Industrial engineering
It draws upon specialized knowledge and skill in the mathematical, physical, and social sciences together with the principles and methods of engineering analysis and design, to specify, predict, and evaluate the results to be obtained from such systems.
The technologies that helped mechanize traditional manual operations in the textile industry including the flying shuttle, the spinning jenny, and perhaps most importantly the steam engine generated economies of scale that made mass production in centralized locations attractive for the first time.
[5] It has also been suggested that perhaps Leonardo da Vinci was the first industrial engineer because there is evidence that he applied science to the analysis of human work by examining the rate at which a man could shovel dirt around the year 1500.
Others also state that the industrial engineering profession grew from Charles Babbage’s study of factory operations and specifically his work on the manufacture of straight pins in 1832 .
[6] Adam Smith's concepts of Division of Labour and the "Invisible Hand" of capitalism introduced in his treatise The Wealth of Nations motivated many of the technological innovators of the Industrial Revolution to establish and implement factory systems.
The efforts of James Watt and Matthew Boulton led to the first integrated machine manufacturing facility in the world, including the application of concepts such as cost control systems to reduce waste and increase productivity and the institution of skills training for craftsmen.
[5] Charles Babbage became associated with industrial engineering because of the concepts he introduced in his book On the Economy of Machinery and Manufacturers which he wrote as a result of his visits to factories in England and the United States in the early 1800s.
[5] Eli Whitney and Simeon North proved the feasibility of the notion of interchangeable parts in the manufacture of muskets and pistols for the US Government.
The result was a significant reduction in the need for skill from specialized workers, which eventually led to the industrial environment to be studied later.
[citation needed] With the development of assembly lines, the factory of Henry Ford (1913) accounted for a significant leap forward in the field.
[9] The course of studies developed by Willi Prion was then still called Business and Technology and was intended to provide descendants of industrialists with an adequate education.
[10] From 1960 to 1975, with the development of decision support systems in supply such as material requirements planning (MRP), one can emphasize the timing issue (inventory, production, compounding, transportation, etc.)
Israeli scientist Dr. Jacob Rubinovitz installed the CMMS program developed in IAI and Control-Data (Israel) in 1976 in South Africa and worldwide.
In recent years (late 2000s to 2025), the traditional skills of industrial engineering, such as system optimization, process improvement, and efficiency management, remain essential.
However, these foundational abilities are increasingly complemented by a deeper understanding of emerging technologies, such as artificial intelligence, machine learning, and IoT (Internet of Things).
Industrial engineers study the interaction of human beings with machines, materials, information, procedures and environments in such developments and in designing a technological system.
Typical MS curricula may cover: While industrial engineering as a formal degree has been around for years, consensus on what topics should be taught and studied differs across countries.
The United States, meanwhile, focuses on case studies, group problem solving and maintains a balance between the technical and non-technical side.
[25] Traditionally, a major aspect of industrial engineering was planning the layouts of factories and designing assembly lines and other manufacturing paradigms.
And now, in lean manufacturing systems, industrial engineers work to eliminate wastes of time, money, materials, energy, and other resources.
Examples of where industrial engineering might be used include flow process charting, process mapping, designing an assembly workstation, strategizing for various operational logistics, consulting as an efficiency expert, developing a new financial algorithm or loan system for a bank, streamlining operation and emergency room location or usage in a hospital, planning complex distribution schemes for materials or products (referred to as supply-chain management), and shortening lines (or queues) at a bank, hospital, or a theme park.
