Industrial engineering is the branch of engineering that involves figuring out how to make or do things better.
Industrial engineers are concerned with reducing production costs, increasing efficiency, improving the quality of products and services, ensuring worker health and safety, protecting the environment and complying with government regulations.
They "work to eliminate waste of time, money, materials, energy and other commodities," according to the Institute of Industrial Engineers. For example, industrial engineers may work to streamline an operating room, shorten a roller-coaster line, make assembly lines safer and more efficient, and speed up the delivery of goods.
Industrial engineers are involved in all stages of production and processing. They may design new facilities from the ground up, or they may be responsible for upgrading, expanding or reconfiguring existing facilities. They may be required to design new equipment or write specifications for equipment purchased from outside vendors and ensure that it meets those requirements. They may also need to repurpose existing facilities and equipment, design new processes, and design new tools and fixtures.
In order to maintain these standards, industrial engineers must have a basic working knowledge of many areas of engineering and also be familiar with work processes, equipment, tools and materials in order to design facilities, systems and equipment that meet requirements for cost, quality, safety and environmental protection.
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