Industrial Engineer articles from November 2008

Industrial Engineer archives from November 2008

Color psychology.(editor's desk)(International Conference on Sustainable Manufacturing)(Editorial)
November 1, 2008... In September, I had a rare opportunity to share your magazine and participate in discussions with industry leaders, academics and government officials from eight countries at the International Conference on Sustainable Manufacturing. The event...

Only one name change.(Mail)(Letter to the editor)
November 1, 2008... The is in response to Bradley Kramer's correspondence, "What do we gain?" (Mail, October). While I applaud his willingness to state an opinion on the subject, I must correct one of his statements. Kramer claims that if our name changes, it will...

The glue that binds.(Mail)(Column)
November 1, 2008... We have the same problem we had in 1948; you properly define a new skill with an old name. However, a name change is not the problem or the solution. Some observations: Industrial engineers can do a wide variety of technical jobs well...

All in one.(Mail)(Brief article)(Column)
November 1, 2008... It is my personal opinion that systems engineers are industrial engineers, even in the most simplistic view of the terms. Each element of the process is part of a system and most elements have systems incorporated into their structure. ...

Don't dilute identity.(Mail)(Viewpoint essay)(Brief article)
November 1, 2008... I personally will vote NO, as it will dilute further industrial engineers' identity, which would become more like a computer or other control systems engineer. For those of us who have been involved in the industrial engineering profession for...

Time for a change.(Mail)(HE Annual Conference and Expo)(Brief article)(Column)
November 1, 2008... It is our tradition that we are known as the HE. But as we hold sacred ourselves, embracing change for the sake of tradition is a wholly inadequate reason for not changing in favor of maintaining the status quo. Industrial engineers and...

Responsible engineering: Virginia Tech establishes global ethics curriculum.(Front Line)
November 1, 2008... "Surveys show that while engineering students differ significantly on what makes an issue a matter of ethics, practicing engineers disagree over what the most important non-technical aspects of being a responsible engineering professional are,"...

Shoe shopping aids others: safety shoes are the latest object to be recycled.(Front Line)(Brief article)
November 1, 2008... Soles4Soles Inc., a charity that first sent a quarter of a million shoes to tsunami victims in Southeast Asia, and Lehigh Safety Shoe Co., one of the largest safety footwear companies in the world, have announced a partnership to "change the...

FAA'S 'project runway' returns: Design Competition for Universities accepting entries.(Front Line)
November 1, 2008... Winning experiments have ranged from using solar energy as a clean, cost-effective alternative fuel for airport ground support equipment and monitoring groove deterioration at airport pavements to creating innovative airfield lighting...

Saving lives through software: MIT student adds week to hurricane warning system.(front line)
November 1, 2008... With hurricane season forecasts from the colorado State University team getting more frequent each year, ways to evacuate cities and entire states are being examined by academics and experts from various industries. Transportation, urban...

Dilbert.(Cartoon)
November 1, 2008... I WILL USE ROLE PLAY TO EVALUATE YOUR MANAGEMENT POTENTIAL. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] IMAGINE YOU ARE A TURTLE AND YOU ARE BEING ATTACKED BY A HAWK. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] THAT'S BETTER THAN I EXPECTED. THANKS. ...

Direct manufacturing rules Boeing venture: Research Center aims to reduce parts production costs.(front line)
November 1, 2008... What will a production line look like in 20 years? How many more parts will be needed for the newer energy-efficient auto-mobile lines during each season of production? Perhaps the answers lie in process that are being developed in the...

Space suit tester.(UNCOMMON IE)(Jacobs Engineering Group Inc.)(Brief article)
November 1, 2008... THE TASK AT HAND: Jennifer Matty reaches for the moon in her project management work. An engineer on the Constellation Space Suit Element (CSSE) team of Jacobs Engineering's contract group that supports NASA'S Johnson Space Center in Houston,...

To be an engineer.(SITE TO SEE)(Daniele Lantagne)(Brief article)
November 1, 2008... A committed environmentalist in high school, Daniele Lantagne Cultivated an education in science and engineering and then focused on public health challenges in roles at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, where she is now a safe...

Are you in or out?(BOOK OF THE MONTH)(Topsy-Turvy: The Sky is Falling!)(Brief article)
November 1, 2008... Given, the books introductory chapter, "Topsy-Turvy: The Sky is Falling!" it's readily apparent that One Foot Out the Door by management consultant Judith Bardwick is not going to read like a typical feel-good business help guide. The book...

Treadmill teachings.(performance)(Column)
November 1, 2008... WHEN YOU SPEND FIVE OR MORE hours a week on a treadmill and you are a time freak like I am, you had better find a good way to make use of that time. Spending this amount of time in a repetitive, controlled manner does allow me to think about...

Validating best practices.(management)
November 1, 2008... WHILE MOST OF US MAY PURSUE perfection in our chose endeavors, some of us are quite satisfied to achieve best practice. Best practices can be defined as the most efficient and effective methods of accomplishing a task or achieving a goal, based...

Project justification.(manufacturing)
November 1, 2008... COUNTLESS PROJECT DIE BEFORE they see light of day. Management's excuses about budgets are all too familiar. While cost is often used as the reason for killing a project, it may just be a way to avoid the uncomfortable conversation. Why are...

Practice cultural ergonomics.(member forum)
November 1, 2008... THE CASE OF THE SAMEK, ALSO known as Skolt Lapps, who live on the Kola Peninsula near Russia is often used to demonstrate the importance of technology from a cultural perspective. For generations, the Samek depended on reindeer and used them...

Brazil's edge: industry expansion is no longer a sceret.
November 1, 2008... BRAZILIAN CARNIVAL, THE WORLD'S LONGEST CULTURAL celebration, monopolizes the city of Rio de Janeiro with fashion, food, music and tourism for months at a time while the ebb and flow of business continues to crank in neighboring Sao Paulo. It...

'May I assist you?' Avatars enter the industrial work force.
November 1, 2008... IN THESE TOUGH ECONOMIC TIMES, WE NEED industrial solutions that can streamline our processes today while allowing for continually improving our processes in the future. Most importantly, these solutions must be affordable to purchase and easy...

Strong enough for a storm: MedBuild builds veterans outpatient clinic for New Orleans residents.
November 1, 2008... MONTHS AFTER HURRICANE KATRINA DEVASTATED THE United States' Gulf Coast, emergency reconstruction was necessary for more than just homes. Public services and utilities were ravaged, reducing or completely halting commerce, schools and health...

Comfort zone closed: space reserved for breakthrough leaders only.
November 1, 2008... THE NEW ECONOMY IS A PLACE WHERE THE RULES have changed so much that one wonders if there are any rules. It is an economy where power has been equalized between buyers and sellers. It is an economy where a startup's revolutionary product can...

Better way in vogue: lean takes to the catwalk in the garment industry.
November 1, 2008... LEAN, AS THE TOYOTA-REFINED PRODUCTION SYSTEM for continuous process improvement, is everywhere. Beginning in the auto industry, its application expanded outward to all forms of manufacturing, supply chain management and logistics as well as a...

Case study: solutions in practice.(Dot-com distribution)(Zappos.com Inc.)
November 1, 2008... Defining core values as a company is one thing. Performing them on a daily basis is another. Zappos, a Las Vegas-based online footwear distributor, has doubled its sales every year since 1999 through demonstrating its core values to more than 4...

Research: executive summaries.(IIE Transactions)
November 1, 2008... As products become more complex and sales of online retailers grow, manufacturing companies and distribution centers are increasingly turning to advanced technology to reduce their material handling costs. This month, we highlight two articles...

Ask the Expert: answers to your technical questions.(Institute of Industrial Engineers)
November 1, 2008... An IE in the making Q: I have been thinking about entering a form of engineering for some time, yet I am really interested in research of new technologies and innovations. The problem is that I do not know how to get into this type of...

Emerging technologies: innovative tools of the trade.
November 1, 2008... Right moves The movement of today's industrial work force toward an office environment was ignited by jobs in assembly and production becoming automated. The availability of commercial and consumer technology increased this shift from shop...

Linked in: your member site expands and improves.(FOCUS)(Institute of Industrial Engineers)(Brief article)
November 1, 2008... If you belong to one of IIE's divisions and societies or you are considering taking one of the Institute's upcoming courses, extensive information has been updated and can be found at your fingertips. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Click the...

Applied ergospeak: keynoters bring a world view to the March conference.(FOCUS)(Conference notes)
November 1, 2008... Ergonomics is influencing our world in tremendous ways. Practitioners can be spotted in dozens of fields including product design, safety, health and hygiene, environmental medicine and human resources. The Applied Ergonomics Conference and...

Rooting for Kansas: IIE members push pre-engineering and science courses.(focus)(Institute of Industrial Engineers)(Brief article)
November 1, 2008... Home to four major aircraft companies and 40 percent of all manufacturing jobs in Kansas, Wichita can certainly claim a stake in engineering education. But the The Wichita Eagle reports that there has been an exodus of engineering jobs in...

IIE goes tropical, cosmopolitan: Miami is the next site of the Annual Conference.(focus)(Conference news)
November 1, 2008... The IIE Annual Conference and Expo 2009 offers five days of industrial engineering and operational excellence training, education, networking, facility tours and awards. Given this year's location at the Doral Golf Resort and Spa in Miami, you...

Work perfect: the day we strive for.(Starwood Vacation Ownership Inc.)(Column)
November 1, 2008... Starwood Vacation Ownership (SVO) is a subsidiary of Starwood Hotels & Resorts, which includes the brands Sheraton, Westin, St. Regis, W, The Luxury Collection and Le Meridien. SVO owns and manages more than 20 resorts in locations such as...