Boosting the Bottom Line
The Total Quality Management concept proves fruitful.

One of the hottest business paradigms of the 1980s, Total Quality Management has come under fire in recent years. Lambasted by critics for lackluster economic gains, the management concept has been pronounced dead by many business gurus.

courtesy Ga. Dept. of Industry, Trade & Tourism The stock price of companies with effective Total Quality Management programs outperformed that of control groups by about 45 percent during a five-year period, according to a Georgia Tech study. Among these companies was Lockheed-Martin, which builds aircraft.

Well, don't write any epitaphs yet. Vinod Singhal, an associate professor at the Georgia Institute of Technology, and Kevin Hendricks, an associate professor at the College of William and Mary, conducted an extensive study of companies practicing Total Quality Management (TQM), which focuses on customer satisfaction, employee involvement and continuous improvement.

Their findings? Albeit no quick fix, TQM pays off significantly. In fact, the stock price of companies with effective TQM programs outperformed that of control groups by about 45 percent during a five-year period.

Hendricks and Singhal began their study in 1991, when attacks against TQM were initially launched. The business professors, both teaching at Georgia Tech's School of Management at that time, were intrigued by a newspaper article that profiled a company for winning a prestigious TQM award. That same day, the Dow Jones Index fell substantially, but the stock of the profiled company rose.

Could the company's TQM program be a significant factor in the strength of its stock? Hendricks and Singhal decided to launch a study measuring the long-term effects of TQM on financial performance. "After all, TQM is about continuous improvements," Singhal says. "Small improvements over a long period of time, hopefully will add up to big improvements in performance."

In their quest for empirical evidence, Hendricks and Singhal took a different approach. Little statistical evidence existed regarding TQM's impact on its practitioners. Most studies were anecdotal in nature, with information derived internally from company executives giving their opinion on TQM's results.

Hendricks and Singhal selected a group of 600 publicly traded companies. Comprised of different sizes and drawn from different industries, the firms had a common denominator: All had won awards for effective implementation of TQM. By using award winners, Hendricks and Singhal could avoid biases connected with self-judging. And, by using publicly traded companies, a greater wealth of objective data was readily available — without any bias from self-reporting.

To adjust for any impact the general economy or health of a particular industry might have had, a control group was constructed, similar to award winners as far as size and industry. Both groups were tracked over a five-year, pre-award and a five-year, post-award period. No differences were noted in the pre-award period, but considerable differences showed up in the post-award period.

Compared to the control group, TQM award winners averaged a 44 percent higher stock price return, a 48 percent higher growth in operating income and a 37 percent higher growth in sales. Award winners also outperformed the control group with regard to operating margins, employee growth and growth in assets.

Not only does Hendricks and Singhal's study confirm that TQM is a good investment, it also establishes benchmarks — when to expect gains and what kinds of gains to expect.

— T.J. Becker

For the full text news release, see www.gtri.gatech.edu/res-news/TQM.html. For more information, you may contact Dr. Vinod Singhal, School of Management, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA 30332-0520. (Telephone: 404/894-4908) (E-mail: vinod.singhal@mgt.gatech.edu)

The Buddy System
New rehabilitative device combines form and function.

Taking a giant step forward for non-ambulatory children, researchers at the Georgia Institute of Technology have developed a rehabilitative device called a prone stander that takes the angst out of therapy.

photo by Joann Vitelli Prone standers, such as this one developed at Georgia Tech, allow children with mobility impairments to stand upright. Proper weight-bearing on long bones helps prevent osteoporosis, while improving circulation, muscle tone and functioning of internal organs.

Prone standers allow children with mobility impairments to stand upright. Proper weight-bearing on long bones helps prevent osteoporosis, while improving circulation, muscle tone and functioning of internal organs.

Although important tools, prone standers can be quite intimidating from a child's point of view: Most are cold, sterile-looking contraptions with all the appeal of an Iron Maiden. To help children keep a positive mindset, Mary Lou Tierney, a master's graduate of Georgia Tech's industrial design program, has created a prone stander with lots of panache.

Prone standers traditionally have been designed to work at the therapist's level — meaning that children are elevated to adult height. "It's easier for the therapist, but isolates the child," says Tierney, explaining that the height can be frightening to small children and prevents them from interacting with others. Many children spend three or four hours a day in a prone stander, and that is a long time to be separated from playmates.

By positioning children just a few inches off the ground, Tierney's "peer-level" prone stander allows them to hobnob with pals, use a computer or putter with a project on the removable plastic tray. Giving children more control helps lower emotional barriers to therapy, says Tierney, who has named her prone stander "The Buddy System" to reflect its user-friendly focus.

With its bright red pod and yellow confetti frame, The Buddy System "looks more like a whimsical space-age toy rather than some kind of institutional cage," says Julius T. Corkran, an industrial designer at Georgia Tech's Center for Rehabilitation Technology (CRT), a research center that deals with physical disabilities. Corkran helped Tierney with mechanical issues and construction of the prototype.

Placement is another departure from the norm. "Many prone standers provide too much support, and the child ends up being hung by his armpits," says Alan Harp, another CRT industrial designer who worked on the project. When this happens, weight is not really applied, and strapping can cause pressure sores. In contrast, The Buddy System uses wider straps and unique cushioning that supports the body, but still allows weight to be transferred. "It doesn't hold you as much as it aligns and positions you," Harp explains.

Instead of traditional foam padding, cushioning at the torso, knees and hips is composed of an inch-thick gel. Covered with Darlexx (a soft, hypoallergenic fabric used for wheelchairs and wetsuits), the gel conforms better with a child's body and allows pressure to be dissipated, preventing irritation.

Accommodating children from 25 to 40 inches in height, The Buddy System is easy for therapists to position children in place. Yet there are few removable parts, which is important in the clinical settings where pieces can be easily lost. The Buddy System also adapts easily to the home environment — narrow enough to fit through standard doorways and with mechanisms that are easy to operate.

A patent application has been filed for the prone stander, and the Georgia Tech Research Corporation (GTRC), which assists in commercialization of research, has begun searching for licensees. The Buddy System comes with a full set of CAD drawings, a bill of materials outlining specific parts and their costs, and a pre-production prototype.

— T.J. Becker

For the full text news release, see www.gtri.gatech.edu/res-news/STAND.html. For more information, you may contact Julius T. Corkran, Center for Rehabilitation Technology, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA, 30332-0156. (Telephone: 404/894-7756) (E-mail: julius.corkran@crt.gatech.edu)

In the Chips
High-tech initiative involving Georgia Tech serves as blueprint for state's economy.

The Georgia Institute of Technology was heavily involved in developing a major new Georgia initiative aimed at creating thousands of new high-paying jobs in software engineering and electronic design. Known as the Yamacraw Mission, the initiative will foster development of businesses in high-bandwidth communications — and position Georgia as a leader in this growth area.

"Georgia is uniquely positioned — thanks to a powerful combination of private sector, public sector and academic assets — to pursue such a strategy," says Gov. Roy Barnes, speaking of Yamacraw.

Georgia Tech President Wayne Clough was instrumental in focusing the effort and serves on its steering committee. Yamacraw also involves several Georgia Tech units, including the School of Electrical and Computer Engineering, the College of Computing, the Economic Development Institute, the Georgia Center for Advanced Telecommunications Technology (GCATT), the Advanced Technology Development Center (ATDC) and the Georgia Tech Research Institute (GTRI).

Named for the place where Georgia founder James Oglethorpe established a settlement in 1733, the initiative grew out of a combined effort by the University System of Georgia, the Georgia Department of Industry, Trade & Tourism, the Georgia Research Alliance and other state agencies.

The mission will involve: (1) creating and recruiting companies and qualified technologists; (2) targeting communications research to attract engineers, entrepreneurs and companies; (3) adding faculty and creating curricula needed to expand the pool of qualified communications graduates; (4) attracting venture capital and other support; and (5) establishing an electronic design center to be located at GCATT.

Over the next five to seven years, the Yamacraw Mission could create 2,000 new high-tech jobs, recruit as many as 10 new companies to Georgia and quadruple the level of venture capital funding available to Georgia start-up companies.

"As important as these goals are," Barnes says, "it's far more important to view the Yamacraw Mission as a strategic initiative and a process designed to take us into the next century. I have every confidence it will succeed admirably."

GCATT director and CEO Dr. Michael Cummins echoes Barnes' confidence about Georgia's abilities. "We are really strong in the public-private partnerships," Cummins says. "We learned to do that very well through the Georgia Research Alliance — harnessing state government, academic institutions and private industry to work together on a high-tech strategic mission. We know how to do that very well, probably better than any other state."

— John Toon and Victor Rogers

For more information, you may contact Dr. Michael Cummins, Georgia Center for Advanced Telecommunications Technology, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA 30332-0490 (Telephone: 404/894-9211) (E-mail: michael.cummins@gcatt.gatech.edu)

Preparing for Mother Nature's Fury
Severe Storms Research Center established at GTRI.

The roar of an approaching freight train ... destructive power that can demolish in seconds what took decades to produce ... TORNADO. The very word strikes fear.

courtesy Ga. Emergency Management Agency In Georgia last year, there were 23 deaths related to severe weather, including several caused by a tornado in Hall County (shown here). Forecasters and emergency management officials believe that better warning systems could lower those tolls.

In an average year in the United States, there are 800 tornadoes, which cause 80 deaths and 1,500 injuries. In Georgia last year, there were 23 deaths related to severe weather. Forecasters and emergency management officials believe that better warning systems could lower those tolls, and in Georgia, they have a plan to do just that.

Former Gov. Zell Miller's Taskforce on Warning and Communications proposed several recommendations last year, including the establishment of an organization to coordinate Georgia's severe weather forecasting improvement initiatives. So the Severe Storms Research Center (SSRC) was recently established at the Georgia Tech Research Institute (GTRI) with funding from the Georgia Emergency Management Agency (GEMA), the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and the Georgia General Assembly.

GEMA chose GTRI because of its expertise in many of the subject areas being addressed by the state's forecasting improvement program, says director Gary McConnell. GEMA officials want the SSRC to become a beta test site for improved forecasting methodology and technology the SSRC could bring to Georgia four to six years before it is deployed throughout the United States. GEMA also envisions benefits from spin-off forecasting technologies from GTRI's extensive defense-related research.

"Our first project is to bring the National Severe Storm Laboratories' Next Generation Warning Decision Support System (NG-WDSS) to Georgia this spring," says Gene Greneker, a GTRI research scientist who is heading the SSRC. "We will first bring the system to the Peachtree City (Ga.) National Weather Service office and get them set up to give better tornado warnings.

"Next we will install an NG-WDSS at the GTRI Cobb County Facility so we can assist the National Severe Storm Laboratories team in evaluating the system's operation in Georgia," he adds. "Then we will install a system on the Georgia Tech campus so that NG-WDSS can be used to develop severe storm models and flood models."

Number of Tornadoes by County in Georgia, 1950-1998

The SSRC, when fully funded for three years of operation, will:

• serve as a quick-response information resource for weather and emergency management agencies.

• become an advanced prototype facility.

• develop and maintain a database of severe storms dynamics.

• develop a plan for expanding Georgia's severe storm spotter network with help from two-way radio-equipped public safety personnel.

• be knowledgeable of techniques and conduct research on forecasting severe storms further in advance of their occurrence.

• test new off-the-shelf forecasting systems that may indicate tornado formation before actual touchdown and tracking after touchdown.

• provide real-time information regarding tornado development or ground track coordinates to the National Weather Service.

• determine whether tornadoes occur in certain areas of the state more often than others. If so, forecasting resource improvements would concentrate on these "tornado alleys."

• work with agencies to educate Georgians about floods and hurricanes; and develop methods to quickly transmit flood and hurricane effects data to county-level emergency managers.

• provide information on and evaluate advanced communications techniques for GEMA. These efforts would improve the response and transmission times for sending warning data to emergency managers.

• develop a library of the latest knowledge on severe storms, including theories on their formation and trends in storm occurrence.

— Jane M. Sanders

For the full text news release, see www.gtri.gatech.edu/res-news/SSRC.html. For more information, contact Gene Greneker, Sensors and Electromagnetic Applications Laboratory, Georgia Tech Research Institute, Atlanta, GA 30332-0856. (Telephone: 770/528-7744) (E-mail: gene.greneker@gtri.gatech.edu)

Making the System Purr Like a Cat
New supply tracking system improves Army's efficiency and saves money.

Most people probably envision the U.S. Army's supply system as an intricate maze involving mountains of paperwork. Until recently, they might have been right.

photo by Stanley Leary Researchers designed data communications software for this hand-held computer that tracks Army supplies and transmits information via a wireless connection or modem to a central database.

But the Army's supply redistribution system in conjunction with a new computerized supply tracking system called Wildcat has already improved the Army's efficiency and saved millions of dollars by applying sophisticated commercial strategies and wireless technology to military needs. Wildcat was developed by engineers at the Georgia Tech Research Institute (GTRI).

"The communications part of this system is a unique solution," says Jim Coleman, a senior research engineer and Wildcat project director at GTRI. "But the biggest thing is that it saves money and improves the business process."

Named for the symbol of the U.S. Army Forces Command (FORSCOM) Material Management Center — the military organization that is implementing the system — Wildcat uses technology never before tried in the military. It tracks supplies with hand-held mobile computers that transmit data using wireless technology similar to cellular telephones.

GTRI researchers used a Motorola cellular PC card to fit into a slot on Intermec Technologies' hand-held computers the Army was already using. The computers have built-in scanning capabilities to gather data from bar codes on supply documents. Then GTRI researchers developed both interface and data communications software that allows supply personnel to send captured data to a central database via a wireless connection. The communications software also provides connectivity using local area network, dial up modem, and VHF wireless modem.

Before Wildcat, the Army had a longstanding problem with its supply system. Movement of items such as engines, transmissions, generators, nuts and bolts could only be tracked vertically, within an installation. If one Army installation unit had an excess supply of a particular part, it could not tell whether another unit on the same installation needed it. The inventory of each unit was essentially self-contained.

Needed parts had to be ordered from the Army's wholesale system; excess parts could be sold back into that system, but at cut-rate prices. It was often difficult to determine where bottlenecks occurred in the supply system.

"In the past, if we had a repair part excess to our needs at a particular site, we would have turned that part in to wholesale. It's entirely possible that, on that very day, that same part might have been requisitioned by another unit on the same installation, or by another installation within the same major command, and that requisitioning organization would have paid full price for the part," says Oliver Thompson III, Wildcat's civilian Army program manager.

The Army viewed this situation as unacceptable. So Les Cunningham, former chief of the FORSCOM Material Management Center, envisioned a cost-effective system. It tracked the issue, transport and receipt of repair parts, developed cost reporting and performance metrics, and instituted business process improvements.

"Les Cunningham had the concept," Coleman says. "He didn't know how he was going to do it; he just felt it could be done. What he said was, 'Why don't you turn this problem over to the research and development community?' "

Researchers in GTRI's Information Technology and Telecommunications Laboratory and the Sensors and Electromagnetic Applications Laboratory took it from there in July 1997. Their major technical challenge was in developing the data communications interface that moved information from the handsets to the central database, Coleman says.

Since Wildcat's development, it has been installed in its testbed at Fort Hood in Killeen, Texas, and in 13 other U.S. military bases. The program was installed at Fort Hood last year to complement an automated supply system newly in place. That system, called the Standard Army Retail Supply System Objective, allows the redistribution of supplies from within an Army installation, between installations in a corps or from one corps to another.

— Jane M. Sanders

For more information, contact Jim Coleman, Information Technology and Telecommunications Laboratory, Georgia Tech Research Institute, Atlanta, GA 30332-0832. (Telephone: 404/894-8959) (E-mail: jim.coleman@gtri.gatech.edu)

Administrative Expediency
New on-line form gets InfoWorld thumbs up.

An electronic purchasing system developed by the Georgia Tech Research Institute (GTRI) was among the InfoWorld 100 top information technology solutions for 1998.

photo by Stanley Leary Screen capture from the GIT Online Acquisition Form (OLAF). Click on image to view larger version (75k).

The On-Line Acquisition Form (OLAF) created for the Georgia Institute of Technology was ranked number 20 out of 100 projects on the InfoWorld list. OLAF is streamlining Tech's multi-copy, paper-based procurement system until enterprise software and related services are up and running on campus.

InfoWorld selected projects based on the complexity of problems and solutions involved, as well as benefits of each project.

"We took a cutting-edge approach," says research scientist Jay Harrell, who led OLAF technical work. "The whole thing runs in the Netscape browser, and no other client-side software is needed. It's a complex form presented in a useable format over a Web interface."

To use OLAF, an employee enters a purchase request, account number and other data. Once the employee submits the form electronically, OLAF notifies via e-mail any supervisor who must sign off on the purchase. When all e-mail approvals are complete, OLAF forwards the request to Georgia Tech's Purchasing Office.

Instead of three to five days, the entire submission and approval process can take just hours or minutes. Previous requests can be reviewed, copied and personalized, as well, reducing preparation time. OLAF has handled more than 2,000 purchase requests since July 1, 1998.

The application was built on Java and Oracle7 and runs on Solaris. SSL encryption and certificates from VeriSign assure remote security — important because many Georgia Tech employees work in remote locations off campus, says Tom Pearson, Tech's director of procurement services.

"Our employees can purchase from remote locations around the state or nation — wherever they are working," he explains. "I think it surpassed everyone's expectations."

It's also good for accuracy because users cannot accidentally skip a field, says Judy Whitfield, purchasing project director who trains employees to use OLAF.

The biggest technical challenge? Working with budding technologies, Harrell says. "It was a high-risk project because we were using cutting-edge technology," he says.

OLAF, completed under budget and on time, grew out of recommendations from Tech's Purchasing Redesign Team, which was sponsored by Georgia Tech's Administrative Excellence Task Force.

So what is next for OLAF's technical developers?

"We'd really like to do this for someone else, too," Harrell says.

— Lea A. McLees

For more information, you may contact Jay Harrell, Information Technology and Telecommunications Laboratory, Georgia Tech Research Institute, Atlanta, GA, 30332-0855. (Telephone: 404/894-8953) (E-mail: jay.harrell@gtri.gatech.edu)

Awards and Honors
Georgia Tech faculty receive recognition.

Dr. Daniel F. Baldwin, assistant professor of mechanical engineering, received the Young Engineer Award from the American Society of Mechanical Engineers' Electrical and Electronics Packaging Division. This award is given every two years. Baldwin also received the 1999 Milton C. Shaw Outstanding Young Manufacturing Engineer Award from the Society of Manufacturing Engineers.

Dr. Bert Bras, an associate professor of mechanical engineering, received a 1999 Ralph R. Teetor Educational Award from the Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE). The awards were given to 15 outstanding engineering educators at the SAE International Congress and Exposition held March 1-4, 1999 in Detroit. The honorees exchanged views with practicing engineers and attended technical sessions, industry tours and special events.

Dr. Melvin Carter, a professor emeritus of nuclear engineering, was elected to the National Academy of Engineering. This is the highest engineering honor accorded in the United States. Carter is retired from the School of Mechanical Engineering.

Dr. Jonathan Colton, a professor of mechanical engineering, was named a fellow of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers.

Dr. Mary Frank Fox, a professor of sociology in the School of History, Technology, and Society, was chosen SWS Feminist Lecturer 2000 (year of the new millenium). The award is for a prominent feminist scholar who has made a commitment to social change. As Feminist Lecturer 2000, Dr. Fox is delivering a series of lectures to college campuses and at professional meetings. Her topic is women, science and engineering. The lecture was also published as a lead article in Gender & Society.

Dr. Don Giddens, chair of the Georgia Tech/Emory Biomedical Engineering Center, was elected to the National Academy of Engineering. This is the highest engineering honor accorded in the United States.

Dr. Chris Nelson, a professor of city planning in the College of Architecture, won the 1999 Best of the Association of Collegiate Schools of Planning Award for a paper he presented to the association's members. The paper presented research on where to locate major league sports stadiums to maximize economic activity.

Dr. Suresh Sitaraman, an assistant professor of mechanical engineering, was named the Engineer of the Year in Education for 1999 by Metro Atlanta Engineers Week. The award was presented at the National Engineers Week Banquet on Feb. 27 at the Sheraton Buckhead Hotel.

Dr. Anne Steinemann, an assistant professor of city planning in the College of Architecture, won the National Science Foundation Career Award. This award is NSF's highest honor given to junior faculty. The four-year grant supports integrated research and educational activities. Her work will focus on water resources and environmental hazard mitigation.

Dr. William Wepfer, professor and associate chair for graduate studies in the School of Mechanical Engineering, was named a fellow in the American Society of Mechanical Engineering.

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Last updated: May 28, 1999