What's Industrial Engineering?

In spite of the fact that Industrial Engineering have been more common on these days, many people still blurred about what is it about.
So what is Industrial Engineering to be exact?
Here we give some ideas about the definition and the field of Industrial Engineering to help you to understand more.

• Industrial Engineering is concerned with the design, improvement, and installation of integrated system of; men, materials, information, energy, and equipments. 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 result to be obtained from such systems.

• The Development and Supporter Organizations of The Establishment of Industrial Engineering: 

1. American Society of Mechanical Engineering (ASME)This organization was the the first to discuss about the concepts of industrial engineering that leaded to ideas of industrial engineering concept itself.
2. In 1912 "The Efficiency Society" and "The Society to Promote the Science of Management" was founded. Then in 1915 both society/organization allied become "The Taylor Society". This organization aimed to develop the concepts of common management that has been introduced by Frederick Winslow Taylor.
3. In 1917 "Society of Industrial Engineering" (SIE) was founded. The members consist of a production specialists and managers as comparison to the common management that has been developed by Taylor.
4. In 1932 "Society of Manufacturing Engineer" (SME) was founded.
5. In 1939 "The Taylor Society" and "The Society of Industrial Engineering" allied and formed "The Society for Advancement Management" (SAM).
6. Industrial Engineering Course of Study first opened in 1908 at Pennsylvania State University.
7. In 1948 "The American Institute of Industrial Engineering" (AIIE) was founded, supported by 70 countries. AIIE developed to an international organization, named "Institute of Industrial Engineering (IIE).
8. Industrial Engineering education first introduced at Indonesia by Mr. Matthias Aroef in 1958 after he had finished his study at Cornell University.
9. In 1960 there was Production Engineering sub-course of study in Mechanical Engineering Department, which lead to the birth of Industrial Engineering.
10. In 1971 Industrial Engineering finally stood out from Mechanical Engineering Department.
11. Up to now Industrial Engineering has been developed both in state colleges and private colleges.
12. In 1967 "Persatuan Ahli Teknik Industri" (PERSATI) was founded in Indonesia, then in 1987 "Ikatan Sarjana Teknik Industri dan Manajemen Industri Indonesia" (ISTMI) was founded too.

• Competencies of Industrial Engineer: 

1. Work Design and Measurement; a technique to measure work performance, so that work-time standard can be determined. Daily-work schedule can be designed from total production schedule (long-term). This field also use a Predetermined Time Systems.
2. Plant Location and Layout; layout and plant locating include collect and evaluate any data which is needed to make a decision about the best location for the plant/factory.
3. Engineering Economics; an ability to implement the economic side on the engineering, as taught by Henry Towne.
4. Production Planning and Inventory Control; an ability to set a whole manufacture output level to get a production rating which can reach company's target and stabilize the production force.
5. Statistical Quality Control; An ability to statically record any work-outputs.
6. Linear Programming; An ability to simplify work-steps and arrange the linear work system so the production becomes easier. 

•  Industrial Engineering's Role:

1. Able to solve problems that correlated to industry or not.
2. Industrial Engineering Approach can be applied to decision picking in management analysis.
3. A massive production that needs human resources to improve efficiency, effectiveness, and the increasing of work productivity.

source: "Pengantar Teknik Industri" presentation by Rahmi Yuniarti,ST.,MT (translated)