Key Tools and Techniques Used in Industrial Engineering – A Brief Understanding

Industrial engineering is important to both, manufacturers and end users, of a product. Industrial engineers improve processes and designs to increase efficiency. They use software with industrial engineering solutions to design, plan, and optimise production processes. It is good for business because it saves time, money, raw materials, energy, and labour. However, it is not just about profit margins, but also about the safety and quality of a product or process, which benefits both employees and end users.

The main objective of tools is to improve the productivity of the enterprise by making the best use of the enterprise resources - people, materials, and machines. The main tools used in industrial engineering are:

Planning and designing manufacturing processes and equipment is a major aspect of an industrial technologist's job. An industrial engineer is often responsible for implementing specific designs and processes. Industrial engineering software involves the management, operation, and maintenance of complex operating systems. Industrial engineering techniques include:

Establishing a standard method for performing a task or operation after thoroughly analysing the tasks and determining the layout of production facilities to ensure a smooth flow of materials without backlogs.

This is a technique used to establish a standard time for a job or operation. Work measurement plays an integral role in industrial engineering; thus, it should not be overlooked. 

This is used to analyse the movements with which workers perform their tasks. The principles of movement economy and movement analysis are very useful in mass production or repetitive tasks with short cycles.

It ensures that no unnecessary costs are put into the product and tries to provide the required functions at minimum costs. This helps to increase the value of the product in the market.

Financial and non-financial incentives help to develop a reasonable reward for the efforts put in by the employees. As a result, the morale of the employees is well maintained in the long run. 

This includes planning resources (such as people, materials, and machines), proper scheduling, and control of production activities to ensure the right quantity and quality of product at a predetermined time and cost.

7. Inventory Control 

Determining the economic lot size and reorder level for items so that they are available for production at the right time and in the right quantity to avoid shortages and minimise capital commitment.

By using IE tools and techniques, engineers can improve performance in production. Combining expertise and skills in the analysis and evaluation of processes and systems, industrial engineering encompasses areas such as business management, production and manufacturing, operations, systems and supply chains, ergonomics, logistics, and more.

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