Welcome to Rabat, Morocco and the 2017 IEOM Conference

To All Conference Attendees: 

On behalf of the IEOM Society, we would like to welcome you to the International Conference on Industrial Engineering and Operations Management in Rabat, Morocco. This unique international conference provides a forum for academics, researchers and practitioners from many industries to exchange ideas and share recent developments in the field of Industrial Engineering and Operations Management. Here we have an opportunity to collaborate and advance the theory and practice of major trends in Industrial Engineering and Operations Management. We will also have an excellent opportunity to network with the leading scholars and practitioners. After a thorough peer review process, about 450 papers/abstracts have been accepted from about 600 submissions representing more than 60 countries. The program includes many cutting edge topics of industrial engineering and operations management. Full papers will be indexed in Scopus subject to satisfying IEOM Quality Standards. 

The challenge of continuous improvement will be significant in the 21^st century and this conference will address the issue of continuous improvement for quality and service. Our keynote speakers will address some of these issues:

• Brian Denton, Professor, Industrial & Operations Engineering Department, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA and President of The Institute for Operations Research and the Management Sciences (INFORMS) – Opening Keynote
• Hakim Abdelmoumen, President, Association Marocaine pour l´Industrie et le Commerce Automobile (AMICA) / Moroccan Association for Automotive Industry and Trade, Casablanca, Morocco
• Joe E. Amadi-Echendu, Professor, Engineering and Technology Management, University of Pretoria, South Africa
• Othmane Benmoussa, Consultant in Transportation, Logistics, Supply Chain Management, and Business Sustainability and Part-Time Faculty in Logistics and Supply Chain Management, Al Akhawayn University, Ifrane, Morocco
• Othmane Bouhali, Research Professor and Director of Research Computing, Texas A&M University at Qatar
• Bas van Dijk, Account Manager, Siemens PLM Software, Veldhoven, North Brabant Province, Netherlands
• Professor Mohamed Essaaidi, Director (Dean), ENSIAS College of Engineering, Mohamed V University, Rabat, Morocco and IEEE Morocco Section Past Chair & Founder (2004)
• Hulas King, Director, Diversity, Professional Affiliations & Global Community Relations, Siemens PLM Software, USA
• Dr.-Ing. Egon Müller, Director Institute of Industrial Sciences and Factory Systems, Chemnitz University of Technology, Germany
• Suk-Hwan Suh, Professor and Director of Center for Ubiquitous Manufacturing, Founding Dean of Graduate School of Engineering Mastership, POSTECH: Pohang University of Science and Technology, Pohang, South Korea 

We are pleased to announce the launch of the Women in Industry and Academia panel, chaired by Ms. Resh Plaha. Its aim is to promote global excellence in academic and business leadership as inspired by eminent women of cultural diversity. The IEOM Society celebrates the invaluable contribution by women on the global stage. 

Industry Solutions Track will address industry needs to survive in the competitive environment. Distinguished practitioners share their experiences and journey to be successful and address industrial challenges and opportunities for continuous improvement and sustainability. Lean Six Sigma, Smart Manufacturing and Entrepreneurship workshops are arranged. 

With the great success of Global Engineering Education Series of last IEOM conferences, IEOM 2017 Morocco Conference will have a dedicated session for the Global Engineering Education where distinguished speakers will discuss the readiness of engineering graduates for workforce around the world. Thirty six featured speakers will be from various part of the world to address engineering education challenges and opportunities. A panel session on Global Engineering Education, chaired by Dr. Abu Masud explores the meaning of global engineering and addressing its educational gap. 

The IEOM Society would like to express our deep appreciation to our sponsors, university partners, exhibitors, authors, reviewers, keynote speakers, panel speakers, track chairs, local committee, advisors and the many volunteers who have given so much of their time and talent to making this unique international conference an overwhelming successful event. 

We would also like to thank the students who are participating in this event. Your Conference Planning Committee welcomes you to Rabat and wishes you an enjoyable learning experience at the conference and a safe and fun adventure exploring Morocco with its many outstanding attractions and sightseeing derived from its multiculturalism. 

Enjoy the conference, and the Rabat/Morocco experience.