Industrial Management articles from July 1996

Industrial Management archives from July 1996

Are they ready? Production readiness reviews.
July 1, 1996... When placing an order for a substantial quantity of a new product, a company has many concerns. Most are addressed during an initial source selection, when the vendor's basic abilities and product area have been investigated, along with price,...

The ultimate 21st century market differentiator.
July 1, 1996... In the 18th century, it was the steam engine that launched the Industrial Revolution and forever altered the nature of work. In the 20th century, the computer has done likewise by creating the "High-Tech Industrial Revolution." The application...

Artificial intelligence in high-volume manufacturing.
July 1, 1996... The quality revolution that transformed world-class manufacturing practice in the 1980s and early 1990s resulted in a shift in quality assurance philosophy. The focus no longer was on screening defective product; instead, emphasis was placed...

Quality management for industrial engineers.
July 1, 1996... Today's workplace is buzzing with techniques designed to integrate quality management and continuous improvement into day-to-day operations. Ideas such as quality circles, Taguchi methods, process value analysis, and ISO 9000 are invading...

Effective utilization of procurement cards.
July 1, 1996... Companies and organizations have always been concerned about controlling the costs of doing business. To aid them in that goal, accounting has implemented internal control steps. However, one need only look at recent issues of professional...

Infrastructure of small and mid-sized plants.
July 1, 1996... Members of your manufacturing team are working long hours, but they still cannot complete production on time. Product quality is declining, along with profits and employee morale. Overtime and rework are at an all-time high, and customer...

Want to write a book and have it published?
July 1, 1996... It all started in 1990 in the middle of a thunderstorm. I had just finished a heavy, three-month plant layout consulting job and was looking forward to a vacation at home with my wife, Tricia. I was driving with Les, my good friend and fellow...

Exaggerating the importance of labor savings.
July 1, 1996... Today, there is a widespread belief that the manufacturing industry is overstaffed. Companies are now demanding that the number of direct workers they employ be reduced, and they are asking industrial engineers, who already spend a significant...