The industrial engineer

  • Is, as the result of his technological training, his knowledge of economics and especially his commitment to higher productivity and profitability, often responsible for bringing the realities of the business world to the attention of all the other engineering disciplines with whom he or she is collaborating within a technological environment.

  • Often has the responsibility to bridge the gap between the technology driven design engineer and the profit motivated manager. In this way the Industrial Engineer functions as the co-ordinator and the translator, between the technology, engineering, mathematics and sciences on the one hand and the finances, profit and loss statements, human sciences and management on the other.

  • Thinks globally and should be capable of seeing the overall picture of any problem situation and thus consider and evaluate the consequences of any decision or proposal for the entire company.

  • Is an integrator who should combine all the parts of a problem or a proposed solution and also all the contributions of the other engineers, scientists and commercial people into one final working entity. The Industrial Engineer therefore works with people as one of the most important, but at the same time difficult, resources to control.

  • Is a planner who should determine which equipment is appropriate, where it should be located, how many of each type of equipment is needed, which technology should be used to produce how much of which product, when, by whom, how should it be transported, which product is required by the customer, where and how large the market for the product is, what quality is acceptable, from where should the raw materials be acquired, what is an acceptable price, how and in what quantities should the product be stored, how should it be financed and how often and in what manner should equipment be maintained.

  • Always attempts to improve any system or process. For this the Industrial Engineer's wide background is of importance and a great advantage since it enables him or her to apply and integrate all the different technologies and concepts from the various other disciplines into new applications. In this process the Industrial Engineer uses and applies all the available mathematical techniques and models to not only improve but to achieve the "best" solution.

  • The Industrial Engineer is one of the most important links in the productivity chain through which an improvement in the economic growth rate and thus the standard of living of the people of a country may be ensured, not only in difficult economic circumstances but also during times of prosperity.

  • The Industrial Engineer has a specific responsibility to contribute to the creation of wealth and the economic well being of the community.

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