Development Strategy for Industrial Engineering

Applied Industrial Engineering - Industrial Engineering 4.0 is a growth opportunity for Industrial Engineering Profession in the World

Summary of

"Thinking about the Application and Development Strategy of Industrial Engineering"

Quan-qing LI, Ming LI
(C)2011, IEEE

Characteristics of Industrial Engineering

Analysis of the origin of industrial engineering, reveals that the original industrial engineering has the following characteristics:

1. It is developed to solve management problems of production side of manufacturing industry. (F.W. Taylor mentioned that management or entrepreneur or financial capitalists/investors focused on marketing and finance and production was left to superintendents and foremen. The systems content of production management activity was very low and reliance was on the persons and their knowledge based on their experience and thinking.)

2. Efficiency was the objective and Industrial Engineering was called "Efficiency Engineering" also.

3. The subject reflected the characteristic of "Thing Big, Act Small." The big aspect refers to the objective, the efficiency and cost of of the production activity of the enterprise. The small aspect refers to the action point. The IE activity can start from little things such as an individual worker's action, working tool, workflow (a step of the process) and so on.

Application Range of Industrial Engineering

The authors say it is sufficient to say that IE analyses and improves objects and people.  Materials and equipment are objects.  Operation of objects requires energy. Also operation is based on information. Hence the term objects covers material, machine, energy and information.

Two Kinds of Technology - Specialized Engineering and Industrial Engineering

Basic Engineering - Industrial Engineering (Effort Engineering - Productivity Engineering)

Processes or systems convert input into output through a conversion process.

Input ------------- Conversion -------------> Output

In the conversion task, two kinds of technology play a big roles. One is the technology to realize physical and chemical change which transforms the input into desired shape having the desired properties and functions. This technology is created by various specialized engineering branches in various products.  The second type of technology modifies the first technology or redesigns the first core technology into combination (integration) and collocation, and makes the system more efficient and less costly (maintaining the quality). The second technology is called the industrial engineering technology. The first technology pays main attention to production process. The second technology pays attention to production management issues of productivity and cost reduction.

For any system, improving efficiency and reducing cost are its inspiring objectives.

Reasons for Neglecting Industrial Engineering Technology

Specialized engineering technology is the necessary condition of the system existence and running. Without it the system is unable to run, so it cannot be neglected. With industrial engineering the system can be run better for more profits and less waste.  But many entrepreneurs are satisfied with the normal running of the system and do not aspire after the good that is possible with additional effort.

Second, the specialized engineering technology is produced first. Industrial engineering technology is produced after a time lag (hysteresis).

Third the benefit of specialized engineering technology is immediate, appearance of the production system. The benefits waste elimination methods take more time to show significant results.

Development Stages of Industrial Engineering in Various Technologies

In each technology we can see:
1. Germination period.
2. Cornerstone-laying period
3. Growth period
4. Slow growth or maturity period.


In each technology, the four periods will appear. As specialized engineering disciplines create new technologies, there will be germination period during which industrial engineers have to explore and understand the new technology and identify the productivity levers and barriers. They have to develop productivity science of the new technology. Based on the science they have to develop productivity engineering solutions. As productivity solutions are demonstrated, more and more organizations adopt them and the growth phase will start. The growth period is extended by new scientific and engineering solutions. Productivity management innovations related to the new technology may also come into existence. As technology matures, IE related to the technology also stagnates.

The authors feel in manufacturing sector, IE is in slow growth period. In service industry, it is still in cornerstone-laying period.

Difficulties Faced by IE in Extending Its Applications

1. Industrial engineering applications have to customized to the organizations. Hence its extension is made difficult.

2. Similarly industrial engineering is technology specific. Industrial engineering is nearly the technology of "one-to-one" to solve the problem.

3. The hysteresis involved in developing IE solutions and the possibility of running the systems based on specialized engineering solutions for a long period means, the application of IE can be delayed in the new technologies.

4. The idea, "Think Big, and Act Small" may not be working right. IE does not have methods that aid thing big. IEs are not happy with micro level initiatives and improvements. Hence IE as an activity is negatively impacted from both sides.

Suggestions to Speed up the Application and Extension of Industrial Engineering

1. Popularize the basic purpose of industrial engineering. It is seeking more efficiency. Do not be satisfied with the present level of efficiency. Search for ideas in productivity science, productivity engineering and productivity management. Develop applications in house. Contact consultants, researchers and academicians.

2. The industrial engineering has to speed up research and development. It needs innovations in research (science), technology (engineering) and methods. Only innovations in technology and methods can be used by the organizations and therefore can provide growth to industrial engineering profession.

Innovations in Industrial Engineering - Changing Landscape of Industrial Engineering

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Applied Industrial Engineering Implementation Steps - Industrial Engineering 4.0 Context

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