants died in the maternity ward of the Binghamton, N.Y., General Hospital because they had been fed formulas prepared with salt instead of sugar. The error was traced to a practical nurse who had...

Research Reports: executive summaries of current studies.
July 1, 2003... This edition of Research Reports highlights three projects: determining the optimal content and timing of product upgrades in a high-tech product environment; deciding whether to use automated sortation equipment in an order fulfillment context...

Abuzz over lean: IIE joins forces with Georgia Tech to provide lean enterprise training.(Focus on IIE)
July 1, 2003... IIE has signed an agreement with the Georgia Tech Economic Development Institute to co-sponsor a series of lean enterprise seminars. The partnership benefits both organizations while providing an exciting new opportunity for IIE members to earn...

Call for submissions and nominations.(Focus on IIE)
July 1, 2003... IIE is seeking candidates for IIE Transactions awards and the Pritsker Doctoral Dissertation Award. IIE Transactions awards recognize the best technical papers contributed to the titular publication. These papers present significant...

Loot and a hoot for those who recruit: Chapter Challenge winners announced.(Focus on IIE)
July 1, 2003... A five-month contest encouraging chapters in their recruiting efforts proved successful for many chapters. Winners of the Chapter Challenge, which ran from Oct. 1, 2002, through March 31, 2003, were chosen based on the percentage increase in...

Rebuilding a chapter by the book: Neal Schmeidler went back to basics to revitalize D.C. group.(Volunteer Snapshot)
July 1, 2003... Neal Schmeidler is the founder of Omni Engineering & Technology Inc., a firm specializing in helping clients solve operational performance problems using industrial and systems engineering techniques. Prior to founding Omni, Schmeidler worked...

In search of Utopia: Future City Competition seeks students with grand designs and engineers to guide them.(Focus)
July 1, 2003... For 12 years the Future City Competition has encouraged seventh- and eighth-graders to imagine an ideal society. Then they're asked to build it. Teams of three students work with a teacher to design a functioning city using SimCity 3000...

The cream of the crop: honorees and award winners for 2003 as announced at the IIE annual conference.(Focus)
July 1, 2003... IIE Student Award for Excellence First place--Christina Lupher Second place--Tonita Romero Third place--Kayla Erwin [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] IIE Graduate Research Award First place--Xiaomei Zhu Second place--Aditya...

Show professional prowess: demonstrate proficiency by earning an IIE certificate.(Focus)
July 1, 2003... Continuing education is one way for engineers to demonstrate professional prowess to their employers. Therefore, IIE has launched a new program that allows members to gain demonstrable expertise in several topical areas by earning certificates....

Chapter check-in: driven members bring two chapters back from the brink of oblivion.(Focus)
July 1, 2003... Houston The Houston chapter is being celebrated for its recent resurrection. For three years the chapter had languished under "red status," denoting little or no chapter activity. But rather than allowing the chapter to fade into oblivion,...

Resources.
July 1, 2003... Work Measurement MTM Association * Work Measurement Systems * Work Measurement Software * Industrial Engineering Training and Support * Ergonomics Training * Productivity Improvement Analysis * Profitability...

Filling the well of self-control: to think straight, don't deny your cravings.(Punchline)
July 1, 2003... Self-control, whether used to pass up a chocolate bar or struggle against a tobacco addiction, operates like a renewable energy source rather than a learned skill or analytical thought process. Researcher Roy F. Baumeister, Ph.D., of...

I got algorithm, who could ask for anything more?(Punchline)
July 1, 2003... Engineers may put an end to the popularity of the weekly "American Idol" sing-off if they are successful in using a computerized system to turn average singers into virtuosos. Professor Mark J.T. Smith of the School of Electrical and...

'Gambler's fallacy' results in crime: if crooks took statistics courses, would they go straight?(Punchline)
July 1, 2003... They shouldn't bet on it, but under the gambler's delusion, convicted criminals stake that if they were caught once, they won't be nabbed again. "Like gamblers, repeat lawbreakers expect the odds are in their favor and that they won't be...

IIE's continuing education seminars 2003-2004.
July 1, 2003... Take advantage of the many comprehensive seminars, topical conferences, and other continuing education programs offered by the Institute of Industrial Engineers (IIE) and you'll come away with practical information you can use to strengthen...

Six Sigma concepts.(Six Sigma Seminars)
July 1, 2003... Learn the basics of Six Sigma and how it can immediately impact your organization. This one-day introductory seminar gives you an overview of the basic philosophy, organization, and methodology for Six Sigma quality. Demystify this topic with...

Six Sigma Green Belt.(Six Sigma Seminars)
July 1, 2003... Master the use of the Six Sigma approach to quantify the critical quality issues in your company. Once the issues have been quantified, statistics can be applied to provide probabilities of success and failure. Learn how to integrate principles...

Six Sigma Black Belt.(Six Sigma Seminars)
July 1, 2003... Have you already earned your Green Belt Certificate or equivalent? The Six Sigma Black Belt seminar is the next step in your quest to help your organization meet its quality and process improvement goals. This seminar delves into the advanced...

Six Sigma Certificate.(Six Sigma Seminars)
July 1, 2003... Successfully lead Six Sigma efforts in your organization! The philosophy of Six Sigma recognizes that there is a direct correlation between the number of product and process defects, wasted operating costs, and the level of customer...

Lean Enterprise: An Introduction.(Lean Enterprise Seminars)
July 1, 2003... This seminar is the first step in learning the principles of lean manufacturing. Georgia Tech's Economic Development Institute staff members with experience helping companies implement lean principles teach this series. Recognized for its live...

Lean Enterprise I.(Lean Enterprise Seminars)
July 1, 2003... Explore the main principles of lean thinking in-depth during this three-day seminar led by Georgia Tech's Economic Development Institute. Discover the significant impact these concepts can have on your operations, and most importantly, how to...

Lean Enterprise II.(Lean Enterprise Seminars)
July 1, 2003... Take the next step in mastering lean enterprise with this hands-on course focusing on linking and balancing manufacturing operations to reduce lead times, minimize work in process, optimize floor space usage, and improve productivity. Led by...

Business management and change management.(Lean Enterprise Seminars)
July 1, 2003... Leaders who want to get ahead in today's marketplace must learn to respond to a growing number of changes in how they structure companies, conduct business, implement technology, and relate to customers and employees. This course addresses the...

Lean Enterprise Certificate.(Lean Enterprise Seminars)
July 1, 2003... Are you under pressure to develop a lean enterprise but lack the skills and tools to do it? Come away from this series of seminars with a clear understanding of how a lean enterprise works and how to implement it in your company. A lean...

Annual Lean Management Solutions Conference: lean for accelerating growth into the future.(Lean Enterprise Seminars)
July 1, 2003... The Lean Management Solutions Conference... it's the place you'll find the leaders in lean and all the tools you need for success. This world-class conference features high-quality technical sessions, exciting plant tours, pre-and...

Introduction to supply chain improvement.(Supply Chain Improvement Seminars)
July 1, 2003... What is Supply Chain Management and how can your organization benefit from implementing this proven technique? While the concept of "supply chain management" is commonly used, companies often struggle with how to really improve the cost, speed,...

Supply chain process improvement.(Supply Chain Improvement Seminars)
July 1, 2003... You know what a supply chain is and how critical the smooth operation is to the success of your organization, but you're not quite sure how to make yours as flawless as possible. This seminar provides the tools and knowledge needed to lead a...

Supply chain information systems.(Supply Chain Improvement Seminars)
July 1, 2003... This seminar gives you the technology review you need to make the most of your supply chain. Review the different kinds of supply chain software and the strategies for planning and implementing systems and technologies to support your...

Supply chain facilities and networks.(Supply Chain Improvement Seminars)
July 1, 2003... Changes in products, services, customers, markets, and business practices can drive changes in your network of supply chain facilities. This seminar will teach you how to assess current supply chain capabilities and plan networks of supplier,...

Supply chain performance measurement.(Supply Chain Improvement Seminars)
July 1, 2003... Managers today want to measure the performance of the supply chain and the results of improvement efforts across supplier, company, and customer operations. Everyone agrees that "you can only manage what you measure," but many companies...

Supply chain improvement certificate.(Supply Chain Improvement Seminars)
July 1, 2003... What is a supply chain and how does it apply to your organization? Taking this group of seminars allows you to master the skills needed to improve your company's operations. These networks of facilities and distribution options perform the...

Performance management: strategy maps, balanced scorecard, and Activity Based Costing (ABC).(Basic Industrial Engineering Skills Seminars)
July 1, 2003... The major frustration of executives is aligning employee work and behavior with the strategy and the execution of the strategy. Strategy maps communicate the strategy to employees and "tell the story" about what actions are needed to attain...

Basic Statistical Analysis.(Basic Industrial Engineering Skills Seminars)
July 1, 2003... The use of statistics is critical to the successful operation of the modern business. Without the ability to analyze and interpret data, these numbers can never become the information that is required. This seminar provides a solid foundation...

Applied Ergonomics.(Basic Industrial Engineering Skills Seminars)
July 1, 2003... Master the basic concepts of ergonomics and the appropriate way to apply these principles in your organization. This seminar covers the ins and outs of ergonomics--from the history of ergonomics to various ergonomics standards and OSHA...

Simulation.(Basic Industrial Engineering Skills Seminars)
July 1, 2003... Computer simulation is an extremely valuable tool being used more and more in industry and government to assist in the design, creation, and evaluation of complex systems. This simulation seminar focuses on effective modeling and analysis of...

Fundamentals of industrial engineering.(Basic Industrial Engineering Skills Seminars)
July 1, 2003... If your job requires improving quality, performance, and design--all functions of an industrial engineer--this seminar will help you build a foundation for improvement. Learn from an experienced practitioner as you are introduced to the...

Work measurement for operational effectiveness.(Basic Industrial Engineering Skills Seminars)
July 1, 2003... Return to the roots of managing business processes and learn the importance of using work standards. With the advent of new technologies, companies have moved away from using work standards--and performance has suffered. This seminar will...

Basic Industrial Engineering Skills Certificate.(Basic Industrial Engineering Skills Seminars)
July 1, 2003... How do you get up to speed on basic industrial engineering skills when you're new to industrial engineering? With IIE's Basic Industrial Engineering Skills Certificate seminars. These seminars give you the basics of the industrial engineering...

Engineer in Transition to Management.(Additional Professional Development Seminars)
July 1, 2003... Learn how to be a leader in a work environment. Your professional development and future growth is related to your management and leadership talents. This career-building workshop focuses on effective leadership techniques and managerial...

Design of Experiments.(Additional Professional Development Seminars)
July 1, 2003... Make Design of Experiments (DOE) work for you. Learn how to apply DOE in your organization. A designed experiment is a test or a series of tests in which purposeful changes are made to input variables of a process so that the reasons for change...

P.E. Exam review for industrial engineers.(Additional Professional Development Seminars)
July 1, 2003... Improve your odds of passing the most important test of your career with this popular review course. Licensure for professional engineers opens the door to a world of opportunity and career development. But first you must pass two exams: the...

Professional ethics--the new challenge.(Additional Professional Development Seminars)
July 1, 2003... With unethical professional behavior in the limelight, engineers are facing many new ethical challenges. This seminar highlights the types of ethical challenges and the ramifications that engineers and managers face, provides a framework and...

Lean: TOC and Six Sigma.(Additional Professional Development Seminars)
July 1, 2003... In manufacturing operations there is a set of inherent problems common to most manufacturers. Demand is variable and difficult to forecast, lead-times/cycle times are long, work in progress quantities are high, utilization and efficiencies are...

Lean management solutions conference 2003.(IIE Conferences)
July 1, 2003... September 7-11, 2003 Sheraton Buckhead / Atlanta, GA www.leanmanagement.org For information see page 9.

Society for work science conference.(IIE Conferences)
July 1, 2003... October 17-18, 2003 Northern Illinois University / Dekalb, Illinois http://sws.iienet.org

SHS management engineering Forum.(IIE Conferences)
July 1, 2003... February 20-21, 2004 Orlando, Florida http://shs.iienet.org This exciting Forum focuses intensely on healthcare performance improvement issues and solutions. Topics of interest include Six Sigma, JACHO, ISO 9000, Baldrige, supply...

7th Annual Applied Ergonomics Conference.(IIE Conferences)
July 1, 2003... March 8-11, 2004 Orlando, Florida www.appliedergo.org The Applied Ergonomics Conference is the exclusive venue for ergonomists, engineers, and other safety and health professionals to discover the latest tools, techniques, and...