Dear Colleagues,
I hope this message finds you well and motivated to end the year strong. As this is my first message to you, I thought I would provide a brief introduction. I wanted to be an engineer since the second grade. To this day, my mom says they sent me to Purdue to learn how to put things back together. As a natural problem solver, I started my Continuous Improvement career in the automotive industry where I learned the foundations of Lean. As an IE, I saw how those same tools and methodologies could be transferred to other industries. In 2005, I founded Park Avenue Solutions, an Operational Excellence consulting firm that works to empower excellence in organizations and their teams across a range of industries, including semiconductor, energy, healthcare, finance, and manufacturing.
I believe that Industrial Systems Engineers were the backbone of the Industrial Revolution (Scientific Management). The foundational knowledge and skills that we possess positions us perfectly to play a similar role in the Evolution of Big Data (Scientific Thinking). This means our colleagues and others are seeking our expertise on how Operational Excellence transfers to the new world of work.
We are looking for individuals like yourself to contribute to our webinars, discussion forums, and expert Q&A sessions that will facilitate that knowledge sharing and skill development. The OpEx Division has multiple ways for sharing information, exchanging ideas, and accessing valuable resources.
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This year, the LSSDS Conference traditionally held in the Fall will be replaced by a Lean Six Sigma Symposium on Saturday, May 18, 2024, just before the highly anticipated Annual Conference in Montreal. This symposium promises to be a unique opportunity for networking, learning, and professional growth.
Montreal will also be the stage for our Lean Six Sigma track at the 2024 Annual Conference. It is a chance to showcase our expertise and contribute to the broader IISE community.
Our primary goal remains the same: building a strong and supportive community where OpEx knowledge is shared and therefore thrives.
Best Regards,
Leigh Ann Schildmeier
President, Operational Excellence Division
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Matthew, tell us a little about yourself, your IE journey and your Lean journey.
Hello, my name is Matthew Kennedy and I am a rising senior at Penn State majoring in Industrial Engineering and minoring in IST. I am originally from Middletown, NJ and I would say that my interest in engineering first started when I was a kid growing up playing video games such as Minecraft and Roblox. In high school, I had a teacher for physics and an introductory engineering class who inspired me to pursue an engineering major in college. I originally entered Penn State intending to major in Mechanical Engineering, but by the end of my freshman year, I discovered that Industrial Engineering was a better fit for my career aspirations after learning more about the careers that alumni have pursued alongside the versatility of coursework, including the strong emphasis on statistics, manufacturing, supply chain, technology, and business principles throughout the degree program. At the start of my sophomore year at Penn State, I joined IISE and decided to sign up for the Lean Six Sigma Green Belt Certification. These past two summers, I have interned at Wabtec Corporation holding manufacturing and supply chain roles where I have been able to apply Lean Six Sigma principles to projects covering product management, sourcing, and operations.
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Although this will be your first year as IISE student chapter president at Penn State, you have previously served in other leadership positions for the chapter as well. Tell us about your previous role(s) with IISE Penn State and how you transitioned from a member of the organization to leadership? What are some success stories from the Penn State IISE student chapter that other IISE student chapters can learn from?
At the beginning of my sophomore year at Penn State, I joined IISE as a general member and was excited to explore the variety of events including resume reviews, information sessions, and Six Sigma Training. Later into the Fall 2021 semester, there was an announcement for an EIT (Executive-In-Trainee) program to allow members to pursue further leadership while shadowing executive board members. During the spring semester, I served as an EIT under the corporate chair where I learned more about corporate communications which inspired me to become a corporate chair during my junior year. Last year, I had the opportunity to work alongside my co-chair, Carol Tzemos, on our large events such as the Annual Industrial Engineering Career Fair and the Spring Industrial and Manufacturing Engineering Banquet. I believe that the biggest success stories from the Penn State IISE Chapter are students who become involved in the PSIMES mentoring program, which has been super effective regarding career preparation, and the information sessions which provide IEs networking opportunities while hearing from alumni in industry. I believe that other IISE student chapters can learn from the opportunities that are truly available by promoting programs that enable members to build strong relationships with their alumni networks.
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What advice do you have for students who are entering the fall recruiting season in search of internships, co-ops, and full-time positions? While freshmen and sophomores often do not qualify for internship positions, any advice for them on how to build their professional network in the meantime?
My biggest piece of advice for students entering the fall recruiting season for internships, co-ops, and full-time roles is to research all of the events and attending companies well ahead of time while also utilizing university resources to optimize resumes, cover letters, elevator pitches, and interviewing practices. Our IISE chapter will be innovating this fall to have general body meetings that also cover these topics. Also, each university’s career website typically has a tab that showcases job opportunities for companies wanting to recruit out of said university along with a tab that displays recruiting events such as information sessions. I believe that the best way for freshmen and sophomores to build their professional networks is by getting involved and pursuing leadership in student organizations while also signing up for mentoring programs. Even as a freshman, I would still 100% recommend attending as many career events as possible because most recruiters are willing to connect on LinkedIn and add students to a list that sends notifications for further opportunities that best suit their resumes. I also know fellow students who have pursued summer study abroad internships through organizations like IES Abroad, and overall, there are companies that have internship programs specifically for underclassmen.
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Tell us about some of the work you've been engaged in professionally through your internship(s). What are some of the biggest lessons learned that you took away from these experiences?
For the past two years, I have spent my summers interning for Wabtec Corporation, holding roles as a Vendor Management Intern and Manufacturing Engineering Intern. During this summer, I worked at Wabtec’s Pittsburgh HQ and my main project was to optimize the integration process of a new supplier data management software, which allowed me to expand upon my technical skillsets by using SQL and Excel. Last year, I was in Roanoke, VA, and was tasked with improving the production process of train valves, where I was able to implement a series of work instructions to ensure supplier compliance using Oracle and Excel. I would say that the biggest lesson I have learned has been the importance of teamwork in the professional world and how building strong teamwork skills in college will set you up for success. Another important lesson is to be willing to try new things during the early career stages because through these internships, I was able to discover which type of job environment I prefer, and often times it is very likely that you will discover a new passion while being immersed in new environments.
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As the IISE President for Penn State's student chapter, what are you looking forward to the most this year?
As the IISE President for Penn State’s student chapter, I am looking forward to working alongside the executive board to innovate on the impact that our organization makes throughout the community. We are planning on introducing a variety of new events, including career preparation discussions, community bonding events, and technical workshops, with the ultimate goal of giving Penn State IE students a place to build a professional network, gain technical skills, and participate in fun educational activities. I am very excited to meet students who are new to IE while helping provide them with opportunities and resources to achieve their goals through IISE!
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The OpEx Division showed up in style to attend IISE’s 2023 Annual Conference in New Orleans, Louisiana. The conference was filled with inspiring keynotes, insightful presentations, and the opportunity to network with individuals across industry and academia.
On Day 3 of IISE’s Annual Conference, the OpEx Division hosted a Town Hall, where OpEx Division members and leadership had the opportunity to network and collaborate with each other. Day 3 of the conference also came along with the opportunity to attend the Chocolate Factory workshop with OpEx Division member, Bill Edwards!
Attendees were able to experience an interactive chocolate workshop simulation to learn about Production Systems, Managing Lean, Quality, Flexibility and Downtime in a production process.
The OpEx Division Board of Directors would like to thank all who attended for your time and dedication to the OpEx Division!
Thank you to all of our incredible speakers, attendees, volunteers, and IISE team who made #IISEANNUAL2023 an OpExcellent event! We hope to see you all back at next year’s conference.
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Do you want to see more fun from #IISEANNUAL2023?
Keep scrolling to see more conference highlights at the bottom of the newsletter!
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Connect with us on LinkedIn |
Did you know that the IISE OpEx Division has a LinkedIn group to facilitate collaboration with fellow professionals who are passionate about Lean Six Sigma and Operational Excellence? We welcome all OpEx Division members to join our LinkedIn group: IISE Operational Excellence Division.
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Do you ever wish you had a quick reference card for industrial engineering core competencies? The IISE Body of Knowledge Governing Board has put in the work to identify fourteen key industrial engineering concepts, each of which has a corresponding outline on relevant topics for each key concept. This information is housed in a handbook at the link here. Users can leverage the IISE Body of Knowledge to gain a comprehensive understanding of the requirements for mastering industrial and systems engineering.
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We are excited to share some of our recent events and upcoming activities:
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OpEx Webinar Series: The OpEx Division would like to extend a huge thank you to Gary Cokins of Analytics-Based Performance Management LLC. In July, Gary delivered a webinar on “Analytics-Based Enterprise Performance Management” as part of the OpEx Division webinar series. Thank you for sharing your knowledge with our community, Gary! If you are interested in participating in our webinar series as a presenter, please reach out to our Director of Webinars, Michael Parent, at mparent@sixsigma-consulting.com.
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Volunteer Opportunities: The 2024 IISE Annual Conference will be here before you know it! If you are interested in serving as a volunteer on the IISE Annual Conference Planning Committee, we would be thrilled to have you. Serving on the committee is a great way to become actively engaged in OpEx Division activities – Plus, it provides an opportunity to network with other members of IISE and the division. If you are interested, please reach out to Carol Johnson at cjohnson@iise.org or Anna Johnston at ajohnston@iise.org.
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Quarterly Newsletter: We are so proud of the contributions that members of our division are making to both industry and academia. As such, we would love to feature the work of our division members in our quarterly newsletter. If you would like to share an article you have published, share recognition you have received, or be featured in a member spotlight for in an upcoming newsletter, please reach out to our Director of Newsletter, Ashley Morrell, at Ashley.Morrell@us.gt.com.
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The OpEx Division is excited to announce the launch of the Lean Six Sigma Symposium, which will debut at the 2024 IISE Annual Conference. This will be a one-day event that is jam-packed with exciting Lean Six Sigma learning opportunities, including but not limited to the following:
- Featured speaker
- Breakout sessions
- Panel session
The OpEx Division is looking forward to heading to Montreal to learn from those who are passionate about Lean Six Sigma – We can’t wait to see you there!
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Attendees of the Chocolate Factory Workshop participate in the
simulation of the production of Twix and Snickers.
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Penn State Industrial Engineering students, Alexander Cifuentes, Daniel Pelletier, Evan Widlake, and Sam Johnson, pose for a photo op!
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Bill Edwards hosts the Chocolate Factory workshop.
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IISE OpEx Division President for the 2022-2023 term,
Steve Vijayan, presents on his work at Nemours.
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Have you considered a corporate membership? If not, why? Companies large and small enjoy the benefits. Include your entire team and receive all the benefits of individual membership, plus lowest rates to attend the Conferences and much more.
Contact Doug Long IISE Global Director for Strategic Alliances for more details.
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