Forward Thinking - Backward Thinking in Industrial Engineering

Forward Thinking - Backward Thinking in Industrial Engineering.

In industrial engineering there is a forward thinking which starts from the awareness of new engineering item or idea. The IE has to think over its application in the processes under his management. This is a screening process. If the idea or item is thought to be useful in the first step, the next step is to be undertaken and the process continues until a decision to use it in the process is taken. Some ideas or items will not prove feasible and they will be set aside at that stage.

Backward thinking in industrial engineering is thinking during process studies and method studies. In these studies, alternatives are identified for existing engineering elements. Industrial engineers have to remember or quickly find out from sources, the relevant alternatives. Needless to say, knowledge management in paper files, or digital files or digital knowledge management systems facilitates backward thinking in industrial engineering.