Message from Region Vice President 

   

Kevin Drevik

Endings - and Beginnings

 

September is here, the time when many professional chapters reignite their programs and students return to their studies. Fall weather begins to arrive (especially up here in the Northeast), and people get back down to business.

In terms of business, I see article after article in the news and on the web, detailing the sad state of business in the United States. GDP(gross domestic product) growth and job growth both appear enemic, and companies seem to have chosen to 'keep their heads down and powder dry' for the next 12-15 months. While this is a sad state of affairs (filled with many sad stories), I have to disagree with many of the 'doom' conclusions currently being passed around.

Many of our members are old enough to remember the late 70s, with their double-digit unemployment, double-digit inflation, 18% interest rates for homes, and gas lines. Before that was the late 60s slow down, the mid-to-late 50s slow down, etc. The United States has had these issues before (and will have them again).

At the same time, businesses in the United States are sitting on trillions of dollars of capital, waiting to spend it once the economy shifts. On the IIE website, there continue to be incredible numbers of job openings for Industrial Engineers all over the country (see links on this newsletter to check your area). Companies know that IEs are all about improving the process, reducing costs, and optimizing the operation. They want their money spent wisely, and IEs do that.

In addition, some students & graduates in the United States are beginning to see that going into $40,000+ debt for a degree  

doesn't necessarily make sense. It only works if you can get a job out of college that can pay off that debt in 10 years or less. With the average starting salary of IEs at $50,000+, an Industrial Engineering degree does make sense.

I am filled with both concern for the country and pride in our profession. In the next few years, we are going to be called on to dramatically improve the productivity of our country's businesses. We've done it before; we're doing it now,;and I have no doubt that we'll do it going forward.

Kevin Drevik

IIE Northeast Region VP

(856) 630-2485

Webinars online

Upcoming webinars of interest
 

Five Steps that Lead to Effective Performance Management

Thursday, Sept. 29, 3 p.m. Eastern time
Presenter: Bernard Marr, leading global authority and best-selling author on organizational performance
Summary: This webinar will explore the five steps that are essential for effective performance management and highlights the key traps to avoid. The webinar will cover the important themes of scorecard and dashboard design, measuring performance and designing key performance indicators, analyzing performance, reporting performance and reviewing performance to drive improvements.
More information and registration 

The webinars page holds more than 80 webinars to date on such topics as careers, health systems, lean, Six Sigma and process improvement. Just click and go! It's an especially useful tool for IIE professionals outside the boundaries of the 10 professional chapters. It's also useful for students seeking further guidance on careers and potential duties in IIE.

Take advantage of the efforts of IEs, as we all try to improve ourselves, our companies, and the world in general.

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Professional and student members of IIE

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