Case Study

Solutions in practice

By Keith Albertson

Value engineering application provides systematic improvement in manufacturing

Value engineering as a discipline originated in World War II when the need for cost reduction was critical because of a widespread shortage of raw materials, skilled manpower and finished parts required for making armaments. Lawrence Miles, Jerry Leftow and Harry Erlicher at General Electric were looking for alternative substitute materials that could be used in production of components. They found that it was possible to make them using substitutes that worked as effectively as other materials.