PERSPECTIVES
Opportunity from danger
In a recent Industry Week “Best Plants Statistical Report 2015-2019,” agile manufacturing was one of the top improvement strategies companies employed to improve performance. As with lean in general, agile thinking, concepts and tools can be applied to any work process, not just manufacturing. As customers expect more customization, “agile work” will definitely be a coveted core competency.
Restarting – a few considerations
While the pandemic rages, many consider their business strategies for 2021 and beyond. Can we apply the lessons learned from previous recoveries to the next economic cycle?
PE licensure is about leading with integrity
For Christina Bernet, professional engineer licensure was an important step on her career path. She believes professional licensure is about principles and obtaining a license demonstrates the ability to lead with integrity. Professional licensure, which is about protecting the health, safety and welfare of the public, was an important step to starting her own consulting business for engineering leadership.
Making sure we get the vaccine right
The development of the COVID-19 vaccine brought a sigh of relief for many around the world after the pandemic impacted how we live, work and learn. The vaccine represented the proverbial light at the end of a long tunnel. But we are still in the tunnel, one which we hope to get out of soon, thanks to the scientists, doctors, public health officials, engineers and many others leading the largest inoculation effort in our history.
Systems thinking vital in today’s world
Systems thinking offers essential skills and powerful tools in the management of complexity toward desired results. Its interdisciplinary roots trace back to biology, ecology, sociology and cybernetics. It addresses such critical concepts as complexity, chaos, interrelationships, interdependencies, emergent behaviors and unintended consequences. It offers a holistic approach to understanding, anticipating and influencing the behavior of interacting components whose “whole is greater than the sum of its parts.”