End of the line

Article Abstract:

The Institute for Personnel and Development reported that the process of improving working procedures must be well-organized and -executed to achieve success. If properly achieved, lean working can reduce lead-times, improve built-in quality and facilitate deliveries. However, the concept involves some identifiable procedures, including 'hardware' and 'software.' While the former refers to strategies, the latter refers to such attributes as teamwork and multiskilling. The experience of the UK branch of a European multinational firm on adopting lean working procedures is presented.

Analysis, Work, Work (Labor), Production engineering, Industrial management

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Software reliability

Article Abstract:

The importance of the reliability of software used in complex engineering systems is illustrated in the catastrophic failure of the Ariane 5 rocket launcher which exploded 40 sec. after lift-off. The Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) of the UK has released a document which defines the three areas of criticality: safety critical, mission critical and business critical. The EPSRC has issued the document to determine whether the industry is interested in helping finance research on the above issues.

Research, Evaluation, Software, Reliability (Engineering)

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More by design

Article Abstract:

A growing number of UK manufacturers are delegating engineering design tasks to subcontractors. Experts attribute the trend to the reduced costs of subcontracting and the early 1990s recession which forced companies to reduce their in-house design capabilities. Cambridge Consultants Managing Director Howard Biddle also says that the reasons for subcontracting design tasks vary by industry and is especially popular in the automotive sector.

Manufacturing industry, Manufacturing industries, Usage, Engineering design, Subcontracting

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