Industrial Engineer articles from October 2008

Industrial Engineer archives from October 2008

Bravery in learning.(editor's desk)
October 1, 2008... The American National Red Cross' book, Facing Fear, was created for educators and parents seeking material to help children cope with disaster. Drawing from catastrophic events in the past, the chapters are categorized by "feelings," "facts and...

Contesting NAFTA.(RANTS AND RAVES)(North American Free Trade Agreement)
October 1, 2008... We are entering an era of great national debates on international trade and I feel compelled to respond to Geoffrey Lenart's response (Mail, September) to my article, "An IE's Guide To NAFTA" (July). The article never claimed that NAFTA, as...

What to figure in.(RANTS AND RAVES)(Letter to the editor)
October 1, 2008... I read the article "Lean's Last Hand" by Chris Pope, which was featured in the July issue. The article is well-written and clearly describes the benefits of lever-aging an advanced IT system with lean manufacturing techniques. The IT system...

What do we gain?(RANTS AND RAVES)(Letter to the editor)
October 1, 2008... 1 began to study for an engineering degree in 1976. At the rime, our society was called AIIE, It soon changed to HIE (with an "international" thrown in for the extra "I").Then it was pared back to HE. If it is changed to the Institute of...

Systems-centric.(RANTS AND RAVES)(Letter to the editor)
October 1, 2008... I fully support the addition of "systems" to our organization name ("The Great Debate," September). I can't stress enough how much more valuable my systems-type experience has been than my industrial-type experience. The systems name reflects...

Major multiplier: million-dollar endowment for Oklahoma State's first ie chair matched twice.(NEWS, TRENDS, & TACTICS)(donations by Don and Cathey Humphreys)
October 1, 2008... Welcoming a gift that will keep on giving, Oklahoma State University announced in July that the school will receive a $1 million gift from Don and Cathey Humphreys of Dallas to endow a chair in engineering and another in industrial engineering...

To the moon! Adjunct professor at Rice, Georgia Tech part of telescope repair mission.(OUTLIERS)(dialogue with Mike Massimino)(Interview)
October 1, 2008... Mike Massimino is reaching for the stars, or at least the next closest thing: the Hubble Space Telescope. The New York-born astronaut and adjunct professor at Rice University and Georgia Tech will be aboard the space shuttle Atlantis Oct....

A tough year.(PRIME NUMBER)(Industry overview)(Brief article)
October 1, 2008... It appears that the industrial manufacturing sector may not make as many billions in 2008 compared to what it made the previous year. According to an August report from PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP, "Assembling Value: Industrial Manufacturing...

Industrial engineer turns White House fellow.(front line)(Eyrique Miller)(Brief article)
October 1, 2008... Eyrique Miller of Middletown, N.J., has been appointed one of 14 White House Fellows for 2008-2009, the White House announced in June. Selected by the President's Commission on White House Fellowships, members participate in one of America's...

Gaining the business edge.(BOOK OF THE MONTH)
October 1, 2008... Successful companies seem to have a system for everything. From acquiring new customers to performance measurement, industry leaders have realized that systematic processes can reduce risk, prevent oversight and assure the best chance of...

Cross-discipline leadership for tomorrow.(SITE TO SEE)(Emerging Leaders Alliance)(Brief article)
October 1, 2008... Several chemical, civil, mechanical, petroleum and materials engineering organizations have joined forces to address a common concern for all disciplines: how to train the world's future engineering leaders. The joint effort has resulted in the...

Massage therapist.(UNCOMMON IE)(Mark Manley)(Brief article)
October 1, 2008... THE TASK AT HAND: As a senior industrial engineer, Mark Manley's focus was developing ergonomic and material handling improvements to help people stay safe and healthy. He set his mission as an undergrad at the Rochester Institute of Technology...

Tug-of-manufacturing-war.(QUOTE, UNQUOTE)(National Association of Manufacturers)(Brief article)
October 1, 2008... "The National Association of Manufacturers' (NAM) analysis shows that in terms of real manufacturing value-added (price-adjusted, to reflect the quantity of output) the [United States] remains by far the world's largest manufacturer, producing...

Dilbert.(Cartoon)
October 1, 2008... I CUT THE QUALITY CONTROL BUDGET TO FREE UP FUNDS TO INCREASE OUR SALES FORCE. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] SO YOUR STRATEGY IS TO SELL A LARGER VOLUME OF DEFECTIVE PRODUCTS? [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] THE QUALITY WILL BE FINE. THE...

So long Six Sigma?(performance)
October 1, 2008... THERE'S A NASTY RUMOR GOING around, and I've heard it being spread in more than one place. Believe it or not, some people are claiming that Six Sigma doesn't work, and lean alone is the approach one should apply to improving organizational...

Consolidation.(management)
October 1, 2008... WHEN THE BOTTOM FALLS OUT of your market, what's the best approach to survival? Many managers, particularly in the real estate, construction and automotive segments are asking themselves this question. Most have taken all of the usual...

Green demonstrations.(Column)
October 1, 2008... In my last column, I shared how easy being green can be--provided that you know what supply chain techniques to pursue. Let's now focus on five key areas where better supply chain management complements sustainability. [ILLUSTRATION...

Ultimate prescription.(member forum)(green medications)
October 1, 2008... ACCORDING TO THE INSTITUTE OF Industrial Engineers, "industrial engineers figure out how to do things better. They engineer processes and systems that improve quality and productivity. They work to eliminate waste of time, money, materials,...

Deming: project success goes beyond reaching the finish line.(TEAM)
October 1, 2008... IN PROJECT MANAGEMENT, OFTEN THE SUCCESSFUL project is one that is scrapped before it is completed. How can this be considered success? Surprising applications of management theorist W. Edwards Deming's profound knowledge offers another...

Paradigm shift: industrial engineers are shaping a nation.(TAIWAN'S)
October 1, 2008... INDUSTRIAL ENGINEERS HAVE PLAYED AN irreplaceable role in Taiwan's economic growth. In fact, the development of industrial engineering as a discipline in Taiwan intriguingly reflects how its economy continues to evolve. Industrial engineers in...

Ready set change: reducing resistance to Six Sigma projects.
October 1, 2008... A CHANGE, WHETHER IN information technology systems or manufacturing processes, can make people quiver at the thought of having to do things other than the ordinary. Some managers sweat at the thought of re-learning software, some front-line...

Students examine industrial design for the elderly and disabled: "then swiftly, neatly, with the grace of the young man on the flying Trapeze, he was gone from his body ... For an eternal moment, he was all things at once: The bird, the fish, the rodent, the reptile and man.".(EXPANDING THE DEMOGRAPHICS OF HUMAN FACTORS)
October 1, 2008... WILLIAM SAROYAN'S WRITING haunted me as a teenager, hinting at different paths to attaining insight. The line quoted on the facing page returned to me while teaching a human factors class over the last couple of years to industrial design...

The internet era: technology defines new industrial engineering.(COMMANDING)
October 1, 2008... INDUSTRIAL ENGINEERING IS undergoing a sea of change in the Internet era. The profession used to be synonymous with time study and work sampling, two areas that we rarely hear of today (at least in verbiage). This article presents the...

Eyes on the future.(SOLUTIONS IN PRACTICE)(Ophthonix Inc.)(Company overview)
October 1, 2008... In 2005, California-based Ophthonix Inc. had a vision for its business. The startup lens producer, founded by three physics researchers, had been developing an innovative and patented eyeglass lens design called iZon. The vision correction...

Research.(environmental management by ecological design )
October 1, 2008... Computer technology has enabled researchers to handle much larger data sets, perform sophisticated analysis quickly and develop statistical analysis tools for much more complex settings. This month we highlight techniques in data review. The...

Ask the Expert: answers to your technical questions.(industrial engineering)(Discussion)
October 1, 2008... Success curve Q: Is periodically adjusting engineered standards according to a bell curve an acceptable practice? Management at my company is discussing adjusting the standards to achieve higher performances from the employees. In my...

Road watch.(INNOVATIVE TOOLS AND TRADE)(fleet vehicles)
October 1, 2008... Monitoring fleet vehicles offers ways to increase productivity and reduce maintenance and overall costs associated with transportation. This process, which includes vehicle tracking and diagnostics, driver management, monitoring fuel...

SHS introduces new training: new courses provide basic ie skills to health care managers.(KEEPING PACE WITH LIE)(Society for Health Systems )
October 1, 2008... A little industrial engineering can go a long way in curing challenges in the health care environment. The Society for Health Systems now offers a series of seminars that provides a practical education in IE tools and management skills as...

IIE awards deliver success, visibility: Nominations must be received by DEC. 1.(Focus)(Institute of Industrial Engineers)
October 1, 2008... Awards mean different things to different people, but any industrial engineer would agree that special recognition by the Institute of Industrial Engineers carries a great deal of honor-worthy weight. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] While some...

IIE honored by government agency: Small Business Administration recognizes Institute's professional advisement.(FOCUS)(Institute of Industrial Engineers)(Brief article)
October 1, 2008... For its contribution to providing a viable outstanding supply base, the Institute of Industrial Engineers has been recognized by the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA). In August, IIE received the SBA Administrator's Award for Excellence...

Applied Ergo event draws military group; U.S. Department Of Defense experts to teach, participate in March conference.(FOCUS)(American Society for Safety Engineers)(Ergonomics)(Conference news)(Brief article)
October 1, 2008... Attendees of the Applied Ergonomics Conference and Expo may get the opportunity to understand the field from a national service viewpoint. The Department of Defense (DoD) Ergonomics Working Group has teamed with the American Society for Safety...

Mexico chapter in session.(Polytechnic University of Aguascalientes)(Brief article)
October 1, 2008... The Universidad Politecnica de Aguascalientes (Polytechnic University of Aguascalientes) in Mexico has formed a new IIE student chapter. Chartered by the Institute April 1, Chapter No. 750 recently met to discuss leadership within the field as...

Work perfect: the day we strive for.(Occupation overview)
October 1, 2008... Gary Hensley Quality Manager Sara Lee Foods Alexandria, Ky. My job is to provide leadership through continuous improvement activities in building a quality culture with the inclusion of all team members. I provide leadership in...