Industrial Engineer Engineering and Management Solutions at Work

October 2012    |    Volume: 44    |    Number: 10

The member magazine of the Institute of Industrial and Engineers

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Don't promote the villains

Don't promote the villains

Everyone knows there are good managers and those who are not so good. But does everyone agree on who is which? In the following case, an unsung hero who was saving the company millions of dollars was passed over for promotion based on management’s incorrect perception of a colleague’s "good" work.
By Donald Kennedy and Michael Huston

Your system of systems 

Your system of systems

Applying a system of systems engineering (SoSE) process to develop a generic system for technology implementation will yield a model for future IT deployments that realize the benefits promised by the applications. The SoSE approach will support the integration of technology modules across the extended enterprise for improved information management throughout the lifecycle of the organization.
By Craig S. Estridge

The plan precedes the database 

The plan precedes the database 

The next frontier where we can improve efficiency and reduce waste is through redesigning our information systems and databases, which are difficult to understand and manage. Two of the entities that we use databases for are products and people, and practitioners need to explore how to create efficient information systems to handle them.
By Merwan B. Mehta

The case for asset-based solutions

The case for asset-based solutions

Industrial engineers often address human-integrated systems as opposed to fluid dynamics, electronic inputs or concrete foundations. So IEs could make use of a complementary approach to problem-based systems design and improvement. Simply stated, the proposed approach suggests system design and improvement based on first determining the system assets or resources rather than first finding the problem.
By Paul Stanfield