What Do They Do?
Industrial engineers deal with systems. They can design, implement or improve integrated systems comprised of people, materials, information or energy. IE's can develop a better way of doing just about anything.
Industrial engineers find creative new ways to solve tough problems. From microelectronics and telecommunications to retail and transportation, IE's make it happen more efficiently.
Industrial engineers get jobs as production engineers, supply chain managers, operations analysts, quality engineers and information system specialists. They work for IBM, ExxonMobil, Fujitsu, UPS, Dell -- just about any business or company that wants a better bottom line. And who doesn't?
Many IE's start their own companies or go into consulting.
Industrial engineering is challenging, rewarding, and full of opportunity, There's no limit to the places you can go with a degree in industrial engineering.
Examples of Work Projects
- Influencing federal policy related to safety and health issues in the workplace
- Designing ergonomically sound tools and workstations to reduce worker injuries and health problems
- Designing new approaches for implementing office automation to increase productivity and reduce stress
- Developing tools to dramatically improve our ability to optimize manufacturing systems
- Creating improved methods to monitor quality of care in nursing homes and quality of products in manufacturing and service industries
- Helping corporations create factories of the future, improving the United States' competitive position at a time when industrial vitality is a serious concern
- Developing mathematical models that enable researchers to analyze diverse scenarios and recommend workable solutions to complex problems
- Developing theories and approaches for re-engineering inner-cities to enhance the quality of life for economically disadvantaged residents
Various Job Titles
- Assembly Line Engineer
- Contractor
- Post market Compliance/ Surveillance Manager
- Process Engineer
- Sales Manager
Some Employers of Industrial Engineers
- Chemical industry
- Manufacturing company
- Accounting firms
- Retail distribution organizations
- Banks and finance organizations
- Hospitals and healthcare organizations
- Public utilities
Major Areas of Specialization
- Engineering economics and decision analysis
- Human factors (human-machine/computer interaction)
- Manufacturing systems
- Optimization
- Production, distribution, and material handling
- Statistics
- Stochastic systems
Famous Industrial Engineers
- Lee Iacocca (Former CEO, Chrysler)
- Edwin Moses (World-record Hurdler)
- Tom Landry (Former Head Coach, Dallas Cowboys)
- Save Johnson (Manager, Baltimore Orioles)
- Charles Armstrong (President, Seattle Mariners)
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