did you graduate from mercer and if so...

Earn a Master of Science in Engineering Management from Mercer University

And Your Employer May Send You to Cancun and Bermuda on Business

Did you graduate from Mercer and if so when? What was your degree in?1. Mercer University May 2002 – Master of Science in Engineering Management2. Mercer University May 2002 – Bachelor of Science in Engineering with a specialization in Industrial Engineering

Did you pursue a Master’s degree after graduation?If so on average how much time would you say a Master’s requires for completion?Has your Master’s aided you in your pursuit for advancement in your career and how? I participated in Mercer’s five year program, so I started Mercer in Fall 1997 and graduated with a Master’s degree in the Spring of 2002. The length of a time a Master’s degree takes really depends on two things:

1. How many classes the school offers each semester2. How much time you are willing to devote to the program

If you are going full time, it should take about two years. If you are taking one or two classes a semester after work, it will probably take at least twice as long. I believe that having a Master’s degree has made me more marketable. In the future I believe that a Master’s degree will become what a bachelors degree is currently. Most companies today require a degree of some kind (any kind really.) Soon, having a Master’s degree will stop being one of the merit criteria and become a feasibility criterion.

What classes taken at Mercer (or another college) are helpful in your Job?Most recently, the modeling and simulation class that I took has been the most useful. I have had to use modeling software a few times now, and that is something that is not as intuitive as others. Having some experience and practice creating simulations in school helped me to meet the required timetable here.

What classes were not helpful?I would try to avoid the phrase “not helpful” because each class exposed me to different ideas that actually at one time or another have been helpful. Of course, due to the positions I have accepted, I have not been able to employ the fundamentals of electrical engineering at all, but having the classes allowed me to better troubleshoot problems that arose while I worked in manufacturing. Being able to communicate the problem more accurately, allowed the shop to identify and resolve the problem much quicker than if I had just said “it’s broken – go fix it.”Did you have any internships or co-ops while you were at Mercer?If so, where did you intern, what were you duties, and to your knowledge is/are this/these internship opportunities still available today?I did not have an internship or a co-op during my five years. I interviewed for positions (mostly for the experience,) but I was taking classes both during the day

Interview Conducted by an IDM 288 Student March 2008



(undergrad) and in the evening (grad) I didn’t have a chance to hold a co-op or intern position.

What has been your career path since graduation?After graduation, I had three job offers. One was in the Washington DC area working for UPS. I was not willing to relocate that far away, so I did not accept that position. The second offer was in Perry, GA with Frito Lay. I was ready to move out of the Macon area, and I was not convinced I wanted to work in the food industry, so I did not accept that position. The position I accepted was with Milliken & Co in South Carolina. I started there as a Process Improvement engineer and held three different positions at that location, I transferred to LaGrange, GA after I got engaged, and worked in two different plants and held three more process improvement positions. Then I was moved into a new product integration position where I translated development requirements into production requirements and specifications. After that, I became the environmental engineer for the facility where I ensured compliance to all the federal, state, and local laws. After six years with Milliken, I left to start my current position with Delta.

Did you find a job close to home or did you have to relocate?I relocated to South Carolina for my first year of work. It was maybe three hours from Atlanta (where my family and boyfriend (now husband) were.) I spent most of my weekends in Atlanta. Where I was located was a little too far out for my taste.

What us your current job title?Title: Sr. Industrial EngineerDepartment: Airport Customer Service (ACS)




What does your job entail?In this environment, projects are mostly pushed down. By that I mean other groups or divisions see an opportunity, and contact our department to gather the necessary information and present them with help or solutions. Some of the tasks we have been assigned are listed below as well as some of the tools we use.

Designing Airport Lobbies – simulation, ergonomics, arrival curvesKiosk Error Rates – data analysis, report designingTurn Times – time studies, workflow analysisCall Center Re-Organization – arrival curves, simulation

There are also times when we identify opportunities ourselves. For example, with fuel at over $100 a barrel, we are always thinking of ways to reduce fuel costs, and we found out that we do not measure how much potable water is put onto the aircraft for each flight nor do we measure how much we require per passenger. Since water is very heavy, we are looking into this in hopes of reducing the quantity of water we move each flight.

What is your routine on a normal day at work?I arrive at 8am, and spend the first few minutes getting set up, reviewing my meetings, and setting my goals for the day. The tasks I do depend heavily on the projects I am working on. Some of the things I do during the day include going the airport to collect data, analyzing data, creating simulations, creating presentations, designing studies for other people to collect data, and evaluating performance. So, there is not a set routine. This morning, I went to the morning briefing and went to the ramp to help evaluate a new method of loading and unloading bags onto the aircraft.

Do you have any experience with Six Sigma or Lean?I have employed some of the practices involved in six sigma and lean manufacturing while I was with Milliken. I utilized the DMAIC method during my focused improvement projects as well as 4M projects, why-why analysis, and time studies to establish root causes and implement corrective and preventative measures. I have found that each company utilizes these ideas in their own specific ways. Most of the time, they offer their own training on specific parts they focus on. In my department, we are staying away from “buzz word” engineering, and are focusing, instead on using the best industrial engineering method for the project at hand.

Do you work alone or in groups?We work both ways, but you must understand that group work is slightly different here than in the educational environment. Typically, in school cross-functional teams have a common goal, but it is pretty much just different types of engineers




involved. Here, for example, there are numerous people involved in each initiative. For example, it is not uncommon to encounter the following groups

1. Marketing - creates the advertising strategy and propaganda2. Branding - airport signage and communication3. Continuous improvement (me) - capturing data and creating reports 4. Technology - implementing any software or hardware needed.

Is it a requirement and duty of your job position to make several presentations?There are not as many formal presentations conducted by me. Since I am working and creating solutions for other people, the presentations are usually made by the people asking for the information. I simply supply the deck to my boss and whoever else is requiring it.

Is traveling a requirement of the position you hold and if so how often do you travel and where?Travel is required sometimes. I would say it is less than 20% for work purposes. Sometimes it is just day trips – leave sometime in the morning, and return by 5pm. More distant places sometimes require being gone multiple days. Within the past month people from my group have gone to Bermuda, Cancun, Knoxville, Washington DC, San Antonio, and London. Most of our work is done by pulling information out of databases, so travel is not as frequent as you might think working for an airline. It sounds fabulous, I know, but the inside of some of the “tropical paradise” airports is not as nice as the resort image that comes to your mind.

How often do you interact with people outside of the engineering world?Every day. Most people asking for information or assistance on a team are not engineers at all. Also, the people that I encounter during my studies who often provide me information are not engineers either.

How many hours on average do you work a week?My schedule at Delta is 8am – 5pm which works out to 45 hours. I include lunch because I figure if I am at work it counts (besides, if I work through lunch I do not necessarily get to leave at 4.) At Milliken it was much different.




How much free time do you have when you leave work?Free time is very dependant on job proximity as well as sleep schedule. Sleep time does not count as free time in my book. It takes me 45 minutes to drive home, so I will say I am free starting at 6pm. I try to be in bed by 10:30 pm so I can get up at 5:30 am to go to the gym. I guess that works out to 4.5 hours of free time on a week night. I also would count the hour I spend at the gym as free time (since if I did go I would be staying up later.)

Do you work on weekends?At Delta, I have not had to work any weekends, and I do not foresee having to in the future. At Milliken there was a weekend rotation that did require weekend duty. Sometimes it was only once every eighth weekend and sometimes it was once every other weekend. Also, for a time there was a third shift rotation that was required. It is not unexpected to be required to work off hours in manufacturing.

Do you receive any benefits or compensation from your organization?I certainly wouldn’t work at all if I didn’t get any compensation. We are paid our annual salary bi-monthly. There are also medical, dental, vision, disability, life insurance, vacation, and retirement benefits that are pretty standard. The flight benefits are specific to the airline industry and certainly not to be forgotten. The only other thing I can think of is the profit sharing plan that occurs annually and the shared benefits that are paid out quarterly if we meet our goals.

What is your dress code at work?Work attire is professional – some might call it business casual. Slacks, skirts, or dresses with pumps and a respectable top. By donating $50 to our charity, you can wear blue jeans on each Friday throughout the year.




Where do you see yourself 5 to 10 years from now?Five years from now I would like to be managing other people. I think that one of the most translatable skills is the ability to manage people effectively. I have had the opportunity to manage hourly associates, and although there are some undesirable aspect of managing people and some people that do not want to be managed, I find it very rewarding when I can contribute positively to someone’s career. Ten years from now, I would like to be in a more director role. I have never had the opportunity to focus on the bigger picture in an organization. I feel the set of challenges would be much different than those I have faced up to this point, and I would welcome the opportunity.Is your salary competitive with salaries for other people holding the same if not similar positions within other organizations?The airline industry salary is not necessarily as competitive as other industries. There is not a disparaging difference, but a difference nonetheless. However, when total compensation is taken into consideration the airline industry becomes much more competitive and even surpasses other organizations.

Finally, have you ever read “The Goal”?I have not read “The Goal.” I have read a number of problem solving novels, and they tend to say the same thing in different ways. Find the problems, fix the problems, and don’t mess anything else up in the process tends to be the general message in these books even though the methods they are selling may be different. I have been reading more about the subconscious mind and how America is going to continue to grow when the things that have gotten us to this point are being outsourced to other countries for cost savings. “Blink” and “A Whole New Mind” are the books I have read most recently.




Interview Conducted by an IDM 288 Student March 2008 Page 1

did you graduate from mercer and if so...

Documents