Industrial Engineer articles from March 2004

Industrial Engineer archives from March 2004

The case of the bad design.(Editor's Desk)(Editorial)
March 1, 2004... "Science is nothing but trained and organized common sense." --Thomas Huxley, 19th century scientist and educator A COMMON STEREOTYPE OF PEOPLE WHO ARE VERY SMART ACADEMICALLY is that they do not have a lot of common sense. But if...

Lingering problem.(Rants and Raves)(Letter to the Editor)
March 1, 2004... "The Elephant in the Room" (January) is a very interesting article. The subject matter and the problem have been around since the 1980s and perhaps before. Part of the problem is the quick-return syndrome. It seems that if we were to introduce...

More than an Elephant can chew.(Rants and Raves)(Letter to the Editor)
March 1, 2004... In his manufacturing article ("The Elephant in the Room," January), Steven Averett hits the center of the target but fails to penetrate the heart of the matter. American manufacturing is not suffering by accident. There will be no solutions...

Reading the right signs.(Rants and Raves)(Letter to the Editor)
March 1, 2004... I very much appreciated the Member Forum column by Vivek Mahajan in Industrial Engineer ("American Manufacturing is not Dead," January). I have some interesting graphs that I share with my freshman class in industrial and manufacturing...

Seeing into the future.(Rants and Raves)(Letter to the Editor)
March 1, 2004... The new ideas or challenges faced by a country might not be relevant to another country. However, ultimately globalization will cause new ideas or challenges to be relevant to all countries. Monica Elliott's article "Subterranean Sprawl"...

Movie buffs.(Rants and Raves)(Letter to the Editor)
March 1, 2004... I greatly enjoyed Steven Averett's "A Different Dozen" (December 2003) and the new "Cheaper by the Dozen" movie. In fact, the whole family enjoyed it, and then they were put through the labor of my relating "the facts" from the original as...

The best of both worlds.(Rants and Raves)(Letter to the Editor)
March 1, 2004... I would offer different advice to the recent IE graduate contemplating earning either an M.B.A. or a P.E. license (Ask the Expert, December 2003). If the individual is interested in an engineering career, I would recommend obtaining both an...

All in favor of P.E.(Rants and Raves)(Letter to the Editor)
March 1, 2004... Larry Aft wrote in your December 2003 Ask the Expert column that in general he thought that an M.S.I.E. degree would be more beneficial than a P.E. I have been teaching the P.E. exam review course since 1995, and I think many of the people who...

New format blues.(Rants and Raves)(Letter to the Editor)
March 1, 2004... I am sorry to say that I think the new format for Industrial Engineer is a step backward. The type is small and the contrast between the type and the paper is low enough that the magazine can be read only in a good light. The choice of...

Up and farther away.(News, Trends & Tactics)(Air France's first Boeing 777-300 ER)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2004... The first Boeing 777-300 ER (extended range) jetliners are rolling off the lines and into the skies. Air France will take delivery of the first jet in April. The new plane boasts an 8,900-mile range, which is 2,600 miles farther than the first...

Innovation by design: good facilities layouts encourage technical advancements.(News, Trends & Tactics)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2004... Anyone who hopes to create a productive research environment should pay close attention to its physical layout, says Umut Toker--right down to the placement of the coffee pot, the microwave, the group printer, and all the other items that draw...

Charting a business strategy.(Book of the Month)(Strategy Maps: Converting Intangible Assets into Tangible Outcomes)(Brief Article)(Book Review)
March 1, 2004... In 1996, Robert Kaplan and David Norton introduced a revolutionary performance management system called the balanced scorecard, which allowed organizations to quantify intangible assets such as people and information. In their latest book,...

How manufacturers drive improvement.(News, Trends & Tactics)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2004... [GRAPHIC OMITTED] How manufacturers drive improvement Lean manufacturing 35.7% Total quality management 14.7% Lean and Six Sigma 7.7% Theory of Constraints 4.9% Agile...

Mix it up.(News, Trends & Tactics)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2004... A Stanford business school professor found that the most creative entrepreneurs spend less time than average networking with business colleagues who are friends and more time networking with a diverse group that includes acquaintances and...

Events.(Brief Article)(Calendar)
March 1, 2004... > MARCH MAR. 18-21 * P.E. Exam Review for Industrial Engineers, Norcross, Ga. MAR. 22-24 * Supply Chain Performance Measurement seminar, Norcross, Ga. MAR. 27 * Lean Enterprise: An Introduction seminar, Cleveland ...

Half-price steel production: cheaper alternative to blast furnaces uses microwaves.(Front Line)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2004... When Jiann-Yang (Jim) Hwang got an idea for a new steel-making method, he started his experiment with a trip to Wal-Mart. After he bought half a dozen microwave ovens at the local discounter, Hwang dismantled them, wired their magnetrons...

Supply chain success.(Prime Number)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2004... Companies that implement supply chain best practices can achieve inventory-on-hand reductions of 50 percent, according to AMR Research.

The downside of outsourcing: OEMs innovate best alone.(Front Line)(original equipment manufacturing)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2004... The question of building versus buying is crucial in manufacturing. Nowhere is this decision more difficult than it is in original equipment manufacturing, according to Erica L. Plambeck, assistant professor of operations, information, and...

Let it snow.(Uncommon IE)(Interview)
March 1, 2004... Kent Harle has no interest in the conventional route. The CEO of Redline Performance Products prefers to do what people say shouldn't be done. So it's no wonder that he's responsible for bringing a favorite product of adventurous spirits to...

Lifting help.(Site to See)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2004... Ergonomic lifting guidelines developed by the Ohio State University Biodynamics Lab are a click away at www.ohiobwc.com/employer/programs/safety/ergoliftguide.asp. The site provides guidance on designing lifting tasks to reduce the...

Understanding battlefield realities: software allows the military to track and predict movements.(Site to See)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2004... Researchers at the University at Buffalo are developing a software system that may give the U.S. military and its allied forces a clearer picture of their theaters of operation. The system is designed to share information received from air...

Pseudoscience.(Performance)
March 1, 2004... PSEUDOSCIENCE IS DEFINED AS "a theory, methodology, or practice that is considered to be without scientific foundation." It's commonly used to describe astrology and metaphysics, but if you take the term literally, it could describe a majority...

Rethinking force.(Management)
March 1, 2004... PHYSICISTS WHO WORK WITH sub-atomic particles speak less often of physical force and refer more frequently to interactions. This shift derives from the realization that major physical phenomena do not consist so much of one entity acting upon...

IE or IET?(Member Forum)
March 1, 2004... SELECTING A COURSE OF STUDY IN college is an important and sometimes difficult decision. For many students who wish to pursue industrial engineering, the decision is even more complex: Should my degree be in industrial engineering or industrial...

Cognitive ergonomics: making sense with design.(Brief Article)
March 1, 2004... INDUSTRIAL ENGINEERS FOCUS PRIMARILY ON PHYSICAL ERGONOMICS issues, such as heights, reaches, and motions. However, there are certain key concepts of cognitive ergonomics that everyone should be familiar with. Cognitive ergonomics has to do...

Embracing the enterprise: industrial and systems engineering must step up to the larger challenge.(Industry Overview)
March 1, 2004... MUCH OF ENGINEERING is associated with design, development, and deployment of tangible artifacts such as air-planes, automobiles, bridges, buildings, chemical plants, computers, factories, networks, roads, ships, televisions, and trains. Some...

Contrarian supervision: navigating treacherous business waters requires a no-holds-barred approach.
March 1, 2004... When Admiral David G. Farragut ordered his crew to "Damn the torpedoes, full speed ahead" in 1864, he had no idea his command would be the basis of a business strategy that would last into the 21st century. Plot a gutsy, counter-intuitive...

There's no business like show business.(Television Program Review)
March 1, 2004... Have you had your fill of television's reality show craze? If money vs. romance and unappetizing dares don't pique your interest, perhaps a show that purports to deal with the harsh realities of the business world could hold your attention. In...

Sight beyond sight: bringing the future into focus.(Simulation Advertorial)(Brief Article)(Advertisement)
March 1, 2004... AS INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS COMPETITION escalates and the stakes rise, companies are continuously looking for an edge. While there is no way to map the future, simulation provides a practical way to make an educated guess at what is to come. ...

Research: executive summaries.
March 1, 2004... This month we focus on a paper that presents a method for incorporating customer preferences and demands into the product redesign process. The paper can be found in the March issue of IIE Transactions (Vol. 36, No. 3). Customer...

Ask the expert: answers to your technical questions.
March 1, 2004... What's world-class? Q: I am familiar with lean manufacturing, just-in-time manufacturing, and quick-response manufacturing. Where does world-class manufacturing fit in? A: World-class manufacturing is a term coined by Richard...

It's official ...: 2004-2005 board of trustees election results.(Keeping Pace with IIE)(Brief Article)(Directory)
March 1, 2004... 1: PRESIDENT-ELECT Allen L. Soyster, Ph.D. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] 2: SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT-AT-LARGE-ACADEMIC Jessica O. Matson, Ph.D., P.E. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] 3: SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT-AT-LARGE-PUBLICATIONS ...

Certifiably professional: management and integration certifications verify mastery.(Focus)
March 1, 2004... The recent alliance between IIE and the Society of Manufacturing Engineers is a boon for IEs looking to become a certified enterprise integrator or certified engineering manager. The CEI is ideal for individuals who have completed at least...

Reprint redux.(ASK IIE)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2004... Q: Can I reprint an article from Industrial Engineer? A: Those wishing to reprint material from Industrial Engineer or Industrial Management should contact Steven Averett at saverett@iienet.org or (770) 449-0461, ext. 113. Include your...

Get a job ... or an employee: online Career Center offers enhanced and advanced functions.(Focus)(Brief Article)(Product/Service Evaluation)
March 1, 2004... The IIE online Career Center is boasting more than a makeover. Relaunched in January, the site was completely overhauled and features new functions, advanced technology, and frequently updated job postings. Chief among the new features for...

A bit about ABET: a chance for ABET program evaluators to upgrade their usefulness.(Focus)(Accrediting Board for Engineering and Technology)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2004... Each year, IIE trains volunteer members to serve as program evaluators for the Accrediting Board for Engineering and Technology. In cooperation with IIE, ABET offers academic programs in industrial engineering, systems engineering, general...

Don Chaffin.(Kudos)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2004... Don Chaffin, Ph.D., was awarded an honorary doctorate of engineering as part of Kettering University's winter commencement ceremony. Chaffin earned his bachelor's degree in IE from Kettering. He serves as the G. Lawton and L.G. Johnson...

Randolph Hall.(Kudos)(Homeland Security Center for Risk and Economic Analysis of Terrorism Events)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2004... University of Southern California professor Randolph Hall, Ph.D., will serve as one of two heads of the school's newly created Homeland Security Center for Risk and Economic Analysis of Terrorism Events. Hall is an expert in transportation,...

Deborah Nightingale.(Kudos)(2003 Engineering Sciences Book Award )(Brief Article)
March 1, 2004... Lean Enterprise Value: Insights from MIT's Lean Aerospace Initiative won the 2003 Engineering Sciences Book Award from the International Academy of Astronautics. Deborah Nightingale, Ph.D., co-director of the Lean Aerospace Initiative and...

Mickey Wilhelm.(Kudos)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2004... IIE fellow Mickey Wilhelm, Ph.D., was appointed acting dean of the J.B. Speed School of Engineering at the University of Louisville. Wilhelm is a professor of industrial engineering at Louisville and is director of the Programs, Logistics, and...

Youth well spent: Sila Cetinkaya, IIE's Outstanding Young IE for 2003.(Profile of a Winner)(Interview)
March 1, 2004... Sila Cetinkaya, Ph.D., is an associate professor of industrial engineering at Texas A&M University. She received her B.S.I.E. and M.S.I.E. degrees in Turkey from Istanbul Technical University and Bilkent University, respectively. She then...

What's with the teeth? CAD system will tell with mathematical precision.(Beyond the Norm)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2004... Computer-aided design has long been a staple of the design engineer's toolbox. Now anatomists want in on the action. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] University at Buffalo anatomist Frank Mendel, Ph.D., and a team of UB engineers are developing...

Go for the curve.(Beyond the Norm)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2004... Popular baseball wisdom says a fastball flies farther than a curve ball, but the sages of popular wisdom didn't have engineering on their side. Engineers at the University of California, Davis and the University of Cambridge, England found the...

PC empathy.(Beyond the Norm)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2004... Your personal computer may already be responsible for paying your bills and doing your taxes. So why not let it alert co-workers that you have something important to say? Then again, it might also warn them you've had too little sleep to...