Industrial Engineer articles from June 2007

Industrial Engineer archives from June 2007

Power of the plan.(editor's desk)(Editorial)
June 1, 2007... In the past month I have planned a graduation reception, a Mother's Day celebration, a home sale, and at least 50 meals. I have planned a host of feature articles, three member surveys, and the untraceable disappearance of my husband (but only...

What's in a name?(RANTS AND RAVES)(Letter to the editor)
June 1, 2007... With reference to "Cornell Redefines 'IE'," (April) I wanted to point out that the idea of incorporating information engineering into industrial engineering is not new. The industrial engineering department at the University of Tennessee...

IE vs. ME.(RANTS AND RAVES)(Letter to the editor)
June 1, 2007... Industrial Engineer continues to be a very interesting and readable publication. I commend you and all associated with the magazine for this important contribution to the industrial engineering discipline. However, the April 2007 issue,...

A food's life.(RANTS AND RAVES)(Letter to the editor)
June 1, 2007... Great job on the U.S. Foodservice article in your April issue ("Everything But the Kitchen"). Very timely and most interesting. SHARON BORANYAK Topeka Chamber of Commerce Topeka, Kan.

Speaking up on communication.(RANTS AND RAVES)(Letter to the editor)
June 1, 2007... I never write letters to the editor or such, but Jane Gaboury's editorial on plain speaking just tickled me with its truth ("Plain-Text Messages," March). I have been in industrial engineering in manufacturing a wide variety of products. The...

Playing in Pittsburgh.(RANTS AND RAVES)(Letter to the editor)
June 1, 2007... I thoroughly enjoyed Candi Cross' feature about the Children's Museum of Pittsburgh in your November 2006 issue ("Working with Nature"). The article is informative and well written and gives the reader the true flavor of the city of Pittsburgh....

Correction.(Correction notice)
June 1, 2007... A Kudos listing in our April issue incorrectly listed an alma mater of Mark M. Brauer's. Brauer received his Ph.D. from Texas A & M University.

Best or project of the year: Georgia Tech wins Edelman prize.(Front Line)
June 1, 2007... A Georgia Institute of Technology project that optimizes cancer treatment was singled out as the best operations research project of 2006. Every year, the Franz Edelman Award recognizes outstanding examples of operations research projects...

Logistics party.(PRIME NUMBER)(Financial report)(Brief article)
June 1, 2007... Third-party logistics gross revenues for the United States broke $110 billion for the first time in 2006. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Source: "U.S. and Global 3PL Financial and Acquisition Results 2006," Armstrong & Associates

Green engineering.(BOOK OF THE MONTH)(Wiley Series in Environmentally Conscious Engineering: Environmentally Conscious Manufacturing)(Brief article)(Book review)
June 1, 2007... Accounting for less than 6 percent of the world's population but consuming 25 percent of its energy, the United States exerts a disproportionate ecological footprint on the earth. But some businesses are discovering bottom-line advantages to...

Collaborative innovation: pairing industry know-how with academic aptitude.(Front Line)
June 1, 2007... A Cornell University program will combine equal parts technological prowess, business acumen, and industry innovation to serve both students and corporations. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Launched this year by Cornell's Johnson School and...

Workload contributes to pharmacy errors: and technology tools don't help.(Front Line)(Brief article)
June 1, 2007... High workloads for pharmacists increase the potential for medication errors, according to a new study by University of Arizona College of Pharmacy researchers. Researchers reviewed data submitted to insurance companies from 672 pharmacies...

Trying RFID on for size: center demos technology for apparel makers.(Front Line)(radio frequency identification)(Apparel RFID Solution Center)(demonstrate)(Brief article)
June 1, 2007... The Apparel RFID Solution Center that opened last month in Lahti, Finland, will demonstrate how radio frequency identification can be used for supply chain management and retail operations for garment manufacturers, brand owners, logistics...

Craft master.(UNCOMMON IE)(Brief article)
June 1, 2007... THE TASK AT HAND: Having spent 11 weeks in a neonatal intensive care unit at the bedside of her prematurely born son, Tracie Rollins didn't have the heart to return to work at the end of her maternity leave. So Rollins left an Intel industrial...

Camry production begins in Indiana: investment creating 1,000 jobs at Subaru plant.(Front Line)
June 1, 2007... Subaru of Indiana Automotive (SIA) and Toyota Motor Corp. held a ceremony in April to commemorate production of the SIA plant's first Toyota Camry. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] In March 2006, SIA parent Fuji Heavy Industries and Toyota...

Seeds of science.(SITE TO SEE)(Seedmagazine.com)(Brief article)
June 1, 2007... Seedmagazine.com (http://seedmagazine.com) is the online home of Seed magazine, both of which take their direction (and cheeky attitude) from the tagline "Science is culture." Anyone with even a passing interest in science will find thoughtful...

Dilbert.(Cartoon)
June 1, 2007... www.dilbert.com scottadams@aol.com [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] 2.22-06 [c] 2006 Scott Adams, Inc./Dist. by UFS, Inc. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] [c] Scott Adams/Dist. by United Feature Syndicate, Inc. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]

Another round of Six Sigma.(OUTLIER)(Brief article)
June 1, 2007... Perhaps no one is more familiar with the heartache of defects than a golfer. Because a perfect golf score--18--exists in theory only, the golfer is doomed to imperfection. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Entrepreneur and consultant Jay Arthur...

Contest confirms it: world not flat; Package Race sends carriers scrambling around the globe.(Front Line)
June 1, 2007... How hard is it to deliver a package to Ouagadougou? A group from Georgia Tech's H. Milton Stewart School of Industrial and Systems Engineering found out by putting the major carriers--DHL, FedEx, and UPS--to the test. The annual Great Package...

Scam the system, win a prize: researchers enlist help to test algorithm.(Front Line)
June 1, 2007... As online shopping becomes more commonplace, shoppers are likely to increasingly depend on consumer-based rating systems that vendors such as Amazon. com use to assess products. But how reliable are such systems? "These ratings are having...

Great expectations.(management of customer satisfaction)
June 1, 2007... AS A CUSTOMER, WHERE DO YOU DRAW THE line? Very few of us would pay $500 for a television that breaks down 33 percent of the time, but we are willing to pay the same amount of money for an airline ticket even though, on average, the probability...

Higher education reinvented.(management)
June 1, 2007... THE VALUE OF A COLLEGE DEGREE HAS never been greater, nor has a sheepskin been more conveniently obtained now that higher education is available online. I am working with a for-profit university that has not a single classroom. It is...

Half of nothin' is nothin'.(comparative analysis between human factors and industrial engineering)
June 1, 2007... CERTAIN PARTS OF THE HUMAN FACTORS AND industrial engineering worlds converge while other parts are quite distinct. One focus that is shared by HF and IE is the use of quantitative techniques. We both tend to be heavy users of mathematical and...

Put it, pick it, pack it: leverage facility planning to meet aggressive growth strategies without sacrificing customer satisfaction.
June 1, 2007... It was an especially humid day in late August, the air handlers struggling to have any effect as the temperature soared inside the warehouse while we continued our tour with the manager. I was taking copious notes on the operation, which...

Posture of evidence: separating fact from fiction in workplace ergonomics.
June 1, 2007... In science and engineering, work encompasses a much broader meaning than scheduled labor; it generally refers to any expenditure of energy. Decades of research, funds, and manufacturing have gone into correcting countless occupational hazards...

Sustainable packaging for rent: Volvo Logistics North America serves an entire industry.(Volvo Car B.V.)(Company overview)
June 1, 2007... Before the world gaped at the wreckage caused by a massive mercury release in Japan followed by a crude oil spill in England, a surprising defender of the environment had emerged. An automotive manufacturer released its mission statement:...

Ready, set, monitor: is MDI in your lean production system?
June 1, 2007... Companies devote significant resources to implement lean production systems. Process improvement teams spend weeks at a time performing continuous improvement events that redesign manufacturing and transactional processes for better...

Proactive safety management: engineering resilience makes the difference between a disruption and disaster.
June 1, 2007... The first impulse after tragic accidents in aviation, transportation, health care, or power generation is to label human error as the cause. Headlines cite human error as if that explained how the accident occurred and how similar events could...

Serving a world clock.(distribution of Seiko Instruments USA Inc.)
June 1, 2007... In April 2005, time was of the essence for Seiko Instruments USA Inc. and the distribution of its popular watches. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Seiko, which produces and distributes a wide range of watches, high-speed and micro printers, and...

Research.(methods of environmental protection and methods of fraud investigation)
June 1, 2007... The June edition of IIE Transactions (Vol. 39, No. 6) is a special issue dedicated to data mining. Below are summaries of two articles from that issue that address topics affecting many of us in some way. The first article describes strategies...

Dissertation advice.(Brief article)
June 1, 2007... Q: I am starting a dissertation about intelligent agent-based problem solving, and I want to focus the thesis within the manufacturing area. Actually, I am trying to figure out the outline for the dissertation. What areas or issues in...

Control plan.(ANSWERS TO YOUR TECHNICAL QUESTIONS)(Brief article)
June 1, 2007... Q: What is a control plan? A: Control plans spell out how to control product characteristics and process variability in manufacturing. They are used by employees on the shop floor to make decisions about what to do if product is found to...

Explaining OR.(ANSWERS TO YOUR TECHNICAL QUESTIONS)(Brief article)
June 1, 2007... Q: I am an industrial engineer in a logistics company in Manila, Philippines. There are some applications of operations research I would like to apply, but the problem is that I don't know how to discuss them with management because the...

Nano IE.(ANSWERS TO YOUR TECHNICAL QUESTIONS)(industrial engineering)(Brief article)
June 1, 2007... Q: I want to know about the relationship between IE and nanotechnology. A: One of the greatest things about industrial engineering is how well it prepares you to work in any industry with any technology. We are the most flexible engineers...

Gage R & R.(ANSWERS TO YOUR TECHNICAL QUESTIONS)(repeatability and reproducibility)(Brief article)
June 1, 2007... Q: In my study of gage repeatability and reproducibility analysis, I found the following acceptability criteria numerous times: * * >10 percent and * >30 percent error: Gage needs improvement However, I cannot find how those...

Equipment ROI.(ANSWERS TO YOUR TECHNICAL QUESTIONS)(Brief article)
June 1, 2007... Q: What's a good method of performing a cost analysis for the return on investment for material handling equipment enhancements to a facility? A: First, address the costs. The cost of the equipment itself is easily determined, but costs...

Gilbreth winner is Annual mainstay: Jim Barany has 50 years of industrial engineering under his belt.(KEEPING PACE WITH IIE)
June 1, 2007... James Barany, Ph.D., is sometimes tough on himself. In 1998, the professor and former associate head of the School of Industrial Engineering at Purdue University wasn't able to attend the IIE Annual Conference because he underwent heart...

Program to save members time, money: College Loan Corp. helps consolidation.(KEEPING PACE WITH IIE)(Brief article)
June 1, 2007... IIE has partnered with College Loan Corp. to offer a program that will help members save time and money on student loans. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] One of the main areas of the program is counseling and solutions for student loan debt...

Helping more transplant patients: Nan Kong's research is honored.(KEEPING PACE WITH IIE)
June 1, 2007... Nan Kong, Ph.D., believes organ transplants in the United States can be more than just a first-come, first-served list and a race against the clock. And his work toward a better system has been rewarded with IIE's 2007 Pritsker Doctoral...

2007 award recipients: professionals and students bring home honors.(KEEPING PACE WITH IIE)
June 1, 2007... More than 25 awards were granted during the 2007 IIE Annual Conference last month in Nashville, Tenn. The honors recognize the achievements of both industrial engineering professionals and students, including prizes that acknowledge superior...

Webaccess@IIEnet.org: My IIE.(KEEPING PACE WITH IIE)(Brief article)
June 1, 2007... Forgot your password? Can't remember your Web site login? Click on My IIE, located at the top of the page at IIEnet.org to find out how to retrieve this information and more. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] At My IIE, registered Web site users...

Mark Funkhouser Ph.D., was elected mayor of Kansas City, Mo., in March and sworn into office May 1.(KUDOS CELEBRATING MEMBER ACHIEVEMENTS)(Brief article)
June 1, 2007... Mark Funkhouser, Ph.D., was elected mayor of Kansas City, Mo., in March and sworn into office May 1. The Democrat won by slightly more than 1,000 votes. He previously served as a city auditor in Kansas City. He earned a bachelor's degree in...

Katherine L. Hermansen has been named vice president of clinical performance excellence with Wheaton Franciscan Healthcare-All Saints in Glendale, Wis.(KUDOS CELEBRATING MEMBER ACHIEVEMENTS)(Brief article)
June 1, 2007... Katherine L. Hermansen has been named vice president of clinical performance excellence with Wheaton Franciscan Healthcare-All Saints in Glendale, Wis. She is responsible for planning, developing, and executing strategies for several clinical...

Lindsay Ivey made the dean's honor roll at Texas A & M University.(KUDOS CELEBRATING MEMBER ACHIEVEMENTS)(Brief article)
June 1, 2007... Lindsay Ivey made the dean's honor roll at Texas A & M University. The dean's honor roll recognizes students taking at least 15 semester hours who have a minimum 3.75 grade point average. Ivey is set to earn a B.S. in industrial engineering...

Ronald Rardin, Ph.D., the John and Mary Lib White Systems Integration Chair in Industrial Engineering at the University of Arkansas, was named director of the Center for Innovation in Health Care Logisitics.(KUDOS CELEBRATING MEMBER ACHIEVEMENTS)
June 1, 2007... Ronald Rardin, Ph.D., the John and Mary Lib White Systems Integration Chair in Industrial Engineering at the University of Arkansas, was named director of the Center for Innovation in Health Care Logisitics. He holds a doctorate in industrial...

Vestil.(WHAT ENGINEERS WANT)(Vestil Manufacturing Co.'s platform cart )(Brief article)
June 1, 2007... Vestil's innovative Platform Cart with Versatile Dividers allows workers to transport a large array of products throughout a warehouse. Removable handles can be configured to optimize space and convenience depending on the load. Each unit...

Presto.(WHAT ENGINEERS WANT)(Presto Lifts Inc.'s regal portable scissor lifts )(Brief article)
June 1, 2007... Regal Portable Scissor Lifts from Presto are suited to a wide variety of work settings, including warehouse, manufacturing, retail, and office. Typical uses include moving loads throughout a facility, lifting loads to a convenient height for...

Mitsubishi Forklift Trucks.(WHAT ENGINEERS WANT)(new industrial trucks)(Brief article)
June 1, 2007... Forklift operators weaving through tight spaces can transport packages easily with FBC15NS and FBC20NS Series of stand-up end control trucks from Mitsubishi Forklift Trucks. With capacities ranging from 3,000 to 4,000 pounds, the series is...

PalletPal Rotator.(WHAT ENGINEERS WANT)(Southworth Products Corp.)(Brief article)
June 1, 2007... The need to rotate heavy pallets swiftly is often a staple to efficient warehouse operations. The PalletPal Rotator provides a fast way to rotate fully loaded pallets and replace damaged pallets. The PalletPal features a clamping mechanism so...

TKF.(WHAT ENGINEERS WANT)(new conveyor )(Brief article)
June 1, 2007... TKF's Valu-Lift vertical conveyor features lightweight interlocking molded polymer flights with steel connecting pins for optimum safety. Designed for cartons and other smooth-bottom unit loads, the conveyor is smaller and easier to install...

Work perfect: the day we strive for.(Robert Noth of Deere and Co.)(Interview)
June 1, 2007... My job is to try to ensure homogeneous market access for our products around the world. Whether you're making a tractor or a combine or an excavator, they're capital-intensive, they're expensive machines, and they're relatively low volume...