INTERN

ATIONA
L ISSUE

Navigating
shipping
challenges,
INDUSTRIAL AND SYSTEMS ENGINEERING AT WORK

NOVEMBER 2019 | Volume 51 | Number 11 | $21.50

tise

through Arctic passages

Making sustainability a habit

in all improvement efforts

Blending Six Sigma concepts

with lean to boost quality

Mind-body awareness helps

engineers’ problem-solving
REGISTER TODAY FOR AEC 2020!

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#AppliedErgo2020
 Table of Contents
November 2019 | Volume 51 | Number 11 | www.iise.org/ISEmagazine
Cover Story
Features 28
28 | Polar express lanes
The receding Arctic Ocean ice pack now leaves shipping routes navigable
for much of the year, but also offers challenges for ISEs to tackle.
By Thomas C. Sharkey, Thomas Birkland, Martha Grabowski, Marie Lowe
and William (Al) Wallace

34 | A sustainable mindset
Sustainability to eliminate waste, maximize
resources and serve social and environmental needs
should be factored into all improvement processes.
By Nadiye O. Erdil the Front line
40 | Best of both worlds 12 | Could hackers gridlock whole cities?
The right quality metrics for production processes 13 | Your pizza is here; be sure to tip the robot
can blend the methods of lean and Six Sigma 13 | IEs rank 9th in job growth for young professionals
into a process that measures and delivers more 34 14 | How ergonomic is your warehouse job?
customer satisfaction. 15 | In business, the world remains round
By Merwan Mehta LEAN
15 | Study reveals what hackers steal from hospital data
16 | Barging into the electric shipping lanes
44 | Connecting mind, body 16 | Robo-warriors on the front lines?
The journey to mindfulness is a mental mapping
technique that can help ISEs with their problem-
solving processes.
40 the institute
By Ashley J. Benedict 54 | Nominate the stars of ISE for Honors & Awards
54 | Winter entries open for
perspectives |
Rockwell Undergraduate Student Simulation
55 ELSS shares best problem-solving ideas
18 | Performance 55 | Health conference speakers offer expertise,
Not in the building 44 unique views
20 | Management |
56 New leaders, boards in place for societies
Ask me anything and divisions
22 | Health Systems 58 | Five new international chapters join IISE
Applying IISE’s BoK for capacity planning 60 | Kudos
61 | Chapter check-ins
24 | Manufacturing
What keeps you up at night? 54
26 | Systems Engineering
in every issue
When the tail wags the dog 6 | Editor’s Desk
14 | Dilbert
48 | Research
52 | Tools & Technologies
13 62 | Careers
63 | Training Time
66 | What’s Your Story?

4 ISE Magazine | www.iise.org/ISEmagazine

 LEADERSHIP AWARDS
Boeing Excellence Award for Collaboration in
Productivity, Workplace Safety and Ergonomics
Captains of Industry Award
Fellow Award
Frank and Lillian Gilbreth Industrial Engineering Award
George L. Smith International Award for Excellence in
Promotion of Industrial Engineering
Society for Engineering and Management Systems
Outstanding Management Achievement in Industrial
and Systems Engineering Award
Outstanding Early Career IE in Business/Industry
Sponsored by West Monroe Partners
Outstanding Middle Career IE Leadership Award for
Nominate Fellow Business/Industry

Members for EDUCATOR AWARDS

Albert G. Holzman Distinguished Educator Award
Dr. Hamed K. Eldin Outstanding Early Career IE in

IISE Honors Academia Award

Sponsored by Integrated Technology Systems
Innovations in Education Award

and Awards Sponsored by The Council of Industrial Engineering Academic

Department Heads

RESEARCH AWARDS
Recognize achievement through David F. Baker Distinguished Research Award
leadership, teaching, research, service or Graduate Research Award
Pritsker Doctoral Dissertation Award
academic pursuit. IISE honors and awards
highlight accomplishments of fellow IISE SERVICE TO PROFESSION AWARDS
Award for Technical Innovation in Industrial Engineering
members. Show your appreciation by Sponsored by the Department of Industrial Engineering and Management
Systems at the University of Central Florida
nominating a colleague, peer or student Fred C. Crane Distinguished Service Award
member for an IISE award. Members may IISE Cup
Medallion Award
not self-nominate with the exception of
Outstanding IISE Publication Award
the Innovations in Education Award, but Outstanding Innovation in Service Systems Engineering
Award
may make their interest known to Sponsored by Service Enterprise Engineering Advisory Board in the
Harold and Inge Marcus Department of Industrial and Manufacturing
colleagues and advisors. Engineering at Penn State University

www.iise.org/Honors SPECIALTY AWARDS

Awards for Excellence in Productivity Improvement
Honorary Member Award
Annual Conference Implemented Solutions Award
Deadline: Dec. 1 IISE/Joint Publishers Book-of-the-Year Award
Special Awards
UPS Award for Disabled Advancement
UPS Award for Women Advancement
UPS Minority Advancement Award

STUDENT AWARD
James W. Barany Student Award for Excellence

November 2019 | ISE Magazine 5

editor’s desk

Global challenges are

tailor-made for ISE savvy
When I joined IISE about a year ago, I quickly learned that the influ-
ence of industrial and systems engineering is felt worldwide. Since
then I have worked with numerous authors and members from around
the globe who contribute to ISE.
This international flavor was evident last spring at the IISE Annual
Conference & Expo 2019 in Orlando where members and chapters
from around the world filled the halls and workshops and took home
armfuls of awards. It also was seen in IISE elections that chose the first
president-elect from outside of the U.S., David Poirier from Toronto.
Ideas aimed at making work and the world better don’t stop at
any border. We saw that in ISE cover stories during the year that
focused on humanitarian aid (l k.iise.org/ISEApril19_Parris) and
supply chain management at a Haitian mission school (l k.iise.org/
ISEAug19_Neder), among others.
This month’s annual international issue features a timely topic start-
ing on Page 28: how the melting polar ice will affect shipping oppor-
tunities in the Arctic Sea, creating logistical challenges best addressed
by industrial and systems engineers. On Page 34, we continue that
theme with an article on sustainability as a core value practice.
To reach me, Climate change is a politically charged issue, and diving into that
email [email protected] whirlwind debate is not our goal. Whatever is to blame for rising
or call (770) 449-0461, ext. 106. temperatures, human activity or natural forces, it’s clear the oceans
are warming and melting the ice pack at both poles, clearly evident
in satellite images. With the ice receding, cargo freighters, oil tankers,
research vessels and tourist liners can navigate Arctic seas through the
Northwest Passage (Greenland and North America) and the Northern
Sea Route (Russia and Scandinavia) almost year-round, opening up
supply chain opportunities. In addition to the eight Arctic Council
nations that touch the region, China also is looking to cash in on this
new windfall.
But the authors also show how any economic benefits come with
many challenges. One is what happens if a vessel becomes disabled in
remote regions where harsh conditions and a lack of nearby infrastruc-
ture makes timely rescue operations all but impossible. The extra sea
traffic can strain limited communications, transportation and energy
resources and could have a negative impact on the indigenous popula-
tions. There’s also concern over the environmental effects of increased
carbon emissions and the risk of an oil spill in such an isolated area.
Even with politics set aside, these are sticky issues. It is yet another
area where problem-solvers around the globe must pool their expertise
to find the answers, proving that the world needs ISEs more than ever.

6 ISE Magazine | www.iise.org/ISEmagazine

 Executive Editor Art Director ISE serves the diverse audience of professionals and students whose common
Karen S. Barnett Tara Ott interest is industrial engineering. Our mission is to provide useful, interesting,
[email protected] (770) 449-0461 timely and thought-provoking content that addresses the broad spectrum of
(770) 449-0461, ext. 127 industrial engineering practice in all industries. As the pre-eminent voice of
Directors of Multimedia the profession, ISE strives to give readers information they can use to enhance
Managing Editor Exhibit Sales their professional capabilities, improve their organization’s performance and
Keith Albertson Hutson Lambert advance the development of their profession.
[email protected] Anita Lambert
(770) 449-0461, ext. 106 [email protected] In furtherance of this mission, we adhere to the following objectives:
[email protected] • To present accurate reporting and analysis of the most prevalent industrial
Web Managing Editor engineering topics
David Brandt Advertising Inquiries • To serve as a career development resource to students and professionals
[email protected] www.iise.org/advertise • To maintain high editorial standards, journalistic integrity and credibility
(770) 449-0461, ext. 116 • To support the mission of IISE in its service to members and the industrial
engineering profession

BOARD OF TRUSTEES
President Senior VP-at-Large, Industry Senior VP, Publications Secretary
Jamie Rogers, Ph.D., PE Carl Kirpes Candace Yano, Ph.D. Joseph Wilck, Ph.D., PE
University of Texas, Arlington Marathon Petroleum Corp. University of California, William & Mary
Berkeley
President-Elect and CFO Senior VP, North American IAB Representative
David Poirier Operations Senior VP, Bob Pudlo
The Poirier Group Kevin M. Taaffe, Ph.D. Technical Operations FedEx
Clemson University Amanda Mewborn
Immediate Past President Piedmont Healthcare Chief Executive Officer
Tim McGlothlin Senior VP, Don Greene, IISE
The Ergonomics Center Continuing Education VP of Student Development
J. Cole Smith, Ph.D. Dawn Strickland, Ph.D.
Senior VP-at-Large, Academic Syracuse University Georgia Tech
Janis Terpenny, Ph.D.
University of Tennessee, Knoxville Senior VP, International
Operations
Gül Kremer. Ph.D.
Iowa State University

POINTS OF CONTACT
Institute of Industrial Annual Conference Continuing Education Member and Customer Service
and Systems Engineers Bill Gibbs, ext. 126 and Corporate Training Brian Charles, ext. 102
3577 Parkway Lane, Suite 200 [email protected] Larry Aft, PE, ext. 130 [email protected]
Norcross, GA 30092 [email protected]
www.iise.org Chapters, Societies Operations
(770) 449-0461 and Divisions Corporate Partnerships Donna Calvert, ext. 108
Bill Boyd, ext. 122 and Strategic Alliances [email protected]
[email protected] Douglas Long, ext. 109
[email protected]

ISE (ISSN 1542-894X) is published monthly by the Institute of Industrial and Systems Engineers (IISE) at its Known Office of Publication of 3577 Parkway Lane, Suite 200, Norcross, GA 30092 USA. Copyright
© 2019 Institute of Industrial and Systems Engineers. Established 1969. Subscriptions for members included in annual dues, not deductible. Single copy $21.50. USA subscriptions: per year $248; two years $434;
three years $557. Outside U.S.: one year $307; two years $524; three years $711. Airmail $110 additional. Institutions and agencies, call for rates: (770) 449-0460. Editor’s Note: We treat all communications
as letters to the editor unless otherwise instructed. This publication is designed to provide accurate information in regard to the subject matter covered. It is provided and disseminated with the understanding
that the publisher is not engaged in rendering legal or other professional services. If legal advice or other expert assistance is required, the services of a competent professional should be sought. Content: Publication
does not constitute endorsement of any product or material, nor does IISE necessarily agree with the statements or opinions advanced at its meetings or printed in its publications. This magazine acts as a
moderator, without approving, disapproving, or guaranteeing the validity or accuracy of any data, claim, or opinion appearing under a byline or obtained or quoted from an acknowledged source. All issues of ISE are
available on microfilm or photocopy from University Microfilms, 300 Zeeb Rd., Ann Arbor, MI 48106. Photocopying and republishing permission for ISE content: Please submit a permission request for ISSN 1542-
894X using Copyright Clearance Center’s (CCC) online permission form on www.copyright.com. For assistance with submitting a request on www.copyright.com, call toll-free: 1-855-239-3415 or email: [email protected].

Postmaster: Send address changes to: ISE, 3577 Parkway Lane, Suite 200, Norcross, GA 30092. CPC Publication sales agreement #1459430. In Canada: ISE publications agreement #40031822. Canadian returns: Access
Worldwide, 1415 Janette Ave.,Windsor, ON N8X 1Z1. Printed in USA. Periodicals postage paid at Norcross, Ga., and at additional mailing offices.

8 ISE Magazine | www.iise.org/ISEmagazine

25+ Awards Available
Be recognized for your outstanding accomplishments and contributions to the industrial and
systems engineering field. Apply for an IISE society or division award!

 Energy Systems (ES) Outstanding Young Investigator Award

 Engineering Economy (EE) Industry Practitioner Award
 Engineering Economy (EE) Wellington Award
 Logistics & Supply Chain (LSC) Outstanding Industry Practitioner Award
 Manufacturing & Design (M&D) Outstanding Service Award
 Manufacturing & Design (M&D) Outstanding Young Investigator Award
 Operational Excellence (Opex) Best Practice Competition
 Quality Control & Reliability Engineering (QCRE) Golomski Award
 Sustainable Development (SD) Excellence in Sustainable Development Award

 Engineering Economy (EE) Teaching Award

 Logistics & Supply Chain (LSC) Teaching Award
 Modeling & Simulation (M&S) Teaching Award
 Operational Excellence (Opex) Teaching Award
 Operations Research (OR) Teaching Award
 Sustainable Development (SD) Teaching Award

 Construction Best Student Paper Competition

 Data Analytics & Information Systems (DAIS) Best Student Paper Competition
 Data Analytics & Information Systems (DAIS) Mobile App Competition
 Energy Systems (ES) Best Student Paper Competition
 Engineering Economy (EE) Best Student Paper Competition
 Logistics & Supply Chain (LSC) Best Student Paper Competition
 Logistics & Supply Chain (LSC) Student Case Competition
 Manufacturing & Design (M&D) Best Student Paper Competition
 Modeling & Simulation (M&S) Best Student Paper Competition
 Operational Excellence (Opex) Best Student Paper Competition
 Operations Research (OR) Undergraduate Student Research Dissemination Competition
 Quality Control & Reliability Engineering (QCRE) Best Student Paper Competition
 Society for Engineering & Management Systems (SEMS) Best Student Paper Competition
 Sustainable Development (SD) Best Student Paper Competition

Learn more!
www.iise.org/SDAwards
 CONNECTING@IISE
ELSS 2019 Chatter IISE
Participants’ shared posts on Twitter and LinkedIn from the BigData sessions are all the rage at ELSS 2019!
Engineering Lean & Six Sigma Conference held Sept. 23-25
in Houston.

Crystal Y. Davis
Yesterday at ELSS 2019 was simply amazing. From
the opening keynote by Dr. Peter Pisters of MD An-
derson Cancer Center to the luncheon keynote from David B.
Reid, PE, of Chick-fil-A to the featured presentation on “Is AI
and Data Science the Future of Lean Six Sigma?” by Dr. Ben
Amaba, Ph.D., PE, CPIM, LEED AP and Michael Testani to
the plethora of concurrent sessions presented by students and LeighAnn Schildmeier
professionals. We concluded with a town hall with the IISE I love making learning fun! Thank you, iisenet for the oppor-
Opex Division. The content has been superb! tunity to share Kata at ELSS 2019. Looking forward to doing
it again!
Michael Testani
Thank you, Crystal, for hosting a wonderful event! The IISE
community (and ELSS enthusiasts) is perfectly positioned to
take advantage of the data sciences and artificial intelligence David J. Soukup, PE, CAE, Managing Director,
wave that is upon us. I look forward to future IISE events! Governance, ASME
NIOSH Lifting Guideline
Ben Amaba One component of the NIOSH Lifting Guideline is the verti-
What an excellent venue where we would apply industrial, cal starting distance V. The factor enters into the equation as
systems and software engineering principles to advance arti- (1-.0075/V-30/). I believe this means the “optimal” starting
ficial intelligence and data sciences technology to benefit the distance off the ground is 30 inches. Why is this value fixed at
community. Thank you, Crystal, and the IISE ELSS com- 30 inches and not a function of the height of the individual lift-
munity. ing the object? That is, why is 30 inches the same “optimum”
for someone who is 5 feet tall as for someone who is 7 feet tall?
James Swisher
Is Chick-fil-A considering adding shark to its menu? You Nancy Black, Ph.D., Ing., Moncton, New Bruns-
have to attend ELSS 2019 to find out how everybody’s favor- wick, Canada
ite fast casual restaurant is improving processes and wowing Re: NIOSH Lifting Guideline
customers. Great questions! The equation assumes an American Adult
population and from that infers approximate anthropometry.
Bob Myers I believe, 30 inches is about extended arm height (form the
Just finished AWESOME floor) when standing. You are absolutely correct that it ignores
panel discussion of lean vs the evident changes in anthropometric height between a 5 foot
Six Sigma. Ended in mar- tall person and someone who is 7 feet tall. It is the simplicity –
riage ceremony. NICE! power trade-off.

10 ISE Magazine | www.iise.org/ISEmagazine

 Instagram LinkedIn

Casey Spansel Tara Zahnke

“Just some light reading this morning ...” Regional Industrial Engineer at Crate and Barrel
(Sharing the ISE September 2019 issue with Time well spent listening to the “Industrial Engineering & Es-
her article, “Always a better way: The staying sentialism” episode of the Institute of Industrial and Systems
power of an ISE career.”) Engineers Podcast. Really great insight on how Industrial En-
gineers apply the ideas of Continuous Improvement in both
IISE Greater Miami their profession & in their personal life, and a great discussion
What an amazing start to a project that has been in our presi- the importance of implementing these ideas into workplace
dent’s mind for a while! This was @iisegreatermiami Chapter culture.
40 kickoff meeting. I, Maria Carolina, wanted to write this to
thank everyone that believed in this project and help me get
it off the ground! I could certainly have not done without the
help of a fantastic team! Share and discuss

We’d love to hear from you. Send letters to the editor to Keith Albertson
at [email protected] or be retro and mail them to his attention
at 3577 Parkway Lane, Suite 200, Norcross, GA 30092. And join
the discussion on IISE’s social media sites. Go to connect.iise.org or
www.iise.org/networking to get into the conversation.

Don't miss IISE's new

podcast, Problem Solved!
The road from student to young
professional, transmitting institutional
knowledge at NASA, the Toyota Production
System applied to disaster response,
industrial engineering at Chick-fil-A – all are
topics covered in the latest episodes of
“Problem Solved: The IISE Podcast.”

Visit podcast.iise.org – or wherever you

download your favorite podcasts.
podcast.iise.org
Add some IISE education and enthusiasm
to your day!

November 2019 | ISE Magazine 11

 The front line News from the field

Could hackers gridlock whole cities?

Researchers say bad actors taking over connected vehicles could snarl traffic

Photo by Georgia Tech

The rush hour of the future could face a problem unforeseen in
the days before internet of things connectivity: a hacked vehicle
shutting down city traffic.
Physicists at Georgia Tech have begun a study to simulate
what it would take for such hackers to create widespread havoc
by randomly stranding cars during heavy travel periods. They
want to expand the discussion on automotive cybersecurity,
which otherwise is focused on hacks that could crash one vehi-
cle or endanger pedestrians. They also warn that even with in-
creasingly tighter cyber defenses, the amount of data breached
has soared in the past four years, but objects vulnerable to hack-
ing are a potential menace.
“Unlike most of the data breaches we hear about, hacked
cars have physical consequences,” said Peter Yunker, co-leader
of the study and an assistant professor in Georgia Tech’s School
of Physics.
It may not be that hard for state, terroristic, or mischievous
Georgia Tech researchers showed how a single hacked
actors to commandeer parts of the internet of things, including
vehicle can snarl commuter traffic, shown in the top
cars.
illustration. Stranded self-driving or other connected cars
“With cars, one of the worrying things is that currently
are designated with a red stop sign on their roofs. The
there is effectively one central computing system, and a lot runs lower image depicts situations in which a few stranded
through it. You don’t necessarily have separate systems to run cars can block traffic without shutting down all lanes by
your car and run your satellite radio. If you can get into one, becoming impediments that other cars can’t circumvent.
you may be able to get into the other,” said Jesse Silverberg of
Multiscale Systems, Inc., who co-led the study. or Los Angeles, and we think hackers could do worse harm
In simulations of hacked IoT-connected cars, researchers because a grid makes you more robust with redundancies to get
froze traffic in Manhattan nearly solid, and say it would take to the same places down many different routes,” Yunker said.
even less to create a mess. Researchers also did not factor in ensuing public panic nor
“Randomly stalling 20 percent of cars during rush hour car occupants becoming pedestrians that could further block
would mean total traffic freeze. At 20 percent, the city has streets or cause accidents. Nor did they consider hacks that
been broken up into small islands, where you may be able to would target cars at locations that maximize trouble. But they
inch around a few blocks, but no one would be able to move do have general ideas of how to reduce potential damage.
across town,” said David Yanni, a graduate research assistant in “Split up the digital network influencing the cars to make it
Yunker’s lab. impossible to access too many cars through one network,” said
Not all cars would have to be connected, just enough for lead author Skanka Vivek, a postdoctoral researcher in Yunker’s
hackers to stall 20% of those on the road. Hacking 10% of all lab. “If you could also make sure that cars next to each other
cars at rush hour would debilitate traffic enough to prevent can’t be hacked at the same time that would decrease the risk of
emergency vehicles from being able to navigate through traffic. them blocking off traffic together.”
“Manhattan has a nice grid, and that makes traffic more effi- The researchers’ results appeared in the journal Physical Re-
cient. Looking at cities without large grids like Atlanta, Boston, view E in July 2019.

12 ISE Magazine | www.iise.org/ISEmagazine

Your pizza is here; be sure to tip the robot
Starship expands autonomous food-delivery service on US college campuses

Imagine getting hungry while cramming for a college exam

and ordering a pizza delivery. But rather than having your food
brought by a human driver, your meal arrives piping hot cour-
tesy of a robot.
Students at George Mason University and Northern Arizona
University have enjoyed this scenario since early in the year.
The company behind those robots, Starship Technologies, now
has raised $40 million led by Morpheus Ventures to expand its
service to 100 college campuses.
The San Francisco-based company rolled out its cooler-size
robots at University of Pittsburgh and Purdue University over
the summer. Starship CEO Lex Bayer told Forbes of plans to
add several new universities each month until it reaches 100
in 2021.
“It doesn’t make sense for a person in a two-ton vehicle
Starship’s food delivery robots use artificial intelligence to
to deliver a burrito to me,” said Bayer, a former executive at
negotiate their way through streets to deliver meals on several
Airbnb who joined Starship as CEO last year. Skype cofound- U.S. college campuses.
ers Ahti Heinla and Janus Friis launched Starship in 2014.
For the first four years, the Starship team developed its au- Donuts for a flat fee of $1.99.
tonomous driving technology, a smaller version of self-driving The robots run from early morning through late night, rain
cars. The robots use sensors, cameras and radar to navigate or shine, traveling at 4 miles per hour, equivalent of a fast walk-
streets, aided by artificial intelligence and premapped locations. ing pace.
A command-and-control center in Washington monitors the “By design, they are unintimidating. They are smart and
robots and can step in if one runs into trouble along the way. cute and polite,” Bayer said.
Bayer expects Starship’s fleet to total 500 to 1,000 robots by Starship said that it has completed 100,000 deliveries with
year’s end. its robots since launch and traveled 350,000 miles, a figure that
Starship is focused on college campuses, where food delivery Bayer says makes it “literally miles and miles ahead” of the
demand is consistently high. It delivers food from local restau- competition.
rants such as Einstein Bros. Bagels, Blaze Pizza and Dunkin’ “The universities are pulling us forward,” Bayer said.

Prime Number
IEs rank 9th in job growth for young professionals
Bureau of Labor Statistics data from 2014 and 2018 show that industrial engineering ranks No. 9 in the U.S.
among fastest growing jobs for young professionals. The BLS data show a 55% growth rate from 44,000
jobs in 2014 to 68,000 in 2018. The list compiled by Yahoo News ranked percentage growth by oc-
cupation for jobs with greater than 15,000 people between the ages of 25 and 34 during that
span, including only occupations that require a bachelor’s degree or higher. Eight of the top
10 fastest-growing jobs for young professionals have a median annual income greater
than $80,000, and four of the 10 have median salaries in six figures (human
resources managers at No. 1, nurse practitioners No. 2, physician assistants
No. 5 and software developers No. 7). Three of the top 10 fastest-grow-
ing jobs for young professionals are tech-focused, including database
administrators, software developers and computer systems analysts; all
have median annual salaries of greater than $80,000.

November 2019 | ISE Magazine 13

 frontline
line

How ergonomic is your warehouse job?

thefront

Washington researchers seek app to monitor workers for risky behaviors

the

Workers in factories and warehouses face the daily risk of

muscular injuries due to repeated tasks and lifting require-
ments. In 2017, 350,000 incidents were logged of workers
taking sick leave due to injuries affecting muscles, nerves,
ligaments or tendons, according to the U.S. Bureau of La-
bor Statistics. People who work in factories and warehouses
were among those reporting the most injury cases.
Researchers at the University of Washington have used
machine learning to develop a new system that can moni-
tor factory and warehouse workers and tell them how risky
their behaviors are in real time. The algorithm divides up
a series of activities – such as lifting a box off a high shelf,
carrying it to a table and setting it down – into individual sometimes they would have to stretch their arms, twist their
actions and then calculates a risk score associated with each bodies or bend to pick something up.”
action. The researchers captured their dataset using a Microsoft
The team published its results this year in IEEE Robotics Kinect camera, which recorded 3D videos that allowed
a d Automatio Letters. them to map out what was happening to the participants’
“Right now workers can do a self-assessment where they joints during each task. Using the data, the algorithm first
fill out their daily tasks on a table to estimate how risky learned to compute risk scores for each video frame. Then
their activities are,” said senior author Ashis Banerjee, an it progressed to identifying when a task started and ended
assistant professor in industrial and systems engineering and so that it could calculate a risk score for an entire action.
mechanical engineering at UW. “But that’s time consum- Now the team is developing an app that factory workers
ing, and it’s hard for people to see how it’s directly ben- and supervisors can use to monitor in real time the risks
efiting them. Now we have made this whole process fully of their daily actions and provide warnings for moderately
automated.” risky actions and alerts for high-risk actions. Eventually the
Moving to video is more accurate, but it requires a new researchers want robots in warehouses or factories to be able
way to add up the scores. To train and test the algorithm, to use the algorithm to help keep workers healthy.
the team created a dataset containing 20 three-minute vid- “Now that people are starting to work in settings where
eos of people doing 17 activities that are common in ware- robots are used, we have a unique opportunity to split up
houses or factories. the work so that the robots are doing the risky jobs,” Baner-
“One of the tasks we had people do was pick up a jee said. “Robots and humans could have an active collabo-
box from a rack and place it on a table,” said first author ration, where a robot can say, ‘I see that you are picking up
Behnoosh Parsa, a UW mechanical engineering doctoral these heavy objects from the top shelf and I think you may
student. “We wanted to capture different scenarios, so be doing that a lot of times. Let me help you.”

Dilbert © 2018 Scott Adams. Used by permission of Andrews McMeel Syndication. All rights reserved.

14 ISE Magazine | www.iise.org/ISEmagazine

 In business, the world remains round
Book o
Redefining Global Strategy reveals why some global strategies fail f the Mo
nth

Succeeding in the global economy requires more flexibility and adaptability than some powerful
brands may realize. In a new release of his book Redefi i g Global Strategy: Crossi g Borders i orld
Where Differe ces Still Matter, economist Pankaj Ghemawat offers thoughts on why many global
strategies fail despite companies’ apparent advantages. He says their biggest mistake is to create one-
size-fits-all strategies driven by the illusion of a borderless, “flat” world that doesn’t take into ac-
count what he describes as “the CAGE model:” cultural, administrative, geographic and economic
differences between countries at the industry level. Borders still matter, he asserts, and like politics,
most economic activity is local; thus, accounting for regional characteristics is vital. “Most types of
economic activity that can be conducted either within or across borders are still quite localized by
country,” he writes. Examples of such include language barriers, cultural and religious sensitivity,
governmental and trade policies, financial systems, standards of living, disposable incomes and actual distance that can
have an effect. He offers examples of companies who have expanded worldwide successfully and why, as well as others
that have not and where they went wrong. After detailing some of these differences, the author offers strategies to create
global value based on adaption, aggregation (overcoming differences), arbitrage (exploiting differences) and other tools
to find success across borders.
Redefi i g Global Strategy is published by Harvard Business Review Press, $35.

Study reveals what hackers steal from hospital data

Stolen personal information can lead to financial theft, researchers show

When hospitals are hacked, the public hears about the num- Over 70% of the breaches compromised sensitive de-
ber of victims – but not what information the cybercrimi- mographic or financial data that could lead to identity
nals stole. New research from Michigan State University theft or financial fraud. More than 20 breaches compro-
and Johns Hopkins University is the first to uncover the mised sensitive health information, which affected 2 mil-
specific data leaked through hospital breaches, sounding lion people.
alarm bells for nearly 170 million people. “Without understanding what the enemy wants, we can-
“The major story we heard from victims was how com- not win the battle,” Bai said. “By knowing the specific
promised, sensitive information caused financial or reputa- information hackers are after, we can ramp up efforts to
tion loss,” said John (Xuefeng) Jiang, lead author and MSU protect patient information.”
professor of accounting and information systems. “A crimi- The researchers suggest that the Department of Health
nal might file a fraudulent tax return or apply for a credit and other regulators formally collect the types of informa-
card using the social security number and birth dates leaked tion compromised in a data breach to help the public assess
from a hospital data breach.” the potential damages.
Until now, researchers have not been able to classify Hospitals and other healthcare providers, Jiang said, could
the kind or amount of public health information leaked effectively reduce data breach risks by focusing on securing
through breaches, thus never getting an accurate picture of information if they have limited resources.
breadth or consequences. Jiang noted that the Department of Health and Human
The findings, published in A als of I ter al Medici e, Services and Congress recently proposed rules that encour-
encompass 1,461 breaches that happened between October age more data-sharing, which increases the risks for breach-
2009 and July 2019. Jiang and co-author Ge Bai, associate es. He said that he and Bai plan to work with lawmakers
professor of accounting at Johns Hopkins Carey Business and industries by providing practical guidance and advice
School and Bloomberg School of Public Health, discovered using their academic findings.
that 169 million people have had some form of information The full paper can be viewed at https://l k.iise.org/hospital
exposed because of hackers. data.

November 2019 | ISE Magazine 15

 frontline
line

Barging into the electric shipping lanes

thefront

Dutch company launches large ‘Tesla ships’ — all-electric container vessels

the

Photo courtesy of Port-Liner

The Dutch company Port-Liner is building two giant all-
electric barges dubbed the “Tesla ships” that were scheduled
to launch this year in the Netherlands.
The 100 million-euro project supported by a 7 million-
euro subsidy from the European Union is expected to have
a significant impact on local transport between the ports of
Amsterdam, Antwerp, and Rotterdam.
“There are some 7,300 inland vessels across Europe and
more than 5,000 of those are owned by entrepreneurs in
Belgium and the Netherlands. We can build upwards of 500
a year, but at that rate it would take some 50 years to get
the industry operating on green energy,” chief executive of
Port-Liner Ton van Meegen told The Loadstar.
The battery-powered barges are capable of carrying 280
containers. The first six barges are expected to remove
23,000 trucks from the roads annually in the Netherlands
and replace them with zero-emission transport. Port-Liner
is developing its own vessels, but they developed a battery
pack technology that houses the batteries inside a container.
Meegen says that it could allow them to retrofit existing
barges.
“This allows us to retrofit barges already in operation,
which is a big boost for the industry’s green energy creden-
tials. The containers are charged onshore by carbon-free Port-Liner’s all-electric barges were scheduled to launch this
energy provider Eneco, which sources solar power, wind- year in the Netherlands. The ships are 110 meters long with a
container capacity of up to 280 TEU (20-foot equivalent units)
mills and renewables.”
and can accommodate 14 containers of 20 feet or 7 containers
The first vessels were scheduled to complete their maiden
of 40 feet, or any combination of the two sizes.
voyage late in 2019.

Quote, unquote
Robo-warriors on the front lines? Photo by Michael Mercier, UAH

“We’re at a unique point with the development of the technology

where automated systems or platforms are no longer a tool but a
teammate that is incorporated into our day-to-day experiences. So
we’re looking at commercial platforms that offer the same systems
but in different forms to see whether a certain appearance or char-
acteristic affects the user and in what way. … We want to know
things like, does a robot with wheels or a track fit better with our Assistant professor of psychology Nathan
expectation of what we should be sending to war versus a humanoid Tenhundfeld, left, recently established the
Advanced Teaming, Technology, Automation and
robot? And, does having a face on the robot affect whether we want
Computing Lab to study human-machine teaming.
to put it in harm’s way?”

— Nathan Tenhundfeld, an assistant professor in the Department of Psychology at The University of Alabama in Huntsville. He and a
colleague at the U.S. Air Force Academy are researching human-automation interaction, including the U.S. Department of Defense’s
push to use robots in combat.

16 ISE Magazine | www.iise.org/ISEmagazine

 oc k we ll U n d erg ra d u a te S tudent
R ri z e s!
p e ti ti o n : W in C a sh P
Simulation Com

What: Advance your skills by entering the IISE Undergraduate Student Sponsored by:
Simulation Competition, sponsored by Rockwell Automation.

Who: Teams of three undergraduate students, plus an adviser.

When: The submission deadline is Jan. 6, 2020. ®

Why: First Place: $5,000 to the team, plus $500 to the team’s chapter
Second Place: $2,500 to the team, plus $250 to the team’s chapter
Third Place: $1,500 to the team, plus $250 to the team’s chapter

How: 1. Submit an entry form, found at www.iise.org/ArenaCompetition.

2. Rockwell will provide all teams with a real-world situational case study for analysis.
3. Teams have eight weeks to develop and submit their solutions.
4. Three finalist teams are selected to present their solutions for final judging at the IISE Annual Conference
& Expo, May 30 – June 2, 2020, in New Orleans, Louisiana. Finalist teams receive $1,250 for travel
expenses as well as complimentary conference registrations and tickets to the Honors & Awards Banquet.

Enter your team at

www.iise.org/ArenaCompetition
November 2019 | ISE Magazine 17
performance

Not in the building

O
By Kevin McManus

One of the challenges in attempting to on-site 30 minutes or so a day. The rest in transit than at the office. Nurses and
install high performance work practices of their work time was spent delivering doctors might be in the hospital or clin-
is deploying new ways of doing things or picking up freight. ic, but they can’t be easily pulled away
at all levels of the workforce. When I Freeing these people up for an hour from their regular jobs for long and still
first entered into formal process im- a week to attend an improvement team provide patient care. Sharing the ”new
provement, this challenge was un- meeting or a training session was a way of doing things” with groups such
known to me. My difficulty was more challenge. They needed to be on the as these requires strategies and tactics
due to the fact that I had only worked move to generate value and they could with a front-line leader focus.
in “one building companies” than it be hours away by the time a meeting Today’s workplace is becoming more
was grounded in my relative newness. was scheduled. What quickly became remotely located. People spend smaller
In fact, I worked for 10 years in the evident was that I could not be the pri- percentages of their work time in a
formal process improvement arena be- mary driver of the deployment effort. I common workplace and more time in a
fore the challenges of deploying new was going to need consistent help from virtual workplace. How we communi-
ideas to remote workers became bru- front-line leadership. cate with and support our remote staff
tally evident. My first four em- is key. When people are not in
ployers were manufacturers. the building, every interaction
While the first two wanted to we have with them sends a mes-
use teams to improve processes,
People spend smaller percentages sage about what is expected and
they were satisfied with limited of their work time in a common accepted.
engagement. In turn, finding Unfortunately, we may not be
folks to form a few teams was
workplace and more time in a managing the quality of these
not difficult. virtual workplace. interactions. How effectively
My next two employers were are you deploying your process
part of large corporate net- improvement vision and tools?
works. While they desired higher levels As my career progressed, I worked How effectively are you engaging the
of participation, I was not tasked with more with nonmanufacturing groups. people who don’t work in the office for
spreading the word across multiple I became more familiar with the chal- most of the day? Who’s in your build-
sites, so the deployment challenge was lenge of trying to shape a culture or ing? 
not apparent. That all changed when teach new skills to people when they
I took on a role at an 18-site regional are not in the building for most of their Kevi cMa us is a performa ce improve-
freight carrier. workday. me t coach based i ai ier, Orego , chief
Two types of challenges became evi- Most importantly, I learned the val- excelle ce officer for Great Systems! a d a
dent as I tried to get the different lead- ue and importance of redesigning the 38-year member of IISE. He has served as
ership and process teams on the same front-line leader’s job to help “encour- a dustrial e gi eer, trai i g ma ager, pro-
page across multiple sites. First, each age” the consistent and effective spread ductio a ager, pla t ma ager a d director
site had its own work culture. Second, of new process improvement vision and of quality. McMa us is a lum i exami er
more than half of the workforce at these practices. a atio al judge for the Malcolm Baldrige
locations spent little time in the ”of- Construction crews, for example, Natio al Quality Award. Reach him at
fice.” In particular, drivers were only spend more time at a customer’s site or kevi @greatsystems.com.

18 ISE Magazine | www.iise.org/ISEmagazine

 The new
generation of
training –
customizable
Lean Six Sigma 4.0
Lean Six Sigma training in the era of Industry 4.0 requires customization, flexibility
and value for money – and that’s what IISE and UL’s partnership has delivered. Pick
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management

Ask me anything

A
By Paul Engle

A client recently implemented weekly used enterprise tools like Zoom. Many ment’s commitment to transparency.
live video sessions where team members options are available; select those that fit Next, our client provided a convenient
ask company leaders anything. Ques- your audience profile. site to submit questions anonymously or
tions are submitted beforehand via email Second, many groups prefer to focus with names. Questions were provided
or asked in real time. The goals include on a single topic while others leave ses- beforehand for accurate responses. The
gaining trust, understanding concerns, sions open-ended. Our client organized speakers also developed questions and
instilling a sense of confidence, provid- sessions by function and invited only answers around current topics.
ing feedback and engaging with a geo- those who were directly connected. Lastly, our client promoted the events
graphically diverse group. Next, leadership provided speakers and encouraged staff to submit questions.
While some may view this as superfi- who were either subject matter experts This allows targeted team members to
cial or phony, others value each session as for narrowly focused events or senior plan their schedules and signals that lead-
an effective means to reach a large audi- leadership for broader sessions. The latter ership views open communication and
ence with timely, relevant information. provided an opportunity to effectively transparency as important.
Ask Me Anything originated on Red- disseminate information and allowed Many companies view this as risky.
dit allowing users to pose questions in management to gain valuable insights. Their communications often are more
communities and field answers. The Our experience indicates that the formal, high level and one-way. Man-
questions concern nearly any topic agement carefully provides informa-
and anyone can answer. tion to protect company secrets and
Our client has taken this concept Genuine, transparent speakers limit access to data valuable to com-
one step further by providing a live petitors. Some leaders don’t want to
video link. Experts estimate that up
generate trust and engagement. be “put on the spot” with direct ques-
to 90% of communication is visual. tions. While these are valid risks, such
Providing a video link not only captures speakers and their credibility deter- companies may not effectively engage
the message but offers important visual mine the success or failure of Ask Me and develop trust.
cues of how leaders react to certain top- Anything events. Genuine, transparent Ask Me Anything campaigns provide
ics, offering context to each answer. speakers generate trust and engagement. two-way communication and level-set
Many platforms offer this type of live Superficial presenters may be viewed as understanding across the organization.
interaction online. They may be initiated deceptive or less than candid, reinforcing Trust and engagement are bolstered.
in small groups or an extended audience. feelings of distrust. Rumors may be quashed. Team mem-
Social Media Examiner, a website Fourth, schedule live Ask Me Any- bers may gain confidence in their leader-
providing advice for social media, pub- thing when most users are active. Early ship, especially during difficult times. 
lished a guide to successful Ask Me Any- morning or late nights may not gener-
thing events. Expert Sarah Aboulhosn ate much engagement. Holding sessions Paul E gle is a ma ageme t co sulta t
recommends the following steps. during regular working hours encour- with a BA i a ce. He has more
First, select the most appropriate social ages team members to participate and tha 0 years of experie ce i a ageme t,
media platform, determined by target communicates the event’s importance. operatio s, product developme t, sales a d
audience. Our client’s audience consisted Recording sessions for review by team marketi g, strategic pl i g d busi ess
of internal team members so leadership members who may not be available for process improveme t. You may co tact him at
ruled out public social media sites and live sessions further signals manage- paulfe [email protected].

20 ISE Magazine | www.iise.org/ISEmagazine

Spring is the perfect time to be in New Orleans. And New Orleans is the perfect site for IISE’s
Annual Conference & Expo 2020. Only optimal solutions and decision-making – the kind you
can learn about and from at #IISEAnnual2020 – can keep this vibrant city thriving.

So come learn how to transform your enterprise while experiencing:

Jazz • Creole cuisine • Garden District • The French Quarter

www.iise.org/Annual #IISEAnnual2020
health systems

Applying IISE’s BoK for capacity planning

H
By Tarun Mohan Lal

Healthcare delivery challenges are healthcare providers require a special surrounding area to treat noncritical
increasingly becoming more com- focus on long-term capacity planning patients. This would be extremely ef-
plex and continue to work toward to realize economies of scale and tri- fective in reducing the overall cost of
improving patient outcomes (qual- aging of patients appropriately to the care for the system and improve value
ity and safety), reducing cost of care right care delivery setting at the right of care delivered.
and improving access to care. These time. The dynamic complexity of such Similarly, with the continued
issues are interwoven with multiple public health-dependent problems growth of digital methods of care de-
interdependencies and interdigitating makes tools like systems dynamics livery, a system dynamics model can
relationships rendering current basic better suited. assess the impact of changing prac-
problem-solving methods less ef- tice methods to more “nontra-
fective; thus, creating a need for ditional” care options instead
more robust mathematical and an- A system dynamics model can of traditional office visits with
alytic strategies inherent in indus- a physician. A system dynamics
trial engineering tools as outlined
assess the impact of changing model allows the opportunity to
in the IISE Body of Knowledge, practice methods to more conduct “what if?” experimenta-
https://l k.iise.org/BoK. tion based on patient acceptance
System dynamics is one such
“nontraditional” care options and appropriate educational in-
tool or method, outlined in Chap- instead of traditional office visits terventions.
ter 2 of the Body of Knowledge, In addition to system dynam-
Operations Research and Analy- with a physician. ics, several other methods out-
sis, that can prove to be beneficial lined in the BoK Chapter 2 can
in making strategic decisions in the As an example, a system dynamics prove to be very valuable in deter-
healthcare ecosystem. model used to study a regional emer- mining necessary capacity. Simulation
System dynamics is a highly abstract gency and urgent care system by mod- modeling, queuing theory, integer
method of modeling that focuses on eling a high-level patient flow can be programming and dynamic program-
representing the system structure and used to test various policy scenarios for ming have proven to be valuable for
behavior through causal loop dia- showing the additional type and kind outpatient clinic planning, surgical
grams and detailed stock-and-flow of capacity required. To avoid over- scheduling, appointment scheduling,
diagrams for qualitative analysis of the crowding and increased length of stay facility planning and staffing studies.
system. Its ability to ignore minor de- within an emergency department, the In summary, operations research
tails of individual properties of people, model helps determine the number of and analysis tools can be extremely
products or events, unlike in discrete additional urgent care centers neces- beneficial for capacity planning at stra-
event simulation, produces a general sary within the community to release tegic and operational levels. 
representation of the complex system the stress.
being studied. Further, the model can be expanded Taru oha al is a dustrial e gi eer
The increasing baby boomer patient to study the influence of creating a who works at Navice t Health i eorgia as
population and a focus on popula- hub hospital that would treat complex the chief a alytics a d solutio s officer. He ca
tion health management and merg- medical conditions and show how to be reached at mo lal.taru @gmail.com.
ers among several community-based utilize other smaller hospitals in the

22 ISE Magazine | www.iise.org/ISEmagazine

Tour … Listen to keynote speakers …
Gulfstream Aerospace: Hear Alex Knight, BSc, MBA, CEng: This TOC pioneer
from production managers and can help you un-constrain your health system.
mechanics how real-time
continuous improvement builds Victor M. Montori, M.D., Mayo Clinic: Top U.S.
and services $65 million business clinical researcher aims for a patient revolution.
jets with a view not only toward
production but the health and
safety of the workforce.
Build your network …
Historic Savannah Experience:
Ride trolleys, visit distinctive, Receptions, student gatherings, speed
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house museums and a exhibitors, one-on-one conversations with
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www.iise.org/HSPI | #HSPI2020
November 2019 | ISE Magazine 23
manufacturing

What keeps you up at night?

I
By Paul Templin

If quality is something every company with known safety margins. Competi- cycle of the product, failures can be accel-
could do better, reliability is what we do tion and engineering hubris pushes them erated. Mapping these cases under more
but are never sure how well we did it. to squeeze existing designs and generate realistic conditions is desirable but often
Reliability gives us happy customers and out-of-the-box revolutionary ones. This not possible. The result is often anxiety or
often safer products, but the conundrum is a risky proposition. lack of confidence in the results. Are the
is the same: How do you test the possible Component level testing is another accelerated results reliable?
failures your product faces? How do you method to identify risky design elements The next arrow in the quiver is statis-
accelerate product life without creating if the critical-to-function parameters of tics. Using Weibull modeling and Monte
new failure modes or missing late-in-life a larger assembly are understood. Stress Carlo techniques, limited sample-sized
failures? How do you do all of this in a and life testing at a component level are testing is used to predict the frequency
realistic, cost-effective way? very effective. Yet the critical linkages of failure for a larger population. Test to
Failures in reliability can be very pub- between component level performance failure is the critical element often vio-
lic, expensive and embarrassing. Who can and system level performance are often lated for reasons of expediency, cost or
forget the failure to grasp the limita- schedule. While widely used, sta-
tions of the mechanical properties of tistical techniques like Weibull are
the O-ring used in the Space Shuttle Reliable products are the result often applied without sufficient
Challenger? Aerospace provides us appreciation for the underlying sta-
with public and very dangerous ex-
of the thoughtful application tistical assumptions. In other cases,
amples of failure because the systems of a variety of methods and changes in the design over time
designed are complex and safety is create uncertainty about modeled
critical. But every product requires
techniques. results. While widely used, these
some amount of reliable operation. techniques are usually viewed with
Fortunately, in most cases, lives are not not well understood. Component level caution and pessimism.
at stake, but the fortunes of many com- performance often has to be tested within Other techniques exist but each has
panies are. a complex and noisy system, leaving the its own limitations. Similar to the ap-
So how do you make a reliable product? results open to interpretation and bias. plication of lean methodology, reliable
Perhaps the most critical way is the de- Did the failure occur because of compo- products are the result of the thoughtful
sign itself. Using design reviews and fail- nent level reliability or because of some application of a variety of methods and
ure modes and effects analysis (FMEA), type of system noise? The answer is often techniques. Discipline and time are re-
reliability can be designed in and poor unclear. quired. Shortcuts and haste create addi-
reliability can be guarded against. Expe- Accelerated testing is the next line of tional risk but there are no magic bullets
rienced engineers know how to produce defense. Many failure modes do not oc- and some level of risk has to be managed
thoughtful, intelligent designs. Leverag- cur at the beginning of life; time might and planned for. 
ing the experience of engineers using the wear out components. Other conditions
FMEA process can identify and prioritize may have an impact and there are often Paul Templi s a materials e gi eer a d sup-
risky design elements. issues where materials interact with each ply chai rofessio al with a multi atio al
Yet, this will only carry you so far. other or are inherently unstable over co sumer electro ics compa y. He is a ISE
Designers are always pushed to provide time. By accelerating temperature, hu- member. He ca e reached at dstempli 2@
more than incremental improvements midity or by increasing speed or duty ju o.com.

24 ISE Magazine | www.iise.org/ISEmagazine

BUILD YOUR WORKFORCE, ADD TO THEIR SKILLS, WITH AN …

IISE, SHS OR AES CORPORATE

OR UNIVERSITY PARTNERSHIP
• IISE volunteers add soft skills to technical acumen to become your future leaders.
• Multiple networking opportunities/platforms connect you with top talent to fill
your faculty and engineering pipeline.
• 40% conference and training discounts to force-multiply your staff’s effectiveness
and efficiency.
• Tailor your partnership with IISE’s Doug Long ([email protected]) to boost
collaboration and benchmarking with your peers.

“As a company that is constantly developing solutions to best meet growing customer needs in an ever-changing
marketplace, we rely on industrial and systems engineering professionals to help innovate and build technologies that
increase safety, productivity, efficiency and service across our operations. As our business continues to grow, so does our
need for a skilled workforce. FedEx Ground’s membership with IISE not only provides a pipeline for talent, it offers a
platform for our existing employees to build and refine their skills to address the engineering challenges of tomorrow.”
— Robert Pudlo, VP, Facilities & Technology Innovation, FedEx Ground

Contact Doug Long, Global Director of

Welcome new and renewing
Corporate and University Partners Strategic Alliances, at [email protected]
Cal Poly Pomona • HealthTrust Workforce Solutions or (770) 349-1109 to develop a tailored
Seagate Technologies • Texas Children’s Health System plan for your organization.

November 2019 | ISE Magazine 25

Systems Engineering

When the tail wags the dog

T
By Ricardo Valerdi

The term “wag the dog” comes from rational from a policy standpoint but The reality is that most communica-
the expression that a dog is smarter sometimes removed from reality. tion today is via mobile phones thanks
than its tail, but if the tail were smart- Think of situations when something to ubiquitous text messaging applica-
er, it would be in control. This com- that was designed to support some- tions. Some people I work with send
monly used idiom describes a reversal thing else actually dictates how the more text messages than emails during
of roles or dynamics of power in or- rest of the system operates. The sup- a typical workday. The way we work
ganizations that lead to poor decision- porting systems are not supposed to is constantly changing, but the policies
making. call the shots, but they often do. These that are supposed to enable our work
An example of the tail wagging the types of systems – sometimes referred sometimes hinder it. It is yet another
dog is when a small component of the to as “enabling systems” – enable the example of the tail wagging the dog.
whole dominates the whole. Let me operation of the primary “operational Speaking of dogs, I took my puppy
share a recent experience I had during system.” to dog training class and it seems like
a trip to San Francisco. I got more out of it than he did.
My employer’s policy is to fol- This made me wonder whether
low the government’s per diem The supporting systems are dog training classes are intended
(daily) rate for lodging and meals, for owners much more so than for
which is typically very reasonable, not supposed to call the shots, animals.
except in circumstances when Considering the way our walks
but they often do. … Many IT
there is last-minute travel. I found around the neighborhood have
myself unable to find a hotel in the policies are helpful, but there been going, I think my dog has
area where I needed to be for my more control of me than I will
meeting first thing the next morn-
are some that make us scratch ever have of him – which he is
ing. The most convenient hotel our heads. accomplishing while wagging his
was $50 over the $270 per diem tail. 
lodging rate. I was advised to stay
in a hotel 30 minutes away to remain An example of an enabling system Ricardo Valerdi is a ssociate professor at
compliant with the travel policy. is the information technology system the U iversity of Arizo a i the Depart-
This was a clear case of the tail that many of us rely on every day to me t of Systems a d I dustrial E gi eeri g.
(travel policy) wagging the dog (the accomplish our work. Many IT poli- Reach him at rvalerdi@arizo a.edu.
main objective of my trip). cies are helpful, but there are some
Fortunately, there are ways to get that make us scratch our heads.
approval for a deviation of the policy, A common example that puzzles me
Share your stories
which requires proper justification is the policy against cellphones in the
from management. But you get my workplace. Security issues aside, many
point: Adding 30 minutes of travel companies are stuck in their old ways of To submit an article, case study, Member
time each way to save $50 is illogical; prohibiting cellphone use in the office. Forum column or other item for ISE, email the
the added expense for two 30-min- While initially driven by security con- text to Keith Albertson at [email protected].
ute trips would wipe out the alleged cerns, it was followed by the impact of To learn more, visit our writer guidelines at
savings. These types of situations are mobile devices on productivity. link.iise.org/writerguidelines.

26 ISE Magazine | www.iise.org/ISEmagazine

Recognize Academic Excellence
and Campus Leadership
Valued up to $4,000, IISE’s scholarships and fellowships are awarded to
graduate and undergraduate student members working toward a degree in
industrial or systems engineering. Students must be nominated by a
department head or faculty advisor, and will be considered based on their
scholastic ability, character, leadership and current/potential service to the
profession. The deadline for nominations is Nov. 15., with the exception of
the Vinod and Gail Sahney Scholarship, which has a deadline of Dec. 31.

Eligibility criteria:

Active IISE membership as reflected on or before Sept. 30

IISE membership is not required for the John L. Imhoff Scholarship.

Currently enrolled in a full-time graduate or undergraduate industrial engineering program

3.40 or greater GPA (on a 4-point scale)

Graduation date of May/June 2021 or later

Visit www.iise.org/Scholarship for more information and for nomination requirements.

 Breaking the ice:
ey

Arctic’s future
ther

By Thomas C. Sharkey, Thomas Birkland,

Martha Grabowski, Marie Lowe and William (Al) Wallace

28 ISE Magazine | www.iise.org/ISEmagazine

T
The impact of climate change on the Arctic is unde-
niable. Estimates show that “Arctic ice cover has lost Arctic’s economic impact,
about two-thirds of its thickness, as averaged across
the Arctic at the end of the summer” over the past
by the numbers
60 years according to a NASA article by Carol Ras- • 8: Member states of the Arctic Council and Arctic Coast
mussen. Models estimate that “the total volume of Guard Forum, which includes the U.S., Canada, Denmark
ice in September, the lowest ice month, declined by 78 percent (Greenland), Finland, Iceland, Norway, Russia and Sweden
between 1979 and 2012,” reported Chris Mooney in the Wash- • 1 million: Square miles of U.S. territorial waters and
i gto Post. exclusive economic zone in the Artic
As of Aug. 15, 2019, current sea ice levels are tracking close to • 10 million: Tons of goods, including gas, oil, grain and
those observed in 2012, which is the year with the smallest re-
coal, transported via the Northern Sea Route in 2017
corded sea ice levels on record, according to the National Snow
• 90 billion: Barrels of undiscovered oil reserves in the
and Ice Data Center ( sidc.org/arcticseaic ews). These changes in
Arctic, including 30% of the world’s undiscovered natural
the Arctic marine environment bring about longer navigable
summer seasons and the potential for significant industrial and gas
maritime activities outside of the Arctic area (see Figure 1). • $1 trillion: Estimated value of rare minerals in the Arctic,
For example, in 2016 and 2017, the Crystal Serenity cruise including zinc, nickel and lead
ship traveled through the Bering Strait and the Northwest Pas- Source: U.S. Coast Guard Strategic Outlook
sage with nearly 1,500 passengers and crew on board. That
number represented about 33% of the population of the larg- nal (William Booth and Amie Ferris-Rotman, “Russia’s Suez
est community, Utqiagvik (formerly known as Barrow), where Canal? Ships start plying a less-icy Arctic, thanks to climate
the ship passed while off Alaska’s coast. If the Crystal Seren- change,” Washi gto Post). However, the current viability of
ity were in distress and its passengers and crew needed to be this route is questionable due to its limited navigable season – at
evacuated to shore, what would be the logistical challenges of best, July through October – Russia’s restrictions on through
evacuating and supporting the passengers and crew onshore? traffic and challenges in accurately forecasting sea ice in the
The remoteness of the Arctic would constrain any response area, which could significantly impact when ships arrive at
efforts; for example, Utqiagvik is more than 500 miles away ports.
from Fairbanks and more than 700 miles from Anchorage, the The impact on global supply chains through the use of these
closest hub communities prepared to respond to a major event. routes could be enormous and ISE methods can help to address
During the response to the grounding of the research ship a long list of related questions, including:
Akademic Ioffe in Arctic waters off the coast of Canada in Au-
gust 2018, it took 16 hours for its sister ship to arrive to pick up • How can we accurately forecast travel times through routes
passengers and crew and then another 15 hours before it arrived where sea ice can disrupt travel?
in Kugaaruk, with a population of 933 (Ed Struzik, “In the • How can we best chart the Arctic waters to improve situ-
melting Arctic, a harrowing account from a stranded ship,” Yale ational awareness? As of 2016, only 1% of U.S. Arctic wa-
E viro me t 360). ters have been charted to modern standards (Hannah Hoag,
These challenges highlight what role industrial and systems “NOAA is updating its Arctic charts to prevent a nautical
engineering can play in helping shape the future of the Arctic: disaster,” Arctic Deeply).
ISE methods can help optimize the logistics of a response effort • How will and how should global supply chains adapt with a
and help plan investments for such a response. significantly decreased maritime transit lead time?
This is not the only challenge where ISE can play a role in • What is the optimal balance between sending goods via the
the future of the Arctic. With sea ice melting and the Arctic traditional and more consistent routes versus the new and
experiencing longer navigable seasons, there is also a transfor- riskier routes?
mative potential to use the Northwest Passage, the route along • What are the impacts and risks of accidents on these routes?
the northern shore of Canada and the United States, and the For an initial simulation investigation in this area, see
Northern Sea Route, which runs along the northern shore of Jean Freitas and Hiba Baroud’s report, “Impact of climate
Russia and Europe, for global shipping. These routes could re- change and infrastructure risk management on Arctic ship-
duce the number of travel days between Europe, Asia and the ping,” 12th International Conference on Structural Safety
Americas. & Reliability, Vienna, Austria, 2017.
For example, a ship sailing from South Korea to Germany • Do the benefits of using these routes outweigh the poten-
could potentially save more than 11 days by taking the North- tial costs and environmental impacts? For example, there
ern Sea Route as opposed to the route through the Suez Ca- is a movement to ban the shipping of heavy fuel oil in the

November 2019 | ISE Magazine 29

Breaking the ice: ISE TO PLAY key role in shaping Arctic’s future
FIGURE 1

The opening Arctic lanes

This map illustrates the Northwest Passage (Greenland, Canada and the U.S.) and Northern Sea Routes (Europe and Asia), including Arctic
Sea harbors and the extent of sea ice. Source: Nordregio

30 ISE Magazine | www.iise.org/ISEmagazine

 Arctic (www.hfofreearctic.org).
• Should the nations of the world consider barring the use
of these routes when both the origin and destination of
the routes are outside the Arctic and what would be the
impact of such a ban?

There is significant concern about the potential environ-

mental consequences of such maritime activities as well as
the potential impact from natural resource exploration of the
Arctic. First, the region’s indigenous people rely on marine
mammals for their subsistence hunting and strongly oppose
any adverse developments on these resources.
Second, oil spill response and pollution in Arctic waters Changes at the top of the world
may have different effects than in more temperate waters. Some key facts on the changing Arctic climate:
Dispersants used to degrade oil hydrocarbons are not as ef- Arctic heats up: Earth’s average surface temperature has risen
fective in lower temperature water (Robert M.W. Ferguson,
1 degree Celsius (1.8 degrees F) since the 1880s. The World
Evangelia Gontikaki, James A. Anderson and Ursula White,
Meteorological Organization recorded June as the warmest ever
“The variable influence of dispersant on degradation of oil
on record, breaking the previous record from 2016. The Arctic
hydrocarbons in subarctic deep-sea sediments at low tem-
peratures,” Scie tific Reports) and pollution released by ships, has warmed more than twice as fast, and the past five years have
such as black carbon, can accelerate sea ice melt. been its hottest on record. The summer of 2019 was especially
Third, the remoteness of the region poses challenges to hot, with temperatures in North Siberia up to 8 degrees C above
the current infrastructure, such as emergency response capa- normal, according to the Russian meteorological institute
bilities, which will likely not be able to keep up with future Roshydromet, and 4 degrees warmer in the Laptev and East
demands. The resources needed to respond to a significant Siberian seas. June 2019 saw the second smallest Arctic sea ice
environmental disaster, such as an oil spill, could happen extent for June in the 41-year record, behind the record low set in
very far away from current response assets. In this area, ISEs June 2016, according to an analysis by the National Snow and Ice
have already laid the foundation to shape the future of the Data Center.
Arctic. Permafrost melt: Warmer summers have melted a greater
For example, work after the 1989 Exxon Valdez oil spill
portion of the Arctic permafrost, a thick subsurface layer of soil
in Alaska’s Prince William Sound, which is considered sub-
that remains frozen throughout the year in polar regions. As
Arctic, addressed the role of effective management in crisis
it thaws, it releases from the ice carbon dioxide and methane
prevention (John R. Harrald, Henry S. Marcus, William A.
Wallace “The Exxon Valdez: An assessment of crisis pre- trapped for centuries from the remains of prehistoric plants and
vention and management systems,” I terfaces 1990). Further, animals, adding to carbon in the atmosphere. Scientists are
ISE methods, including simulation, data analysis and expert discovering Arctic landscapes where permafrost once thawed
judgement tools, have helped to guide investments to de- only a few inches a year but now thaw up to 10 feet within days or
crease oil spill risk in the Prince William Sound after the weeks. It has turned once-frozen regions in wetlands, releasing
Exxon Valdez disaster (Jason R.W. Merrick, J. Rene van up to 1,600 gigatons of carbon trapped in the ice.
Dorp, Thomas Mazzuchi, John R. Harrald, John E. Spahn More water, more warming: While snow and ice reflect
and Martha Grabowski, “The Prince William Sound risk most incoming sunlight, open water absorbs more heat. As more
assessment,” I terfaces 2002). ice melts, more sunlight is absorbed by the water, increasing the
As another example, operations research (OR) models temperature.
have been created to help plan infrastructure investments to
More shipping, more carbon: As Arctic shipping lanes
increase oil spill response capabilities in Arctic Alaska that
open due to ice melt, ships add to the carbon output in the
specifically capture the novelty of response in remote regions
atmosphere. Icebreaking oil tankers able to operate year-round
(Richard Garrett, Thomas C. Sharkey, Martha Grabowski
and William A. Wallace, “Dynamic resource allocation to are responsible for 33% of carbon output though they make up
support oil spill response planning for energy exploration in only 6% of the region’s maritime traffic.
the Arctic,” Europea our al of Operatio al Research, 2017). Sources: National Geographic September 2019: The Barents
The three currently debated examples of potential future Observer
economic activity in the Arctic – cruise ships, increased

November 2019 | ISE Magazine 31

Breaking the ice: ISE TO PLAY key role in shaping Arctic’s future

Photos by Thomas C. Sharkey

These photos illustrate the sea ice changes seen near Utqiagvik, Alaska, within 12 hours. The photo at left was taken at 7:41 p.m.
June 16, 2019; the other at 8:37 a.m. the following day.

commercial shipping and natural resource exploration – argu- in capturing the true costs and benefits of these systems.
ably will be controlled by entities outside the region and a key For example, improved telecommunications in the Arc-
aspect of the future of the Arctic is that “outside” systems will tic could have important applications in telemedicine for the
make their way into the Arctic. Infrastructure development to citizens of the region. ISEs can help shape future healthcare
support these maritime activities, such as increasing emergency systems that can be built using these improved telecommuni-
response capabilities, likely will occur near Arctic communities cations capabilities. Furthermore, improvements in telecom-
that are predominantly indigenous. Subsistence hunting and munications could offer expanded educational opportunities,
fishing remain integral to the lives of the Arctic’s indigenous another system in the region that ISEs can help shape.
people and increased commercial maritime activities could im- Therefore, a high-level view – exactly what ISEs do – should
pact traditional livelihoods. be undertaken in planning for new and improved infrastruc-
Industrial and systems engineering can play a critical role in ture systems with an eye to understanding how these systems
ensuring these systems are responsibly integrated into the Arc- can benefit Arctic communities.
tic and benefit the region’s indigenous populations. It is the lead Another example is to build road systems in remote com-
engineering discipline that seeks to understand how humans munities. This would significantly decrease the costs of con-
interact with systems and how systems affect humans and com- struction and capital improvement projects since using these
munities. The interaction of the indigenous communities with roads would alleviate the need to either ship by barge or fly in
these “outside” systems is an important feature to capture in material and equipment. Given the potential for development
analytical models as it will allow us to understand the true im- in the Arctic, ISE methods can help calculate the break-even
pacts and consequences of the plans for these systems. point when it becomes more cost-effective to build road sys-
Although ISEs are uniquely capable to address this within tems rather than barge resources into the area to develop the
engineering, it will be necessary to partner with experts, both outside systems. More importantly, these methods can factor in
academic and indigenous in disciplines such as the social sci- the benefits that would be provided to the Arctic communities
ences, who can incorporate indigenous knowledge and percep- through the construction of such road systems and thus cap-
tions of the potential impact of systems presently foreign to the ture the true impact of the investments, which includes both
Arctic. Otherwise, ISE methods will be attempting to model decreasing construction costs and benefiting the communities.
the interactions between the systems and indigenous people As a final example, there are both energy and water security
with either incomplete or inaccurate information about how concerns, especially as it pertains to outside activities impacting
these systems are viewed by indigenous people. These methods Arctic communities. There are some communities where the
can deal with inaccurate or probabilistic information in cer- only reliable energy source is to barge in fuel during the sum-
tain situations; however, a responsible approach to applying ISE mer and others where they need to begin filling their water
methods would be to engage with these experts rather than try reservoir once the ice thaws in the spring in order to prepare
to tackle this problem on our own. for the next winter.
In addition to the need for emergency response infrastruc- In these cases, any unplanned demand, such as a mass rescue
ture, the future of the Arctic will require new and improved bringing people into the community, would need to carefully
infrastructure systems in the region, including transportation, consider the impact on the long-term energy and water secu-
power and telecommunications. The engineering requirements rity for the community. ISE methods can help determine the
to build these systems will need to be carefully studied by other level of investment into the security necessary for energy and
engineering disciplines but ISEs should play an important role water demands to be met both within the community as well

32 ISE Magazine | www.iise.org/ISEmagazine

 US Coast Guard urges boost in icebreaker investment
The opportunities and challenges of increased shipping options in the Arctic have the eight nations that touch the region
scrambling to stake their claims.
The United States Coast Guard, in a strategy assessment released April 22, urges the nation to invest more in ice-breaking
vessel capacity to keep up with the increasing presence of Russia and China on Arctic trade routes.
In its report, available at https://link.iise.org/uscg_arctic, the agency asserted that since its last Arctic assessment in 2013,
increased investments by and competition from Russia and China have coincided with decreasing amounts of permanent sea ice
and longer seasonal windows of open trade lanes.
“The interaction of these drivers has made the Arctic a strategically competitive space for the first time since the end of the Cold
War,” the report stated.
Cargo tonnage transported on the Northern Sea Route (NSR) since the Coast Guard’s last assessment has doubled due to
significant shipments of natural gas and oil products from Russia’s Yamal liquefied natural gas (LNG) terminal, using special “ice-
class” LNG tankers Russia built specifically for that operation.
Russia is also expanding its icebreaker fleet, which is already the world’s largest, the USCG reported, and now has 14 such
ships. Russia is also rebuilding or expanding other Arctic assets such as ports, air bases, commercial hubs, search and rescue
operations and weapons systems. It has built six military bases since 2003, the USCG reports.
Meanwhile, China has been increasingly active in the region since 2013 even though its borders don’t extend to the Arctic Ocean
as do those of the eight members of the Arctic Council – Russia, Canada, Iceland, Denmark (Greenland), Sweden, Norway, Finland
and the U.S. Early in 2018, it announced its “Polar Silk Road” initiative with a range of infrastructure activities to include ports,
undersea cables and airports.
But the agency warned that these expansion plans “could impede U.S. access and freedom of navigation in the Arctic as similar
attempts have been made to impede U.S. access to the South China Sea.”
To close the gap, the Coast Guard urges investment in vessels such as a Polar Security Cutter (PSC), which would be the first
U.S. heavy ice-breaker built in decades. PSCs, according to the Coast Guard, would not only help keep the U.S. ready defensively
in both the Arctic and Antarctic but would provide vessel escort services to help move freight and personnel. The agency plans to
award a detailed design and construction contract to build three PSCs, with $675 million in initial funding coming from the 2019
federal budget. The FY 2020 budget proposal released earlier this year includes a request of $35 million to keep the PSC program
moving.
The U.S. controls 1 million square miles of territorial waters and an Exclusive Economic Zone in the Arctic.
Source: freightwaves.com

as outside the community. Thomas Birkla d is a professor i he School of Public Admi istratio
In summary, ISEs can play an important role in helping a d I ter atio al Affairs at North Caroli a State U iversity i a-
shape the future of the Arctic. They have the unique ability to leigh, North Caroli a.
examine systems at a high level and understand the interactions
between humans and these systems. These capabilities will be Martha Grabowski is the McDevitt Disti guished Chair, I formatio
critical in understanding how different kinds of systems will be Systems Program, Lemoy e College a d Research Scie tist i he De-
integrated into the Arctic. partme t of I dustrial a d Systems E gi eeri g at Re sselaer Poly-
At the same time, our methods will only be valuable if we tec c stitute.
have accounted for the true nature of the Arctic and its people.
We should partner with experts in the Arctic, both academic Marie Lowe is a ssociate professor i he Departme t of A thropol-
and indigenous, to understand the region and its people so that ogy, Public Policy a d ISER (I stitute for Social a d Eco omic Re-
our methods are being applied responsibly to the true problems search) at the U iversity of Alaska A chorage.
that will shape the future of the Arctic. 
William (Al) Wallace is Yamada Corporatio rofessor i he Depart-
Thomas C. Sharkey is a ssociate professor i he Departme t of me t of I dustrial a d Systems E gi eeri g at Re sselaer Polytech ic
I dustrial a d Systems E gi eeri g at Re sselaer Polytech ic I stitute I stitute.
i roy, New York. He is a ISE member.

November 2019 | ISE Magazine 33

 A focus on sustainability as a core value
social pr
By Nadiye O. Erdil

T
To instill sustainability into our mindset and day- tion and jobs, empowerment and health and safety.
to-day operations, we should go beyond projects While this triple bottom-line approach captures three focus
solely focusing on sustainability and include one areas – also known as the three P’s: people, planet and profit
or more sustainability goals in every improvement – the environmental facet of sustainability, followed by the
project. economic, have been the most addressed areas. The manufac-
There is a growing emphasis on the concept of turing industry is a perfect illustration of this tendency. The
sustainability due to, among other things, increasing public term “green manufacturing” is often used interchangeably
interest, regulatory pressures and corporate social responsibil- with the concept of sustainability when, in fact, green manu-
ity. Sustainability refers to development efforts and practices facturing refers to methods and strategies that are mindful of
that target a balance between the environmental, economic environmental impacts. Nonetheless, companies are taking on
and social needs of the present as well as future generations. more and more sustainability projects than ever before and us-
The environmental aspect examines activities and practices ing lean and Six Sigma in these efforts is becoming popular.
related to the use of natural resources, energy consumption, Research in this field presents attempts at developing frame-
ecological health and pollution. The economic aspect covers works for seamless integration of lean, Six Sigma and sustain-
strategies that promote economic growth and profits, cost sav- ability. These frameworks are mostly developed for managing
ings and research and development. And the social aspect fo- sustainability projects in which primarily lean and Six Sigma
cuses on the needs of the individual and the communities and tools are used to attain the project goals.
includes areas such as standards of living, resources for educa- While this approach generates progress towards sustain-

34 ISE Magazine | www.iise.org/ISEmagazine

 TABLE 1

Five-step structure
Steps of the DMAIC process together with commonly used lean and Six Sigma tools.
Define Measure Analyze Improve Control
Develop project Establish performance Analyze data to identify Develop and evaluate Verify
charter including metrics; validate sources of variation and solutions; implement improvements;
problem statement, measurement system; waste; examine the selected alternatives. develop standards
goals, critical-to- collect data; process to identify root and procedures;
quality requirements, determine process causes. develop and
team members and baseline. implement control
responsibilities, and plans.
resources; map the
process.

 Project charter  Keyperformance  Spaghetti diagrams  Prioritization matrix  Control charts

 Process map indicators  Cause and effect  Risk analysis  Dashboards
 SIPOC  Value stream map diagram  Mistake proofing  Audit plans
 Voice of customer  Check sheets  Pareto chart  Visual management  Performance
 Stakeholder analysis  Histogram  5 Whys  Design of experiments management
 Kano analysis  Run chart  Hypothesis testing  Failure mode effects
 Critical-to-quality  Process capability  ANOVA analysis
tree  Measurement system  Scatter plots  Standardization
 House of quality analysis  Regression analysis

ability, the concept of sustainability and all its aspects needs ability goals in every improvement project, not just in projects
to be integrated into the mindset and day-to-day operations solely focusing on sustainability, will increase the adoption of
of organizations for accelerating its adoption, and a different sustainability metrics and principles.
approach is needed. The wide coverage of lean and Six Sigma, Given the nature of lean and Six Sigma projects, whether
their effectiveness record and overlap with sustainability goals intended or not, almost all produce sustainability improve-
establish a foundation for expanding these methodologies to ments as a byproduct. It is the logical next step to systemati-
include sustainability concepts in any improvement project. cally embed sustainability goals and metrics into the lean and
Embedding sustainability goals in smaller scale lean or Six Sig- Six Sigma framework. Such an approach can piggyback on the
ma projects as an alternative to executing large projects with success and industry embracement of lean and Six Sigma to
only a sustainability scope can generate a catalyst for system ensure wider adoption.
level change. Industrial and systems engineers can be the key
drivers in facilitating integration and adoption of sustainability. Embedding sustainability in lean
Lean generates value by improving process flow and lead- and Six Sigma: The model
time through identifying and reducing waste from the process. Lean and Six Sigma have been adopted across all industries,
Six Sigma creates value through consistent process output by not just in manufacturing, as successful methodologies. The
identifying and reducing variation. Lean Six Sigma is a new five-step DMAIC process (define, measure, analyze, improve,
generation quality improvement tool that combines the two control) provides a structured approach that incorporates
approaches. Fewer defects and rework, lower levels of inven- a wide range of lean and Six Sigma tools in a goal-oriented
tory, faster production, less space requirement, less transpor- manner in management and execution of improvement proj-
tation, less waiting and increased employee motivation are ects (see Table 1).
among its benefits. This structured approach lays the foundation for systematic
To this end, there are significant overlaps between lean and integration of sustainability concepts into the framework. Fig-
Six Sigma and sustainability in terms of intended goals. Em- ure 1 shows the steps to take in addition to the traditional
bedding sustainability goals into improvement projects such as DMAIC tasks.
productivity improvement, quality improvement, improving Aligning the sustainability goals of the company and the
logistics, streamlining business operations or reducing costs goals of the improvement project is essential for success; thus,
will lead to transformation that will come as small changes determining the sustainability needs and priorities of the
with a focus on improvement in general, but with sustainabil- company is a prerequisite. Table 2 (Page 37) shows a list of
ity as one of its ingredients. Including one or more sustain- sustainability indicators commonly used in industry. Any pri-

November 2019 | ISE Magazine 35

A focus on sustainability as a core value
FIGURE 1

The first activity in integration

Integrating sustainability into DMAIC efforts is to select sustainability in-
These are steps to take in addition to the usual DMAIC model. dicators that can be linked to the
project goal(s). This is where the
visual mapping of sustainability as-
sessment in Figure 2 will steer the
efforts. The sustainability indicator
selected will depend on the nature of
the improvement project; however,
as a rule of thumb, the improvement
teams should focus on larger bubbles
first and simultaneously consider the
items in higher priority regions.
After the sustainability indicator(s)
is selected, sustainability goals and
metrics have to be added to the proj-
ect. In some cases, sustainability goals
will already be in alignment with the
project goals. In other words, the lean
and Six Sigma project goal can be a
sustainability goal even if it is not labeled as
FIGURE 2
such. In other cases, additional goals will be
added to the project to cover a sustainability
Setting priorities aspect.
The sustainability indicators priority chart rates efforts based on their importance Avedis Donabedian’s (1966) triad of qual-
and impact. ity indicators – structure, process and out-
comes – was originally developed to exam-
ine health services and evaluate quality of
healthcare and provides a comprehensive
approach in developing goals and metrics
with the focus on the whole instead of the
end result.

• Structure measures evaluate the adequa-

cy of the environment and include items
such as facilities, equipment, procedures,
human resources and leadership.
• Process measures assess the quality of ac-
tivities, i.e., whether they are performed
satisfactorily, such as the level of compli-
ance to existing policies, accuracy of di-
agnosis, etc.
• Outcome measures evaluate the results
such as patient experience, complication
rates and mortality rate.

oritization method can be employed. Figure 2 shows a sample This approach is highly comprehensive and useful in devel-
priority chart that visually displays an importance-impact-im- oping sustainability goals and metrics, and later for identifying
plementation assessment. The X-axis in this chart shows the areas of improvement. Furthermore, this approach can help
importance of the indicator, and the y-axis shows impact. The overcome the issues in implementation of sustainability, in-
size of the bubbles represents the difficulty in implementation. cluding the almost sole focus on environmental and economic
The larger the bubble the easier the item is to tackle. aspects overlooking social sustainability.

36 ISE Magazine | www.iise.org/ISEmagazine

 TABLE 2

Setting priorities
Common sustainability indicators used by companies.
Environmental Social Economic
Energy efficiency/consumption Health and safety Consumption patterns
Efficient use of natural resources Standard of living Distribution of wealth
Pollution prevention - emissions to air Education and skills Research and development
Pollution prevention - emissions to water Employment (retention, loss of talent) (New processes and
Pollution prevention - emissions to land Community products, technology)
Waste management Diversity and equity Revenue generation
Efficient use of materials Identity Smart growth

TABLE 3

Goals, outcomes mapping examples

From “Reducing Welding Defects in Turnaround Projects: A Lean Six Sigma Case Study,” Nicole Anderson and Jamison Kovach.

Lean Six Sigma project goal: Reduce unexpected downtime in turnaround projects
Measurable goals: Reduce the average weld repair rate
Sustainability Structure Process Outcomes
indicator (resources) (Delivery) (results)
• Health and safety • Company policies on • Documentation of • Percentage of substitute
(social) hazardous materials health effects of material used to
• Education and skills • Energy use welding material minimize the hazards of
(social) monitoring system (gases and fumes) welding material
• Pollution prevention • Percentage of welders • Percentage of welders
– emission to air that are ranked by trained to improve skill
(environmental) American Welding levels
• Energy efficiency Society classifications • Amount of energy
(environmental) • Energy conservation usage
practices

As an example, Table 3 shows sustainability goals and out- is monitored throughout the process in the timeline and the
comes mapping applied to a lean Six Sigma case study by Ni- number of trained employees are captured for each process
cole Anderson and Jamison Kovach to demonstrate the inte- step in the data box.
gration of sustainability indicators into improvement projects In the case of traditional process maps, the sustainability
and the use of structure-process-outcomes measures approach goals and metrics can be added by color-coding the process
to develop sustainability goals and metrics. blocks. With attention to the structure and purpose of a par-
Once the goals and metrics are identified, they must be ticular tool, any can be tailored to capture sustainability ele-
made visible and recognizable to the team members through- ments in the project.
out the project lifecycle so the improvement efforts encompass
the attention required for attaining sustainability goals as well. Analyze, improve and control
Therefore, the goals and metrics should be integrated into the The analyze phase is conducted in the usual manner to iden-
lean and Six Sigma tools. tify the sources of variation and waste, and to examine the
Take a value stream map (VSM), for example, a commonly process to identify root causes for original project goals as well
used tool in lean and Six Sigma projects. The sustainability as sustainability goals. The structure-process-outcomes met-
indicators can be added to the VSM in three ways: 1) as a rics are used to identify areas with opportunities for sustain-
kaizen event, 2) in the timeline and 3) as part of the data box. ability improvements.
Figure 3 shows a sample VSM with the possible locations for As with any recommended solution, a cost analysis should
integration of sustainability goals and metrics. In this VSM, be done prior to implementation. In the case of sustainability
the kazien event focuses on energy use, while the water use solutions, one can argue that sustainability efforts will al-

November 2019 | ISE Magazine 37

A focus on sustainability as a core value
FIGURE 3

Value stream map

Possible locations for the integration of sustainability goals in a lean and Six Sigma process.

most always negatively im-

pact the project outcomes. FIGURE 4
However, sustainability so-
lutions assessments should Cost-benefit elements
not be based on financial A comparison of the economic impact of sustainability solutions.
numbers alone. As noted
before, sustainability is
more than economic de-
velopment; therefore, both
financial and nonfinancial
outcomes of sustainability
initiatives must be consid-
ered.
Lower operating costs
and increased profitability,
employee engagement and
satisfaction, public appeal
and market opportunity,
talent acquisition and retention, better management of busi- Future outlook
ness risks, access to capital and investors and tax incentives are One of the reasons environmental sustainability is the most
the most commonly listed benefits of sustainability to busi- commonly addressed component among the three pillars is
nesses. A comprehensive cost-benefit comparison of sustain- that it naturally aligns with improvement activities, espe-
ability solutions would include items such as the ones shown cially in goods-producing industries such as manufacturing,
in Figure 4. construction and agriculture. For example, reducing rework
Finally, the control phase focuses on maintaining the gains would lead to less use of materials and energy as rework
of improvement and involves developing and executing control consumes more resources than necessary. Emphasizing sus-
plans. Any control phase tool can be used to monitor the sus- tainability gains in projects with such scope will not require
tainability activities completed in the previous phases. more organizational resources and will help raise employee

38 ISE Magazine | www.iise.org/ISEmagazine

 In service industries, the situation is almost the opposite;
Study: Why sustainability integrating social sustainability indicators is less challenging
makes economic sense than integrating environmental sustainability indicators. This
is because of the nature of service industries, which are more
If saving the planet and its resources weren’t motivation labor-intensive and where larger populations are impacted by
enough, many experts say sustainable practices are also good the services provided, such as healthcare and education. Nev-
for the world’s economic bottom line. ertheless, some goals and metrics will naturally align with the
A study published in Science written by an international project goals and will not require additional resources, but
group of scientists urged world leaders to boost efforts and others may not be as straightforward to link.
policies to address climate change. In their view, a commitment As you might have noticed, while embedding environmen-
to more sustainable practices will save money in by mitigating tal and social sustainability indicators into lean and Six Sigma
the damage to people, infrastructure and systems. efforts have been addressed explicitly, economic sustainability
“Acting on climate change has a good return on investment indicators have yet to be discussed. This is not because the
model fails to function in this area, but rather is due to the di-
when one considers the damages avoided by acting,” said
mension of sustainability in question. Economic sustainability
lead author Ove Hoegh-Guldberg from the University of
refers to practices that support long-term economic growth
Queensland in Australia.
without compromising other dimensions of sustainability.
As an example, rising sea levels can create more damage Many social and environmental sustainability efforts have
during storms, inflicting greater harm on communities economic sustainability as an outcome, directly or indirectly.
and their economies. Developing countries are particularly Recycling, energy conservation, hiring, purchasing, and com-
vulnerable to such environmental impacts because they lack munity contributions such as providing job opportunities and
the ability to overcome such events. supporting educational institutions are some examples.
“The developing African countries are amongst those to Aside from linking sustainability indicators to improvement
be affected most in terms of impacts on economic growth projects and its impacts on project scope and resource require-
in the absence of strong climate change mitigation,” said ments, support and commitment from top management, team
Francois Engelbrecht from the University of the Witwatersrand, building and motivation issues are important factors to address
Johannesburg. in embedding sustainability into organizational culture, and in
the success of implementing the model described above. Fur-
Professor Rachel Warren from the Tyndall Centre at the
thermore, the effective implementation of the proposed model
University of East Anglia in the UK assessed projections of risk
requires lean and Six Sigma practitioners trained in sustain-
for forests, biodiversity, food, crops and other critical systems,
ability. This is where higher education comes into play.
and found significant benefits for limiting global warming. If sustainability has to be a way of life to be a way of busi-
“The scientific community has quantified these risks in ness as Anand Mahindra, the chairman of Mahindra group,
order to inform policymakers about the benefits of avoiding once said, then the future generation has to be educated to
them,” she said. have sustainability literacy. The industrial and systems engi-
Hoegh-Guldberg reiterated the importance of the coming neering curriculum should prepare students to understand and
year (2020) in terms of climate action. address sustainability challenges. When ISEs enter the field,
“Current emission reduction commitments are inadequate this knowledge allows them to be the change agents and use
and risk throwing many nations into chaos and harm, with a models such as the one described above to take sustainability to
particular vulnerability of poor peoples,” he said. “Tackling the next level and make it a core value in all we do. 
climate change is a tall order. However, there is no alternative
Nadiye O. Erdil, Ph.D. is a ssociate professor of i dustrial a d
from the perspective of human well-being and too much at
systems e gi eeri g at the U iversity of New Have est Have ,
stake not to act urgently on this issue.”
Co ecticut. She has more tha 2 years of experie ce i igher edu-
catio d has held several academic positio s, i cludi g admi istra-
awareness of sustainability. tive appoi tme ts. I dditio o her academic work, she worked as a
Other environmental sustainability indicators, such as waste process e gi eer i he sheet metal ma ufacturi g a d pipe fabricatio
management and pollution prevention, might require more i dustry for five years. She holds a bachelor’s degree i omputer e gi-
resources than the improvement project needs alone. Mapping eeri g from Bogazici U iversity, Turkey, a d a master’s degree a d
social sustainability indicators in these types of industries is Ph.D. i dustrial a d systems e gi eeri g from Bi ghamto iver-
more challenging, as their inclusion will enlarge the scope of sity. She is preside t-elect of the IISE Operatio al Excelle ce divisio .
the project and require more organizational resources.

November 2019 | ISE Magazine 39

 LEAN

Bring Six Sigma quality

into your lean processes
The right metric z ‘good’ product, rejects
By Merwan Mehta

I
It is widely accepted in process improvement circles that well in the first pass at the station is “first pass yield (FPY).”
lean is the pursuit of waste reduction of all resources FPY is calculated by dividing the quantity of good product or
and Six Sigma is the improvement of quality of output output produced at a station by the total output processed at
through variation control of all activities that are under- the activity station. The ratio of good outputs to the total then
taken by any business. Today, these two philosophies and can be converted into a percentage by multiplying by 100 to
their associated tools have melded into what leading pro- get the % of FPY. The rejection rate at the station is then 100%
ponents of both philosophies call lean Six Sigma. minus the % FPY: % rejects = 100% - % FPY.
It is hard to imagine that at one time we had two compet- If there are multiple activities in a process, we call the FPY
ing camps – one that wanted to do lean at the exclusion of of the entire process the “rolled throughput yield (RTY),”
everything else, and the other wanting to use only Six Sigma. which is the product of the FPYs of the various activities in
Lean Six Sigma behooves us to apply lean concepts first to a the process.
process to simplify it by eliminating activities and unnecessary One misconception that might reside in some minds is that
resources, then looking into how the quality of the activities the rejection rate for a process is the average of the rejection
can be improved. Why would you want to improve something rates of its activities. For example, in Figure 1, if the FPY for
that does not need to be done at all? Many companies pursuing the three activities A, B and C are 0.94, 0.95 and 0.96, re-
lean Six Sigma have simplified their processes and now should spectively, the RTY is not the average of the three at 0.95
embark on improving the quality of output using some qual- but needs to be calculated by multiplying 0.94 x 0.95 x 0.96,
ity metrics. which comes to 0.86. This means that if the three activities
The quality metric that can easily be used for calculating the had a rejection rate of 6%, 5% and 4%, respectively, the effec-
proportion of output at an operation or activity that is done tive rejection rate for the process will be 14%. Similarly, if we

40 ISE Magazine | www.iise.org/ISEmagazine

have a process with 10 activities, each with a rejection rate of 4% at Activity 10. It is worth noting that although there were 2
5%, the RTY for the process is not 95%, but will be 0.95 to rejects each at both these stations, the effect is more prominent
the 10th power, or 0.60. This comes to a rejection rate of 40%. at Activity 10 than Activity 1 since more processing has been
If we want to calculate the % of RTY for a process with done on outputs rejected at Activity 10 than Activity 1. Hence,
multiple activity stations like the one shown in Figure 2, we the later an output is rejected in a process, greater is the loss.
can use the table shown. The total number of 45 outputs cre- The RTY is then calculated by multiplying the FPY of all
ated in a shift are entered in cell A10. The inventory created at the activities. Naturally, the ones with an FPY of 1.00 can be
each station during the shift is then entered in Row B. Station ignored in the calculation. As seen in Figure 2, with a total
1 created 15 outputs and there was no inventory for Activity rejection of 9 outputs at various stages of the process, the RTY
10. The number of outputs rejected at each station is then en- comes to 94.2%, suggesting that the rate of rejection for the
tered in Row C. The total outputs processed at each activity process is 5.8%.
station is calculated in Row D.
To do this, we begin from the last activity, Activity 10. As Determining defects per million opportunities
Activity 10 created 45 outputs, and as two were rejected, Ac- When Motorola created Six Sigma, one of the major thrusts
tivity 10 processed 45 + 2 = 47 outputs. Activity 9 created an was to move away from tracking rejects as a percentage num-
inventory of 2 and processed all outputs that were moved on ber or even as a per-thousand value. It opted to go with per
to Activity 10. Hence, Activity 9 processed a total of 47 + 2 million and defined a Six Sigma process as one with a reject
= 49 outputs. Activity 8 had 1 reject and created 3 outputs as rate of 34 rejects per 10 million, or 3.4 per million. This metric
inventory; hence Activity 8 will have processed 49 + 3 + 1 = was called the defects per million opportunities (DPMO).
53 outputs, and so on. Using this logic, Activity 1 processed To find the DPMO, say we are making cellphones in which
121 outputs. there are 50 inspection points per cellphone. This we call the
We then calculate the outputs processed satisfactorily at each opportunities for defects per unit. On inspection of 5,000
station. As Activity A processed a total of 121 outputs and re- phones, we found 200 defects. To calculate the DPMO, we
jected 2, the total number of satisfactory outputs will be 121 – 2 first find the probability of defects per opportunity (DPO) by
= 119. For all activities the total number
of satisfactory outputs are calculated as FIGURE 1
shown in Row E. The FPY ratio for each
of the activities is then calculated by di-
viding the satisfactory output for each ac- Rolled throughput yield
tivity in Row E with the total number of The method for calculating RTY for a process with three activities.
outputs processed shown in Row D. The
FPY for each activity is shown in Row F. Activity A Activity B Activity C
The FPY for Activity 1 is 0.98 and for Start (FPY=0.94) (FPY=.95) (FPY=0.96) End
Activity 10 is 0.96. The FPY dropped at
Activity 1 by 2% whereas it dropped by

FIGURE 2

Determining RTY
Calculating the rolled throughput yield for 10 consecutive activities in a process.

November 2019 | ISE Magazine 41

Bring Six Sigma quality into your lean processes
FIGURE 3

Determining process sigma

The formula for finding the process sigma for a process.

FIGURE 4

Percentage of rejects
Finding the % reject based on the known process sigma values.

dividing the number of defects found by the total number of Process Sigma = Abs [Norm.S.Inv (% Rejects) – 1.5]
inspections conducted. Hence:
Note that the 1.5 that needs to be subtracted from the value
Defects per Opportunity (DPO) = (number of defects is because of the way Motorola defined Six Sigma. It assumed
found) / (number of inspection points) a natural shift of 1.5 Sigma in a process over time, and using
DPO: (200) / (5,000 x 50) = 0.0008 that assumption defined a Six Sigma process. A true Six Sigma
process defined using the properties of the normal distribution
To calculate the DPMO, we multiply the DPO by 1 mil- will have a reject rate of 2 per billion opportunities. Hence, the
lion; to find the % of rejects, we multiply the DPO by 100. way Motorola defined the Six Sigma process is equivalent to a
Hence: true 4.5 Sigma process using the normal distribution equation.
One thing worth noting is the way Excel treats data when it
Defects per Million Opportunities (DPMO) = 0.0008 x is formatted as a number and as a percentage. For finding the
1,000,000 = 800 % rejects from the DPO calculated, copy the data from the
% rejects: 0.0008 x 100 = 0.08% DPO cell and format it as a percentage, and do not multiply
it by 100.
As DPMO is DPO x 1,000,000 and % rejects = DPO x 100, As shown in Figure 3, we see that the example where there
the relationship between DPMO and % rejects comes out to: were 200 defects and 5,000 cellphones that were inspected
DPMO = % rejects x 10,000 with opportunities per unit for defects of 50, we get a Process
Sigma level of 4.66. Also, the first example where we came up
The DPMO for our above example, where we found the % with a % reject rate of 5.8% will end up with a Process Sigma
rejects to be 5.8%, comes to 5.8 x 10,000 = 58,000. of 3.07. Most processes are close to a process sigma of 3.0 if no
The goal is to achieve as close to a Six Sigma process level as improvement efforts have been undertaken, and if an organi-
possible. A process with 3.4 DPMO has a process sigma level of zation has been on the lean Six Sigma path for a while, they are
6. To find the process sigma level of any process knowing the between a process sigma of 4.0 and 4.5.
% rejects, we can use the standard normal distribution func- Another function in Excel called Norm.S.Dist can allow
tion available in Excel called Norm.S.Inv. The process sigma us to find the % rejects if we know the process sigma that we
can be found using Excel with the equation: would like to achieve. Figure 4 shows how this can be done.

42 ISE Magazine | www.iise.org/ISEmagazine

 Improving with process capability measures, control
Businesses want to improve all processes, but they must focus on those that cause customer
dissatisfaction. That dissatisfaction is measured by calculating process capability measures.
To improve processes that lead to consistent customer satisfaction, the dissatisfaction must be
quantified by calculating process capability measures. Process capability is the measured, inherent reproducibility of the product or
service turned out by the process. It can be quantified from data which, in turn, are the result of measurements of work performed by
the process. It defines limits within which virtually all individuals would normally be expected to fall.
By definition, a process is “capable” when it is operating at the three Sigma level. It is the range over which the natural variation
of a process occurs, determined by the system of common causes. It reflects the ability of the combination of people, machines,
methods, materials, environment and measurements (common causes of variation) to produce a product or service that consistently
meets design specifications or customer requirements. To calculate process capability measures, one must know the following: 1.
the centering of the process (average); 2. the variation within the process (standard deviation); and 3. the customer requirements
(specifications).
A process must be in control prior to calculating any capability measures. If the process is not in control the measure is
meaningless. It can be measured only if all special causes have been eliminated and the process is in a state of statistical control.
The proportion or percentage nonconforming is measured by the proportion of output that can be produced within or outside of
design specifications. It is a prediction based upon underlying probability distributions. A capable process has 99.73% of the material
meeting requirements or 0.27% (.0027) outside of specs. If the proportion nonconforming is greater than .0027, the process is not
capable. If it is less than .0027, it is more than capable.

Training course focuses on Six Sigma results

You can learn more about applying Six Sigma to business, statistics and engineering to achieve tangible results in two upcoming IISE
training sessions. The course, Six Sigma Green Belt for Process Improvement, is scheduled for Dec. 11-13 and again on Jan. 13-15,
2020, at IISE headquarters in metro Atlanta.
Attendees will learn how to master Six Sigma to quantify the critical quality issues in their businesses. The class includes an
optional green belt exam included in the course fee; those who pass will earn IISE’s Six Sigma Green Belt Certificate.
To register or learn more, visit www.iise.org/TrainingCenter.
.
Although the concept of DPMO and process sigma origi- Hence in many instances, companies that deliver mail, pro-
nated in manufacturing, these concepts can be applied equally cess checks, conduct online credit card transactions, etc., are
well to transactional and administrative processes. Sometimes attempting to go beyond Six Sigma to Seven Sigma to achieve
the issue is that people working in offices are not used to be- higher levels of customer satisfaction. As shown in Figure 4, a
ing monitored on how effectively they are performing in a Seven Sigma process will result in only 2 rejected outputs per
process. Rather than use a metric like % rejects, it might be 100 million. 
better to substitute a different term like “% complete and ac-
curate” (% C&A). This can allow office processes to track the Merwa ehta, Ph.D., is a professor at East Caroli a U iversity
activities they complete the first time around. Although there i he College of E gi eeri g a d Tech ology i he Tech ology Sys-
is no defective output being produced in office processes, the tems Departme t i ree ville, North Caroli a. He coordi ates the
need to perform an activity twice if it’s not done right the first Bachelor of Scie ce i I dustrial E gi eeri g Tech ology program a d
time results in unnecessary cost and delay to the process that graduate certificate i ea ix Sigma black belt. Prior to joi i g aca-
is avoidable. demics i 004, he had more tha 0 years of experie ce i usi ess
With outputs being produced in the millions rather than a d i dustry as a busi ess ow er i wo busi esses, vice preside t,
hundreds, the need for using a metric like DPMO takes on an ma ufacturi g ma ager, project director, i dustrial e gi eer, machi e
urgent need. If mail were to be delivered with 99% accuracy, tool desig gi eer a d ma ufacturi g e gi eer. He also works as
which would be very good for other kinds of services, it will a lea ix Sigma process improveme t co sulta t helpi g busi esses
result in 10,000 pieces of mail being lost per 1 million deliv- become more profitable a d productive si ce 2000. He has bee x-
ered. Even with a Six Sigma delivery process, there will be 34 ami er for the Missouri Quality Award based o he Baldrige criteria
pieces of mail lost if 10 million pieces of mail are delivered in for three seaso s. He is a ISE member.
a big city per day.

November 2019 | ISE Magazine 43

44 ISE Magazine | www.iise.org/ISEmagazine
 Engineering a
mind-body connection
y to ISE prob
By Ashley J. Benedict

L
Like most engineers, I find that I behave in linear and systematic ways with not only work but also life.
My calendar is structured and scheduled out, my to-do list is ready to be checked off and my standard
work documents help me complete my recurring tasks. I am regularly planning for the next assignment
at work or the next personal trip.
However, I recently got a chance to participate in an eight-week Mindbody class through work, and
it has started to change my perspective on how taking time to focus inward can impact the outward
work. I want to describe my self-discovery journey, and hopefully you’ll be inspired to take one of your own.
First, you may wonder what an industrial and systems engineer was doing in a Mindbody class. Isn’t that for a
psychologist or at least a human factors engineer? For the eight-week course, two newly trained instructors led
a group of six students through multiple sessions of introspection. Initially, I was very uncomfortable and came
up with strategies on how I could make my time in this session more efficient and effective for my personal
growth. Each session started with a few minutes of soft-belly breathing – deep breaths in and out with the eyes
closed or a soft gaze – followed by taking turns sharing what was happening in our lives that could be related to
a previous session or just how was life going in general.
For the first session, we shared what we wanted to get out of the class and what we wanted to accomplish
as we focused internally. As an engineer working with teams, I am often looked upon to provide solutions to
problems the team has encountered or help brainstorm solutions. This program was not structured to provide
answers or give us known strategies but required us to look introspectively as we traversed through the sessions
by utilizing our own inner wisdom.
Over the additional weeks, we were taught tools such as meditation, dialoguing, chair yoga, mindful eating,
drawing, imagery, shaking, dancing and daily gratitude. The instructors encouraged us to practice with them
and informed us that we were in control of what solutions we wanted to try. Similar to working with improve-
ment project teams, teams often wait for leaders to tell them the solutions and what to do when the solutions
really lie within the team to identify and implement.

Plan, do, study, act – meditate

At first, I asked myself how I was going to build these into my life. To start, I found that I needed to make time
to practice and decided to run a PDSA (plan, do, study, act) on meditation. My plan was to mediate twice a day
for at least five minutes. I scheduled time on my work calendar for first thing in the morning and mid-afternoon
to prompt me to meditate. This time was left as “free” time in Outlook to allow others to schedule time with
me if needed, and I could modify my meditation schedule to fit.
I started out doing meditation by spending five to 10 minutes following along with an app (I tested out the
free versions of Headspace and Calm). Then I found some YouTube sessions and sometimes set a timer and
worked on my breathing for those dedicated minutes. From the meditation teaching, one of my favorite applica-
tions was to recognize when your mind wanders, where it wanders to and then bring your attention back to the
breath. You take a pause to acknowledge the wandering thoughts before coming back to the breath. I found that
during these sessions my mind often opened and creative solutions appeared to problems I was having at work
or even in my personal life. While I wasn’t looking for solutions, they bubbled up, and in many of the cases after
the session, I remembered them and was able to act on them.
Take an assessment of your mental state: How do you feel? Are you happy, sad, grumpy or excited? Next, set
a timer on your phone, computer or watch and spend the next three minutes breathing (in through nose and
out through mouth). If your mind starts to wander, don’t get upset; instead acknowledge the thought and return

November 2019 | ISE Magazine 45

Engineering a mind-body connection

to your breathing. After the three minutes is up, redo your as-
sessment. Did thoughts come in that were helpful? Were you
thinking about a topic that is a current frustration? Were you
able to focus on the breathing the entire time?
As a more left-brained person with a tendency toward logic,
analytics and reason, this opened up my right side and allowed
me to pay attention to my emotions as well as those of the peo-
ple with whom I interacted after the meditation session. When
this started happening, it made me think about the book by
Travis Bradberry and Jean Greaves called Emotio al I tellige ce More on mindfulness
2.0. They highlight the concept of emotional intelligence (EQ)
Author Satya S. Chakravorty discussed the topic
and help identify your core EQ skills related to self-awareness,
of mindfulness in the September 2017 issue of ISE,
self-management, social awareness and relationship manage-
“Mindfulness boosts process performance.” You can read it
ment.
When I first calculated my EQ scores a few years ago, I was at https://link.iise.org/ISESept2017_Chakravorty.
at an overall score of 69 with my lowest score in self-awareness.
To be self-aware is to know yourself as you truly are. A few of ish with all the steps in between. Working with a team to com-
the strategies they include are to quit treating your feelings as plete this mapping requires time and focus. Creating a detailed
good or bad; feel your emotions physically and check yourself. I process map is really an exercise in mindful mapping of the
have found that, through meditation, I have become more self- process under study. Sometimes a team has to pause and take a
aware and am able to check in with myself regularly. By being minute to think about the perspectives of their customer and
aware of my own emotions, it has helped me check in with the their suppliers. Team members have to think about what hap-
emotions of those around me to see what they are feeling. pens before the team process begins.
After a couple of the sessions, I started to be mindful with less Another activity we completed in the class was drawing our
focus on making the session efficient and effective. Mindful- current state and our future state. This didn’t mean mapping
ness, a concept introduced in the class that I had heard of previ- out what it was but drawing a picture that represented what we
ously but hadn’t practiced, allowed me to shift my perspective currently felt and then sketching a picture of what we saw in
to one of planning and forward thinking to just being present. the future. Of all the exercises we learned, this was one that I
Psychology Today defines mindfulness as “a state of active, open have applied with project teams many times. This can be a fun
attention to the present. This state encompasses observing one’s activity to get teams to share their frustrations with their cur-
thoughts and feelings without judging them as good or bad.” rent state in a creative way. I have often seen teams draw chaos
in different forms by trying to display confusion, poor commu-
A mindful approach: Slow down, savor nication and other frustrations. The future state is ordered and
During the class on mindful eating, we were given a grape to streamlined with the team members all having smiling faces.
eat. Normally, I would have popped the grape in my mouth, The last activity I will share is the concept of dialoguing.
chewed it partially, then swallowed without much thought to When this topic was first introduced, I was initially skeptical
what I had just consumed. The instructor asked us first to look it wouldn’t work. That was until I realized that dialoguing re-
at the grape, smell it and roll it around in our hands. We were minds me of working through a “five whys” exercise when you
asked to think about the growing of the grape, where it came just keep conversing with a frustration until you get to the root
from, how it got from the vines to the grocery store to our cause. The activity started with the students each identifying
class, etc. Next, we put the grape in our mouths and slowly ate a frustration and then having a dialogue with that frustration.
it. This allowed us to really taste its flavor and feel its texture My conversation was with my aching knees and hips (obvi-
before consuming it. ously, I am no longer a young engineer). After having this con-
If you have a meal or snack coming up soon, I encourage you versation with my knees and hips, I came to realize I needed
to try this out. Before eating one of the foods, run through the to incorporate more stretching and yoga into my life. This is
items above: look, smell, feel, listen, taste. Use all the senses to again something I can build into my calendar and test different
experience a few bites. Slow down and savor the flavor. What PDSAs to see what works for me and what doesn’t. Without
was that experience like? Did you notice something new about this conversation, I might still be thinking that all I need to do
the food you ate? Did you enjoy it more or did you enjoy it less? is find better shoes or spend less time working out.
This activity made me think about how in my career as a For the last self-guided exercise, draw your current and fu-
healthcare process improvement expert I have to get teams to ture states or complete a dialogue session with a frustration
think about processes from where they start to where they fin- you are having. What was your conclusion? Did you notice

46 ISE Magazine | www.iise.org/ISEmagazine

 An easy path toward mindfulness
Chade-Meng Tan created a mindfulness program called “Search Inside Yourself” while working as an
engineer and one of the early employees at Google. He turned his efforts into a book, Search Inside Yourself:
The Unexpected Path to Achieving Success, Happiness (and World Peace). Tan says as little as a few minutes
spent in meditative breathing can open your mind to clearer thinking and problem-solving.
“You probably need some discipline in the beginning, but after a few months, you notice dramatic changes in quality of life,” he
wrote. “Once you reach that point, it’s so compelling you just cannot not practice anymore.”
He offers three tips to beginning a mindfulness journey:

• Have a buddy. Tan uses the analogy of going to the gymnasium with a friend to help motivate regular exercise. Having a
partner helps you encourage each other and hold each other accountable.
• Do less than you can. Learned from Tibetan monk Mingyur Rinpoche, author of The Joy of Living, the idea is to do less
formal practice than you are capable of. “For example, if you can sit in mindfulness for five minutes before it feels like a chore,
then don’t sit for five minutes, just do three or four minutes, perhaps a few times a day,” Tan wrote. “The reason is to keep the
practice from becoming a burden. If mindfulness practice feels like a chore, it’s not sustainable. Don’t sit for so long that it
becomes burdensome. Sit often, for short periods, and your mindfulness practice may soon feel like an indulgence.”
• Take one breath a day. Tan wrote, “If you commit to one breath a day, you can easily fulfill this commitment and can then
preserve the momentum of your practice, and later, when you feel ready for more, you can pick it back up easily. ... I tell my
students that all they need to commit to is one mindful breath a day. Just one. Breathe in and breathe out mindfully, and your
commitment for the day is fulfilled. Everything else is a bonus.”

something that will help you get to your future state? Did you along with their babies, the bunnies eating their lunches, the
come up with a plan on how to deal with the frustration? Did alligators hanging out and the other people walking around the
anything surprise you by these exercises? lake. Taking these 20 minutes out of our day has made us more
centered and more energetic as we get in that one-mile walk.
Clear minds lead to solutions I would have probably stuck with it for a few days on my own,
While I am still constantly using the left side of my brain, ap- but finding a friend who helps motivate you only adds to the
plying these skills to my daily life has allowed me to continually successes that you have when testing out these tools.
test different tools that make my life feel more complete and I encourage you to learn more about how to incorporate
have helped me excel in my job. I have allowed thoughts to some of these tools into your daily life, and if you are any-
come during meditation that have led to solutions to problems. thing like me take a step out of your circle of comfort and
I am now able to monitor my emotions during times of calm find how you can grow by trying something new. A younger
but also in heated discussions. This has also allowed me to iden- version of me would have loved to have some of these skills
tify some areas of my life that needed a PDSA approach, such as and tools available to use when doing some introspective
practicing daily meditation, adding daily stretching and being evaluations. I hope this helps you as you grow and develop
present with those around us. into your future self. 
I find that I can pigeonhole myself based on my degree, my
job title or even my dominant brain side, but this Mindbody Ashley J. Be edict, Ph.D., is the VISN system redesig oordi ator
program has opened me up to other possibilities. I have started (lea ix Sigma program ma ager) for the VA Su shi e Healthcare
to embrace these moments of silence as I deep breathe in the Network (VISN 8). She leads improveme t withi ISN 8 i he
morning and in the afternoon. I have pushed myself to be a bit effort to impleme t lea ix Sigma a d data-drive olutio s. She re-
more present in meetings, in interactions with others and while ceived her bachelor’s a d master’s degrees i i dustrial e gi eeri g from
completing tasks. Some days my practice is stronger than others, the U iversity of Florida a d her Ph.D. i dustrial e gi eeri g with
but using mindfulness has allowed me to be in the moment and a focus o uma actors from Purdue U iversity. She has worked as
not focus too much on the past or the future. I am more open to a ma ageme t e gi eer with Sha ds HealthCare ( ow UFHealth) i
saying “yes” to a new experience or testing out a new activity. Gai esville, Florida, a d was part of the New E gla d Vetera s E gi-
During lunch, I have been taking walks with a work friend eeri g Resource Ce ter i Bosto , Massachusetts. A IISE member,
and fellow student in class around a lake behind our building she has served as a board member a d preside t of the Society for Health
at work. We have started to notice the different types of birds Systems.

November 2019 | ISE Magazine 47

 research Inside IISE Journals

This month we highlight two articles from IISE Transactions. The first studies the information and data security issues
by protecting information and communication technology (ICT) infrastructure. The paper proposes an optimization
framework for implementing security mitigations to cover supply chain vulnerabilities, and further formulates it as integer
programming and stochastic programming models to identify security mitigations for reducing the risk of attacks.
The second summary studies quick response mechanisms to meet uncertain demand by planning reactive regional
production capacities. The paper addresses the key factors, pros and cons, as well as conditions to implement speculative
production or reactive production. These articles will appear in the December 2019 issue (Volume 51, No. 12).

Securing cyber-infrastructure
to keep sensitive data safe
Recent cybersecurity breaches, such as
those at Equifax and Capitol One, high-
light the importance of information and
data security. When sensitive data is not
secured, the costs of the breach to the or-
ganization and to society are enormous.
As a result, it is critically important to
safeguard information systems and cy-
ber infrastructure. Doing so is extremely
challenging, since critical information
and communication technology (ICT)
infrastructure is a complex system that
is vulnerable to numerous security risks, Professors Jim Luedtke (left) and Laura Albert of the University of Wisconsin-
Madison authored a research paper on supply chain cybersecurity with doctoral
especially from sophisticated adversaries.
students Kaiyue “Kay” Zheng and Eli Towle, now both Ph.Ds.
To protect critical ICT infrastructure,
companies, governmental organizations Though the risk cannot be totally elimi- framework for implementing security
and other institutions must consider nated, the right mix of mitigations can mitigations to cover supply chain vul-
more than just their infrastructure; they substantially reduce the risk. All organi- nerabilities. This optimization frame-
must also consider risks stemming from zations have limited security budgets and work supports a formal supply chain risk
supply chains. Supply chain risks in- employee resources, and there is uncer- management framework by identifying a
clude those associated with third-party tainty about the effectiveness of all secu- portfolio of security procedures designed
vendors, maintenance, manufacturing rity tactics. for a long-term phased rollout that can
and processing. These can be mitigated In the paper “A Budgeted Maximum reduce risk. They propose new coverage
by implementing controls and security Multiple Coverage Model for Cyber- models, which are formulated as integer
procedures, including physical measures security Planning and Management,” programming and stochastic program-
such as replacing vulnerable hardware authors Kaiyue “Kay” Zheng, Ph.D. of ming models, to identify a portfolio of
or requiring tamper-evident packag- Amazon, professors Laura Albert and security mitigations that can reduce the
ing, and broader initiatives like training Jim Luedtke from the University of Wis- risk from attacks originating in supply
employees, regularly assessing vendors consin-Madison and Eli Towle, Ph.D. chains.
or tightening shipping requirements. of Gurobi, propose an optimization A detailed computational analysis pro-

48 ISE Magazine | www.iise.org/ISEmagazine

vides insights into policies for protecting sistant professor at Shanghai Jiao Tong
ICT infrastructure. Their results shed University; Masha Shunko, an assistant This month we highlight two
light on critical components that require professor at University of Washington; articles from IISE Transactions on
the most protection, in particular when Nagesh Gavirneni, a professor at Cor- Healthcare Systems Engineering
there is uncertainty, and how to balance nell University; Yan Shu, a software (Volume 9, No. 3). The first article
risk-reduction with cost and other cri- engineer at Google; and Kan Wu, an is on using smartwatch machine
teria. assistant professor at Nanyang Techno-
learning methods to predict the
Zheng and Towle were doctoral stu- logical University. In their paper “Re-
dents of Albert and Luedtke when they active Production with Preprocessing
onset of PTSD symptoms. The
worked on this paper. Restriction in Supply Chains with second article addresses the use
CONTACT: Laura Albert; [email protected]; Forecast Updates,” they investigate a of motion data to diagnose and
(608) 262-3002; University of Wisconsin-Mad- supply chain with two-mode produc- treat the effects of chronic ankle
ison, Industrial and Systems Engineering, 1513 tion consisting of speculative produc- instability.
University Ave., Madison, WI 53706 tion and reactive production restricted
by preprocessing.
Upfront investment for They demonstrate that it is not always Using wearable technology
reactive production: Is it beneficial to prepare for reactive pro- and machine learning
beneficial or detrimental? duction, and they provide guidelines to solve veterans’ mental
Timbuk2, a San Francisco-based bag and identify key drivers and associated health crisis from PTSD
manufacturer, produces make-to-stock contracts for manufacturing companies Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)
(speculative) units overseas, mainly in to best leverage the reactive production is a mental disorder that has been as-
Vietnam and Indonesia, and make-to- option. The benefit of the two-mode sociated with high rates of suicide and
order (reactive) units regionally in the production can be substantial (as large profound decreases in quality of life.
United States, but the required materi- as 104%) when compared to the tra- PTSD is particularly prevalent in the
als must be sourced well ahead of time ditional purely speculative production combat veteran population, due to the
from overseas. when manufacturing companies face a high frequency of traumatic events in
Xiaomi, an electronics company huge inventory shortage cost. combat. The large numbers of veterans
based in China, speculatively produc- CONTACT: Meimei Zheng; meimeizheng2009@ suffering from PTSD creates a challenge
es batches of phones in China for the gmail.com; 86-21-34206292; Mechanical for healthcare systems because the avail-
Indian market, then uses local Indian Engineering, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Room able treatments require in-session ther-
capacity for reactive production runs. No. 543, Longbing Building, No. 800 Dongchuan apy and prescribed medications. These
In preparation for this, several complex Road, Shanghai, 200240, China treatments are effective but they are not
components must be secured ahead accessible to all veterans and leave ex-
of time. Quick response mechanisms tended periods where veterans must rely
to meet uncertain demand necessitate on self-management of their symptoms.
many manufacturing companies to Professors Farzan Sasangohar and Tony
plan for reactive regional production McDonald of Texas A&M University are
capacity that takes advantage of updat- seeking to address this problem through
ed demand information, in addition to the use of a smartwatch-based mobile
speculative production. However, sig- health (mHealth) technology called First
nificant investments in material prepa- Watch Device (FWD). In “Continuous
ration must be made well in advance. Monitoring and Detection of Post-Trau-
When are investments in upfront prep- matic Stress Disorder (PTSD) Triggers
aration for reactive production oppor- Among Veterans: A Supervised Machine
tunities beneficial to the supply chain? Learning Approach,” co-authored with
What is the optimal post-doctoral researcher Arjun Rao,
balance between Meimei Zheng (left) and Kan Wu Ph.D., and master’s student Ashish Jatav,
speculative and re- discuss optimal production decisions for the authors describe the research that de-
active productions? manufacturing companies that need to veloped a key component of this technol-
These issues are prepare material in advance for reactive ogy: a machine learning algorithm that
examined by Mei- production during an online meeting detects PTSD symptom onset from heart
Nagesh Gavirneni mei Zheng, an as- with Nagesh Gavirneni. rate data.

November 2019 | ISE Magazine 49

research

From left, professors in physical

therapy at Northeastern
University Eric Folmar and
Sheng-Che Yen joined Chun-An
Chou, an assistant professor
of mechanical and industrial
engineering, and Ph.D. student
Shaodi Qian in a research project
using sensor data to diagnose
Farzan Sasangohar works with veterans chronic ankle instability.
taking the First Watch Device on a test
ride. The machine learning algorithm as well as objectively monitor patient the Northeastern Seed/Proof-of-con-
can help detect PTSD symptoms from progress. cept grant program for which Chou is
heart rate data. Recently, the advance of biosensor the principal investigator.
In their approach, the authors used devices – such as the seven-camera 3D- CONTACT: Chun-An Chou; ch.chou@north
a dataset collected from smartwatches motion capture system used in our study eastern.edu; (617) 373-3865; 360 Huntington
worn by veterans during various week- – opens a door for clinical practitioners Ave., Mechanical and Industrial Engineering,
long bicycling events. The smartwatches to be able to mimic a patient’s actual Northeastern University, Boston, MA 02115
monitored the veterans’ heart rates and motion behaviors during different tasks,
allowed them to record the onset of such as running. Though the informa- Jia ju Ja ) Shi is the Caroly . Stewart
symptoms with a tap on the watch face. tion should be clear, it is difficult to Chair a d Professor i he H. Milto
The authors applied a structured process differentiate between patients with and Stewart School of I dustrial a d Systems
to refine the dataset and test and evaluate without CAI despite differences in the E gi eeri g at the Georgia I stitute of
algorithms. The analysis suggested that populations as the computer-generated Tech ology. He is editor-i -chief of IISE
support vector machines (SVM) and curves look very similar. It remains a Transactions, a cademicia f the I ter-
random forests could detect symptom challenge to help patients with such data atio al Academy for Quality, a member of
onset significantly better than random in clinical practice. the Natio al Academy of E gi eeri g a d a
classifiers. In “Self-Expressive Subspace Learn- fellow of IISE, ASME a d INFORMS.
The results of this research are now ing to Recognize Motion Dynamics for
being used to implement and test real- Chronic Ankle Instability,” Chun-An Teresa Wu is a dustrial e gi eeri g pro-
time interventions for veterans afflicted Chou, Ph.D., and Ph.D. student Shaodi fessor i rizo a State U iversity’s School
with PTSD. Qian collaborated with professors in of Computi g, I formatics a Decisi
CONTACT: Farzan Sasangohar; sasangohar@ physical therapy at Northeastern Uni- Systems E gi eeri g. She is editor-i -chief
tamu.edu; (979) 458-2337; Department of Indus- versity, Sheng-Che Yen, Ph.D., and Eric of IISE Transactions on Healthcare Sys-
trial and Systems Engineering, 3131 Texas A&M Folmar, Ph.D. They developed a new tems Engineering.
University, College Station, TX 77843 data-driven analytics tool to effectively
distinguish unstable motion patterns of About the journals
Rediscovering chronic ankle ankle-injured patients from normal con-
instability: Gait data has trols. They recruited a number of sub- IISE Transactions is IISE’s flagship research
map for diagnosis, treatment jects to acquire motion data during run- journal and is published monthly. It aims
Every day, 25,000 people sprain an ning in a well-controlled environment. to foster exchange among researchers and
ankle in the U.S. More than 1 million They not only showed high prediction practitioners in the industrial engineering
people visit emergency rooms each year accuracy but also observed the interrela-
community by publishing papers that are
because of ankle injuries. Up to 70% of tionship between hip and ankle joints in
grounded in science and mathematics and
individuals do not fully recover from running patterns.
motivated by engineering applications.
single ankle sprains and eventually de- This work is really inspiring for both
velop chronic ankle instability (CAI). industrial engineers and physical thera- IISE Transactions on Healthcare Systems
The traditional diagnosis and assess- pists. This collaborative work has de- Engineering is a quarterly, refereed journal
ment of CAI have long relied on self- veloped a method that helps to provide that publishes papers about the application of
report questionnaires, which are sub- more objective measures, along with industrial engineering tools and techniques to
jectively biased. In clinical practice, it self-report measures, to support clinical
healthcare systems.
remains challenging for physical thera- management of individuals with CAI.
pists to provide diagnosis and treatment This research project is supported by To subscribe, call (800) 494-0460.

50 ISE Magazine | www.iise.org/ISEmagazine

November 2019 | ISE Magazine 51
 tools & techn logies
By Kevin Forsberg
Kevin Forsberg, PMP, is a program manager at Veritas Prime
focusing on global implementations. He is an 11-year member of
the Los Angeles chapter of IISE.

Migrating human capital processes to the cloud

As cloud solutions continue to take the market by storm, include major reductions in administrative tasks, increased
large corporations are taking note and reacting as quickly security via SAP’s state-of-the-art data centers and much
as possible. SuccessFactors, for example, was founded in quicker value realization, with implementations taking
2001 and had already been acquired by industry-leader SAP months as opposed to a year or more with on-premise solu-
in 2012. This acquisition demonstrated the importance of tions.
traditional on-site enterprise resource planning (ERP) pro- Department heads are taking note of how this new tech-
viders to rapidly expand their software as a service (SaaS) nology can impact and improve their specific areas as well.
offering, something we’ve also seen with Oracle and several Several leaders in risk and legal have shown a preference
of SAP’s competitors. toward SuccessFactors because it is an extremely compliant
The need for companies to make the jump to the cloud product. In response to today’s focus on data privacy, SAP
stems from the basic requirement to stay competitive in to- has implemented some of the most advanced security proto-
day’s fast-paced markets. The benefits of moving HR pro- cols in the industry, starting with their secure software de-
cesses to the cloud, and SuccessFactors specifically, can be velopment lifecycle.
seen immediately after implementation in most cases. They Even C-suite executives such as CTOs and CFOs have

52 ISE Magazine | www.iise.org/ISEmagazine

 TOOLS TO TRY  Emerson’s new Appleton Code Master Jr.
LED factory-sealed luminaire combines
the energy-efficiency of LED solid state technology
with the familiar lighting patterns of traditional
incandescent and high intensity discharge fixtures.
It is compatible with existing Code Master Jr.
products and easy to retrofit an existing installation.
 The luminaire delivers crisp white light for superior color rendering and a
safer working environment, while allowing facility managers to take full
3M’s Expanded Beam Optical Connector System is
advantage of impressive LED cost savings of up to 85% in petrochemical
engineered as a high-performance, cost-effective and
and chemical processing plants, refineries, waste treatment centers and
scalable single mode and multimode interconnect
other hazardous industrial locations. It delivers 60,000 hours of virtually
system for data center applications. Its expanded beam
maintenance-free lighting operation designed to provide operation in
ferrule and connector system is designed to enable the
the presence of ignitable gases, vapors or dusts, such as in wastewater
industry to meet next generation data center demands.
treatment plants, petrochemical plants and oil refineries.
Fiber optic expanded beam interconnect is designed to
deliver leading edge performance, reduce sensitivity
Eaton has launched its 9SX UPS, providing up
to dust and lower total cost of ownership. The optical


to 28% more wattage compared to traditional
ferrule uses a non-contact optical coupling in contrast
UPSs and ABM technology that can increase
to the more traditional physical contact methods.
battery service life by 50%. The 9SX offers
Together with the connector design, this helps to
the robust double-conversion, online power
provide reduced sensitivity to dust, helping maintain
protection needed for medical, light industrial,
signal integrity and reducing the need for and cost of
automation and mission critical IT applications.
maintenance and cleaning. It is available in single
It also provides automated power delivery, using
mode (1310 nm) and multimode (850 nm) versions.
switchable, programmable outlets without the
need of a third party device or PDU; the ability
to maximize uptime with remote monitoring and
management; and simplified UPS monitoring with
an advanced LCD interface.

 Schmalz vacuum lifters can be used in many different application areas to help
with handling operations with sheets, boxes, sacks, barrels, buckets or handling
passenger baggage at airports. Schmalz also offers special vacuum lifters for special
handling tasks developed for a variety of sector applications. Vacuum tube lifters
from Schmalz are divided into three types: lightweight goods of up to 50 kg are moved
ergonomically and at a high cycle frequency with the JumboFlex. The JumboSprint
and the JumboErgo are designed for larger loads of up to 300 kg.

begun to ask for these products because of both the vast tech- ample, to an existing environment, that can be done rela-
nical improvements and financial implications of a low-cost, tively easily and with little to no disruption of the current
subscription-based service as opposed to a large investment system and processes in place.
in a traditional on-premise system. Having the implementa- The pricing structure for the SuccessFactors product
tion consultants tailor each instance specifically toward that matches the flexibility of their offering and pricing is adjust-
industry and country makes it easy to see why the tool has ed according to organization size and the number of modules
become an instant hit. selected. Corporations choosing to make the switch to the
The SuccessFactors product is divided into several mod- cloud need not worry about paying for extensive training for
ules: Employee Central, Recruitment Marketing, Onboard- their employees; the standard implementation is carried out
ing, Performance and more. Because the module-based ap- by a certified partner and in the case of SuccessFactors will
proach is used, customers can pick and choose what aspects include the materials to train end users if necessary. Due to
of the suite will be most beneficial for their organization and the intuitive nature of these products, users will often elect
only implement those product features. Additionally, should to forgo traditional education courses on the cloud suite and
a customer decide later to add the Learning module, for ex- are able to continue to perform in their role.

November 2019 | ISE Magazine 53

 the institute
Keeping pace with IISE

Nominate the stars of ISE for Honors & Awards

Profession’s top achievers, leaders to be honored in New Orleans

Do you know of an innovator in the professional or academic

worlds who has applied leading-edge practices or unique lead-
ership approaches to achieve remarkable results?
Could this person perhaps be you?
Now is the time to ensure that the top performers in indus-
trial and systems engineering get their due with the IISE Hon-
ors & Awards to be presented at the IISE Annual Conference
& Expo 2020 set for May 30-June 2 at the Hyatt Regency in
New Orleans. The deadline for nominations is Dec. 1.
Eight leadership awards will be presented, including IISE’s
top prize the Frank and Lillian Gilbreth Industrial Engineer The honors and awards to be presented at the IISE Annual
Award that recognizes ISEs who have made a mark of dis- Conference & Expo 2020 in New Orleans include the
tinction through contributions to humankind. Another high prestigious Fellow award. Last year’s winners included
the first three African-American women to be so honored
honor is the Fellow Award given to leaders who have made
in the award’s 69-year history, (pictured from left) Tonya
significant, nationally recognized contributions to industrial
Smith-Jackson, Harriet Nembhard and Pamela McCauley.
engineering.
The new award to be presented in 2020 is the IISE Cup, Society & Division awards also will be announced at Annual
which will recognize organizations for innovative and effective Conference, honoring the top industry and academic leaders in
implementation of industrial and systems engineering princi- addition to winners of 15 student competitions, more than 25
ples and practices that deliver performance improvement. awards in all. For a full list with links to details and deadlines,
In addition to the leadership awards, five will be awarded visit https://l k.iise.org/SDAwards.
for service to the profession, three for educators, three research Also up for nominations are IISE scholarship awards. Nomi-
awards, a student award and eight specialty awards. For a full nations are accepted through Nov. 15; for a full list of the
list of awards, details on each, nominee eligibility and entry scholarships offered and nomination details, visit l k.iise.org/
procedures, visit www.iise.org/h ors. Scholarships.

Winter entries open for Rockwell Undergraduate Student Simulation

Deadline is Jan. 6; winners earn cash prizes, trip to New Orleans

The entry deadline for the winter session of the IISE/Rock- Competing teams will use Rockwell’s Arena simulation
well Undergraduate Student Simulation Competition is Jan. 6. software to solve a “real-world” problem. Finalists will receive
Student teams can earn cash prizes and a trip to the IISE complimentary registration, tickets to the Honors & Awards
Annual Conference & Expo 2020 in New Orleans, May 30- banquet and $1,250 for travel expenses to attend the confer-
June 2. The winning team will earn $5,000, plus $500 for their ence at the Hyatt Regency. To enter, visit www.iise.org/Are a
student chapter; the second-place team wins $2,500 and the Competitio . For questions, contact IISE’s Bonnie Cameron at
third-place team $1,500, each earning $250 to team chapters. [email protected] or (770) 449-0461, ext. 105.

54 ISE Magazine | www.iise.org/ISEmagazine

ELSS shares best problem-solving ideas
Conference attendees discuss lean Six Sigma methods, celebrate top papers

Photo by Michael Hughes, IISE

Process improvement ideas were as hot as the Texas sun at the
IISE Engineering Lean & Six Sigma Conference held Sept.
23-25 at the Magnolia Hotel in Houston.
The event included three days of presentations on a wide
variety of topics, as well as keynote speeches by Dr. Peter WT
Pisters, president of The University of Texas MD Anderson
Cancer Center, and David B. Reid, PE, production process
design senior consultant for Chick-fil-A Inc.
Also featured were networking events, a workshop, panel
Winners of the Best Paper Competition are announced
session and a closing awards ceremony to honor winners in the on the final day of the Engineering Lean & Six Sigma
Best Paper Competition. Conference held Sept. 23-25 in Houston.
Three teams were honored with best paper certificates. First
place went to Hung-da Wan and Rafid al Janahi of the Uni- surement System Analysis: Identifying Opportunities in Pa-
versity of Texas at San Antonio for their work, “Measuring tient Care.”
Fitness of a Product Line to Meet Customer Demand.” Second-runner up went to F. Frank Chen and Hamed Bou-
The first runner-up certificate went to Elisa Gouveia Wal- zary of the University of Texas at San Antonio for “Improving
drup and Raphael McIntyre of UT Southwestern for “Mea- Lean Six Sigma Practices in the Big Data Era.”

Health conference speakers offer expertise, unique views

Montori, Knight to highlight conference Feb. 26-28 in Savannah

Two keynote speakers with unique 600 peer-reviewed publications and is

perspectives on healthcare processes among the top 1% of researchers with
will be featured at the IISE Healthcare most cited papers in clinical medicine
Systems Process Improvement Con- worldwide in the last decade.
ference 2020 set for Feb. 26-28 at the Montori serves as a senior adviser
Hyatt Regency Savannah in Savannah, in the U.S. government’s Center for
Georgia. Evidence and Practice Improvement at
The conference will include pre- the Agency for Healthcare Quality and Victor Montori Alex Knight
conference workshops, educational Research. He is a recognized expert in
sessions, poster sessions, networking evidence-based medicine and shared test his solution in health settings in
events and exhibits. Educational ses- decision-making and is developer of the United Kingdom, the Netherlands,
sions will address a wide array of top- the concept of minimally disruptive Canada, the United States and Austra-
ics. medicine. lia. He has worked around the world
The keynote speaker Feb. 27 will The Feb. 28 keynote speaker is Alex as a consultant, speaker, lecturer and
be Victor M. Montori, M.D., a profes- Knight, founding partner of QFI in coach for nearly three decades along-
sor of medicine at the Mayo Clinic in Scottsdale, Arizona. Knight, an MBA side healthcare, social care, for-profit
Rochester, Minnesota. Montori is an and chartered engineer, is inventor of and not-for-profit organizations.
endocrinologist and health services re- Theory of Constraints-based solutions. To learn more and to register, visit
searcher who has authored more than For the last 15 years, he has worked to www.iise.org/HSPI.

November 2019 | ISE Magazine 55

The institute

New leaders, boards in place for societies and divisions

Elections, appointments fill key slots for 2019-2020

This year’s election results are all tabulated and IISE’s societies and divisions have chosen their new leaders to boards of directors
for 2019-2020.
Here are the current boards and officers for each, with new members indicated in bold type.

Societies Energy Systems

Applied Ergonomics Society Andrew Kusiak; president; Zhimin Xi; president-elect; Li-
Teresa Bellingar, president; Ben Zavitz, president-elect; Gary hui Bai; past president; Chaoyue Zhao “Chen”; Ramteen
Allread; Jose Banaag; Wayne Maynard; Brian Roberts; Sandra Sioshansi; Joshua Wormack; Mohammad Roni; Lei Fan;
Sellers; Amanda Kauder, secretary Alison Davis, student member

Society for Engineering & Management Systems Engineering Economy

Russell Wooten, president; Brian K. Smith, past president; Mehmet Bayram Yildirim, president; Cameron Mackenzie,
Chanchal Saha, Kevin Nortrup; Michael Testani; Julie president-elect, program chair; Omar Ashour, past president;
Drzymalski; Kira Hansen; Gene Dixon; Fernando Aleu Gon- Ahmet Akgun, communications director; Moufid Dardas;
zalez Isaac Faber

Society for Health Systems Logistics & Supply Chain

Isaac Mitchell; president; Mary Ellen Skeens; president- Pratik J. Parikh; president; Murat Erkoc; president-elect;
elect; Dean Athanassiades; past president; Elizabeth Gentry; Dincer Konur; past president; Constantine M. Koursaris; Naz-
Jordan Peck; Laura Silvoy; Tarun Mohan Lal; Jarvis Gray; rul I. Shaikh; Noor-e-Alam; Zhijie Sasha Dong; Jennifer
Lauren Cooper; Lauren Todd; assistant to president; Aaron Pazour; Mike Sherwin; Hector Vergara; Taner Cokyasar,
Kanne; treasurer; Todd Banks; secretary; Darrin Judkins; student member
conference chair
Manufacturing & Design
Divisions Lourdes A. Medina, president; Guha Manogharan, president-
Body of Knowledge elect; Rohan Shirwaiker, past-president and advisory commit-
Diana Berry, chair, vice president of technical operations; tee; Harry Pierson, secretary; Alaa Elwany, external rela-
Alison M. Knight; Joel Brock; Binil Starly; Bryan A. tions director; Mostafa Bedewy, media director; C. David
Norman; Krishnan Krishnaiyer; Jose Monreal; Russell Vance III, advisory committee; Shayla Spearman, advisory
Wooten committee

Construction Modeling & Simulation

Christina Rinaudo, president; Javad Seif, president-elect; Xueping Li, president; Caroline Krejci, president-elect; Omar
Henry Lester, past president; Gary Moynihan, Robert Ra- Ashour, past president; Shima Mohebbi; John Shortle; Mi-
nallo; Abdullah Alhasan; Brian Moore; Kris Harbin; Wil- chael Kuhl, Raed Jaradat; Dongping Du; Andrew J. Collins,
liam B. Leonard; Emily Wall Shrikant Jarugumilli, industry; Salvador Romo, industry

DAIS Operational Excellence (formerly Lean)

Andrew Yu; president; Changqing Cheng; president-elect; Hung-Da Wan; president; Nadiye Erdil; president-elect; Val-
Brian Quanz; past president; Moufid Dardas; Saeed Ghan- entine Boving; past president; Jennifer Cross; Brian Galli;
bartehrani; Xiao Liu; Bing Si; Chen Kan; Sinal Onal; Na Felix Veroya; Steve Vijayan; Johanna Ficatier; David Harry;
Zou; Ying Lin Farnaz Ghazi-Nezami; Sushil Shetty

56 ISE Magazine | www.iise.org/ISEmagazine

 3 Days to Your
Six Sigma Green Belt
IISE training gets results – with documented Lean and Six Sigma savings
totaling millions of dollars:

• Reducing transaction processing paperwork saved a financial services

organization $128,000 per quarter.

• Improved communications saved a transportation company more than

$875,000 per year in turnover costs.
INSTRUCTORS • Cycle time reductions increased a Web developer’s annual profits by 10%.

• Reducing defects by half saved a wave solder operation $60,000 per year.

Those are the results you can start seeing as you learn to integrate principles
of business, statistics and engineering, quantifying your quality issues,
statistically analyzing solutions that will reduce re-work, scrap and delays in
every business sector, from manufacturing to services to healthcare.

Six Sigma Green Belt (and SSGB for Healthcare) courses are scheduled for
Larry Aft, PE Dec. 11-13, 2019, and Jan. 13-15, 2020, at IISE HQ in Metro Atlanta. SSGB
IISE Director of Training is also scheduled Nov. 12-14, 2019, in Los Angeles.

OTHER UPCOMING COURSES INCLUDE:

… in Metro Atlanta (Norcross, Georgia)
Lean Scrum: Nov. 19-20, 2019
Work Measurement: Dec. 9-10, 2019
Six Sigma Green Belt for Process Improvement: Dec. 11-13, 2019

Rich Halstead-Nussloch, Six Sigma Green Belt for Healthcare: Dec. 11-13, 2019
Ph.D., CPE Facilities and Workplace Design: Dec. 11-12, 2019
Kennesaw State University Six Sigma Green Belt for Process Improvement: Jan. 13-15, 2020
Six Sigma Green Belt for Healthcare: Jan. 13-15, 2020
Intro Cyber Risk in Manuf/Ind Processes: Jan. 22-24, 2020
ISO 13053 Methods-Time Measurement: Jan. 27-Feb. 7, 2020
Compliant

IISE is an IACET All Six Sigma classes

Authorized Provider. are compliant
with ISO 13053.
Learn more and register today! www.iise.org/TrainingCenter
November 2019 | ISE Magazine 57
The institute

Operations Research Sustainable Development

Katie McConky, president, president-elect; Chase Rainwater, Joel Brock, president; Brion Hurley, president-elect; Greg
past president; Ambarish Acharya; Guiping Hu; Mohammad Weisenborn, past president; Gokhan Egilmez; Ricardo
Marufuzzaman; Thomas Sharkey Thierry-Aquilera; Dustin Diep, student member; Jeremy
Rickli
Quality Control and Reliability
Trevor Craney; president; Adel Alaeddini; president-elect; Work Systems
Pingfeng Wang; past president; Chenang Liu; Wilkistar Michael Hair, president; Erick C. Jones, president-elect; Ed
Otieno; Hongyue Sun; Yisha Xiang; Linkan Bian; Chitta Eisbrenner, past president; David Hampton; Ed Pound; Mayra
Ranjan; Zhicheng (Jason) Zhu, student member Mendez-Pinero; Laila Cure

Five new international chapters join IISE

Institute includes professionals, students around the world

IISE’s global impact continued to grow in 2019 with five new international university chapters added to the member roster.
The new chapters chartered in 2019 include four in Region 13 Mexico: Cap. Est IISE TECN/M IT Piedras Negras of
Piedra Negras, chartered July 3; ITSSAT in Matacapan, chartered July 1; ITESCO of Coatzacoalcos, chartered May 30; and
Universidad Tecmileno Campus Zapopan in Zapopan, chartered Sept. 13. Also joining was UNAB, Universidad Autonoma
de Bucaramanga of Santander, Colombia, chartered June 20 in Region 16 (Central and South America).
Here are the 2019 professional and university international chapters by region including notations of IISE chapter awards.

Region 13: Mexico Instituto Tecnológico de Mérida (gold)

University chapters Instituto Tecnológico de Morelia
Benémérita Universidad Autónoma de Puebla (gold) Instituto Tecnológico de Pachuca (gold)
Capítulo Estudiantil Bonaterra Instituto Tecnologico de Saltillo (silver)
Cap. Est IISE TECN/M IT Piedras Negras Instituto Tecnológico de San Luis Potosí (gold)
Capítulo Estudiantil del Instituto Tecnológico de Reynosa Instituto Tecnológico de Toluca
(gold) Instituto Tecnológico de Veracruz (gold)
Capítulo Industrial UPALT (silver) Instituto Tecnológico de Zacatepec
Instituto de Est Superiores de Tamaulipas (gold) Instituto Tecnológico Superior de Atlixco (silver)
Instituto Politécnico Nacional – UPIICSA Institute Tecnológico Superior de El Mante
Instituto Tecnológico de Cerro Azul Instituto Tecnológico Superior de Poza Rica (gold)
Instituto Tecnológico de Ciudad Madero (gold) Instituto Tecnológico Superior de San Luis Potosí (gold)
Instituto Tecnologico de Ciudad Victoria (silver) Instituto Tecnológico Superior de Uruapan
Instituto Tecnológico de la Laguna (gold) Instituto Tecnológico Superior de Xalapa

58 ISE Magazine | www.iise.org/ISEmagazine

Instituto Tecnologico Superior P’urchéca (ITSP) (gold) Region 14: Canada
IPN-UPIIG Professional chapter
ITESCO in Coatzazacoaleos, Mex Toronto
ITSSAT in Matacapan, Mex University chapters
ITESM – Monterrey (gold) Concordia University
ITESM – Queretaro (silver) Dalhousie University
ITESM – San Luis Potosí (gold) Ecole Tecnologie Supériere (bronze)
Leans Guranís Chapter (Inst. Tec. Superior de Ciudad Hildalgo) Ryerson University (gold)
Tecnológico de Puebla (silver) University of Toronto (gold)
U.A.T. Reynosa Aztlán (gold) University of Waterloo (silver)
Universidad Anáhuac Mayab University of Windsor (gold)
Universidad Autónoma de Nuevo Leon (gold)
Universidad Autónoma de Yucatán (gold) Region 16: Central and South America
Universidad de las Americas (gold) Professional chapter
Universidad Panamericana – Guadalajara (gold) IISE – Costa Rica
Universidad Politécnica de Aguascalientes (gold) University chapters
Universidad Politécnica de San Luis Potosí (gold) Alpha Chapter – Instituto Tecnológico de Costa Rica
Universidad Tecmileno – Campus Zapopan Capitulo Estudiantil IISE UMB
Universidad Politécnica del Valle de México (gold) Capitulo Estudiantil IISE - UCSM
Universidad Vercruzana – Poza Rica (gold) Caribbean Chapter – Cartago, Costa Rica
Universidad Veracruze-Xalapa (silver) Chapter Cartago – Costa Rica

Support the In a time of

ever-increasingly

Next Generation complex and messy problems,

fewer disciplines are better
of ISE Stars
Donate to the IISE Scholarship Fund
equipped to handle them than
Industrial and Systems Engineers. We have the
tools and mindsets for untangling the
The IISE Scholarship Fund helps tomorrow’s
complicated systems challenges that have
research fellows and workforce today,
recognizing industrial and systems engineering become so pressing and urgent in our modern
students’ academic excellence and campus era. The prospect of being able to offer
leadership. Last year, IISE awarded more than
solutions for such critical and important issues
$90,000 in scholarships. Your next ISE
superstar might come from the ranks of IISE is what excites me the most about this
scholarship winners. discipline.
- Dwight D. Gardner Scholarship winner Dustin Diep,
Visit www.iise.org/PlannedGiving to make a undergraduate senior, IME, Oregon State University

donation today.

November 2019 | ISE Magazine 59

The institute

kudos. Celebrate member achievements.

J. Cole Smith has been named Kazuo Takeda has received The Shahd Mansour, MBA, has started Sandra D. Eksioglu and Burak
dean of the College of Engineering Walt Disney Legacy Award, the high- a new position as an adjunct profes- Eksioglu have joined the industrial
and Computer Science at Syracuse est honor bestowed upon cast mem- sor at Elizabethtown College. She is engineering faculty at University of
University. He is an IISE Fellow and bers of Disney Parks, Experiences business area financial controller for Arkansas. Sandra Eksioglu holds the
CIEADH member and serves as IISE and Products. He was recognized Phoenix Contact Development and John M. and Marie G. Hefley Profes-
vice president for continuing educa- for being a builder of magical experi- Manufacturing in Middletown, Penn- sorship in Logistics and Entrepre-
tion. ences with his business partnerships sylvania. neurship.
and involvement within the commu-
nity. He is an IISE Fellow.

SHARE YOUR ACHIEVEMENT

Let your peers know about hirings, promotions, awards, appointments and other notable accomplishments.
Send Kudos items to Keith Albertson at [email protected].

Chapter Liberty (gold) Region 18: Central Asia

Continental University Chapter University chapters
Escuela Colombiana de Ingenería (gold) Indian Institute of Technology Kharagpur (gold)
ESPOL, Escuela Superior Politécnica del Litoral (gold) IISE–VIT, Vellore, India (bronze)
IISE El Bosque
IISE Javeriana Cali Region 19: East Asia
IISE PUCP, Peru Professional chapters
IISE Sergio Arboleda University, Bogotá, Colombia (gold) IISE Beijing
IISE UG, Guayaquil, Ecuador IISE Hong Kong Limited
IISE Uninorte (bronze)
Konrad Lorenz IISE Chapter Region 20: Southeast Asia
Militar Nueva Granada University, Bogotá, Colombia University chapters
Pontificia Universidad Javeriana (gold) IISE Binus (gold)
UNAB (Universidad Autonoma de Bucaramanga) Universidad Indonesia (certificate of participation)
UNITEC – Honduras (gold)
UNITEC – SPS (gold) Region 21: Middle East
Universidad Autónoma del Caribe, Barranquilla, Colombia University chapters
Universidad Central An-Najah National University (gold)
Universidad de la Sabana ASU – Applied Science University (bronze)
Universidad de los Andes Hashemite University (gold)
Universidad Distrital (silver) IISE – GJU
Universidad Nacional de Colombia (bronze) Industrial Engineering Society–AUB
Universidad Privada Antenor Orrego Jordan University of Science and Technology
Universidad Privada del Norte, S.A.C. University of Jordan
Universidad San Francisco de Quito (gold) Yarmouk University Chapter
Universidad Santiago de Cali
UPTC Sogamoso Region 22: Arabian Peninsula
University chapters
Region 17: Southwest Asia American University of Sharjah (gold)
University chapter AURAK Industrial Engineering Chapter
IISE University of Engineering & Tecnology-Taxila (gold) University of Sharjah (gold)

60 ISE Magazine | www.iise.org/ISEmagazine

 chapter Celebrating IISE’s worldwide reach
check-ins Members of international chapters gather, learn and volunteer

The Sergio Aboleda Chapter in

Bogotá, Colombia, recently toured the
Sixty students and the faculty adviser of Bimbo Bakery. Bimbo is a Mexican
the Instituto Tecnológico de Ciudad Madero, University Chapter Cartago of Costa multinational company headquartered
Chapter 965, attended the 2019 IISE Rica recently toured the L.L. Bean in Mexico City, Mexico, that operates
Mexican Regional Conference in March. Costa Rica plant, where the company the largest bakeries in the U.S.,
Members collected garbage off Miramar produces outdoor apparel, footwear, Mexico, Canada and numerous other
Beach in Cuidad Madero, Mexico. sporting and camping gear. countries in Latin America.

STATEMENT OF OWNERSHIP
STATEMENT REQUIRED BY THE ACT OF AUGUST 12, 1970; SECTION 3685,
TITLE 39, UNITED STATES CODE SHOWING OWNERSHIP, MANAGEMENT
AND CIRCULATION OF:
ISE published monthly at 3577 Parkway Lane, Suite 200, Norcross, GA 30092 for November 2019. Number of
issues published annually: 12. Annual subscription price $248. The general business offices of the publisher are
located at the Institute of Industrial and Systems Engineers, 3577 Parkway Lane, Suite 200, Norcross, GA 30092.

The names and addresses of the Publisher, Editoral Director, and Managing Editor are: Publisher, Don Greene,
Editoral Director, Karen Barnett, Managing Editor, Keith Albertson, Institute of Industrial and Systems Engineers,
3577 Parkway Lane, Suite 200, Norcross, GA 30092.

Periodical class postage paid at Lebanon Junction, Ky., and additional mailing office. Printed in the USA. As a non-
profit organization authorized to mail at special rates (Section 132.122, Postal Manual) the purpose, functions, and
non-profit status of the organization and the exempt status for Federal income tax purposes have not changed in
the preceding 12 months. Extent and nature of circulation “average” figures denote the number of copies printed
each issue during the preceding 12 months. “Actual” figures denote number of copies printed: avg. 8,001; actual
8,085. Paid circulation; the September issue.Total number of copies printed: avg: 8,001; actual 8,085. Paid circulation:
not applicable (i.e. no sales through dealers, street vendors and counter sales.) Mail subscription: avg. 8,001; actual
8,085. Free distribution avg. 120; actual 120. Total distribution 8,205. Copies not distributed avg. 250; actual 250.
Total sum of previous two entries: 8,455.

November 2019 | ISE Magazine 61

The institute

Members of the Universidad

Autónoma de Yucatan, Mexico,
chapter members recently
visited Puebla, a city in east-
central Mexico known for
its culinary history, colonial
architecture and pottery. They
visited the Renaissance-era
Puebla Cathedral overlooking the
central square and the Museo
Amparo featuring pre-Hispanic
art such as ceramics and mural
IISE University Chapter 936, ITESM- fragments.
Monterrey, participated in a community
service project named Brigada 1 on March IISE Benemérita
2. Chapter members went to Arteaga, a Universidad Autónoma
city in the Mexican state of Coahuila, with de Puebla chapter
members of the Student Chapter 789 Capitulo members participated in
IISE-UDEM. They made cement to build a reforestation activity in
elementary school bathrooms. They also Africam Safari “eco” park
cleaned and painted walls. in Pueblo, Mexico.

WEST VIRGINIA UNIVERSITY

The Department of Industrial and Management Systems Engineering of the Benjamin M. Statler College of
Engineering and Mineral Resources (Morgantown, WV) invites applications for a tenure track faculty position
at the level of Assistant or Associate Professor in Human Factors and Ergonomics. Anticipated start date is Au-
gust 2020. The specific research areas of interest for this faculty position include but are not limited to Cognitive
Systems Engineering, Human Machine Interaction, Adaptive Interface Design as well as Human Adaptation
to Technology (Robotics, Prosthetics and Wearable Devices). Eligible candidates must hold at the time of ap-
pointment an earned doctorate in Industrial Engineering or a closely related engineering discipline, with at
least one degree in Industrial Engineering. The successful candidates must have the ability to (1) teach lecture,
laboratory or design courses at both the undergraduate and graduate levels, (2) develop and sustain an indepen-
dent, nationally recognized, externally-sponsored research program, (3) collaborate within multi-disciplinary
teams of faculty and other researchers across colleges and institutions, and (4) be engaged in professional activi-
ties. Candidates for the rank of Associate Professor must have an outstanding record of teaching, research and
service. For further information regarding this employment opportunity and how to apply, please see jobs.wvu.
edu. Review of applications will begin December 15, 2019.
West Virg ia U iversity is a qual Opportu ity/Affirmative Actio mployer a d the recipie t of a SF ADVANCE
award for ge der equity. The U iversity values diversity amo g its faculty, staff a d stude ts, a d vites applicatio s from all
qualifie dividuals clud g m orities, females dividuals with disabilities, a d vetera s.

62 ISE Magazine | www.iise.org/ISEmagazine

 training
time
Six Sigma Green Belt for
Healthcare and Six Sigma
Green Belt for Process Assistant Professor of Industrial and
Improvement Manufacturing Engineering
Dec. 11-13, Jan. 13-15, Norcross,
Georgia The Harold and Inge Marcus Department of Industrial and Manufacturing
Engineering at The Pennsylvania State University is delighted to announce
For healthcare, learn how to integrate its search for an outstanding tenure-track hire. The department is especially
principles of business, statistics interested in candidates whose work contributes to advances in the area of human
and engineering to achieve tangible factors and demonstrates capability and interests in fundamental contributions
results. This course gives attendees to engineering and science in human-computer interaction and ergonomics.
the opportunity to apply what they Candidates are expected to develop an internationally recognized and externally
have learned to an actual issue faced funded research program; adopt innovative educational practices as they develop
in their organizations. Prior seminar and teach graduate and undergraduate courses; advise and mentor graduate
participants have reported significant and undergraduate students; and participate in local and external service
savings from implementing their activities. The search is for the rank of Assistant Professor. The first industrial
projects. engineering department founded in the world, our department is consistently
For process improvement, attendees highly ranked for both its graduate and undergraduate programs. Interested
will learn how to integrate principles candidates are encouraged to visit the department (http://www.ime.psu.edu)
of business, statistics and engineering and college (http://www.engr.psu.edu) websites to learn more. Penn State’s
and master the use of Six Sigma to College of Engineering strives to build a welcoming, inclusive, and supportive
quantify the critical quality issues environment for students, staff, and faculty. We rely on the expertise, sensitivity
in their companies. Once the issues and commitment of an inclusive faculty to enhance diversity, seek equity, and
have been quantified, statistics can create a welcoming environment within our community. We are committed
be applied to provide probabilities to nurturing a learning and working environment that respects differences in
of success and failure. Six Sigma culture, age, gender, race, ethnicity, physical ability, sexual orientation, and
methods increase productivity and religious affiliation. In welcoming every candidate, we strive to meet the needs
enhance quality. Six Sigma green of professional families by actively assisting with partner-placement needs. We
belts will be equipped to support and are inspiring change and impacting tomorrow. Applicants must have an earned
champion Six Sigma implementation in Ph.D. in Industrial Engineering, Human Factors, or a closely related field by the
their organizations. The final afternoon start date and have excellent verbal and written communication skills. Interested
of the class offers the option to take applicants should upload the following items: cover letter, Curriculum Vitae,
IISE’s green belt exam; the exam is a one-page research statement, a one-page teaching statement, and a list of
included in the course fee. Participants 3-5 references. Applicant screening will begin immediately and will continue
who pass the exam receive IISE’s Six until the position is filled. Questions can be directed to Uday V. Shanbhag
Sigma Green Belt certificate. mailto:([email protected], IME).
Facilities and Workplace Design
Dec. 11-12, Norcross, Georgia
Apply online at
https://apptrkr.com/1619110
Intro Cyber Risk in Manuf/Ind
Processes CAMPUS SECURITY CRIME STATISTICS: For more about safety at Penn State, and
Jan. 22-24, Norcross, Georgia to review the Annual Security Report which contains information about crime
Methods-Time Measurement statistics and other safety and security matters, please go to http://www.police.
Jan. 27-Feb. 7, Norcross, Georgia psu.edu/clery/, which will also provide you with detail on how to request a hard
copy of the Annual Security Report.
Lean Scrum
Nov. 19-20, Feb. 10-11, Norcross,
Penn State is an equal opportunity, affirmative action employer, and is committed
Georgia
to providing employment opportunities to all qualified applicants without regard
to race, color, religion, age, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national
Complete training schedules origin, disability or protected veteran status.
www.iise.org/TrainingCenter

November 2019 | ISE Magazine 63

careers

Open Rank Faculty Positions

The Department of Industrial and Enterprise Systems Engineering at the University of Illinois at Urbana-
Champaign invites applications for full-time open rank faculty with an emphasis in Statistical
Inference/Analytics/Machine Learning. Endowed Chairs and Professorships for distinguished candidates are
available in all research areas of the department including operations research, data analytics, decision and
control systems, design and manufacturing, and financial engineering. Senior and mid-career faculty are
encouraged to apply, but all qualified candidates will be considered.

Successful candidates are expected to direct graduate students in research, teach in the undergraduate and
graduate programs, and develop a strong externally-funded research program. Ideal candidates include those
who demonstrate evidence of a commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion through research, teaching, and/or
service endeavors. Successful junior candidates must exhibit exceptional promise and have interests in
interdisciplinary research. Mid-career candidates are expected to be emerging leaders in their field, exhibit a
strong record of publication and externally funded research, and participate in interdisciplinary collaborations.
Senior candidates must have outstanding track records. Salary will be commensurate with qualifications and
experience. All candidates must have a PhD in Industrial, Systems, Electrical, Computer, or Mechanical
Engineering, or a closely related discipline by the appointment start date.

Qualified senior candidates may also be considered for tenured Associate Professor and Full Professor positions
as part of the Grainger Engineering Breakthroughs Initiative. Over the next few years, more than 35 new
endowed professorships and chairs will be established in areas of strategic interest to The Grainger College of
Engineering. Such areas include, but are not limited to, bioengineering, big data, quantum information, robotics
and machine learning. More information about the Grainger Initiative can be found at
https://grainger.illinois.edu/research/grainger-breakthroughs.

Application materials must be submitted online at http://jobs.illinois.edu. The application package should
include in a single PDF file the following: a) statement of teaching and research interests, b) statement on
commitment to diversity, c) curriculum vitae with email contact address, d) publication list, and e) names and
contact information of four references (no letters). The statement on diversity should address past and/or
potential contributions to diversity, equity, and inclusion through research, teaching, and/or service. To ensure
full consideration, applications must be received by December 1, 2019. Early applications are strongly
encouraged as interviews may take place during the application period; however, no hiring decision will be
made until after the closing date. The proposed start date is August 16, 2020. Questions about the application
process should be referred to Rachel McCool, [email protected], (217) 300-1945.

The University of Illinois conducts criminal background checks on all job candidates upon acceptance of a
contingent offer. We have an active and successful dual-career partner placement program and a strong
commitment to work-life balance and family-friendly programs for faculty and staff
(http://provost.illinois.edu/faculty-affairs/work-life-balance/).

The University of Illinois is an Equal Opportunity, Affirmative Action employer. Minorities, women, veterans
and individuals with disabilities are encouraged to apply. For more information, visit
http://go.illinois.edu/EEO. To learn more about the University commitment to diversity, please visit:
https://engineering.illinois.edu/about/diversity.html.

64 ISE Magazine | www.iise.org/ISEmagazine

 THE UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN

Department of Industrial and Operations Engineering

FACULTY POSITIONS
The Department of Industrial and Operations Engineering at the Univer- of recommendation to us directly at [email protected].
sity of Michigan invites applications and nominations for faculty positions
beginning September 2020. Review of applications will begin on October 4, 2019, and will continue
during the academic year. All positions will remain open and applications
We seek outstanding candidates for faculty positions at all ranks. Our de- may be considered until appointments are made.
partment is highly multi-disciplinary, with a balance of methodological
research and applied research interests. From a methodological perspective, Michigan Engineering’s vision is to be the world’s preeminent college of
we will be considering candidates in all areas related to Industrial and Op- engineering serving the common good. This global outlook, leadership
erations Engineering, including Operations Research, Ergonomics, Data focus, and service commitment permeate our culture. Our vision is sup-
Science, and related disciplines. The many application areas in the depart- ported by a mission and values that, together, provide the framework for all
ment include business, health and human safety, energy and sustainability, that we do. Information about our vision, mission, and values can be found
public policy, manufacturing, and robotics. Candidates must have, or be at: http://strategicvisio .e i .umich.edu/.
near completion of a Ph.D., and must demonstrate a strong commitment to We seek candidates who will provide inspiration and leadership in research
high-quality research and evidence of teaching potential. and actively contribute to teaching. We are especially interested in can-
didates who can contribute, through their research, teaching and service,
Please submit your application to the following: to the diversity and excellence of the academic community and who will
build collaborative ties with other departments within the College of En-
http://ioe-2.e g .umich.edu/fac_search/applicatio .php gineering and the University. The University of Michigan is responsive to
Candidates should provide (i) a current C.V., (ii) a list of at least three refer- the needs of dual career families.
ences, and one-page summary statements describing: (iii) career teaching If you have any questions regarding the web application submittal process or
plans; (iv) research plans; and (v) activities, contributions, or plans related other inquiries, please contact Akosua Dow, [email protected].
to supporting diversity, equity, and inclusion. For candidates with prior
teaching experience, please provide (vi) a summary of course (teaching) The U iversity of Michiga o -discrimi atory, affirmative actio mployer.
evaluations. Candidates should also have their references send three letters

Assistant/Associate/Full Professors
Mechanical Engineering/Industrial Engineering Program
The Department of Mechanical Engineering at the University of Massachusetts Lowell is seeking to hire a full-time tenure-track
faculty at the ranks of Assistant or Associate Professor; applications for Full Professor will also be considered for exceptional
candidates. The Department is expanding and is starting new Industrial Engineering undergraduate and graduate programs.
Applicants must have earned Doctoral degrees in mechanical/industrial engineering, or closely related disciplines, and are required
to have a record of quality teaching and scholarship. Successful applicants will collaborate with existing faculty members, teach
classes to support the undergraduate and graduate programs, develop new courses, advise and recruit graduate students, and are
expected to develop a robust, externally funded research program in one of the following areas: Industrial Engineering: (a) Health
care delivery systems (b) Advanced manufacturing, includes topics relating to automation, robotic manipulation and material
handling; (c) Theoretical and methodological analytics in support of manufacturing, logistics, and business decisions. In cases of
demonstrated outstanding research productivity and scholarship, an appointment with tenure may be considered.
To apply, visit: https://explorejobs.uml.edu.
Applications received by December 16, 2019 will be considered in the first review of candidates. However, later applications may
be considered for these positions. Each position will close after an adequate number of qualified applications is received.

UMass Lowell is a Carnegie Doctoral High Research (RU/H) university ranked in the top tier of US News’ National Universities,
and is strategically located 30 miles northwest of Boston in the northeast Massachusetts high-tech region. The department has over
900 undergraduate students and 190 graduate students. An optional co-op program is available to undergraduate and graduate
students. The undergraduate engineering program is based on a design-build-test methodology and is ABET accredited. The
University of Massachusetts Lowell is committed to increasing diversity in its faculty, staff, and student populations, as well as
curriculum and support programs, while promoting an inclusive environment. We seek candidates who can contribute to that goal
and encourage candidates to apply and to identify their strengths in these areas.
The University of Massachusetts Lowell is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action, Title IX employer. All qualified applicants will receive
consideration for employment without regard to race, sex, color, religion, national origin, ancestry, age over 40, protected veteran status, disability,
sexual orientation, gender identity/expression, marital status, or other protected class.

November 2019 | ISE Magazine 65

 What’s What attracted you to industrial engineering?
I came into the industrial engineering field via a circuitous route. I had taken a lot

Y
of math and science in high school but decided to pursue an economics major as an
undergrad. Along the way, I took one IE course and one of my economics courses
was essentially an optimization course. I was accepted to the OR Ph.D. program at

y?
Stanford but soon found that IE, which was in a separate department at the time, was
a better fit for my research interests. I eventually finished a master’s degree in OR and
a Ph.D. in IE.

How has ISE education changed in the time you’ve been

with Candace Yano an instructor?
There is much more reliance on software – everything from Excel to powerful
optimization software to simulation packages with animation. When I first started
to teach, these tools were not as highly developed, and of course, computers were
much slower.

How has your background influenced your academic career?

My family has been in the U.S. for over 100 years. The culture that I carry with
me is primarily a value system that emphasizes hard work and education, and some
appreciation for Japanese food. Interestingly, there were a lot of women in the IE
graduate program at Stanford, mostly master’s students, so the fact that women
were in a minority in the field did not become obvious to me until I started to
interview for academic jobs. I was the first female faculty member in the IOE
Department at the University of Michigan. I later joined the faculty at Berkeley
and was the first female to be a department chair in the College of Engineering.
Being the first comes with its challenges but being one of relatively few women
when I started my career probably was an advantage, allowing me to start new
Candace Yano is the Gary & Sherron Kalbach initiatives to help women.
chair in business administration and a professor
of operations and information technology How can organizations emphasize diversity and inclusion?
management at the University of California, About 40% of our undergraduate students in IEOR at Berkeley are female, and
Berkeley. She is the senior vice president of California is an ethnically diverse state, so the vast majority of our students are
keenly aware of diversity and inclusion issues. I think the best way for individuals
publications on IISE’s board of trustees and
to fully appreciate these issues is to spend time with people who are different
was selected an IISE Fellow in 2006. Yano
from yourself. Organizations can facilitate this by setting up exchange or visitation
served as associate dean for Academic Affairs programs, study programs in which groups visit different areas of the country
and chair of the faculty of the Haas School of and world, professional society committees with broad geographical and ethnic
Business from 2016 through June 2019. Her representation, etc.
primary research interests are production,
inventory and logistics management, as What are the greatest challenges facing supply chain managers?
At the moment, instability and uncertainty regarding government policies are cre-
well as interdisciplinary problems involving
ating challenges for supply chain managers. Other key issues include sustainability,
manufacturing and marketing. She is editor of human rights and working conditions, and geopolitical issues such as those related to
the Focused Issues on Scheduling and Logistics conflict minerals.
of IISE Transactions. She holds a bachelor’s
degree in economics, a master’s degree in What are key trends to watch in 2020 and beyond?
operations research and a master’s and Ph.D. in The U.S. will continue to be one of the world’s strongest innovators, but the indus-
try mix will continue to change, with a strong share continuing to be in the service
industrial engineering from Stanford University.
economy and with many businesses starting based on new, disruptive technologies.
She held corporate positions at Bell Telephone
Many basic ISE concepts still provide a foundation, but it will be important for ISE as
Laboratories and the University of Michigan a field to quickly adapt to the new economy to remain relevant.
before joining Berkeley. – I terview by Doris Sickles

66 ISE Magazine | www.iise.org/ISEmagazine

 Honor a Distinguished Colleague with a Nomination for the

FRANK AND LILLIAN GILBRETH

INDUSTRIAL ENGINEERING AWARD
As IISE’s highest honor, the Frank and Lillian Gilbreth Industrial Engineering Award recognizes someone
who has contributed to the welfare of mankind in the field of industrial and systems engineering.

IISE also recognizes members through awards for leadership, teaching, research, service or academic pursuit:

IISE is launching a new international competition that provides an exciting

opportunity for companies to highlight their successful innovation solutions.

Albert G. Holzman Distinguished Educator Award

Innovations in Education Award
Sponsored by the Council of Industrial Engineering Academic Department Heads
Dr. Hamed K. Eldin Outstanding Early Career IE in Academia Award
Sponsored by Integrated Technology Systems

David F. Baker Distinguished Research Award

Graduate Research Award
Pritsker Doctoral Dissertation Award

Visit www.iise.org/Honors for details on the nomination

requirements and processes for all awards.

November 2019 | ISE Magazine 67

68 ISE Magazine | www.iise.org/ISEmagazine