What is Industrial Engineering?

Industrial engineering is a branch of engineering which deals with optimizing all type of resources and utilities which are used for producing a product or giving a service, so as to reduce the cost and increase the profit.

Meaning of optimizing is ‘make the best or most effective use of’ and meaning of effective is ‘successful in producing a desired or intended result’

In other words, Industrial Engineering tries to reduce the wastage of resources and utilities to zero, while converting these to product or services. It also tries to increase the productivity, even when the wastage is zero, without increasing input. And the formula for productivity is as follows.

Productivity = Output / Input

I hope you understand the second point. It’s will be only possible by figuring out new improved processes.

Resource and utilities

Manpower, Equipment, Machines, Raw material, Floor space, etc will come under the resource category. Water, Air, Electricity, etc will come under the utility category.

Ergnomics

Industrial engineering is also responsible for designing the workstation which suits the work and worker so that the work will be easier. It’s a different subject called ergonomics. After improving ergonomics, it will in turn improve employee morale, improves productivity, reduce leave and attrition.

Health and Safety

In some companies, Industrial Engineering will also look after health and safety of employees. But normally there will be dedicated person for that.

How Industrial Engineering achieves its aim

Initially it will analyse the present situation. Following can be used for analyzing the present situation.

1. Direct stopwatch time study
2. OEE
3. Manpower efficiency
4. VSM
5. Gemba visit
6. TEEP
7. Capacity analysis

And it will improve the present situation. Following can be used for improvement.

1. Method study
2. Kaizen
3. 5S
4. Layout
5. Why Why Analysis
6. Identifying and elimination of waste
7. Bottleneck analysis
8. Thinking out of box
9. Line balancing
10. Six sigma projects
11. Poka yoke
12. Manpower requirement calculation

“Engineers make things and Industrial Engineers make things better”

Thank you for reading

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