Dr. Erick C. Jones is a noted US Engineering Scientist. His fundamental theory on automated inventory control, quality control and management has impacted the fields of supply chain management, industrial manufacturing, industrial and systems engineering. He is George and Elizabeth Pickett Endowed Professor and Associate Dean for Graduate Studies in the College of Engineering at the University of Texas at Arlington (UTA). Jones joined UTA in 2010 after eight years at the University of Nebraska - Lincoln, where he rose to the rank of Associate Professor with Tenure. He is the George and Elizabeth Pickett Endowed Professor of Industrial, Manufacturing and Systems Engineering and served as the Deputy Director of the UT Arlington Homeland Security focused University Center SAVANT and he serves as the current Director of the (RFID & Auto-ID) RAID labs at UTA.
Dr. Jones's background led him to be invited to NSF as program officer for the largest Engineering Investment in the country, the Engineering Research Center (ERC). Also given his impact on graduate students he worked in largest fellowship program in the country NSF Graduate Research Fellowships Program (GRFP). Until recently, Dr. Jones has served as a rotating program director at the National Science Foundation (NSF). His programs included the Graduate Research Fellowship Program, or GRFP, the Graduate Research Internship Program, and the Workforce Strand of the Education Core Research Program in the Education and Human Resources Directorate. His last NSF detail was as a Program Director for the Engineering Research Centers or ERCs, in the Engineering Directorate. Dr. Jones was one of only a few program directors to serve in two NSF Directorates.
Academic background
Dr. Jones graduated from Texas A&M University with a bachelor's degree in industrial engineering in May 1993. He later earned a master's degree from University of Houston, Houston, Texas where his thesis was "Turnover of Part-Time Hourly Employees in an Industrial Service Company" under the guidance of Dr. Christopher Chung in May 1996. He further went on to obtain a PhD in industrial engineering from the University of Houston while concurrently working in industry. Under the guidance of his advisor Dr. Chung he worked on the topic "A Predictive SPC Model for Determining Cognitive Voluntary Turnover before Physical Departure" and successfully conferred PhD in August 2003.
Industry background
Dr. Jones boasts a broad background that spans both industry and academia. Dr. Jones has held positions in industry that include Industrial Engineering Specialist, Director of Engineering, Consultant and Project Manager, and Executive Manager of a "Big 5" Accounting firm, and executive manager for United Parcel Service (UPS), Tompkins Associates, Academy Sports and Outdoors, Arthur Andersen.
He managed teams and operations as small as 3 people and as large as 500 people. He has managed projects implementing warehouse management systems (WMS) and enterprise resources planning (ERP) system, designing and constructing new facilities and reengineering Fortune 1000 organizations. Operations managed include strategic systems deployment, teams of large-scale distribution operation, and human resources at an executive level. He is an expert in the field of supply chain optimization, distribution logistics, and inventory control. His contribution has laid foundation for our modern understanding of the Internet of Things (IOT), Blockchain, RFID, Auto UD and Supply Chain Technologies.
Pioneering the RFID Technology
In 2003, soon after obtained his PhD degree Dr. Jones moved to academia bringing with him the industrial experience that revolutionized the shape of industrial engineering in further years. His unique background positioned him to develop one of the first and largest academic RFID labs in the country. While working as a newly hired assistant professor, Dr. Jones opened the Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) Supply Chain Logistics (RfSCL) lab in Lincoln, Nebraska, to aid in the advances of RFID in automatic data capture technology. The RfSCL goal was to utilize the accepted industry Six Sigma methodologies to define industry problems and, in the process of solving problems, identify and pursue relevant research opportunities. The industry- university focus has led to his lab becoming one of the National Science Foundation's Industry University Cooperatives (NSF I/UCRC) in the Centers for Engineering Logistics and Distribution (CELDi).
His research projects focused majorly on four areas: logistics systems analysis and design, supply chain modeling, material flow design and improvement, and intelligent systems. In the RfSCL, projects were either applied research or theoretical research models. RFID applied research concentrated on areas such as RFID and bar code integration into WMS and ERP systems or RFID in industrial applications such as conveyors which changed the face of logistics.
Theoretical research models for RFID included RFID integration into GPS/GIS or alternate active tag standard development. Supply chain applied research focused on facility/transportation network modeling and RFID and bar code systems integration for inventory. Theoretical research models included mathematical modeling inventory polices and stochastic modeling of supply chain networks.
His students worked on innovative projects like dealing with RFID include embedded RFID license plates (DOT), ROW underground RFID tags (TxDOT), and RFID RTLS (NASA), Corporate supply chain analysis and grain terminal network analysis.
Universal acclaim for the advancements in RFID technology
Dr. continues this research today, which includes a research project that led to RFID being shipped and utilized at NASA on the International Space Station (ISS) in 2013. NASA has deployed its "Project RFID" for use on the International Space Station (ISS), which includes using an RFID reader with both barcoding and RFID capabilities. This was developed in collobaratoitng with Dr. Jones lab. (https: //blog.atlasrfidstore.com/nasa-rfid-never-lost-space)
Dr. Dwight Mosby, Dr. Jones' former student and current manager at Manager, Payload Operations Director Office at NASA mentioned " Some astronauts have tweeted from space about the usefulness of the RFID technology"
Six Sigma, Quality control and Quality Management
Dr. Jones brings industry experience in quality implementations as a former consultant. He is an American Society for Quality (ASQ) Certified Six Sigma Black Belt. He originated and directed a university-level Six Sigma black belt program for several years. The program expanded to a state-level program with an industry and university certification board. He is the chairman for the International Supply Chain Education Alliance (ISCEA)--Industry Technology Board, Indian Institute of Technology Bombay (IITB) that certifies the training programs, exams and review process for the ISCEA technology RFID supply chain management (RFIDSCM), and Six Sigma programs.
His biggest impact to the day in his opinion remains the implementation of yellow belt certification in developing countries. This enabled the underprivileged students who could not afford to go to college in India, Srilanka and USA to obtain certification in yellow belt which enhanced their understanding of and paved ways towards the bright industrial careers. Understanding the Pareto Analysis, fish bone diagram and Flow charting enhanced their skills and opportunities for getting hired.
Supply Chain Management, Manufacturing and Industrial Engineering
Dr. Erick C. Jones currently works at the University of Texas at Arlington. He is the George and Elizabeth Pickett Endowed Professor of Industrial, Manufacturing and Systems Engineering and Associate Dean for Graduate Studies in the College of Engineering. In an effort to support the marriage of industry's supply chain needs like automatic identification technology with academia's theoretical applications, he has created an Radio Frequency and Auto Identifiaction Labs (RAID).
Recently, Dr. Jones' interdisciplinary research with chemists and physicists, neuroscientists and surgeons, and bio- and biomedical engineers is leading to translational and commercial research for important national programs including the BRAIN initiative, Homeland Security and Safety, and Smart Planet initiatives. His research partnerships range from medical schools, international airports, and international university collaborations.
Academically, Dr. Jones has received over $9 Million dollars in funding for academic research projects, from organizations such as NASA, The National Science Foundation, Department of Transportation and US State Department to name a few. Dr. Jones' research activities are internationally recognized in the areas of automated data capture using Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) technologies, Quality Control at the Six Sigma level, and Manufacturing Technologies that support the development of "Auto Sensing" technologies. He has published over 165 manuscripts including 3 textbooks. As part of his research efforts, he has advised over 34 Masters Student and 16 Ph.D. students along with 32 undergraduate research students on sponsored research projects.
Dr. Jones' current focus is on RFID research for the U.S. Department of Transportation, the Department of Defense Transportation Command, and NASA JSC. His research interests include RFID, RTLS, and satellite technology development and testing with respect to inventory control. Other research areas include supply chain logistics, six sigma quality engineering management, and knowledge worker turnover.
The purpose of this facility is to support project initiatives like radio frequency identification (RFID), logistics (supply chain engineering), manufacturing (six sigma and Lean initiatives), and information technology (ERP, WMS). The facility's goal is to enhance the industrial engineering field by utilizing some of the research methodologies to provide solutions in the areas of RFID, supply chain logistics, and engineering management. The mission of the RFSCL is "providing integrated solutions in logistics and other data driven environments through automatic data capture, real world prototypes, and analysis." Equipment used in the lab include active and passive tags/readers and software (Matrics, Alien, Samsys, IMPINJ, SERIT), hytrol conveyor, and GCS WMS, HP5555 Mobile Active Reader and Software, RF Code active tags, and SAVI Active Tags and Reader (WMRM/WORM). The methodology utilized for research in the lab is known as DFSS (design for six sigma), which is similar to the six sigma DMAIC methodology. The seven steps in this methodology are define, measure, analyze, identify, design, optimize, and verify. The RFSCL team consists of approximately 15 graduate students, with 7 being PhD students and the rest masters' students. The RFSCL has received over 40 research awards that have amounted to over $3,067,756. The lab has also received over $1,726,357 in research funding.
Significant work with National Organizations:
NSF Engineering Research Centers (ERC) Program:
From 2016-2018, Dr. Jones served as Program Director, Engineering Research and Centers (ERC), ERC Director at Engineering Directorate/Engineering Education Centers of National Science Foundation, Arlington, VA. He primarily contributed to the Nanomanufacturing Systems for Mobile Computing and Mobile Energy Technologies (NASCENT), Nanotechnology-Enabled Water Treatment (NEWT), Revolutionizing Metallic Biomaterials (RMB) and Re-Inventing the Nation's Urban Water Infrastructure (RENUWIT) Centers.
Dr. Jones was part of a team that revamped the program to Generation 4 research centers where the main elements are Convergent Research and Innovation, positive societal impact, engineering workforce development, the development of a culture of diversity and inclusion, and a focus on value creation within the innovation ecosystem
NSF Graduate Research Fellowships Program (GRFP):
From 2015-2017 Dr. Jones served as the Program Director, Graduate Research Fellowship Program (GRFP) Graduate Research Internship Program (GRIP), EHR Core Research (ECR) Workforce Development Strand Lead, Enabling the Future of Making (MAKER, Lead) at the Education and Human Resources Directorate/Division of Graduate Education department of NSF.
This program recognizes and supports outstanding graduate students in NSF-supported science, technology, engineering, and mathematics disciplines who are pursuing research-based Master's and doctoral degrees at accredited United States institutions.
William J. Fubright Scholar in Mexico 2013
Dr. Jones was awarded an NSF OISE program called Internatinoal Research Experiences Program in Mexico. During this research he worked with the Monterrey Tech System in Mexico campuses, specifically Queretero. His students did research with global companies including Werner Trucking, Kelloggs, and TRW. The result of this experience he was invited to participate in the US State Department William J. Fulbright program to promote Engineeirng Education in Mexico. He was hosted by Monterrey Tech Queretero and vistited schools across Mexico to discuss Engineering Education. He also taught Logistics during the summer in Spanish at Monterrey Tech Queretero.
Aflred P. Sloan Minority PhD Program
Dr. Jones was a APS Minority PhD Scholar while he was a PhD student. He later was awarded a APS Minority PhD Center while at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, and again while at UT Arlington.
The result of this program yield 9 PhD students who were Underrepresented Minorities who completed their doctorate. This represented 100% of the student that were recruited in his program to have completed. Dr. Jone is now on the Aflred P. Sloan Minoriy PhD Scholars Network, SSMN Board.
Textbooks from the Author:
Academic Textbooks
1. Modern Quality for Organizations Using Lean Six Sigma Techniques by Jones, E. C
Book Description: The next step in the evolution of the organizational quality field, Lean Six Sigma (LSS) has come of age. However, many challenges to using LSS in lieu of, in conjunction with, or integrated with other quality initiatives remain. An update on the current focus of quality management, Quality Management for Organizations Using Lean Six Sigma Techniques covers the concepts and principles of Lean Six Sigma and its origins in quality, total quality management (TQM), and statistical process control (SPC), and then explores how it can be integrated into manufacturing, logistics, and healthcare operations.
2. RFID and Auto-ID in Planning and Logistics by Jones, E. C, and Chung, C.A.,
Book Description: As RFID technology is becoming increasingly popular, the need has arisen to address the challenges and approaches to successful implementation. RFID and Auto-ID in Planning and Logistics: A Practical Guide for Military UID Applications presents the concepts for students, military personnel and contractors, and corporate managers to learn about RFID and other automatic information capture technologies, and their integration into planning and logistics functions. The text includes comparisons of RFID with technologies such as bar codes, satellite tags, and global positioning systems and provides a decision model for choosing the appropriate technology for a given application.
3. RFID in Logistics by Jones, E. C, and Chung, C.A.,
Book Description: Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) tagging is now mandated by the department of defense and many of the world's largest retailers including Wal-Mart. In order to stay competitive, more than 200,000 manufacturers and suppliers must develop strategies for integrating RFID technologies into their supply chains.
Industrial Handbooks
1. Tracked, What You Should Know About RFID, Internet of Things, Big Data and Data Security: The Official RFIDSCM Certification Handbook; Engineering Version by Jones, E. C., Gray, B., Wijemanne, M and Bolton, J.
2. Tracked, What Everyone Should Know About Invisible Inventory, Monitoring and Tracking, The Official RFIDSCM Certification Handbook; Engineering Version by Jones, E. C., Gray, B and Armstrong, H.
3. The Six Sigma Trap, What you should know about Six Sigma that your company is not telling you: The Official ISCEA CLSSYB Certification Book by Jones, E. C., and Armstrong, H.A.
