Industrial Engineer articles from May 2005

Industrial Engineer archives from May 2005

Spring fever.(IIE Annual Conference)(Editorial)
May 1, 2005... THE SEASON OF THE BUMBLEBEE HAS ARRIVED, AND THESE ENERGETIC little creatures have drawn my envy. They have a job to do and they're doing it, but they always seem like they're having fun. What's great about the bees and all their spring...

Not a best practice.(Mail)(Letter to the Editor)
May 1, 2005... I'd like to add a thought regarding the "go-home-early" bonus (Ask the Expert, March). The question (not the answer) reflects the kind of thinking that was common 25 years ago. Today, in any company that involves its operatives in quality,...

A learning experience.(Mail)(Letter to the Editor)
May 1, 2005... Back in the 1950s, I attended a school in Philadelphia called the Industrial Management Institute. The school was located at 22nd and Chestnut streets and was run by Jack Nichols and Pop Phillips. The students for the most part were...

Correction.(Correction Notice)
May 1, 2005... Due to a page formatting error at IIE, the March Research item "To Pool or Not to Pool" contained extraneous material that had not been submitted by the authors. Text that appeared in the February issue Research column was inadvertently run in...

U.S. technology advantage slipping away? Prediction laments competitiveness factor losses.(Front Line)
May 1, 2005... The economic vitality of the United States is at stake because Americans are neglecting the factors that sparked the U.S. technology revolution, says a report from the American Electronics Association. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] "Even if...

Job redesign by the master.(book)(Brief Article)(Book Review)
May 1, 2005... Prior to his recent death, quality guru and best-selling author Frank Gryna tackled the issue of overwork in Work Overload: Redesigning Jobs to Minimize Stress and Burnout. Many people believe that work overload is an unfortunate side...

Innovation spatial challenge: NASA seeking fresh technology ideas.
May 1, 2005... New advances in science, technology, engineering, and exploration are the goal of NASA's recently launched Centennial Challenges. Through the program, NASA and partner Spaceward Foundation will award prizes totaling $400,000 in four...

Pay for production.(QUOTE, UNQUOTE)
May 1, 2005... "If we are serious about having a public sector that is efficient, effective, and accountable, it is essential that the government stops kowtowing to every whim and fancy of the public sector unions and insist on clear evidence of productivity...

Events.(Calendar)
May 1, 2005... MAY MAY 10-12 Rapid Prototyping & Manufacturing Conference, Dearborn, Mich.; (313) 271-1500; www.sme.org/rapid MAY 14 * Lean Enterprise: An Introduction seminar, Atlanta MAY 14 * Six Sigma Yellow Belt seminar,...

Sweet supply chain.(UNCOMMON IE)(Ames Farm Single Source Honey)
May 1, 2005... BRIAN FREDERICKSEN Founder Ames Farm Single Source Honey Watertown, Minn. After purchasing a small apple farm in rural Minnesota in 1994, Brian Fredericksen discovered that several beehives came as part of the deal, their...

Big fat deal.(PRIME NUMBER)(obesity)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2005... Obesity adds the equivalent of 20 years to employees' health and productivity, according to one 2004 study. The study, published in the Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, found that obese workers in their 20s and 30s have work...

Real-time worker scheduling: improving human performance measurement.(Front Line)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2005... The same real-time scheduling techniques used to enhance parallel computing may be helpful for scheduling workers. Engineering researchers from New Mexico State University are looking at that option in a larger study on improving human...

Mini milestone.(Front Line)(Mini USA achieved growth)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2005... Mini USA surpassed a sales goal in February when it reached the 100,000-unit mark two years ahead of schedule. The 100,000th car was a Mini Cooper sold in Florida. Since Mini's 2002 launch, the brand has grown in public awareness from less than...

Giving doctors a hand ... and a wrist: designing a surgical tool with ergonomics in mind.(Front Line)
May 1, 2005... Some of the recovery that goes on after surgery isn't on the part of the patient--it's for the doctor who performed it with unwieldy tools. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Send in the ergonomist, stat. With the help of undergraduate and...

The leadership gap.(performance)(tools to improve leadership in organizations)
May 1, 2005... RECENTLY, I HAD THE CHANCE TO sit in on a Seven Habits facilitator meeting in which six such facilitators were sharing their best practices for using Stephen Covey's concepts and tools to improve leadership in their organizations. As I listened...

Managing risk.(management)(financial risk assessment)
May 1, 2005... FORWARD-THINKING COMPANIES implement a systematic, well-documented control environment to manage identified risks focusing on four areas: strategy, operations, financial reporting, and compliance with government regulations. Strategic...

Engineers who make a difference: tipping our hat to people who improve the world.
May 1, 2005... "SOMEBODY SHOULD DO SOMETHING ABOUT THAT." How often has each of us thought or said it? Faced with situations that aren't fair, people who need a hand, or organizations that are foundering, it's the rare individual who can and will make an...

Not-so-basic equipment: the pitfalls to avoid when allocating work among machines.
May 1, 2005... WHEN FACED WITH A NEW machining or fabrication task, manufacturing managers most often allocate it in priority to their newest machines, even if this task does not take full advantage of their capabilities. But in allocating work for the...

Error apparent: behavioral tools get an unorthodox application in business risk analysis.
May 1, 2005... HERE'S A QUESTION EVERY INDUSTRIAL ENGINEER should appreciate: How many ways can you use the same tool? It depends on the tool, right? Some tools are designed for only one purpose, others can be used for almost anything. It's the difference...

Empowerment to the people: employees and managers must understand their problem-solving domains.
May 1, 2005... EMPOWERMENT REFERS TO THE ACT OF delegating authority along with the responsibility for accomplishing given tasks. It is unreasonable to expect an employee to complete a task successfully unless that employee was given the authority to carry it...

Research: executive summaries.(bundle products and services for customers)
May 1, 2005... Industrial engineers are increasingly involved with decisions regarding retail product offerings and the locations of retail and service establishments. This edition of Research highlights two research projects. One is concerned with how to...

Ask the expert: answers to your technical questions.
May 1, 2005... Acronym soup Q: Can you clarify the difference between IE, OM, and OR/MS? A: Industrial engineering (IE) is an engineering discipline that deals with the design and development of integrated systems of people, machines, and information...

Beat the clock: there's still time to register for the IIE Annual Conference.(ATLANTA 2005 ANNUAL CONFERENCE)
May 1, 2005... You'll be cutting it close, but it's definitely worth your while to drop everything and hightail it to Atlanta for the IIE Annual Conference May 14-18. Highlights include: * The IIE Honors and Awards Banquet * Keynote addresses by Mike...

Big easy Ergo: record-breaking attendance at this year's Applied Ergo Conference.(FOCUS)
May 1, 2005... Hosting just shy of 800 attendees, the 2005 Applied Ergonomics Conference was the best attended in the event's eight-year history. The turnout is understandable given the wide variety of ergonomics programming, highlighted by the Ergo Cup...

Checking in.(ASK IIE)
May 1, 2005... Q: I'll be moving in May. How can I ensure uninterrupted delivery of Industrial Engineer and other IIE benefits? A: A new section of the IIE Web site allows you to make adjustments to your IIE membership quickly and easily. Members can...

Lauren Chambers.(KUDOS)(United States. Department of Homeland Security)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2005... Lauren Chambers, a University of Arkansas industrial engineering junior, received one of 105 fellowships from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. The fellowship is the first and only one awarded to an industrial engineering student and...

Joseph Hartman.(KUDOS)(appointed at Lehigh University)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2005... Associate professor of industrial and systems engineering Joseph Hartman, Ph.D., was named interim chair of Lehigh University's industrial and systems engineering department. Hartman joined the Lehigh faculty in 1996. He is editor of The...

William M. Lindsay.(KUDOS)(American Society for Quality gives award)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2005... The American Society for Quality awarded the Crosby Medal to Northern Kentucky University management professor William M. Lindsay, Ph.D., for The Management and Control of Quality, which he co-authored with James R. Evans, Ph.D. The medal is...

David Wu.(KUDOS)(named dean of Lehigh University)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2005... Senior IIE member David Wu, Ph.D., was named dean of Lehigh University's P.C. Rossin College of Engineering and Applied Science. Wu, who holds the Iacocca Professorship, joined the Lehigh faculty in 1987. He holds a B.S. degree from Taiwan's...

New views.(IN OTHER PUBLICATIONS)
May 1, 2005... The March/April issue of Industrial Management tackles a range of topics, from technological trends to managerial philosophy. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Push yields to pull in Kevin O'Marah's "It's all about the Customer." O'Marah details...

Powers out.(John Powers resigns from Institute of International Education)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2005... Retiring IIE Executive Director John Powers was feted by IIE headquarters staff and the Board of Trustees at a surprise luncheon in his honor. Powers' parting gifts included a scrapbook of his time at IIE, golf lessons, and a banjo, so that he...

Just like a human.(Pick List)(V5 Human of Delmia Corp.)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2005... Delmia's V5 Human is a multimodule software system that creates, validates, and simulates user-defined mannequins. These simulated humans allow engineers to consider human factors early in a product life cycle. Human interaction and worker...

Health care modeling.(Pick List)(Healthcare Modeling Studio simulation modeling software of Automation Associates Inc.)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2005... Health care professionals can create accurate what-if scenarios for emergency departments, operating rooms, admissions departments, clinical labs, and ancillary services with Healthcare Modeling Studio simulation modeling software. Users can...

Real-time business monitoring.(Pick List)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2005... The Initiative Deployment Manager allows organizations to deploy and track all business programs while simultaneously maintaining access to Juran Institute resources for updating and refreshing existing initiatives. At the executive level, IDM...

All-in-one phone.(Pick List)(Sony Ericsson Mobile Communications AB)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2005... Sony Ericsson has introduced the W800, the first Walkman-branded mobile phone. The phone makes it possible to listen to music, handle phone calls, and take photos and video with a single device. The phone boasts up to 30 hours of battery life...

High-Density racks.(pick list)(Eagle MHC)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2005... The High-Density Floor Trak System from Eagle MHC enables material managers to consolidate and optimize the storage of supplies, parts, and other items where there is a need to store a high volume of goods in the most space-efficient manner...

Narrow-aisle lift truck.(pick list)(Kombi EKX 410 lift truck of Jungheinrich AG)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2005... The Kombi EKX 410 lift truck provides the ability to stack and retrieve full pallets or individual items from both sides of the aisle. The truck features a driver's cab that has a height- and tilt-adjustable operating console that allows the...

Logistics help.(pick list)(OAG Global Shipment Router)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2005... The Internet-based OAG Global Shipment Router provides a way for freight forwarders and commercial shipping companies to view schedules and build routes based on specific cargo parameters. The cargo schedule is comprehensive, with more than 960...

Plant floor data now.(pick list)(Avantis)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2005... Real-Time Condition Monitoring software encourages plant operations and maintenance personnel to work collaboratively and to improve asset reliability. The program not only collects and aggregates real-time data from plant floor systems, but it...

It's not the nose that grows: online fibbers get gabby.(Outliers)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2005... Online liars give subtle clues to their deception: They write too much, use more pronouns, and employ more terms about the senses, such as "see," "hear," and "feel," than people telling the truth. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] These facts...

Acting with care.(Outliers)(doctor-patient relationship)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2005... Physicians should care about their patients, and if they don't, they should at least act that way, according to business and medical researchers who have teamed up to explore how emotion can enhance the doctor-patient relationship. ...

Late advantage.(Outliers)(Carnegie Mellon University )(Brief Article)
May 1, 2005... Contrary to the popular aphorism, what the early bird gets is often the boot. Studies by a Carnegie Mellon University researcher find that participants who appear toward the end of juried competitions do better than those who perform at...