Industrial Engineer articles from September 2003

Industrial Engineer archives from September 2003

Episode 1.(Editor's Desk)
September 1, 2003... IF ONLY THIS MAGAZINE WERE A TELEVISION SHOW BROADCAST ON The Learning Channel... Fade to black Hello, I'm your host Jane Gaboury. Welcome to TLC's new reality series: Publication Renovation. Today we'll take you where few engineers...

The re-design: an illustrated guide to the new Industrial Engineer.
September 1, 2003... REDESIGNING A MAGAZINE IS ONLY slightly less difficult than sucking a watermelon through a straw. I'm convinced that no other category of graphic design is at the national, or international, front line of under-the-microscope scrutiny like...

Senior execs: SCM hasn't delivered: the failure of supply chain management, as told by Booz Allen Hamilton.(Front Line)
September 1, 2003... "Although SCM officially reached 'adulthood' this year--21 years after Booz Allen Hamilton coined the term--it continues to fall short of its great promise." So says Booz Allen Hamilton in its new assessment of supply chain management. ...

Do-it-yourself nation.(Site to See)
September 1, 2003... NationStates (www.nationstates.net) is a free online simulation game that allows users to create a country based on their own ideals and care for its people. The game can be played at a serious level of politics and morality or to ludicrous...

Un looks to IEs for cleaner production: Philippine IIE is a partner in caring for the environment.(Front line)
September 1, 2003... The Philippine Institute of Industrial Engineers and the United Nations Environment Program have committed to a project that will lead to cleaner production methods throughout the Philippines. In a memorandum of understanding signed this...

Numbers count.(Quote, Unquote)
September 1, 2003... "The only difference between an engineer and an artist is mathematics" --James McLurkin, winner of the $30,000 Lemeison - MIT Student Prize for his work on artificial intelligence.

Driven to distraction in Canada: human factors may make wireless communication inherently dangerous.(Front line)
September 1, 2003... Canadian Transport Minister David Collenette released a "discussion document" in June that outlines possible strategies to reduce driver distraction from in-vehicle communication technologies, also known as telematics. Not only cell phones, but...

University receives $53.5 million gift.(Front line)
September 1, 2003... The University at Buffalo has received the largest gift in its history: a $53.5 million in-kind donation from Electronic Data Systems. Software from EDS will allow engineering students to design and engineer products with the same tools...

RFID picks up steam: high-tech tracking for supply chain management.(Front line)
September 1, 2003... Radio frequency identification applications will grow to more than $3.1 billion by 2008, predicts ABI, a technology market research firm. Asset and supply chain management application revenue will grow from 20 percent to 48 percent of this...

Analytics for the literati.(Uncommon IE)
September 1, 2003... The expression "by the book" does not apply to David Steinberger's career--unless you change the preposition "by" to the verb "buy." As an executive at one of the most prominent book publishing companies in the world, Steinberger is putting...

Billions and billions of tiny bar codes.(Front Line)
September 1, 2003... Corning Inc. researchers have been able to create tiny bar-coded beads small enough to be embedded in ink. At 100 by 20 by 20 microns, the beads are barely visible. The coded beads are made by fusing glass with lanthanide metal oxide ions....

Accounting for lean.(Book of the Month)
September 1, 2003... Companies the world over are using lean principles to change their business model, but accounting practices haven't kept pace. Current management accounting practices produce financial statements that are complex and confusing. As a result,...

Quality requires a strong foundation.(Performance)
September 1, 2003... THE MERE MENTION OF SUGGESTION systems, employee of the month awards, performance appraisal systems, or sales commissions can send me off on a rant. These systems, although prevalent, do more damage than good, and there are better alternatives....

Flex and the married worker.(Management)
September 1, 2003... SINCE CORPORATE MANAGEMENT began experimenting with behavioral principles after World War II, there has been ample opportunity to test progressive ideas in real working environments. One of these ideas is flexibility in work scheduling, a...

Engineers who make a difference: some people just can't stand to let good enough be good enough.(Cover Story)
September 1, 2003... ENGINEERS ARE THE DOERS OF THE WORLD. While other professionals are content to plan, design, analyze, and theorize, it takes an engineer to see a plan through to the final step of implementation. And in that regard, we can agree that engineers...

Back to school safely: students are not the only ones gearing up for another school year.
September 1, 2003... IN NATURE, A BLUE BIRD AND A CATERPILLAR ARE NOT the best of friends, but their corporate namesakes have teamed up amicably and successfully to put safety first. The popular school bus manufacturer Blue Bird Corp. has equipped its latest model...

Are you experienced? A program funded by the National Science Foundation is helping teachers put the 'IE' in prodigies.
September 1, 2003... CHILDREN WHO ARE ENGAGED BY SCIENTIFIC AND mathematical pursuits at an early age will grow into adults with similar interests. Such is the thinking that led the National Science Foundation to fund the Research Experiences for Teachers (RET)...

Careful with that warehouse: the furniture business requires movers and shakers who know how to optimize.
September 1, 2003... WAREHOUSE MANAGEMENT IS FREQUENTLY TREATED as an operational issue, its strategic importance largely overlooked. But as price and quality become indistinguishable from one company to another and distribution cost becomes a significant part of a...

Executive summaries.(Research)
September 1, 2003... This month we highlight three research papers. The first paper discusses optimal investment strategies in new technologies, the second studies the assembly design problem when material arrivals are uncertain, and the third analyzes the...

Ask the expert: answers to your technical questions.
September 1, 2003... Longer shift, less productivity Q. I am looking to understand the pit-falls of extending the shift of wiring inspectors in an aircraft situation. My gut feeling is that going to 10- or 12-hour shifts will result in a non-linear increase in...

Chapter check-in: local groups shape the face of industrial engineering.(Focus)
September 1, 2003... Chattanooga, Tenn. Chattanooga industrial engineers are celebrating the opening of the University of Tennessee's new engineering, computer science, and mathematics building. Recently, IIE's Chattanooga chapter held an informational lunch...

Needing proceedings?(Focus)
September 1, 2003... According to retired industrial engineer Tom Arnold, he can still read the type because it's quite large, but he has no further need of his collection of old IIE Annual Conference proceedings. He is willing to donate them to any individual or...

The power of two: IIE and SME provide dual membership to double professionals' benefits.(Focus)
September 1, 2003... Thanks to a recent agreement between IIE and the Society of Management Engineers, both organizations will be able to offer increased value to members. Effective Sept. 1, new members joining either organization can receive reciprocal membership...

Kudos: celebrating member achievements.(Focus)
September 1, 2003... Richard Cassady, Ph.D., assistant professor of industrial engineering at the University of Arkansas, received the College of Engineering Outstanding Teacher Award. Before joining the faculty at Arkansas, Cassady was an assistant professor at...

Bringing home the prize: your member magazine receives prestigious awards.(Focus)
September 1, 2003... IIE Solutions magazine (recently renamed Industrial Engineer) was recognized with two gold awards from the Magazine Association of Georgia and the Southeast. The awards mark the seventh consecutive year IIE's flagship publication has earned...

Don't wait ... nominate!(Focus)
September 1, 2003... IIE is seeking 2004 honors and awards nominees. From the Student Award for Excellence to the Fellow Award, IIE honors its members for a variety of achievements at all stages of their careers. Though awards will not be handed out until the...

Building communities: construction and lean networking communities add value for members.(Focus)
September 1, 2003... As the construction industry grows, the rate of operating efficiency doesn't always keep pace. With an annual dollar volume of $800 billion and a loss rate of nearly 30 percent, IEs are seeing increased demand for their services in the business...

Dedicated editor sought: IIE seeks a new editor for the Engineering Economist.(Focus)
September 1, 2003... The Editorial Board of The Engineering Economist is seeking applicants for the position of editor. The term will begin in January 2004. The Engineering Economist is a cross-disciplinary journal devoted to issues of engineering economy. It...

Cup-o-ergo: new criteria and deadlines for the 2004 ergonomics prize.(Focus)
September 1, 2003... Planning is well under way for next year's Applied Ergonomics Conference. Held in Orlando, Fla., March 8-11, 2004, it promises to be IIE's biggest, most successful ergo conference yet. Contenders for the prestigious Ergo Cup should be aware...

Mind your business: Industrial Management says managing performance begins at home.(In Other Publications)
September 1, 2003... The July/August issue of Industrial Management tackles a variety of performance issues. An accurate measurement of your company's engineering productivity can give you a decided advantage in the marketplace. In "Maximizing Your Engineering...

Sit!(Pick List)
September 1, 2003... Workers in material handling and assembly who normally stand for much of the day will rest easy with the BioFit GX stool. Whether used for intermittent relief or as a long-term replacement to standing, the stool puts users in a semi-sitting...

Capture data with a touch.(Pick List)
September 1, 2003... With a big, bright touchscreen that invites interaction, Epic Data's MPT9100 serves as both a shop floor data collector and a communications terminal. The unit has an integrated proximity card reader, a bar code scanner, and an optional...

Don't get lost.(Pick List)
September 1, 2003... Earthmate GPS combines a Global Positioning System receiver that's smaller than a business card with street atlas mapping software to serve as an affordable alternative to in-car navigation systems. Just connect the $130 receiver to a laptop...

Off with their lids.(Pick List)
September 1, 2003... Universal design embraces the idea of accessibility: making products and places easy to use and ergonomically friendly for everyone. Black & Decker's LidsOff Automatic Jar Opener is one of a growing number of consumer products based on...

Durable inkjetter.(Pick List)
September 1, 2003... Diagraph's IV/700 large-character inkjet printer uses a unique membrane and powerful solenoids to control ink flow precisely and deliver sharp printing. It is specifically designed to offer value in single-line marking applications. Up to 50...

Sync global operations.(Pick List)
September 1, 2003... InSite is a manufacturing execution system for global enterprises. It monitors and synchronizes activities across plants and vendors, linking them in real time to optimize performance. The program tracks products on the plant floor, collects...

Warehouse management.(Pick List)
September 1, 2003... Warehouse managers will appreciate the release of RIMS Version 5.0. The warehouse management system provides tools that should reduce the need for customization, allowing users to reformat screens and change field labels, for example. Its...

Pick to light.(Pick List)
September 1, 2003... Snap-together connections and microprocessors make Easypick Track Light an attractive option for order fulfillment centers. This track-based, light-directed picking system requires fewer devices than traditionally wired systems and is easy to...

Products & Services.(Resources)
September 1, 2003... work measurement MTM Association * Work Measurement Systems * Work Measurement Software * Industrial Engineering Training and Support * Ergonomics Training * Productivity Improvement Analysis * Profitability...

Gaming students break stereotypes: college kids who play video games aren't nerdy loners.(Outliers)
September 1, 2003... Stereotypes of the nerdy college student who sequesters himself in a dorm room to play video games hours on end could hardly be further from the truth. In fact, slightly more women than men play video, computer, or online games, gaming is a...

Nod if you agree, agree if you nod.(Outliers)
September 1, 2003... When people nod their head to signal approval or shake their head to disagree, they aren't just sending a message to others, they are also affecting themselves. An Ohio State University study showed that these simple head movements...

Transmitting touch.(Outliers)
September 1, 2003... Engineers in the Virtual Reality Laboratory at the University at Buffalo have developed a technology that transmits the sensation of touch over the Internet. The breakthrough could someday allow users to master such skills as surgery,...