July2016 ISE magazine-Features

FEATURES

Ergo Moneyball

Creating a successful ergonomics program can feel like a monumental task, and many times we are asked to do a lot with a little. Studying the Oakland A's story and how General Manager Billy Beane overcame these challenges can teach us some great lessons in how we can overcome some very common hurdles faced when developing corporate programs and creating culture change.
By Davana Pilczuk

Feeling the need for speedy distribution

Material handling and automation systems involve integrating a variety of automation technologies to meet specific objectives. These technologies must work together to achieve maximum productivity. Industrial engineers must have the necessary experience in conveyor controls and automation to bring together the entire material handling system so that each separate piece works in harmony.
By Marvin Logan and Thomas R. Cutler

The fourth Industrial Revolution

This is a case study of workload in a process industry that converts wood to rayon fiber in an Asian country. The company has been in existence for more than 60 years and has plants in a number of locations in several Asian nations. The process was developed and patented by the company many years ago.
By Philippe Bartissol

The 5 P's of process excellence

Companies worldwide are embarking on continuous improvement paths under the auspices of operational excellence, process excellence or the pursuit of world-class best practices using the tools and philosophies of lean Six Sigma. However, without an overall deployment plan, continuous improvement initiatives at many companies have ended up being "flavor-of-the-month" programs that last a season or two, with management looking for the next silver bullet to alleviate their woes.
By Merwan B. Mehta