President’s Message
September Program Review
October Program Notice
Managing Staples Growth
Board Approves Strategic Plan
Amendments to Constitution Approved
New Members Welcome
Job listings
Adobe Acrobat 7 AEC Seminar
Lean Versus Six Sigma
BU student chapter start up
Letter To The Editro
Question Of The Month
Contact Info
Appendix
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If you are receiving this newsletter in the mail, please update IIE with your e-mail address so we can e-mail you correspondences instead. This will save us the cost of printing and postage.
The chapter’s website is located at http://www.iienet.org/iieboston
If you have any suggestions for additional content that you would like to see on our website, feel free to contact Kathy Dawson-Townsend with your suggestions.
th
IIE Chapter # 30 (Boston) c/o Khaled Elsaid
1706 Commonwealth Ave
Brighton, MA 02135

Industrial Engineering Monthly
August 2005
A Publication for the Professional Industrial Engineer
Published by Chapter # 30 (Boston) of the Institute of Industrial Engineers
PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE
By John M. Corliss, Jr., PE
It has been said many times and in many ways that a long journey starts with the first step and is accomplished by methodically placing one step in front of the other. Margaret King got the Chapter to take the first step from inactivity over two years ago.
Since I followed her as Chapter President we have continued progress one step at a time.
The Board has completed its Strategic Planning for the upcoming program year. I am very proud of the thought put into this plan by the various Board
Members. I am confident that the Constitution and
Bylaws will help the Board be more efficient and better serve you. I am excited by the great job being done by our Program VP Matt Morrissette and
Membership Chair Robert Carey. And I am also excited by the new VP Technology Position and by the plan being developed by Khaled Elsaid and Kathy
Dawson Townsend to better use technology to serve you – the first new feature will be providing the ability to register and pay for events online.
For an organization like ours, once a certain critical mass is reached, exponential growth will occur. With this increased participation, the number of people volunteering increases, the workload on volunteers decreases, the quality of services increases, the benefits of membership increases, and the participation increases. This is the positive feedback loop that we are seeking to enter. It is a feedback loop that led to over 600 chapter members and meetings with 100 people present – the history of our chapter. This loop can also be a spiral down if critical mass is not reached and the effort required of volunteers exceeds benefits for an extended period – also the history of our chapter.
Many chapters are faced with this same issue. As I read the e-mails from other Chapter Presidents, all are seeking to find ways to entice people to attend their meetings. I have seen them and members of our chapter argue that the problem is the demands on the time of our members, the poor economy, and the wide geography covered that lead to the lack of attendance. However, I also belong to the
MassBay Chapter of the Project Management
Institute and they serve the same area, they hold all of there meetings in the evening in Burlington, many of their members are “in transition” and the meetings cost two to three times what we charge and yet every month there are 75 to 100 people in attendance.
They provide member benefits that generate participation – they reached critical mass and are in the positive feedback loop. Your Board of Directors is seeking critical mass – is seeking to discover and provide the member benefits that will place us in the positive feedback loop.
You can help. Read the summary of the Strategic
Plan in this newsletter. Go to our website and read the entire plan. And then send us your thoughts.
What assistance in achieving your professional objectives do you not have a source for and you think we may be able to fill that need?
SEPTEMBER PROGRAM REVIEW
By Matt Morrissette
September’s event was fascinating with a great mix of attendance with variant perspectives on industrial engineering in healthcare. Karen Reed, a brilliant leader of Quality and Performance
Improvement at Southern NH Medical Center shared how IE techniques are helping their efforts drive towards a Lean Healthcare organization.
Doug Alden, an exuberant expert in industrial
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engineering from the Lahey Clinic who recently transitioned from manufacturing to healthcare explored a variety of areas that his expertise will and has succeeded. SNHMC recently used techniques like patient smoothing, work standardization, simplification and Vision Mapping to reduce ED diversions, improve patient flow and reduce documentation waste. Lehigh Clinic is using techniques like FMEA, patient smoothing, and Lean-
Sigma Process Analysis to improve patient flow, identify waste, and smooth patient discharging. The group embraced IE’s application to healthcare, but consensus says the industry still needs catalysts of change to bring more Industrial Engineering into that field.
Call or e-mail Matt@MoreEffective.com
to register
(603-801-3923)
Date: Tuesday, October 25.
5:30pm -6:30pm registration and networking
6:30pm-8:00pm Panel Discussion
MANAGING STAPLES GROWTH
By Matt Morrissette
Our November lunch meeting at Staples, Inc. will highlight how a distribution industry giant is utilizing industrial engineering to improve operations.
They’ll talk about some current advances in their IE group and managing Staples growth. With growth comes more transactions and routings at the DC and delivery truck level and opening more
Distribution Centers. New software applications and the processes that need to be aligned are additional IE constraints to explore. Stay tuned for more details on this event.
BOARD APPROVES CHAPTER STRATEGIC
PLAN
By John M. Corliss, Jr., PE
The new Chapter 30 Strategic Plan continues the
Doug Alden at SNHMC 9/19/05 recent trend of increasing the activity. The most exciting proposal it to organize a half day spring workshop / training on Lean or Six Sigma. To pay for expanded expenses the Chapter will seek to revive previous sources of revenue beyond dues payments. The Chapter will also seek to expand its
FIVE PERSPECTIVES ON LEAN AND SIX SIGMA boundaries to include people previously served by
October Program Notice the now inactive Worcester and Merrimack Valley
By Matt Morrissette chapters.
October’s program will be a panel discussion on sustaining Lean and Six Sigma efforts from five different perspectives; executive, education,
Over the summer Officers developed draft plans for the coming year in their areas of responsibility.
These were discussed during a 3-hour strategic industrial engineering, consulting and key industry
Planning meeting held in early August and a segments. Panel Topic: “Best solutions for long term preliminary Strategic Plan was developed and growth and sustainability of Lean and Six Sigma”. submitted to National. Following a further
Moderated by the IIE board. exchange of e-mails and discussion at the
September some small refinements to the plan
The program location is at: were approved. The 2005-2006 Strategic Plan is
Instron Corporation summarized below and provided in full on the
Maker of Precision Measuring Instruments website.
825 University Ave Norwood, MA 02062
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Mission
To serve the needs of Industrial Engineers in Eastern
Massachusetts and Southern New Hampshire.
2005 – 2006 Goal
Improve the level of service as measured through and increases in participation, chapter membership and Chapter Activity Report scores.
Executive Summary
During the 2004 – 2005 program year the chapter plans to continue to increase it’s level of activity.
Budget
Expenses
Revenues
Net Revenue
Current Bank Balance
2004-05 2005-06
Actual Budge
$2,982.27
$5,459
$2,446.50
$4,910
($535.77) ($549)
$4,708.39
$4,173
Projected End of 2005 – 2006 Balance$4,172.62
$3,624
Highlights of the plan include:
•
7 or 8 chapter programs including a holiday
AMENDMENTS TO CONSTITUTION APPROVED social and a joint program with another
By John M. Corliss, Jr., PE organization
•
Organize a half day training workshop
•
Offering discounts and finder’s fees in an
Prior to the program on September 19, 2005, the chapter conducted a business meeting. Those
• effort to increase membership
Expanding the use of technology to members present approved the amendments to the
Constitution proposed by the Board of Directors communicate with and serve the membership unanimously. The most significant of these was
– the first step being the development of a changing the terms of office for the Board – it technology plan by early December. currently from January to December and will now
•
Continue to sponsor Student Chapter be from July to June. As part of this approval, the activities
•
Financially and otherwise encourage terms of current officers will be extended from
December to June. members to participate in Institute events and submit articles to Institute publications
•
Requesting that National poll members in the
The Chapter President named Khaled Elsaid and
Kathy Dawson-Townsend to a technology inactive Merrimack Valley and Worcester committee charged with development a long-term
Chapters to see if they would like to merge technology utilization plan for the Chapter. It is with the Boston Chapter hoped that the plan will be ready for implementation by the end of the year. Anyone interesting in
To pay for this expanded level of activity, the chapter joining the committee, please email plans to subsidize dues income by utilizing some of BostonIIE@comcast.net
. the Chapter’s savings, seeking advertisers for the chapter newsletter and seeking sponsors for chapter meetings. The Chapter will also develop a
The Chapter President also named Epek Ozer
Stillman to the Program Committee. membership development grant proposal and submit it to the Institute by November 1, 2005. Funding from the grant would pay to increase efforts to increase membership and might reduce some of the budget
NEW MEMBERS WELCOME subsidy from Chapter Savings.
By Robert Carey
The summary of the budget provided within the plan is:
We are very excited to welcome two new members to the chapter. The first is Janeth Castaneda who just recently graduated from the University of
Michigan – Dearborn. She just moved to Boston and we are really excited to have her get more involved with the chapter. In addition, we’d like to
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welcome Taylor Benjamin to the chapter. Also a recent graduate, Taylor has just started working in the Boston chapter and is joining IIE for the first time.
Attendees will learn how Adobe Acrobat 7.0 helps
AEC professionals learn best practices for automating and improving paper workflows and securely exchanging documents.
If you see either of these members at our next meeting, please be sure to welcome them. Finally,
We thought some of you might want to know about this informative event. If interested p
we are currently developing a number of new membership initiatives that we will be rolling out over
the next year.
JOB LISTING
•
Sr. Project Manager - Multi-Billion Dollar,
This client is looking to bring a senior level
LEAN VERSUS SIX SIGMA… AND THE WINNER
Location: CT, PA or Seattle, WA IS?
By Tim Noble industrial engineer in house to help maximize efficiency in their existing distribution Today’s competitive global business environment network and help support their continued leaves little room for error and inefficiency, which double digit growth. Experience in DC explains why Six Sigma and Lean have become optimization, layout, racking, slotting, part of today’s everyday business language. Many engineered labor standards, WMS, voice extol the virtues of these continuous improvement directed picking, etc. Food experience is a plus methods as a way to drive out waste and reduce but not a requirement. Base compensation variation in everything from customer service to
$85K-$95K plus bonus.
•
Sr. Project Manager - Multi-Billion Dollar, overall process performance. However, which continuous improvement methodology is more publicly traded, business to business prominent and popular? wholesaler - Location: PA
This client anticipates doubling their sales Based on the following three key indices, Six Sigma volume in the next 5 years. This position would be part of the distribution engineering team and still dominates Lean as the more prominent and popular methodology by a wide margin. take a lead role in the expansion of their distribution network. Experience managing facility retrofit and new DC construction as well as experience with automated material handling
Books Published : Over the past five years both methodologies have seen an explosion of books published covering their topics, which will only help equipment. Base compensation $80K - $90K plus bonus.
Contact Information:
Steven Deweese
Kimmel and Associates
828.251.9900 x 108
828.251.9955 fax www.kimmel.com
ADOBE ACROBAT 7 AEC SEMINAR
Adobe is holding a free seminar for AEC professionals in Boston the morning of October 19. to elevate the interest in Six Sigma and Lean as more business leaders become immersed in the published materials now being made available.
Each year, however, books published on the topic of Six Sigma consistently outpace Lean by a wide margin.
Internet Keyword Searches : Based on Internet search engine keyword search counts, Six Sigma search inquiries still outpace Lean inquiries by a 2-
1 or greater margin. However, keyword searches on Lean have been gaining ground recently.
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Job Board Postings : Based on Internet job board postings, the use of the keyword Six Sigma outpaces experiences. The implementation of IIE is significant to Boston University because our
Lean consistently by more than 50%. College of Engineering does not offer Industrial
Engineering as a major, and it will provide our
The difference in prominence between Six Sigma students insight and opportunity in an alternative and Lean may be due to the fact that Six Sigma has career choice. Our colleagues, as well as been able to move beyond its roots in manufacturing ourselves, are looking forward to not only visiting into other disciplines, while Lean is still largely companies, but also bringing industrial perceived as a tool to improve manufacturing professionals to the campus in order to inform and processes. This perception is changing as more and encourages future opportunities. more businesses across the board are looking to blend the best of each methodology to accelerate their continuous improvement efforts. Companies are increasingly realizing that these are truly By Taylor D Benjamin complementary tool sets and not necessarily
LETTER TO THE EDITOR competing philosophies.
In the end, the real winner is any company that successfully engages in some form of continuous improvement, regardless of whether it is Lean, Six
We use high pressure Extruders here and we are working on quick changeovers with the dies at the end of the machine, I was wondering if you knew of any local companies who use a single minute (or
Sigma, or some other well-executed approach.
Today there are few, if any, companies that can claim to have reached world-class performance without utilizing some form of continuous improvement close too) changeovers for high pressure that we could maybe visit so we could develop a better method of securing and quickly changing out the die. approach. World-class status is a constantly moving target defined by both your customers and your competitors. Without a continuous improvement approach you’re not even treading water in today’s global economy.
About the Author:
If anyone has a suggestion for Taylor, e-mail us at
Bostoniie@comcast.net
and we will pass it along.
QUESTION OF THE MONTH
By John Corliss and Kathy Dawson-Townsend
Tim Noble is the managing principal of The Avery
Point Group, a leading national executive search firm
providing functional expertise and executive search
focus in the areas of Six Sigma and Lean continuous
improvement. www.AveryPointGroup.com
.
BOSTON UNIVERSITY IIE CHAPTER STARTUP
By Chris Hubbard
Boston University is to become the newest chapter of the Institute of Industrial Engineers. Great
http://www.zoomerang.com/survey.zgi?p=WEB224PDM
TUPBC
enthusiasm has backed the establishment of IIE in
the prospect of strengthening the business aspect of our engineering community.
By bridging the gap between everyday schoolwork and industry, we plan to promote a better environment for successful engineers. Our chapter aims to familiarize students with the intricacies of industry through plant tours, speakers, and hands on
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Contact Information – 2005 Officers
President
John Corliss
7 River St.
Andover, MA 01810
(978) 273-4340 (H)
JCorliss-CA@comcast.net
Treasurer
Else Bettencourt
40 Colonial Drive, Unit # 3
Andover, MA 01810
(978) 474-4149 (H)
(508) 766-8118(W)
Else_Bettencourt@bose.com
Secretary
Carolyn Kelley
290 Wachusett St.
Holden, MA 01520
(978) 553-6617
Carolyn.kelley@intel.com
V.P. Programs
Matt Morrissette
10 Chestnut Circle
Mont Vernon, NH 03057
(603) 801-3923 (Cell)
Matt@MoreEffective.com
V.P. Membership
Robert Carey
1042 HBS Mail Center
Boston, MA 02163
(480) 797-4853 recarey@att.net
V.P. Public Relations
Khaled Elsaid
1706 Commonwealth ave. #33
Brighton, MA
(407) 342-9719 (W) khaled@biomodel.com
Director / University Rep.
James C. Benneyan, Ph.D.
Director, Quality & Productivity
Laboratory
Industrial and Mechanical
Engineering
334 Snell Engineering Center
Northeastern University
Boston, MA 02115
(617) 373-2975 (W) benneyan@coe.neu.edu
Director / WebMaster
Kathy Dawson-Townsend yooper@alum.mit.edu
General Directors:
Mike Deglialberti
51 Lancaster Road
Berlin, MA 01503
(978) 838-2074 (H)
(978) 553-6894 (W) mike.deglialberti@intel.com
Margaret King
10 Quinton Drive
Nashua, NH 03062
(603) 881-3331 (H) mck4410@comcast.net
Bob White
8 Pollard Road
Nashua, NH 03062-3117
(603) 880-8888 (H)
(978) 749-7649 (W)
BWhite@vicr.com
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