30+ Ways for Better IE - 1. Go to the Shopfloor

There is an article in the January 99 issue of IIE Solutions "30 ways to be a better IE."

By: Gaboury, Jane; Cary, Cliff; Nolan, Richard J. IIE Solutions. Jan 99, Vol. 31 Issue 1, p28. 8p

So what IE's have done individually or professionally to implement the ideas discovered through a survey of 10,000 IIE members?

Why go into the shopfloor?

What is the purpose of industrial engineering?

One answer is to provide more production with the same resources so that society enjoys more of the goods that it feels valuable and useful. So an industrial engineer must feel thrilled when he sees a smooth flow of "material to product" conversion chain. It is through a thoughtful observation that he identifies the productivity opportunities presently not visible to him in the process or the chain.

They write that Taiihi Ohno used to tell new engineers to stand in circle and observe the production process around to identify waste. Going to the shopfloor has to be an activity like going to the library in old days. Probably, the management of IE function has to make it compulsory for IEs to visit the shopfloor for certain number of hours each day or week and make a report on such visits. It can be called a production study report. So the visit can be  to a particular section which is involved in a specific process. Industrial engineer reports on the process as he has observed and gives his comments on whether standard process is being followed. Whether planned productivity is achieved or not and various shortcomings in the production system if any. He can comment on productivity improvement opportunities spotted by him if there are any.

Please write your opinions on this issue. Please read the original article.

Other suggestions for a better practice were using engineering knowledge to serve the community, deploying technology carefully, participating in the implementation of the plan, learning continuously, and becoming a good leader.

What is Industrial Engineering?

You can understand through its principles

Principles of Industrial Engineering - Taylor - Narayana Rao
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Other suggestions for a better practice were using engineering knowledge to serve the community, deploying technology carefully, participating in the implementation of the plan, learning continuously, and becoming a good leader.

ud. 30.1.2024

pub 19.7.2017