The Institute of Industrial and Systems Engineers, founded in 1948, is the largest professional society dedicated to the support of the industrial engineering profession, helping its members improve complex organizations around the world and across industries. Its Medallion Award recognizes individuals who have made a notable impact on the industrial and systems engineering profession through exceptional leadership. This impact may be in the form of developing and promoting young engineers, creating a body of knowledge for the profession, developing innovative educational materials, and/or applying industrial and systems engineering to significantly impact the productivity of a company.
This year’s honoree is Susan O. Schall, Founder and Lead Consultant of SOS Consulting, Front Royal, VA. Schall’s career has centered on integrating the industrial engineering essentials of people, process and data to solve productivity and quality problems worth over $250 million across 6 industries ranging from chemical to higher education. In addition to a career spanning over 30 years in both the corporate environment and as a highly experienced consultant, Schall has focused on improving engineering education using her industrial engineering and quality experience and filling the role of an effective mentor for the next generation of engineers, while also serving IISE in various ABET engineering accreditation roles for 26 years.
Schall is the creator of the Roadmap to Competitive Results which enables small manufacturers to compete both today and tomorrow. Filling extensive leadership and technical roles at Kodak, DuPont, GE Lighting, and RR Donnelley, Schall served twice as an examiner for the prestigious Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award. At Penn State University, Schall has served on the IE Industrial and Professional Advisory Council, Women in Engineering Advisory Council, and as an IE student mentor. Schall has a bachelor’s in mathematics from State University of New York, College at Fredonia, and a bachelor’s, master’s, and Ph.D. in industrial engineering from Penn State University.
In her remarks, Schall thanked the Penn State industrial Engineering Department for the nomination, its world-class IE education and for igniting a passion for engineering education. Expressing gratitude for her early mentors and role models, Schall commented, “I want to recognize my parents for teaching me the value of hard work and service. They instilled the confidence that girls can not only enter but be successful in the engineering field, despite the contrary advice from a high school guidance counselor”. Addressing her engineering colleagues and clients, Schall stated, “I have learned far more from you than you have learned from me.”
About Susan O. Schall and SOS Consulting
Susan O. Schall founded SOS Consulting, LLC in 2004 to help small US manufacturers be competitive both today and tomorrow. While the US focuses significant economic development and research resources on large corporations that have flexible capacity, staff, and matrixed organizations for product development and process improvement, 94% of all US manufacturers have less than 100 employees, lack such resources and are simply treading water to stay in business.
Recognizing this, the SOS Roadmap to Competitive Results provides small manufacturing leaders the clarity needed to focus on a few top priorities and create sustained improvements in productivity and profitability that can be sustained through changes in the business environment.
SOS Consulting is located in Front Royal, VA and serves out-of-state clients through virtual coaching. To learn more about the programs and services offered by SOS Consulting, visit ExecutetoCompete.