Connecting the Dots of Operational Excellence

How Industrial Engineering Can Transform Business

By Peter Christian • Published April 2010

What Is IE?
Industrial Engineering (IE) is about designing, implementing, improving and optimizing the complex interactions that drive a business. It is about the holistic relationship between people, machines, technology, supply-chain, materials and finances. IE is about understanding inputs and outputs. It's a blend of management skills, business acumen and problem solving. It's about measuring results and generating value for the customer. IE can be applied to any enterprise, regardless of whether it is a manufacturing or service business. And contrary to a persistent paradigm, it is about so much more than just efficiency.

Industrial Engineering transforms business by improving every day activities, tasks and interactions - in ways that might surprise you.

Other engineering disciplines such as mechanical, chemical or electrical are focused on very specific areas. IE, on the other hand, spans a variety of engineering disciplines as well as business concepts, financial considerations, human resource implications, information systems, ergonomics, value engineering, operations research, supply chain and logistics. While in the past IE was synonymous with manufacturing, today it encompasses this and virtually every service industry.